#IMWAYR: Symphony for the City of the Dead: Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

 

I was drawn to Symphony for the City of the Dead: Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad  due to its author. M.T. Anderson is brilliant. And then it's about Russia. I studied Russian in college, and I am especially partial to 20th century Russian history, even though it is quite dark. I visited St. Petersburg when I studied in the Crimea in the mid 90s. Here is a photo of a plague commemorating the siege. 

Sorry for the dark photo! My loose translation: Citizens! During the shelling this side of the street is dangerous.

 
Then there’s Shostakovitch. Back in March, my husband and I went to a concert featuring one of his pieces. And though the conductor implied that Shostakovitch wrote that piece to celebrate the Russian revolution (and we should too, scarily enough), I didn’t believe him. 

Reading this book was my way of proving to myself that Shostakovitch music only seemed to be lauding Stalin and communism.

Here is the synopsis from Amazon:

“This ambitious and gripping work is narrative nonfiction at its best. . . . The book has all the intrigue of a spy thriller. . . . A must-have title with broad crossover appeal.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

In September 1941, Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history—almost three years of bombardment and starvation. Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, writing a symphony to rouse, rally, eulogize, and commemorate his fellow citizens: the Leningrad Symphony. This is the true story of a city under siege, the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power—and layered meaning—of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award–winning author M. T. Anderson.


Highlights:

1.  Anderson points out that it’s really hard to find the truth about Shostakovitch meaning behind his music, because telling the truth meant death during Stalin's reign. But considering that Shostakovitch often wrote letters to help friends who were arrested, never denounced anyone, and was almost purged at least twice shows that he wasn’t a fan of communism.

2.  The people of Leningrad who survived did not lie down to conserve their strength. There’s something about going about your daily tasks and acting as if life is normal that breeds hope. And I loved that they entertained each other by reading and quoting the Russian classics!

3.  I found it interesting that although a German nutritionist advised Hitler to not attack the city because the people would die in a few months of starvation, he was wrong. This nutritionist and the Germans in general underestimated the Russian people, whom they considered subhuman. Yet the Nazis didn't consider how much a people's will to live, their love for their homeland, or the intangibles of life (faith, love, family, etc.) can impact a person's ability to survive.

4.   It is a powerful scene in the book when Shostakovitch's 7th Symphony is finally performed in Leningrad. The audience consists of starving people who’ve given up their day’s rations to buy a ticket, and the band includes Red Army soldiers on leave from their duties, because so many have died of starvation. Yet, with each note they played, they demonstrated how music and the arts can elevate the soul. 

5.   Anderson made a smart choice in letting Shostakovitch be our eyes through the terrible events of the first half of 20th century Russia. I probably couldn’t have stomached the barbarity of the revolution or Stalin’s purges without a mild-mannered man like Shostakovitch to root for. His love for his family and his willingness to do so much for others and so little for himself was truly inspiring.

I think another reason this book spoke to me was the timing. I shared in the spring some funny and light-hearted books that cheer me up. But I’m also finding that difficult books, especially about people surviving trials far greater than I can even imagine, puts life in perspective for me. Reading this book will make you grateful for the gift of food, of family, and the ability to speak the truth without losing your life.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Have you read any books about difficult times lately?