Dimensions of Energy in Shostakovich's Symphonies

Shostakovich's music is often said to communicate a profound and highly characteristic sense of energy. But from where does this energy derive? For some time, commentators on Shostakovich's work have sought to address this issue by considering primarily the extra-musical dimensions of his work. But through close analysis of the symphonies, Michael Rofe shows how energy also emanates from multiple internal dimensions of the music: Shostakovich frequently uses rhythms, harmonies, timbres, tonal schemes, and forms that manipulate the listener's sense of stability and instability. The relationships between these dimensions - their Russian Doll-like nesting, and the effect of any incongruities in that process - are vital to the unique path that each symphony takes. Part I of the book draws examples from across the symphonies to demonstrate Shostakovich's handling of energy in all its diversity. Part II applies the theory of multi-dimensional energy to detailed case studies, which in turn give rise to wider contextualised perspectives on Shostakovich's work. New light is shed on long-standing questions: How did Shostakovich's musical language evolve over his life? Are there links between his early and late styles? To what extent did external political pressures have an effect upon this evolution, and are there specific points of change? Most importantly, this book offers a unique insight into the subtlety and sophistication that underlies Shostakovich's music: descriptions that, in the past, have been used all too rarely in connection with one of the twentieth century's most celebrated composers.