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On the eve of the centenary of Dmitry Shostakovich's birth on September 25, two new books offer Russian readers an insight into the "human" side of a composer often thought dour or depressing.
The first of the books, both launched on Thursday in Moscow, is a collection of letters from Shostakovich (1906-75) to his close friend Ivan Sollertinsky, a music critic.
The letters reveal "a lively, pure and spontaneous" man, according to Svetlana Tairova, head of Kompositor publishing. "He never confided in anyone else," she said.
Shostakovich (1906-1975) is often considered an austere composer, with several of his works dedicated to Soviet leaders Lenin and Stalin.
The letters to Sollertinsky "cover the most important period of Shostakovich's life, at the time of the Stalinist terror, the Second World War, and the attempts to destroy avant-garde culture and the spiritual life of the country," Tairova said.
She added that the composer's son Maxim had hesitated for a long time before allowing the letters to be published, for fear that "certain details could discredit his father, who is revered like a saint."
The second book also presents a highly personal look at Shostakovich. Entitled "Shostakovich as I Remember Him", it was written by Bettu Schwarz, a former literary editor for Soviet television and a friend of the composer.
"Anyone who listens to (his) music, observes his personality and tries to understand the logic of his fate will have their own vision of Shostakovich," Schwarz said at the launch: "Everyone has a subjective viewpoint, myself included."
"But these are thoughts that come from the heart and are therefore true," she added.
The composer's widow Irina described the work as "a warm and unique book".
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AFPEntertainment-Russia-music-anniversary-books
AFP 071935 GMT 09 06
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