In this book, Pauline Fairclough tackles one of the most significant and least understood of Shostakovich's major works. She argues that the Fourth Symphony was

Composed in 1935-36 and intended to be his artistic 'credo', Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony was not performed publicly until 1961. Here, Dr Pauline Fairclough t

As the Soviet Union's foremost composer, Shostakovich's status in the West has always been problematic. Regarded by some as a collaborator, and by others as a s

Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, created against the backdrop of one of Stalin's most infamous purges, is one of Shostakovich's most controversial works. It was S

Originally published: Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2015.