Family Affairs
With Peggy Reynolds. Composer
Dmitri Shostakovich was nine years old when his pianist mother Sofia persuaded him to try some scales on the piano. By 11, he was proficient at playing Bach's Preludes and Fugues. His father kept the family entertained with his versions of popular Gypsy songs, but after his sudden death the young composer had to accompany silent films in the local cinema to help make ends meet. After studying at the Petrograd Conservatoire, Dmitri Shostakovich had a turbulent career that has been well documented, but his wife and children were a great support to him. His son Maxim is a conductor and champion of his father's music, and his grandson Dmitri Jr a pianist.
Bach Prelude and Fugue in C (Book 1) Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
Shostakovich Fantastic Dance
(Suite, Op 6) Alexander Zelyakov and Folke Grasbeck (pianos)
Shostakovich Symphony No 5 (2nd mvt) LSO, conductor Maxim Shostakovich
Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2
Dmitri Shostakovich Jr, I Musici de Montreal, conductor Maxim Shostakovich