ModernismDmitri Chostakovitch
Dmitri Shostakovich was born in St Petersburg, Russia.
Dmitri Chostakovitch’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1906👶 Birth
Born in St Petersburg on 25 September
- 1915📚 Trainingage 9
Starts piano at 9 with his mother
- 1917🏛️ Landmarkage 11
Russian Revolutions
- 1918🌍 Meanwhile
End of the First World War
- 1923🎩 Careerage 17
Cinema pianist accompanying silent films
- 1926🎼 Workage 20
Symphony No. 1, an international success at 19
- 1934🎼 Workage 28
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk triumphs
- 1937🎼 Workage 31
Symphony No. 5: an ovation of over half an hour
- 1948🌍 Meanwhile
The long-playing record (LP) goes on sale
- 1957🌍 Meanwhile
Sputnik, the first artificial satellite
- 1964🌍 Meanwhile
Robert Moog presents his synthesizer
- 1975🕯️ Deathage 69
Dies in Moscow on 9 August
Listen to the music
Press the big button to listen. Close your eyes: how does it make you feel?
Dmitri Chostakovitch’s music is still recent: it belongs to its creators and their families. Ask a grown-up to play it for you on the radio or at a concert!
Once upon a time…
Dmitri Shostakovich was born in St Petersburg, Russia. He only began piano at nine, but he very quickly became excellent! As a teenager he played the piano in cinemas to accompany silent films.
At nineteen his first symphony was played all over the world. But he lived under Stalin’s dictatorship, which controlled everything artists did. When Stalin didn’t like one of his operas, Shostakovich was very frightened.
During the war his city was besieged. He became a volunteer firefighter and composed a symphony that became a symbol of courage all over the world.
He loved football: he was even a qualified referee! And he hid his name in his music with four notes.
Dmitri Chostakovitch’s instruments
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