The Shostakovich Œuvre

[Karl Henning]

I like James's idea here.

[Karl Henning]

I've not done a close tally, but I am going to cast my vote at 85%

[Scarpia]

I have no idea.  I have heard all of his symphonies, all of his string quartets, some other chamber music, Macbeth, some other things.  I have no idea how much additional Œuvre is out there.

[Mirror Image]

I've not done a close tally, but I am going to cast my vote at 85%

+1

I think I've heard 85% to 90% of his oeuvre, but I'm unsure of what I still need to listen to. I need to look at his complete opus list again and make check marks on everything I've heard.

[Mirror Image]

I found this: http://shostakovich.hilwin.nl/work.html

[TheGSMoeller]

Not sure how much operas and film music would add up to, but that's the bulk of what I'm missing from DSCH. So I'll go with 75%, I think that's a fair number from my end.

[San Antone]

I voted 75% which I think is a conservative figure (and more than enough for me at this point of my life  ).   I've heard all the symphonies, SQs and other chamber music, solo piano works and songs.  The operas are where I dropped the ball, despite having a DVD of Lady Macbeth.

As with many composers I went through a period of listening to as much as I could and then once I figured out his was not entirely my kind of music, moved on - only to rarely return, or to return to only a specific category of his work.  For Shosty, this would be the string quartets.

There are a handful of composers who have withstood this process and whose entire catalog is dear to me.

Shostakovich is not one of those composers.

[Scarpia]

I voted 75% which I think is a conservative figure (and more than enough for me at this point of my life  ).   I've heard all the symphonies, SQs and other chamber music, solo piano works and songs.  The operas are where I dropped the ball, despite having a DVD of Lady Macbeth.

As with many composers I went through a period of listening to as much as I could and then once I figured out his was not entirely my kind of music, moved on - only to rarely return, or to return to only a specific category of his work.  For Shosty, this would be the string quartets.

There are a handful of composers who have withstood this process and whose entire catalog is dear to me.

Shostakovich is not one of those composers.

This is probably close to my experience.  I have reached a point where greater exposure has resulted in diminishing enjoyment for the large scale works.  The string quartets, chamber music (particularly the viola sonata) and symphonies 9, 10 and 15 remain on my list of favored works. 

[Todd]

Going by opus number, maybe a third of his output or so.  I have no burning desire to explore every nook and cranny of his output. 

[Karl Henning]

This is probably close to my experience.  I have reached a point where greater exposure has resulted in diminishing enjoyment for the large scale works.  The string quartets, chamber music (particularly the viola sonata) and symphonies 9, 10 and 15 remain on my list of favored works.

Going by opus number, maybe a third of his output or so.  I have no burning desire to explore every nook and cranny of his output.

That's cool. The higher end of the range is (obviously) not everyone's cuppa.

[Daverz]

I put 35%, thinking of all those unheard film scores.  Also, I've never worked thru all the quartets.  Nor have I heard The Nose.

[Todd]

That's cool. The higher end of the range is (obviously) not everyone's cuppa.

It's not so much period or opus number, as significance of the works.  I find his late works - the last few symphonies and SQs - to be his best, and the Viola Sonata is pretty darned good.  It's more the stage works (Lady Macbeth excepted) and songs, and stuff like that, that I have not explored. 

[Mirror Image]

I put 35%, thinking of all those unheard film scores.  Also, I've never worked thru all the quartets.  Nor have I heard The Nose.

The Nose is a hoot! You'll enjoy it. Get Gergiev's recording.

[Brian]

Wow. On published opus numbers, I score 26/147 or 18%. Among the unnumbered stuff, I only count a few film scores and ballet suites. Yikes 

[Daverz]

The Nose is a hoot! You'll enjoy it. Get Gergiev's recording.

I forgot that i have seen a bit of the Rhozhdestvensky on Youtube.  Yeah, a hoot.

[Mirror Image]

I forgot that i have seen a bit of the Rhozhdestvensky on Youtube.  Yeah, a hoot.

I think I've seen a little bit of Rozhdestvensky's as well, but I'm telling you Gergiev's is the one to have.

[Karl Henning]

It's not so much period or opus number, as significance of the works.  I find his late works - the last few symphonies and SQs - to be his best, and the Viola Sonata is pretty darned good.  It's more the stage works (Lady Macbeth excepted) and songs, and stuff like that, that I have not explored.

Todd, have you seen the Kozintsev Hamlet, with score by ДШ? You may have heard me pound the table over it once or twice . . . .

[Todd]

Todd, have you seen the Kozintsev Hamlet, with score by ДШ? You may have heard me pound the table over it once or twice . . . .

I have not.  But that mix seems like something I may be able to sit through.

[DavidRoss]

I voted 75% which I think is a conservative figure (and more than enough for me at this point of my life  ).   I've heard all the symphonies, SQs and other chamber music, solo piano works and songs.  The operas are where I dropped the ball, despite having a DVD of Lady Macbeth.

As with many composers I went through a period of listening to as much as I could and then once I figured out his was not entirely my kind of music, moved on - only to rarely return, or to return to only a specific category of his work.  For Shosty, this would be the string quartets.

There are a handful of composers who have withstood this process and whose entire catalog is dear to me.

Shostakovich is not one of those composers.

I'm with you on this one ... but I have heard Lady Macbeth a few times. I keep coming back to the symphonies, giving lightning a chance to strike, but so far they fizzle. I just have a limited capacity to willingly subject myself to dreariness and anguish. Some of the quartets are tough sledding, too. But some of his other stuff perpetually delights.  You might give the Preludes & Fugues another try.

[Sergeant Rock]

Going by the list in MI's link, I've heard about 35% ....but that includes almost everything major (symphonies, concertos, quartets, song cycles, ballets, operas). For you guys who say you've heard 85%, well, I'm really skeptical  ...and so is Buck Turgidson (who hated Shosty for being a a damned commie bastard )




Sarge