Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich

I have a special place in my heart for certain classical music. Shostakovich came across my radar recently and has quickly become a favorite. His background and story intrigued me as well and caused me to pick up this book.

This book covers the musical career of Shostakovich. He tells a lot of stories of other composers and people he's met over the years. He doesn't hold anything back, even when it comes to Stalin. The fear he endured through the years was insane. The book is a deep look into the musical process and creation. I found it intriguing, but others might find it tedious. It's listed at 575 pages, but the text stops at 363.

I didn't learn about the controversy surrounding this memoir until after I'd finished the book. My heart sank a bit to think of all the time I may have wasted reading a false narrative. But, I looked into it a bit, and I'm not sure which side of the argument is correct. The children of Shostakovich say one thing while the wife says something else. In the end, I read a book that was believable. Solomon Volkov was a real person, a Russian journalist and musicologist. I can't say for sure one way or the other what the truth is, and I'll let others debate the issue. I liked the book, and I learned a lot about the process of music creation and life in Russia during some tough times (there are verifiable facts in there such as the Holodomor). I'm giving it a Good Book! review.