.

[Bulldog]

The inclusion of Rachmaninov into the afore mentioned list suffices to discredit the post - as Rachmaninoff (Horowitz's friendship notwistanding) has consistently been rebuked by the most sophisticated folk for his frequent downfalls into hollywood style mishmash and sentimentality.

Now I know why I like Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff - I have little use for sophisticated and aristocratic people.

[TheGSMoeller]

Way to make lemonade, dude!

Well, I'm not sure how to react to threads such as this sometimes. Must be the Jersey sarcasm I inherited.

I don't see how a completed piece of art can "fade" at any point. The public's perception might change with time, perhaps more with a piece of art that was influenced by a political event, but never fade. I feel that once a composer and his music have reached a certain height in popularity (performances, recordings...) and in the public's appreciation, then it will always maintain that position, such as Shostakovich and his music will.

[jowcol]

By the way, I can't help but notice that he still hasn't provided evidence that Shostakovitch is fading.

I can produce conclusive evidence that Shostakovich is fading! 
Just look below, and prepare to leave your little world of denial!

Going, going, gone!

[Karl Henning]

Dmitri Dmitriyevich wouldn't have faded, if he had made sure that his parents kissed at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance!

[jowcol]

And now, for some reason, I envision a technicolor movie, where the KGB and Joseph Stalin are chasing Dorothy and friends through the Kremlin.  they are cornered, and Joe Stalin starts burning the scarecrow with a torch.  Dorothy grabs a bucket of water, trying to put out the fire.  She misses the scarecrow and Stalin, but hits Dmitri Shostakovich, who starts melting away, crying "what a world, what world..."

[Lethevich]

So.. how 'bout that violin sonata?

http://www.youtube.com/v/VZCxjBtgT3M http://www.youtube.com/v/C6SDtU4kVpQ
http://www.youtube.com/v/bh9AtdZr6t8 http://www.youtube.com/v/3u95pFnkWwg

[jowcol]

After further research, I identified the cause of the tragedy.  Unfortunately, the Communist Totalitarian Aristocracy washed their composers using plain laundry soap, while the French Intelligentsia used Free and Gentle™ formulated Tide™ to wash their composers.  This is why Shostakovich has faded, while Boulez has maintained his vibrant colors.

[eyeresist]

I saw a few places in the topics the mention of influence, but who, composing today, is influenced by Shostakovitch?

....................... Karl?

[Lethevich]

I saw a few places in the topics the mention of influence, but who, composing today, is influenced by Shostakovitch?

Aho's debut symphony is Shostakovich worship iirc, and while he has developed a personal style I would say that Dmitri still has a small hand in it. Boris Tishchenko was heavily influenced, and has only just popped his clogs.

[eyeresist]

Aho's debut symphony is Shostakovich worship iirc, and while he has developed a personal style I would say that Dmitri still has a small hand in it. Boris Tishchenko was heavily influenced, and has only just popped his clogs.

Schnittke too.

[Lethevich]

I've not heard Aho, but I will strive to fix that. Wouldn't you say Boris has more in common with Tchaikovsky than Shostakovitch?

Not sure, I haven't heard a huge amount of works - but his 7th symphony came across as DS worship. Although a nice coincidence arises in Boris Tchaikovsky having influences from DS. If we can do dead guys - Einar Englund's primary influence was Shostakovich. I think that the composer's idiom was in the background for many mid-century symphonists. Malcolm Arnold sounds very much like an English version of the composer, although a lot of those associations arose from coincidence.

[eyeresist]

Ah.. now there's one where I can hear it clearly. Although, I don't really care for him either.

Well, there's the thing. If you don't care for Shosty or composers who resemble him, you'll tend to avoid/dismiss his descendants.

[Lethevich]

A further question comes to mind: What is the relative prestige of these composers who have follow DS, coincidental or not and should that matter?

All second-stringers, except perhaps Arnold who though inconsistent wrote much of value. It's a similar case with composers such as Chopin and Tchaikovsky - they have inspired many, but conposers who were so strongly influenced as to write music which sounds like those two are invariably pale shadows. Even Scriabin escaped that phase quite quickly. I think that it is a sign of greatness when your style can inspire others, but not produce masterworks through the mere emulation of it - as the original composer has already exausted all that can be said with the language.

[not edward]

It may be fair to see that the younger generation are somewhat less Shostakovich-inflected than their forebears. It's a rather vague feeling and one I couldn't back up statistically, but I think many of the younger composers I've heard recently have Ligeti and Sibelius as key influences (spectralism and electronica also seem not uncommon ones, for example in Romitelli).

[Karl Henning]

....................... Karl?

Yes. As with (for instance) Beethoven, there are important lessons I've learnt from his music, which I apply frequently, even though there be little surface similarity between the music I write, and theirs.

[Mirror Image]

Sorry to dig up this older thread, but it still makes me laugh.

[starrynight]

The question was brought up whether relative prestige matters, I would say no except for those that don't think for themselves.  There is plenty of good music in the 20th century that just gets ignored.

[The new erato]

Sorry to dig up this older thread, but it still makes me laugh.

That's all too true. That's because of the laziness of that segment of the public who stick to second-rates like Dmitri Shostakovich...

The laughs are coming fast and furious here.

[The new erato]

You are certainly entitled to bray.

[ibanezmonster]

Shostakovich isn't a good composer because that guy on that internet forum said he isn't. So, I guess my taste is wrong. Thanks for correcting my taste. Oh yeah, could that guy tell me which composers I should and shouldn't like so I know how to have correct taste in the future?