Did Shostakovich have a stage name?
Alright, time for some more bloggage to keep you busy while you avoid studying for finals.
If you've looked at the right sidebar, you may have noticed that I'm reading a biography of Shostakovich. I'm enjoying it so far, probably because I haven't reached his overwhelmingly depressing later years. One thing I find fascinating about that time period (1940s) is how composers were regarded in the USSR. It's amazing how Shostakovich was regarded in the same way we view rock stars in the U.S., except with dignity and talent. He was actually not allowed to fight in World War I because he might get killed, and the Soviet government made a priority of evacuating him and his family to safety. Shostakovich's quiet artistic rebellion and devotion to 'light music' is extremely admirable, considering his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District was banned, and he was criticized harshly on several occasions by editorials in Pravda, a main vessel of Soviet propaganda.
At my piano lesson this past Friday, I found out that Mr Subchak actually saw Shostakovich live at a premiere of the aforementioned opera. Not only that, he has seen Sviatoslav Richter in concert, and he has played violin with David Oistrakh. I've decided that Russian composers are my favorite, although which one I can't quite decide.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
When you mentioned looking at the right sidebar, I immediately searched for the book on the left. I'm glad no one could possibly have witnessed this, though now I'm confessing it to you. Don't tell anyone.
January 15th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Well, you know telling people about it almost as good as witnessing it.
January 17th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
That's okay, I won't tell anyone.
I didn't see it happen, but I can definitely visualize it.
Right ---->
January 17th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I wont tell either Stefanya, the people whom will kno shall be only those who come to this site, and tell others. Also, Phil, I dicided to look for your podcast version of Crunching Numbers, and the age was blank.(I went back to when you posted about it) And there are no links at the top, so am I to presume that it has been taken off of the site? (I really hate this keyboard)
January 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
@Seth, you presume correctly. The podcast files all got deleted when I upgraded my WordPress blogging software, and I figured it wasn't worth the trouble to upload them again. I also found that I can't keep up with writing podcasts in addition to regular blog posts. Maybe when my life becomes more interesting I'll have things to podcast about.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Your life will never become more interesting.
wen u put up nu layout boi?