Lethean Cottage
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Philharmonia Fantastique
Friday, March 22, 2024
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
The theme of my symphony is the making of a man. I saw Man with all his experiences in the center of the composition, which is lyrical in form from beginning to end. The finale is the optimistic solution of the tragically tense moments of the first movement.
Shostakovich on Symphony No. 5
Background:
Pravda condemned his opera "Lady Macbeth of the Mitsenk District" as unpatriotic and dissonant and heaped ferocious attacks on the composer, simply calling it "Muddle, not Music!" on the front page review. Overnight he was marginalized by authorities who were in charge of aesthetic idealism. The fifth symphony was conceived under these insecure circumstances. Fifth is the result of fear and trembling for his very survival and avoiding the doomed fate of exile to concentration camps. The pressure combined with Shostakovich's character led to a cryptic score which on one hand should show his ideological rehabilitation in the eyes of party-approved ultranationalist style. On the other hand, he needed to satisfy his own artistic. Therefore, he opted for a Beethoven model for this symphony: Starting boldly as a sonata.
First movement: Moderato
The next theme is an E♭ minor folk-driven with a slight variation implemented. This simple change is the masterstroke of thematic change via slight subtle twists. This sort of subtle manipulation is characteristic of Shostakovoch's works.
The middle section of the first movement shows a drastic change in instrumentation, with piano and bases lurching in with the dead-end theme then winds, brass, and percussion. This generates a militaristic vibe similar to parts of Overture 1812 by Tchaikovsky. Then you hear the pile-up of various tunes as they eventually fade into the strong dominant dead-end tune played by brass and percussion. Then hushly all the tunes return and the opening tune repeats with trumpet and tympani, as a premonition of what is to come in the next movements.
Second movement: Allegretto
This epitomizes the composer's wry sense of humor pointing at his critics. It is a scherzo with a goofy vibe, a spoof on waltzes. The movement is also a hommage to Gustav Mahler (one of Shostakcich's favorites) with solos played by the first violin and flute or clarinet generating the dance imagery accompanying it.
Third movement: Largo
Fourth movement: Allegro non troppo
Starts with many march-like themes, slowly gaining pace as the movement progresses. This parade-like vibe broadly resembles Mahler's tradition (again!) in composing finales. As one expects, the symphony needed an upbeat and cheerful ending. At first glance, this seems to be a forced prosaic ending for an otherwise masterfully written symphony. But the master is at work again conjuring up layers of subtle textures. A slow march pays homage to the opera Boris Gudonov where masses praise the tsar. However, this one is bleak and a slow march. In the more upbeat part, Shostakovich deliberately altered a note again and completely changed the mood of the music. This time an alteration from B natural to B ♭ does the magic! It may look bizarre in the context of happy-ending tunes, but this is deliberately executed by the composer. The whole new minor tone foreshadows the preceding upbeat part of the movement.
My take:
Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony is a prime example of artistic resilliance and defiance in the face of calamity and censorship. Where individuality had to be sacrificed in the name of patriotic nationalist aesthetic. Shostakovich to me epitomizes working under impossible conditions and having the cutting-edge prowess to please both sides: he includes the cosmetics to satisfy the harsh criteria of an oppressive regime, Meanwhile, he manages to insert the subtle elements to keep the music authentic. The fifth symphony fakes glory and buys him some time to breathe with standard glorious movements placed in it. But the music hints at a tragic underlying story with multiple tunes and tricks inserted masterfully in it.
Socially conscious artists reflect on society and its afflictions. They give tongue to those who were silent or were made silent. They picture an era for those who could not witness or closed their eyes on it. Similarly, Shostakovich's music mirrors his era; living under constant threats and brave masks that people were forced to wear. We are lucky that a genius lived and dared to work under immense pressure and duress. He worked and left a body of work which are quite diverse and influenced by various inspirations. From his chamber music, trios, and string quartets to symphonies to his experiments with jazz music following his trip to the US, this massive body of work shares one characteristic of social awareness. Symphony number five is an emotionally charged and complex masterpiece with hidden layers of meaning.
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Not for Profit
"Not for Profit, Why Democracy Needs the Humanities" is a short book by Martha Nussbaum. This is a critical view of the education system from elementary and secondary levels through high academic ranks. The worrisome pattern with emphasis on profit-generating has come at the cost of humanities and liberal arts. The signs are the decline of critical thinking toward authorities, compromised problem-solving skills over complex global matters, and a lack of sympathy for underprivileged and marginalized subpopulations.
Democracy needs competent democratic citizens and to reach this goal a balanced and comprehensive education is key. A balanced pedagogical method should include humanities in the curriculum to broaden the students' viewpoints and help them cultivate empathy. This will serve as a preemptive measure to solve the pathologic social insouciance. The recent waves of execrating diversity and various tribalist sycophants spreading hatred as the new real political wisdom, maybe a reflection of this oversight in the upbringing of the children. Whether these are wangs of a temporary philosophical spasm or a profound drawback in the evolution of education, is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, they require immediate attention.
The book explains the history of the endeavors to include humanities in the framework by philosophers and educational reformers from Johann Pestalozzi (1746-1827) to John Dewey (1859-1952).
Pestolazzi believed in the incorporation of arts and actual emotional responses in tandem with a child's gradual emotional development. Highly influenced by Rousseau's Emile, he mainly focused on participatory creative activities.
Dewey's works in particular underline the importance of transferring living-oriented knowledge to students. He believed education is a regulatory process to oversee social norms and consciousness. Dewey believed in the involvement of the students to go deep and the proper educational method should provide information aligned with their prior life experiences.
In "Not for Profit", Nussbaum raises concern regarding the profit-oriented incentive in public and private schools. The resurgence of technology and the prediction of marketable occupations penetrated the social psyche and now parents are mostly supportive of this direction to secure their children's future. With a new economic and technological milieu looming at large, the need to renege on fundamental principles of comprehensive education is felt, more desperately than ever.
Friday, February 16, 2024
Doux Commerce (Gentle Commerce)
The idea of gentle commerce as a platform which puts a premium on empathy is explained in Steven Pinker's "the Better Angels of our Nature". Herein I refer to a paragraph cited in the book explaining the phenomenon and its impacts on social/political construct.
Commerce attaches [people] to one another through mutual utility...
Through commerce, man learns to deliberate, to be honest, to acquire manners, to be prudent and reserved in both talk and action. Sensing the necessity to be wise and honest in order to succeed, he flees vice, or at least his demeanor exhibits decency and seriousness so as not to arouse any adverse judgement on the part of present and future acquaintances.
Samuel Ricard (1704)