Can you recognize Shostakovich by ear?
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) was a Soviet Russian composer, known for his 15 symphonies and 15 string quartets. In Guess the Composer, you hear up to 30 seconds of music and name the composer.
How to recognize Shostakovich
Listen for grim marches, bitter irony and bleak passages for high woodwinds or solo strings. Sudden grotesque humor can turn into something menacing within moments.
Who can Shostakovich be mistaken for?
Listeners may confuse this music with that of Sergei Prokofiev, Gustav Mahler or Igor Stravinsky.
How hard is Shostakovich in the game?
The game has up to 56 excerpts by Shostakovich, depending on your country, and most are at the Hard level.
Pieces you may hear
- Piano Concerto no. 2 in F major, op. 102
- String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110
- Symphony no. 5 in D minor, op. 47
- Symphony no. 7 in C major, op. 60 "Leningrad"
- Symphony no. 9 in E-flat major, op. 70
- The Gadfly Suite, op. 97a
- Cello Concerto no. 1 in E-flat major, op. 107
- Cello Sonata in D minor, op. 40
Portrait: Fotothek_df_roe-neg_0002792_002_Portrait_Dmitri_Dmitrijewitsch_Schostakowitchs_im_Publikum_der_Bachfeier.jpg: Roger & Renate Rössing, credit Deutsche Fotothek. derivative work: Improvist (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 de; background removed.
