Great Masters: Shostakovich - His Life and Music

This series of eight lectures explores the extraordinary life and music of Dmitri Shostakovich, examining his role as a resilient artist navigating the oppressive landscape of 20th-century totalitarian regimes. Drawing on declassified Soviet documents and his own reflections, the series reveals how Shostakovich used his compositions to communicate hidden messages about his experiences during war, terror, and propaganda. Through his innovative techniques and symbolic references, he maintained artistic integrity and offered a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.