I am a classical western music buff...I admire the Russian composers, especially Prokofiev, Moussorsky, Korsakof, Tchaikovky, Borodin and some others. As to Shostakovitch, although I see him as one of the great composers of the 20th century, I do not condider all his works as masterpieces. I especially like/admire some his symponies and couple of other works. But that is all. İn other words I am unable to consider all of his works as masterpieces. As to his Machbeth, I do not blame Stalin for disliking it. He most probably condemned it on ideological grounds. In my view Shostakovitch's Machbeth is not of a considerable artistic importance or value either.
What you have to remember about Shostakovich is that many of his works are not meant to be beautiful. You don't have to like his music- that's all personal tastes- but if you listen to him, it's good to remember how much suffering and fear he went through. I'm reading his letters to his friend Isaak Glikman right now, and Glikman (who published the letters) wrote in the notes that Shostakovich was an incredibly formal person and was very particular about manners and etiquette. That being said, he certainly had his own opinions on what was happening; he just didn't like to voice them publicly, and with good reason. So everything he kept secret with words, he let loose in music. That's why it often sounds so blaring, harsh, and wrong. It's the story of a talented artist who could have sounded something like Rachmaninov or Debussy if he wanted to, but so much fear and death was pumped into his life that when he composed, what came out often wasn't beautiful melodies, but something horrid and frightful. It's for that reason I would absolutely HATE Shostakovich if most of his music sounded conventionally pretty. Writing such ugly music was his way of showing how deeply he cared for his country and the people he loved- he didn't want to write "Soviet Realism" as it was called, but "Soviet REALISM". He's certainly not for everyone, but understanding why his works sounded the way they did really adds to my appreciation of his music.
