Russia of the 20th century in the prism of musical art: the 1940s – Dmitry Shostakovich
Abstract
This publication continues a contextual survey of 20th-century Russian music. In this essay, the author examines the compositional work of Dmitry Shostakovich during the 1940s. During this period, the composer focused extensively on the symphonic genre. Composed during this era, symphonies No. 6 (1939), No. 7 (1941), No. 8 (1943), and No. 9 (1945) form a tetralogy that presents a panoramic view of the Great Patriotic War. The central theme of Shostakovich’s work during the period under consideration is the individual’s confrontation with the forces of evil and the struggle to preserve one’s spiritual identity amidst profound hardships. Despite the adversity of the era, the composer imbued his works with a life-affirming character. Shostakovich’s compositions of the 1940s reflect a complex chapter in the nation’s history and represent a significant contribution to the evolution of both the symphonic genre and global classical music as a whole.
References
- Демченко А. И. Военная эпопея. Очерки отечественной музыки 1940-х. Саратов: Саратовская государственная консерватория имени Л. В. Собинова, 2020.
- Демченко А. И. Музыкальная летопись военных лет. М.: RUSCience, 2025.
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About this article
Publication history
- Received: March 15, 2026.
- Published: April 6, 2026.
Keywords
- музыкальное искусство ХХ века
- Д. Д. Шостакович
- композиторское творчество
- жанр симфонии
- тема Великой Отечественной войны
- musical art of the 20th century
- D. D. Shostakovich
- composer’s oeuvre
- symphony genre
- topic of the Great Patriotic War
Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
© 2026 Gramota Publishing, LLC