I feel eternal pain for those who were killed by Hitler, but I feel no less pain for those killed on Stalin's orders. I suffer for everyone who was tortured, shot, or starved to death. Dmitri Shostakovich More Quotes by Dmitri Shostakovich More Quotes From Dmitri Shostakovich I don't think that either self-deprecation or self-aggrandizement is among the defining qualities of an artist... Beethoven could have been forgiven if his symphonies had gone to his head. Gretchaninoff could also be forgiven if his Dobrinya Nikititch went to his head. But neither one could be forgiven for writing a piece that was amoral, servile, the work of a flunky. Dmitri Shostakovich artist writing thinking People knew about Babi Yar before Yevtushenko's poem, but they were silent. And when they read the poem, the silence was broken. Art destroys silence. Dmitri Shostakovich broken people art Many consider that Shostakovich is the greatest 20th-century composer. In his 15 symphonies, 15 quartets, and in other works he demonstrated mastery of the largest and most challenging forms with music of great emotional power and technical invention...All his works are marked by emotional extremes - tragic intensity, grotesque and bizarre wit, humour, parody, and savage sarcasm. Dmitri Shostakovich sarcasm symphony emotional Football is the ballet of the masses. Dmitri Shostakovich philosophical football soccer Those who have ears to hear, will hear Dmitri Shostakovich ears I always try to make myself as widely understood as possible; and if I don't succeed, I consider it my own fault. Dmitri Shostakovich faults succeed trying I don't know what will become of this piece. Our brave critics will no doubt charge me with imitating Ravel's Bolero. Too bad - this is how I hear war. Dmitri Shostakovich brave doubt war I think it is clear to everyone what happens in the Fifth . The rejoicing is forced, created under threat, as in Boris Godunov . It's as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, "Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing," and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, "Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing. Dmitri Shostakovich muttering sticks thinking The majority of my symphonies are tombstones. Dmitri Shostakovich majority symphony tombstone Music is good, not evil. Poetry is good, not evil. Primitive, but oh, so true! Dmitri Shostakovich primitive music-is evil I live in the USSR, work actively and count naturally on the worker and peasant spectator. If I am not comprehensible to them I should be deported. Dmitri Shostakovich peasants workers should
