Shostakovich: How to Compose a Massacre 

"Art destroys silence." "One must speak the truth about the past or not at all." - Dmitri Shostakovich.

If they taught music theory and appreciation like this in high school, a lot more kids would take it and love it. Bravo!

The thing is, this isn't even the only time Shostakovich "composed a massacre." The first movement of Symphony 13 also deals with the subject, in that case the Babi Yar massacre of 1941. The part that always stands out to me is the line in the text, "я каждый здесь расстрелянный ребёнок" (loosely translated to "I am every child shot dead here"). On the word "ребёнок" (child), the bass singer jumps from F, to F sharp, to A, and then holds the last syllable at a high G sharp, almost giving the impression that his voice is breaking with grief.

Shostakovich's 11th is my favorite and probably one of he's most underrated.

Another extraordinary symphony by Shostakovich on this theme is his 7th symphony "Leningrad" which he wrote and debuted in Leningrad during the 2-year siege by the Nazis, where hundreds of thousands starved to death. They blasted the symphony live throughout Leningrad, and even to the German soldiers, and it was considered a turning point in the siege. Quite an inspirational story

That "Head-on. Unblinking. Defiant!" at the end gave me chills ngl

His 11th was always my favorite symphony. People know shostakovich by his 5th Or 7th symphony but i always used to tell that 11th is a perfection, the maturity thorough which he had composed the symphony and told the whole story is out of this world. May the tortured soul of shostakovich rest in peace.

People always go on about his 5th (which is also amazing), but I always tell them “listen to his 11th!” And they’re always like “huh?”

Why do I always end up crying when I watch your videos? The emotion of music combined with your speech is fascinating, I really love your work

I know conductor’s aren't supposed to have favourites, but without doubt this is my favourite symphony! I’ve had the immense pleasure of conducting this masterwork, and it was the best hour of my life!! ❤❤️ This Symphony No. 11 is simply a masterpiece by Shostakovich, and is one of the most intense pieces of music ever composed, from its quietest of moments to the heavy ‘rock and roll’ of classical music that occurs in the 2nd and 4th movements!!

The 11th, the big 11th must be the greatest piece of film music ... it triggers so much in your head without using one word.

when i saw this i was literary like IS THIS GONNA BE AN SHOSTAKOVICH 11 ANALYSIS??

One of the most powerful and lasting musical moments of this symphony is just the moment the "massacre" ends. Your eardrums are more or less in a stunned state and so slowly does it creep back into your awareness that the hushed, chilly chords from the strings, the ones that give you the Palace Square, are still playing. The shocking permanence of the architectural setting, impervious and blind to the destruction of human life that just happened on its own stage, has always affected me.

Shostakovich 11 ìs disturbing just listening to it. it’s incredible how he has made something like that sound so unsettling

Being an instrument in the orchestra, really highlights how the orchestra represents the crowd and each vocal ranges are the different ages and men or women. It makes you feel like you are someone in the crowd when hearing the other instrument parts come from either left, right, forward or behind where you’re chair is

I saw this piece performed at Lincoln Center in 2005 (100 years after the massacre). It remains one of the most powerful and visceral experiences I've ever had in a concert hall. I compare it to Picasso's Guernica, a painting/mural that is so incredibly loud when you see it, that you instinctively hear the sounds of war all around you. With Shostakovich's 11th Symphony, through the music, I literally saw the massacre come to life in that very concert hall.

I know the symphony and the story behind... however, your explanation added to the images made me cry like a child. Congratulations... and thanks for reminding me that there is always room for learning and surprise in art.

And the Oscar for best original RU-vid Video Editorial (music and commentary) goes to Inside the Score. This video transcends its niche to offer commentary not just on this piece but on dealing with the aftermath of violence in the modern age. It has something to say and makes you feel something, which are the greatest compliments one can give to any creative work. Well done!

IMO, this is Shostakovitch's most moving work and his most powerful. I first heard this in the music accompanying Carl Sagan's Cosmos (ca. 1980s; which in itself was life changing, not the least for its stunning soundtrack). Naturally, the Stokowski recording they used has become my favorite. The 10th symphony is a close second to this, but ultimately the 11th wins out, partly due to the clarity and genius in telling the story it depicts.

One of my favourite Shostakovich pieces and my favourite recording! The ending bells always give me chills. This was a fascinating analysis!

That was one of the most powerful videos I have watched in a very, very long time. The intensity with which you present the motif and its progression is so perfect that I could not help but be swept away by it, helplessly listening to the ever-increasing panic and anxiety until it all comes crashing down and I just ended up crying. It's absolutely mind-blowing how well Shostakovich composed and almost visualised the massacre and you gave it more than justice with this beautifully succinct and *very* intense analysis - all in the span of 11 minutes. Hats off to you, this video is a masterpiece.

I am in awe! As an archivist, I appreciate the example this video provides of how the arts can color our understandings of history. How do individuals and societies process tragedies? How do they manage such expression while operating within a regime that suppresses free speech? What role does the arts play in the construction of historical memory? The lines of inquiry that music analysis opens up are endlessly thought-provoking and I'd like to give a nod to my colleagues in music libraries who are responsible for maintaining many of these unique cultural resources

My favourite of all the Shostakovich symphonies.

