Shostakovich composed the first eight songs of "From Jewish Folk Poetry" in August 1948, knowing state-fueled anti-Semitism would prevent their immediate performance.
Recording & Production
This album is a co-production between Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln and Capriccio, with recordings taking place in Cologne between 1994 and 1996.
Composer Biography
Shostakovich dedicated his Six Romances on Japanese Poems, Op. 21, to his first wife, Nina Varsar, a natural science student from an intellectual Leningrad family.
Composer Biography
Many intellectuals, including Shostakovich's friends, were victims of Stalin's purges in the 1930s; some, like poet Marina Tsvetayeva, committed suicide to escape isolation and pressure.
Historical Context
In the totalitarian Soviet Union, a composer's choice of poet for vocal music was a political statement, tied to the author's biography and ideological standing with the Party.
Compositional Technique
In "From Jewish Folk Poetry," Shostakovich frequently uses Jewish-sounding scales and an oriental lamenting tone, especially in the verse and cradle songs.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Shostakovich identified with the fate of "rootless cosmopolitans" (Jews in Soviet terminology) after witnessing Stalin's systematic marginalization of the Jewish intelligentsia.
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