The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin

Overview

A documentary film about Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich. It focuses on the period between 1936 and 1945, during which Shostakovich composed his Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Symphonies, but also briefly discusses other works in the composer's oeuvre, such as his Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.

Cast

Dmitri Shostakovich

(archival footage)

Valery Gergiev

Self, conductor