The so-called “Shostakovich Wars” (the most heated controversy in classical music since the period-instrument revival) pit those who hear bitterness and rebellion under his music’s ostensibly pro-Soviet surface against those who find his moral and aesthetic ambiguity more interesting. But both sides agree on Shostakovich: A Life Remembered, Wilson’s compelling compilation of interviews and reminiscences—a full, rich, non-axe-grinding picture of 20th-century Russia’s musical world, and a must-read for Dmitri Dmitrievich’s fans. This musicologist and cellist is in Seattle for a lecture series; first up, The Post-Soviet Musical Landscape. Room 213, UW School of Music, 206-985-7003. Free. 7 p.m. Thurs. Aug. 19.
Elizabeth Wilson
