After you have read the text

1. Answer the following questions about the text.

1. How do we call D.D Shostakovich?

2. What was the Second Symphony by Shostakovich commissioned for?

3. Was it a success?

4. How did Shostakovich dismiss his Second and Third Symphonies?

5. When did the composer begin the work on his opera “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District”?

6. When was the opera produced in Leningrad? in Moscow?

7. What was the opinion of Soviet critics about the opera?

8. How was the opera met abroad?

9. Whom did the article in “Pravda” entitled “Chaos instead of Music” denounce?

10. Were there any fellow-composers who dared to defend Shostakovich?

11. Which work of Shostakovich is known as “the creative reply of a Soviet artist to justified criticism”?

12. When and for which work did Shostakovich receive the Stalin Prize?

13. Where did the composer write his glorious Seventh Symphony?

14. How did the world accept Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony?

15. What was the expression of artistic repressions after the war?

16. What were Shostakovich, Prokofiev and some other prominent composers accused of?

17. How did Shostakovich answer the accusation?

18. What two musical idioms did Shostakovich use in his creative work later?

19. Which symphony was recognized as the next masterpiece of the great composer Shostakovich?

20. How did Shostakovich spend his last years?

2. Choose the correct word.

1. Some Soviet critics (complied, acclaimed, entitled) Shostakovich's Second Sуmphony “To October”. 2. Shostakovich (eagerly, strikingly, suddenly) searched new musical idioms. 3. The article “Chaos instead of Music” was (hardly, namely, osten­sibly) directed against Shostakovich. 4. In 1948 Shostakovich's music was accused of formalistic (perversion, novelty, intensity). 5. The Seventh (Leningrad) Symphony of Shostakovich was (entitled, hailed, denounced) all over the world. 6. After fierce criticism of his works Shostakovich had to (dismiss, reinstate, withhold) some compositions which satisfied his own artistic standards. 7. Newspaper “Pravda” started a (violent, durable, striking) attack on Shostakovich's opera “Katerina Ismaylova”. 8. A serious heart ailment disabled Shostakovich for a (long, indefinite, brief) time. 9. In difficult times Shostakovich's friends (had, were, dared) to defend him. 10. At first the opera “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” was called (an achievement, a perversion, an expression) of social construction. 11. The Fifth Symphony was “the creative (movement, reply, resistance) of a Soviet artist to justified criticism”. 12. After the violent criticism Shostakovich began to use more simplified idioms to (agree, coordinate, comply) with the guidelines of the party.

3. Select the correct meaning of the words.

1) besieged a) часть музыкального произведения

2) movement b) нездоровье

3) commission c) утаивать, скрывать

4) hail d) уступать, соглашаться

5) withhold e) приветствовать

6) broaden f) обвинять

7) ostensibly g) явно, очевидно

8) disable h) осажденный

9) reinstate i) восстанавливать

10) ailment j) средство выражения

k) давать заказ /художнику/

l) усыплять

m) делать неспособным

n) называть, озаглавливать

o) расширять/ся/

4. Review text A in written form.

5. For sure, you know much more about Shostakovich and his creative work. Please, tell what impressed you most of all in his life.

6. Describe the work by D.D Shostakovich you know best of all.

7. Read and retell text B.