Thank you for talking about one of my favorite Shostakovich symphonies. I think so much scholarship around Dimitri being obsessed with finding "secret meanings" has really dulled being able to look at the actual subject matter of his works. The 11th is called a propaganda symphony by a lot of people and I think that's really unfair; Shostakovich weaves in prison songs sung by jailed revolutionaries in the tsarist era alongside folk songs and these heartrending moments of absolute violence, and it feels disrespectful to him in a way to say "well it's not *actually* about this incredibly important moment in Russian history, it's secretly about the 1956 Hungarian uprising". The tsarist era was not even 40 years out from when this symphony was written, well within the lifetimes of many many Russians. Russian Bloody Sunday was almost as far from the 11th as Watergate is from us today. These events still resonated with people, and the music encompassing them resonated as well, and resonates with us today. The first time I heard the 11th, I literally saw images of Ferguson happening. "Real music is always revolutionary, for it cements the ranks of the people; it arouses them and leads them onward." Dimitri Shostakovich.

Thank you for explaining to everyone why I love Shostakovich so much.

Phenomenal quality video. From the script, to the visuals and editing. Bravo. This is the kind of thing some people would PAY for. Thank you.

I was just listening to this symphony yesterday. Knowing a bit of russian history I imagined what it was about, but did not have this level of comprehension of the piece. Excellent video!

Bro, this deserves so many more views!!

First of all: Awesome video, you depicted the genius of Shostakovich so well, listening to his music always gives me goosebumbs. But you left one part, maybe even the most interesting part, completely out. In the final movement he is quoting his 2nd movement, not just to warn us and repeat the music so it sticks better, but to say "history repeats itself". To understand this piece fully you have to know his biographie, the pressure hes under and the conflicts with the soviet union. If you want to get into that I really would suggest "The sound of time" from Julian Barnes, its a perfect start for getting into Shosta. The 11th Symphonie was an assignment by the Soviet regime for the 40th anniversary of the revolution in 1917 (it was composed in 1957) and Shosta chose to wrote about the Bloody Sunday. He wasnt allowed to critizise the regime as it got him in a lot of trouble earlier, being close to put in a gulag multiple times, so he fled himself in double meanings and ambiguity. In 1956 there was a revolution in Ungarn, which was put to an bloody end by the soviet army (very simplified). Shosta doesnt just write about the Bloody Sunday, he draws parallels to the time he was in. Extremly typical for him and extremly risky. If the soviets would have interpretated it right, he was a dead man. His son supposedly sad before the premiere "Theyre going to hang you for this". They didnt. They awarded him with prizes, because they couldnt see the criticism. He did this a lot of times, so if you ever heard a piece of Shosta, look farther than the obvious solution, then and only then you can see the whole beauty of the genius Shostakovich

I'll listen to this symphony differently after this. I like the recording by Mavrinsky, but I also have it in full sets by Rudolf Barshai, Mstislav Rostropovich and Vasili Petrenko. One of the most memorable concerts I ever attended was the 7th Conducted by Gennadi Roszhdestvensky, in Madrid around 1990 or 91. I was sitting behind the orchestra, watching the conductor face on. The invasion section with the theme and 11 repetitions was mesmerising. I was in tears by the fourth repetition or so. I don't allow myself to cry with recordings, only at live performances. In the second movement, the guy sitting to my right started scratching himself rhythmically in a varying sequence: right eyebrow, left elbow, right knee, scrotum area... and again and again. It was a terrible case of OCD. I took out my ticket and wrote, ¿TIENE USTED PULGAS? (HAVE YOU GOT FLEAS?), and handed it to him. He was really pissed off and nearly jumped over the two people to his right. Some months later I saw him again at a cycle of Shostakovich quartets. The guy with fleas was definitely into Shostakovich, just like me.

I'll tell you: It's the very first time that I listen to Shostakovich, thought being a lover of classical music. I have to check it out! Thanks👍

One of the best symphonies of all time

You are amazing champ. This is a priceless analysis. Worth more than many private lessons.

Let's also appreciate the person who voiced the video. He's brilliant!

When I saw the title my first thought was about Shostakovich, then I read description

This is the first time I hear such a combination of music and it's explanation.Stunning,horrifying yet somehow ethereal but still so realistic.

I saw this live quite recently. Tension, tears, then toil like no words could ever have portrayed.

Amazing piece of work. Should be played and appreciated more than it is.

Your writing is so evocative, just like the music it describes. You made me feel a lot of emotions. Keep up the good work.

THIS video is so WONDERFULLY MADE!! Thank you so much, your analysis and delivery was so well executed!

Wow, hearing the music and having you narrate it to me helps me visualise it so much and it pulls me in and keeps me interested, every time I see videos from you I get excited lol!

Your Videos are the perfect primer for trying out lesser known pieces. Magnificent work.

I first heard this piece a couple of times on the radio but didn't understand it. Later on I heard it live, but this time knowing a lot more about it. It literally made ALL of the difference, and now it's become one of my favorite works of his.

