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License Agreement on scientific materials use.
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Russia of the 20th century in the prism of musical art: the 1940s – Dmitry Shostakovich
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Aleksandr Ivanovich Demchenko
International Center of Complex Artistic Research; Saratov State Conservatory, Saratov
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Submitted:
April 6, 2026
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Abstract.
This publication continues a contextual survey of 20th-century Russian music. In this essay, the author examines the compositional work of Dmitry Shostakovich during the 1940s. During this period, the composer focused extensively on the symphonic genre. Composed during this era, symphonies No. 6 (1939), No. 7 (1941), No. 8 (1943), and No. 9 (1945) form a tetralogy that presents a panoramic view of the Great Patriotic War. The central theme of Shostakovich’s work during the period under consideration is the individual’s confrontation with the forces of evil and the struggle to preserve one’s spiritual identity amidst profound hardships. Despite the adversity of the era, the composer imbued his works with a life-affirming character. Shostakovich’s compositions of the 1940s reflect a complex chapter in the nation’s history and represent a significant contribution to the evolution of both the symphonic genre and global classical music as a whole.
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Key words and phrases:
музыкальное искусство ХХ века
Д. Д. Шостакович
композиторское творчество
жанр симфонии
тема Великой Отечественной войны
musical art of the 20th century
D. D. Shostakovich
composer’s oeuvre
symphony genre
topic of the Great Patriotic War
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References:
- Демченко А. И. Военная эпопея. Очерки отечественной музыки 1940-х. Саратов: Саратовская государственная консерватория имени Л. В. Собинова, 2020.
- Демченко А. И. Музыкальная летопись военных лет. М.: RUSCience, 2025.
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