Dmitri Shostakovich
Shostakovich Symphony No. 14 in G minor
Eleven songs about death, dedicated to Britten
- Key
- G minor
- Composed
- 1969
- Premiere
- 1969 Leningrad
- Duration
- about 50 min
- Movements
- 11 movements
- Instrumentation
- Percussion (wood block, castanets, whip, 3 tom-toms, tubular bells, vibraphone, xylophone) · Keyboard (celesta) · Solo voices (soprano, bass) · Strings (10 violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos, 2 double basses)
The story behind this piece
Made from 11 poems by Lorca, Apollinaire, Küchelbecker, and Rilke, with every song dealing with death. The instrumentation is unusual too: just soprano and bass soloists, string ensemble, and percussion. He dedicated it to his close friend, the English composer Benjamin Britten. It premiered in 1969.
What to listen for
- Notice the instrumentation: Listen to the sound world made with no wind instruments at all, only strings, percussion, and two soloists.
Credits