Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Wyman, Alina
Keywords
Shostakovich, Dimitri, Russian Music, Russian Poetry
Area of Concentration
Russian Language and Literature
Abstract
Dmitiri Shostakovich developed an intimate relationship with the literature that surrounded him. In his musical adaptations of Russian poetry, he reinterpreted original authorial visions for a contemporary audience, which served to satirize and critique the social conditions of the Soviet Union. “Six Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva” and “Four Poems of Captain Lebyadkin” mix musical technique and lyrical meaning to critically asses the relationship between society and the artist. Shostakovich combines the original author’s voice with his musical interpretation of the work, creating a dialogue between voices from the past and the present. The multiple levels of interpretation that manifest through music come in the form of tonal underscoring and the use of specific musical topics. High lyricism alternates with the grotesque to depict the artist’s complex relationship with totalitarian power.
Recommended Citation
Barganier, Erich, "IF THEY CUT OFF BOTH OF MY HANDS, I WILL WRITE MUSIC ANYWAY: DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH’S INTERPRETATION OF THE POETIC VOICE IN OPUS 143 AND OPUS 146" (2014). Theses & ETDs. 4849.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/4849