Shostakovich at 100

[EveningStar]

I view Shostakovich as the Beethoven of the 20th Century. He is a truly great composer and during his life, he was a man of courage, frequenly at odds with the Soviet government.

Ben Hogwood
musicOMH.com
September 23, 2006

Monday, 25th September will mark the exact centenary of the birth of Dmitri Shostakovich, who has latterly become one of the most influential and most performed composers of his generation - second only, perhaps, to Stravinsky...
More (http://www.musicomh.com/classical_features/shostakovich_0906.htm)

Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shostakovich)

[Wyatt_Junker]

Charles Bukowski always wrote about Shostakovich. I suppose it was good background music to getting tossed. And ever since then, I wanted to check out his work but never did.

This is another reminder to check him out.

[Philippe]

Bukowski was a surprisingly good author, was he not, always true, very free, who hid much sensitivity behind a rough exterior and who new music well and with good taste: haven't heard a great many people who'd have the good sense to pan that musical brute, Zubin Mehta, but Bukowsi was one of them.

I have never been able to hear more in Chostakovich than an imitator of Prokofiev.

How can one claim anyone is the greatest composer of any century? Even if we were dealing with Bach's century (Vivaldi has composed much that is on a par with the best of Bach)?

Scriabin, Debussy, Stravinsky, Messiaen among many others need not be pushed aside for Chostakovich's sake!