Shostakovich symphonies and concertos - David Hurwitz

The fall of the Soviet empire has not diminished the popularity of Dmitri Shostakovich's great symphonies and concertos one bit
despite the fact that most literature on him neglects any substantive discussion of the music itself in favor of biographical speculation on the relationship between the composer and the political climate of the day. This is the first book to provide a detailed
descriptive analysis of the 21 symphonies and concertos
work by work
explaining not just why they are significant documents of their time and place
but why they are great music in general. This offers readers an understanding of why Shostakovich's music enjoys the enduring support of performers and listeners alike
and how it fits into the great tradition of Western classical music generally.