From Jewish Folk Poetry
From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79, is a song cycle for soprano, contralto, tenor and piano (or orchestra) by Dmitri Shostakovich. It uses texts taken from the collection Jewish folk songs, compiled by I. Dobrushin and A. Yuditsky, edited by Y. M. Sokolov (Goslitizdat, 1947).[1]
The cycle is just one of many works by Shostakovich to incorporate elements of Jewish music; he said that he was attracted by "a jolly melody on sad intonations".[2] The first 8 songs of the piano version was composed in August 1948, after Shostakovich's denunciation in the Zhdanov decree of that year. 3 more songs was added in October 1948, which demonstrate the great life Jews had under the Soviet regime in order to pass the censorship.[2] Shostakovich also wrote an orchestra version for the cycle, and completed the first 8 songs by October 1948.[3]
The composer's situation made a public premiere impossible until January 15, 1955, when it was performed by Shostakovich himself on piano with Nina Dorliak (soprano), Zara Dolukhanova (mezzo-soprano) and Aleksei Maslennikov (tenor). Before the premiere the work received a number of private performances. Premiere of the orchestra version was on February 19, 1964, Gennady Rozhdestvensky conducted Gorky Philharmonic Orchestra with Galina Pisarenko (soprano), Larisa Avdeyeva (mezzo-soprano) and Aleksei Maslennikov (tenor) as the soloists.[3]
Structure
The cycle consists of 11 songs:
- The Lament for the Dead Child. Russian translation by T. Spendiarova (1 August 1948)[4]
- The Thoughtful Mother and Aunt. Russian translation by A. Globa (5 August 1948)
- Lullaby. Russian translation by V. Zvyagintseva (10 August 1948)
- Before a Long Parting. Russian translation by A. Globa (15 August 1948)
- A Warning. Russian translation by N. Ushakov (20 August 1948)
- The Abandoned Father. Russian translation by S. Mar (25 August 1948)
- The Song of Misery. Text by B. Shafir. Russian translation by B. Semyonov (29 August 1948)
- Winter. Russian translation by B. Semyonov (29 August 1948)
- A Good Life. Russian translation by S. Olender (10 October 1948)
- The Young Girl's Song. Russian translation by S. Olender (16 October 1948)
- Happiness. Russian translation by L. Dligach (24 October 1948)
References and sources
- ^ Wilson 2006, p. 267.
- ^ a b Wilson 2006, p. 268.
- ^ a b "Dmitri Shostakovich" (PDF). Sikorski. 2014.
- ^ The dates of composition are taken from the autographs as printed in the score:Shostakovich, Collected Works, vol. 32. Romances and Songs, "Muzyka" Moscow, 1982
- Wilson, Elizabeth (2006). Shostakovich: A Life Remembered. London: Faber. ISBN 0-571-22050-9.
External links
- Info on geocities.com
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- The Nose
- Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District/Katerina Izmailova
- The Big Lightning (unfinished)
- Orango (unfinished)
- The Twelve Chairs (unfinished)
- Katyusha Maslova (unfinished)
- The Gamblers (unfinished)
- Moscow, Cheryomushki
- The Golden Age
- The Bolt
- The Limpid Stream
- No. 1 in F minor
- No. 2 in B major (To October)
- No. 3 in E♭ major (The First of May)
- No. 4 in C minor
- No. 5 in D minor
- No. 6 in B minor
- No. 7 in C major (Leningrad)
- No. 8 in C minor
- No. 9 in E♭ major
- No. 10 in E minor
- No. 11 in G minor (The Year 1905)
- No. 12 in D minor (The Year 1917)
- No. 13 in B♭ minor (Babi Yar)
- No. 14 in G minor
- No. 15 in A major
Piano |
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Violin |
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Cello |
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- Tahiti Trot
- Suite from The Golden Age
- Suite from The Bolt
- Suite from The Limpid Stream
- Five Fragments
- Scherzo (1922)
- Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 1
- Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2 (orch. McBurney)
- Suite for Variety Orchestra No. 1 (arr. Atovmyan)
- Festive Overture
- Suite from Encounter at the Elbe
- Suite from The Gadfly (arr. Atovmyan)
- Novorossiisk Chimes, the Flame of Eternal Glory
- October
- "Intervision"
- The New Babylon
- Alone
- Golden Mountains
- Counterplan
- The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda
- The Youth of Maxim
- Girl Friends
- The Return of Maxim
- The Vyborg Side
- Friends
- The Great Citizen
- Zoya
- Simple People
- The Young Guard
- Pirogov
- Michurin
- Meeting on the Elbe
- The Fall of Berlin
- Belinsky
- The Unforgettable Year 1919
- The Gadfly
- Five Days, Five Nights
- Sofiya Perovskaya
- Hamlet
- King Lear
- Gogoliad (unfinished)
- Suite on Finnish Themes
- Song of the Forests
- The Sun Shines Over Our Motherland
- Antiformalist Rayok
- From Jewish Folk Poetry
- The Execution of Stepan Razin
- Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok
- Loyalty
- Six Poems by Marina Tsvetayeva
- Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti
- Four Verses of Captain Lebyadkin
String quartets |
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Other |
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- Three Fantastic Dances
- 24 Preludes
- Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor
- Children's Notebook
- 24 Preludes and Fugues
- Galina Shostakovich (daughter)
- Maxim Shostakovich (son)
- Concerto DSCH
- DSCH motif
- Europe Central
- Ian MacDonald
- Muddle Instead of Music
- The Noise of Time
- Shostakovich v. Twentieth Century-Fox
- Solomon Volkov
- Testimony: book
- film
- The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin
- Wihuri Sibelius Prize
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