Shostakovich  10th    

The  Most  Acclaimed?  

Plan    

•  Vast  opening  moderato  in  E  minor.  •   Short  angry  2nd  mvt  in  B  flat  minor.  •  AllegreBo  in  C  minor  as  third  mvt  –  full  of  personal  shiGs  in  mood.    

•  Intro  to  Finale  –  moves  to  major  mode  –  to  triumphant  unison  ending.    

•  Personal  asserKon  of  triumph?  •  Stalin  portrait?    

MoBo  intervals  

•  Of stepwise minor third in first mvt. •  Ballet/soloistic second subject. •  Very long first mvt – moderato. •  Rich low string writing – •  First mvt – long introduction-like section. •  Third mvt – DSCH theme – German

spelling of name – D (S=Eflat, C, H = B natural. Also 5 note theme E-A-E-D-A Elmira Nazirova).

Shostakovich  10th    Symphony  

 •  After 8 year hiatus – 1948 Zhdanov conference

and denunciations. Pubic humiliation. •  Composed in 1953 – year of Stalin’s death. •  Hailed as a masterpiece. •  Recreation of classical romantic symphony –

Mahler. •  Key of E minor – shades of Tchaikovsky. •  Perhaps the most popular and acclaimed?

First  Movement  

First  Mvt    •  Neo-­‐romanKc  warmth  –  passion  and  intensity  of  Mahler  and  Tchaikovsky.    

•  MoBo  interval  –  step-­‐wise  minor  third.    Not  mono-­‐themaKc.  

•  Second  subject  first  mvt  –  ballet/dance.    Clearly  differenKated.    

•  Re-­‐engagment  with  Russian  romanKc  tradiKon.    •  Rich  string  textures  and  Kmbres  –  start?  •  All  moderato  –  no  change  to  allegro  •  Avoids  emphasing  ¾  of  movement  –  cross  rhythms  in  2/4.    

Movement  to  second  subject  area  

•  Movt  very  long  –  22  minutes!  •  Second  subject  aGer  about  7  minutes!  •  First  subject  area  includes  solo  for  clarinet  –  but  not  so  may  solos  as  other  symphonies.    

•  Climax  at  end  of  first  sub  area  –  then  g.p.    •  Second  subject  slightly  faster.    •  Themes  more  chromaKc  ‘typsy  anxiety’  

Second  Subject  Theme  

Development    

Second  Movement  

•  ‘Portrait  of  Stalin’  –  descent  into  madness.    •  No  real  solos.    •  MoBo  theme  announced  by  strings.    •  Form  ABA  –  B  secKon  starts  with  cymbal  crashes.    •  Builds  in  fury  with  addiKon  of  percussion.  •  Return  to  theme  even  more  ferocious.    •  All  big  climaxes  in  major  keys.    •  Short  mvt  –  as  first  is  long.    

Third  Movement  

•  Mosaic  structure  –  dance  steps  into  notes  –  DSCH  =  D  Eflat  C  B.    Schumann  Carnival  and  Bach.    Slow  with  lively  outbursts.    

•  Horn  signal  E  A  E  D  A  –  Elmina  Nazirov.    •  Rising  notes  of  moBo  at  very  start.  •  Second  subject  has  Shostakovich’s  moBo.      

Third  Movement  

Fourth  Movement  

•  Slow  intro  into  principal  theme    •  Start  on  cellos  and  basses  •  Sonata  form  –  2  different  subjects.    •  Allegro  tune  –  light  woodwind  arabesques.  •  Second  subject  –  Russian  dance  on  strings  

 

Fourth  Movement  

Allegro  –  first  subject  theme  

First  Mvt