Western Sources
- Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new windowIndex of articles dating from the late 19th century with links to the full text of the citations. Available at UIUC library
There are a wealth of sources available through most libraries that will make finding material on Shostakovich fairly easy. There is one thing to keep in mind. Cyrillic alphabet words are rendered in a variety of ways into latin characters. See "A Few Considerations" for a list of possible spellings.
The number of results you retrieve from a search will be radically affected by the spelling you use. Some of the most useful"subscription" databases include:
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
JSTOR provides access to the full text of journal articles. It is a subscription database. If you have access to it you will find it very useful. - Project Muse This link opens in a new windowFull text of hundreds of journals that span the century.
- RIPM Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals This link opens in a new windowIdentifies articles on composers, performers, and compositions, and music history from the 19th Century to the mid-20th century. Although focused on the 19th Century, the project will eventually encompass music periodical literature to the mid-20th century as well.
Available at UIUC Library. - RILM Abstracts of Music Literature This link opens in a new windowRILM is a comprehensive music bibliography featuring citations, abstracts, and indexes. Publications originate from 151 countries and are in 214 languages. There are currently over 550,000 records in RILM on traditional music, popular music, and classical music. Coverage of all document types begins in 1967. Coverage of Conference Proceedings goes back to 1835.
Available at UIUC Library.
- Shostakovich Catalogue2002 edition of Hulme's excellent catalogue of the works of Dmitri Shostakovich. For each entry there is information on when the work was composed, performed, premiered, recorded and much more. There is an extensive bibliography acccompanied by a list of BBC broadcasts of Shostakovich works.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new windowFull text of newspapers dating back to the 19th century, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and many other titles.
A few examples
- Soviet Strait Jacket1931 article describing the restrictions placed on composers in Russia
Below you will find links to a few articles on the reception of Shostakovich in the West. They are a random sample, to give a general idea of some of the popular opinion on Shostakovich.
- Collectivism and composersWith the new policies creating collective farms, unions of writers and artists, musical composition was also to be "collectivized".
- Changes in the SovietDescribes how changes in the political policies affected musicians.
- Soviet DirectionsFollows the changing views of the young Soviet government on art and artists.
- Dmitri SzostakovitchNew York Times profile on the young composer
Podcast Links
So much media is available to supplement a study of Shostakovich. A few random choices are provided here. A simple Google search of "podcast Shostakovich quartet" will provide you with an array of discussions and performances.
- ALevel Seminar on Shostakovich 8th QuartetSeries of seminars on Shostakovich from the London Symphony Orchestra
A Few Considerations
If you are looking for Shostakovich online it is useful to keep in mind that his name can be rendered in Latin characters, i.e., transliterated, in a number of ways. The way it is rendered changes over time and from country to country. So if you are searching on the open web in particular, it is very important to keep in mind that you might miss something if you are not spelling it the way it is spelled in the document you seek. Below are a few of the possible spellings for Shostakovich when using latin characters.:
Cyrillic:
Шостакович, Дмитрий Дмитриевич
Latin characters:
The transliteration used in most U.S. Libraries is Shostakovich, Dmitrii Dimitrievich.
Other transliterations used either in the past or in other countries include:
Chostakovitch, Dimitri
Schostakowitsch
Schostakowisch, Dmitri Dimitriewisch
Sjostakovitj, Dmitri,
Sostakovic
Šostakovič, D. D.
Šostakovičius, D.
Szostakovitch
Hebrew:
שוסטקוביץ׳, דמיטרי
You don't have to know all of these. What you should keep in mind is that the name can have various transliterations and if you are not finding what you are looking for you might want to try an alternative transliteration for the name.
Subject Headings
If you are looking through a library catalog in the U.S. there are a number of subject headings you may find useful. The main heading is:
Shostakovich, Dmitriĭ Dmitrievich, 1906-1975.
This is divided into many possible "sub-headings" which will lead you to specialized works. Some of the sub-headings are:
Concertos, violin, orchestra no. 1, op. 99, A minor. Passacaglia.
Concertos, violoncello, orchestra.
Concertos, violoncello, orchestra, no. 1, op. 107, E♭.
Concertos, violoncello, orchestra, no. 2, op. 126.
Criticism and interpretation--Congresses.
Ledi Makbet Mt︠s︡enskogo uezda.
Preli︠u︡dii i fugi, piano, op. 87.
Quartets, strings, no. 8, op. 110, C minor.
English Shostakovich Sites
- Shostakovich quartetsAn overview of the quartets and discussion of each individually.
Books and Journals
- Culture and LifeCall Number: 327.4705 KU2 Oak Street FacilitySuperceded VOKS bulletin. UIUC holds 1959-1989.
- Dmitrii Shostakovich: Issledovaniia i MaterialyCall Number: OCLC: 69341545This title has been published since 2005 and should be available via ILL from a number of institutions including the University of Chicago, Indiana University, and Harvard.
- DSCH JournalCall Number: Not held at the University of IllinoisThis journal/newsletter began publication in 1992 and continues to be issued today. It is available from a number of institutions. The full index for the journal is available at http://www.dschjournal.com/dsch%20articles.html
- VOKS Bulletin byCall Number: 057 VOK Main StacksUIUC holds 1930-1956
Subject Guide
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