A lot of us came to this music from Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" series on PBS in 1980, which used a small segment in the soundtrack.

One of the best videos on RU-vid. This Symphony is amazing, one of my favorites from my favorite composer! Thank you for this great content! :D

Always love your videos- your videos make me fall deeper and deeper in love with classical music, thank you so much.

This channel is brilliant! ❤❤ Can’t wait to see what’s coming next!

This video is incredible, I felt like I was watching a movie

Oh man, chills. Downright chills. A really great analysis, thank You for the effort You put into it! We now have 2 most amazing video essays on Shostakovich's work - Yours and Tantacrul's! (Edit: spelling bc my hands are still shaking lmao)

The best analysis with such class yet suspense!! 👏

Class content ! I love how you approached the piece with so much enthusiasm even though it tends to be discounted as program music commissioned by the Party. I fully share your passion for Shostakovich's musical irony and human courage.

Man, your voice and montage combined with music is something from another world! So cool!

Excellent video! Thank you for the wonderful analysis!

This could be a history video. Honestly, if you are a historian, an artist, and an enthusiast, you can make videos like these

Well, I can only say that this video is a masterpiece. One that introduces another masterpiece, as well. Thank you for the tears, the passion, the uproar. The humanity of it all.

This was an awesomely structured and executed video! Bravo!

I'm incapable of analysing Shostakovich --- I can only strap myself in and hope the car can survive running the gauntlet! even the 3rd movement of his 8th -- a scherzo with hardly any music in it at all -- still manages to terrify and overwhelm...that's before that symphony both sickens you and breaks your heart

An extremely underrated Shosty masterpiece. The 8th, 10th and 11th will always be my favorites.

being many years a fan of classical music and Shostakovich in particular, and in this context I thank you very much for this fantastic video

It's always a great day when you upload! 🙌🏾🔥

Powerful video. Fantastic narrative.

Thank you for these videos. You're a one man inspiration machine.

This is very well done man!!! Amazing 👏👏👏

So well done!! Thanks

Dimitri's devastating--utterly devastating finale to 11th Symphony is all but agonizing to hear, but it MUST be heard! Human beings should hear the sound of ultimate DEFIANCE against oppression!

Brilliant work! Thank you for introducing me to this piece

This is phenominal! Well researched and brilliantly told

Amazing video!!! Love this movement so much

MY FAVOURITE!!!! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS 🥹🥹🥹

shosty-kun is my favorite composer!!! im really excited to watch, thank you!

I love your narration. Filled with pathos.

thank you. I love Shostakovich’s music, and this brought his work even closer to me.

Yessss I've been waiting for this!!!! As Shostakovich is one of my favourite composer

More Shostakovich please

Very illuminating. Thank you !

Thank you, this piece is truly excellent.

great video, as always!❤❤

thank you - great video and lots of knowledge!

This is the first time one of your videos has made me cry... literally sob.

Bravo! Maybe your greatest video yet. 👏

Your videos are absolutely brillant

Great Video Oscar! Very insightful discussion on how music relates to the human experience. Do you know If you are going to release more podcast episodes in the future? Those were incredibly helpful in continuing my journey of music composition! Especially your interview of David Conte.

Amazing work!

Shostakovich kind of always nauseates me, but in the good way? He demands that I confront the enormity of human evil, circumstantial dread, angst of living in a (modern? totalitarian? unjust? violent?) world, and it leaves me exhausted. But the experience is always worth it. Can't wait to pop The Year 1905 in later today.

I'm literally mentally starving in boredom right now and this helps a lot. Thanks a lot!

amazing video👏👏👏👏👏👏🙅🙅 these are some of the best classical analysis videos on youtube🔥 please continue with them🙏 Also on the topic of shostakovich, if you havent already could you do his 8 string quartet how you point out the sound of the rifles im sure others arent aware of the knocking.

Thank you so much for this video!!

Brilliant! Well done!

So this video showed up at random in my recommended. The title caught my eye, and so did the name, as Shostakovich is a named character nin an alt history mod I quite like. This video blew me the hell away. The passion in your voice, the thunderous and thrilling editing, the words spoken to conjure images, blew my fuckin' balls off, dude. This sub is well earned. I gotta see more of your stuff.

Really impressive, thank you!

This is such a cool video, need more of this!

Fantastic! Thank you so much!

you made me want to listen to it live ! Thanks a lot

Brilliant video!

Phenomenal video!

I never would have noticed this!!!! Historical context adds so much to music

An authentic proto soundtrack. Interesting video. As lover of orchestral music, its an amazing discover this interpretation about this great symphony.

Outstanding. Thank you.

I've been listening to classical music for most of my life and admittedly I was only familiar with the 4th, 5th and 8th symphonies. However, one day I was watching an interview with the jazz flutist Hubert Laws, and he mentioned this work and how powerful it is. That clinched it for me, and I found a copy of the Stokowski/Houston recording. While probably not the best among critics, I figured would be a good starting point (and the sonics for its day are amazing). It is a compellingly fantastic symphony and so evocative of the subject it embraces, like a lot of Shostakovich's music. Thanks for this excellent and informative video.

I was waiting for his waltz no 2, it sounds so good