The majority of my symphonies are tombstones. - Dmitri Shostakovich

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The majority of my symphonies are tombstones.

Dmitri Shostakovich

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About Dmitri Shostakovich

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (25 September 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a Soviet composer and pianist. Many of his works mark the epochs of Soviet history, or explore his own position as an artist in a communist state. Since his death there has been much controversy as to his private political views.

Also Known As

Native Name: Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович

Alternative Names: Shostakovich • Shosty • Dmitrii Dmitrievich Shostakovich • Dmitrij Šostakovič • Dmitri Dmitrievitch Chostakovitch • Dimitri Shostakovich • Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich • Dmitriii Dmitrievich Shostakovich

All quotes from Dmitri Shostakovich Similar Quotes by other Originators

Originators like Dmitri Shostakovich:

Claude Debussy John Cage Richard Strauss Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Arnold Schoenberg

Additional quotes by Dmitri Shostakovich

The most uninteresting part of the biography of a composer is his childhood. All those preludes are the same and the reader hurries on to the fugue.

What can be considered human emotions? Surely not only lyricism, sadness, tragedy? Doesn't laughter also have a claim to that lofty title? I want to fight for the legitimate right of laughter in "serious" music.

Jewish folk music has made a most powerful impression on me. I never tire of delighting in it, it's multifaceted, it can appear to be happy while it is tragic. It's almost always laughter through tears. This quality of Jewish folk music is close to my ideas of what music should be. There should always be two layers in music. Jews were tormented for so long that they learned to hide their despair. They express despair in dance music.