Would the journey undergone by Shostakovich bring any insights?
When it comes to how to face modernization, the Russians can be said to have taken a very pioneering and bold path.
Author: GUDORDI | 2024-09-12
Xiao Tagovich has always had great enthusiasm and expectations for the Russian October Revolution. (Internet picture)
Behind every great work of art, there is a beast, a tamed beast.
Behind every great piece of art, there is a wild animal──tamed.──Ludwig Wittgenstein
In the last chapter, the author mentioned the impact of modernization on human society. This is a very deep and important topic. To exaggerate, the history of mankind in the past hundreds of years can actually be understood as a story about how different cultures face and adapt to modern society, and I believe this is also a story. A revealing perspective to understand the overall situation of today’s world and the deeper question of “what exactly are humans currently doing?” Let us start with the situation in Russia. I believe this can bring important enlightenment and reference value to the situation in China and other cultures.
The underlying reasons for the huge appeal of Beethoven's "Ninth"
When it comes to how to face modernization, the Russians can be said to have taken a very pioneering and bold path. Looking back suddenly, Russia has taken a very turbulent road, with so many things to sing and cry about that it is difficult to describe them all. Some aspects of the ups and downs involved in the tragedy may only be understood by Russians. The best way for outsiders to understand how these turmoils have affected Russians may be through the musicians of modern Russia. , works of artists and writers. Previously, this article talked about the thoughts of the Russian novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand. This time I will talk about the mental journey of the Russian musician Dmitri Shotakovich.
It is said that in the history of music, the most inspiring work is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony “Ode to Joy “, and this is similar to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony “Destiny” to a certain extent. echo each other. Yes, fate (or God’s will) often plays tricks on people. Beethoven, as an unparalleled genius in the history of human music, became deaf and lived in poverty. However, even though the objective environment was so harsh, Beethoven was still fearless. , move forward bravely and continue to create music, vowing to fight fate to the end. According to Beethoven scholars, Beethoven must have been completely deaf when he composed “Ode to Joy”. In other words, when he composed this piece, he may have been in the mood of “even if he can no longer hear it, he still has to finish it.” In fact, Beethoven’s Ninth is indeed Beethoven’s last symphony. More than two years later, he passed away. From this point of view, when Beethoven composed Ode to Joy, he should have understood that his lifelong struggle with fate and cruel reality would probably be the end of this work. To paraphrase the Wittgenstein quote at the beginning of this article, Beethoven’s Ninth can be seen as the traces left by Beethoven’s bare-handed attempts to tame the beast of fate and the extremely complex emotions in his heart. The blood and tears, as well as the tremendous courage and endless dedication involved in this process may be the underlying reason why Beethoven’s Ninth has such great appeal.
Xiao Tagovich's "Fifth" is comparable to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy"
Indeed, in terms of uplifting and motivating people, Ode to Joy may reach a level that no one can match. However, if I had to find a piece of music that could compare with it, I would say it is Xiao Tagovich’s “Fifth Symphony”. I remember that many years ago, the Hong Kong Philharmonic invited Xiao Tagovich’s son to conduct a performance of his father’s classic works in Hong Kong. The author was fortunate enough to enjoy this performance, and the passion, excitement, and anticipation at the end of the piece are still vivid in my mind.
It is worth noting that Xiaotagonovich has always had great enthusiasm and expectations for the Russian October Revolution. The name of his “Second Symphony” is “To October” (To October). Although Xiao’s music was later officially criticized, he should still have great identification with the country and the nation – Xiao Tagovich’s “Fifth Symphony” is subtitled “A Soviet artist’s creative response to reasonable criticism” ” (A Soviet artist’s creative response to just criticism). Xiao Tagovich’s “Fifth Symphony” probably expresses the joy and excitement of his generation, or even a country or a nation, about the day that they have been looking forward to for a long, long time. But in In addition to being passionate, there is also a clear understanding of reality. We may have to understand Xiao’s patriotism before we can appreciate the impact of the political persecution he subsequently experienced. In 1936, Russia experienced the so-called “The Great Terror”. Many of Xiao’s friends and relatives were persecuted, imprisoned, or even lost their lives.
Xiao’s mental journey is worth pondering
We may have to understand Xiao’s experience before we can imagine that the styles of Xiao’s “Fifth” and Xiao’s “Tenth” will be so different. Xiao’s “Tenth” was published in 1953, just after Stalin’s death. It is said that the second paragraph is a description of Stalin, but Xiao Tagovich did not admit it. He only said that the music is only about human emotions and has nothing to do with politics. We don’t know about this. Maybe even if Xiao’s “Tenth” does indeed imply an accusation against Stalin, he can’t admit it, right?
There is no doubt that Xiao had great enthusiasm and expectations for the October Revolution in Russia. However, the reality he saw was far from his original expectations. However, throughout his life, Xiao seemed to have His respect for Lenin never changed, but later his son left Russia. It can be said that Xiaotagovich’s music is inseparable from his historical background and personal experience. His mental journey may help us have a deeper understanding of the path Russia has taken. and feelings.
