For this authoritative post-cold-war biography of Shostakovich's illustrious but turbulent career under Soviet rule; Laurel E. Fay has gone back to primary documents: Shostakovich's many letters; concert programs and reviews; newspaper articles; and diaries of his contemporaries. An indefatigable worker; he wrote his arresting music despite deprivations during the Nazi invasion and constant surveillance under Stalin's regime. Shostakovich's life is a fascinating example of the paradoxes of living as an artist under totalitarian rule. In August 1942; his Seventh Symphony; written as a protest against fascism; was performed in Nazi-besieged Leningrad by the city's surviving musicians; and was triumphantly broadcast to the German troops; who had been bombarded beforehand to silence them. Alone among his artistic peers; he survived successive Stalinist cultural purges and won the Stalin Prize five times; yet in 1948 he was dismissed from his conservatory teaching positions; and many of his works were banned from performance. He prudently censored himself; in one case putting aside a work based on Jewish folk poems. Under later regimes he balanced a career as a model Soviet; holding government positions and acting as an international ambassador with his unflagging artistic ambitions. In the years since his death in 1975; many have embraced a view of Shostakovich as a lifelong dissident who encoded anti-Communist messages in his music. This lucid and fascinating biography demonstrates that the reality was much more complex. Laurel Fay's book includes a detailed list of works; a glossary of names; and an extensive bibliography; making it an indispensable resource for future studies of Shostakovich.
#511221 in Books 2002-03-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.10 x .70 x 9.10l; .70 #File Name: 0195173309224 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive Picture of Antietam Battle and Its EffectsBy DonaldAs author of Battle Cry of Freedom; a Pulitzer Prize account of the complete Civil War and its related events; James McPherson is well-qualified to write about individual Civil War battles. But; McPherson makes it clear that Antietam is about more than a battlefield. He frames the battle; not just in its horrendous scope; but in the perspective of its importance.Lee believed that he needed early dominance; because the Union’s depth of resources would eventually turn the tide. So; when the Union suffered a series of losses and Lincoln shifted troops away from McClellan resulting in general demoralization; Lee took the opportunity to act. In September 1862; he crossed the Potomac with intentions to invade the North. But; Lincoln had reinstated McClellan; and his popularity with the troops boosted morale on the eve of battle.Then; the improbable happens: two Union soldiers discover a misplaced copy of Lee’s “Special Orders 191†containing details of the Confederate Army’s troop movements; including the timing and roads to be taken. This event played a role in the Antietam outcome. But even with this foreknowledge; the results were offset by McClellan’s bias toward caution and his tendency to overestimate Lee’s strength. The result; historically bloody but not decisive; was “good enough.â€As a consequence:1. Lincoln had his “victory†with the military support needed to proceed with the Emancipation Proclamation; making slavery a major war issue.2. Congressional pressure subsided to sue for peace.3. European governments shrunk from their inclinations to support the Confederacy.In this concise book; McPherson presents a comprehensive picture of both this battle and its effects; which make the Battle of Antietam a turning point in the war.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Superb historyBy BillSuperb; fascinating history that doesn't mince words on opportunities; failures; and the small events (contingencies) that can change outcomes. I think he proves his thesis that it is Antietam that marks a turning point in the war; though the battle itself was indecisive; mainly because it halted a movement in Europe to intervene; and recognize the Confederacy; and also helped the Republicans hold on to power in the elections. Its attention to newspaper accounts; letters; and journals is refreshing; in an analysis of the morale factor on each side.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. CaptivatingBy HH"Crossroads of Freedom" is essentially a brief history of the events leading up to the September 17; 1862; battle along Antietam Creek; followed by an analysis of how the battle changed the course of the war. Informed readers will find little that is new; and those looking for a detailed tactical and strategic account of the battle will be sorely disappointed. McPherson devotes only 15 pages to the actual fighting. The lack of focus on the actual fighting is not; however; a flaw in this book.Focusing on Antietam as one of the important "turning points" of the Civil War needs little argument. McPherson effectively steers the reader through the important events and central themes during the first two years of the war; from the perspectives of both the Union and the Confederacy. By the late summer of 1862; the Army of Northern Virginia; under the leadership of its new commander; Robert E. Lee; was pushing north; the Confederacy was on the verge of European recognition; and Lincoln was pushing for emancipation; though he was looking for a Union military victory as political leverage. Additionally; important Northern elections loomed in November. McPherson's ability to integrate these themes through the thoughts of the relevant participants gives the reader a robust sense of the uncertainty of the times and; more importantly; just what was at stake for both sides.According to McPherson; "No other campaign and battle in the war had such momentous; multiple consequences as Antietam." McPherson is surely correct in this assessment. However; there is a danger in misinterpreting what McPherson means in describing the event as a "turning point." The Battle of Antietam did indeed have "multiple consequences;" including the failure of European countries to officially recognize the Confederacy; the Union army's ability to push Lee's army back across the Potomac; and Lincoln's issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. McPherson does not conclude that Confederate defeat was inevitable after Antietam. Antietam was one event among others; where the course of the war could have gone either way. The Confederate army and the will of white Southern citizens remained formidable well into 1864. Engaging; informative account of one of the more traumatic periods in American history!
