THE CHANGING FACES OF SHOSTAKOVICH AND HIS "LADY MACBETH"
By Karl Henning
"History is bunk," said Henry Ford, himself now a historical
figure with his own accretion of myths.
No completely honest portrait of Dmitri Shostakovich, the composer of the
Mariinsky Theater's upcoming "Katerina Izmailova," was published during his
lifetime. After the composer's death, Solomon Volkov at one stroke boldly
refocused the question, and further muddied the waters, with his publication in
the West of "Testimony -- The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich."
And I really didn't want to..! (Photo)
Hilarious, tragic, laconic and definitely poignant sums up one of
the best evenings of entertainment to be had for a long time.
At the Otkryty Theater on Vladimirskaya Ulitsa, a group of talented musicians
regularly perform a collection of romantic ballads from the turn of the century
and contemporary songs from the Russia of the 50s, 60s and 70s.
The stamps of war. (Photo)
A unique collection of stamps which all have one theme in common
-- World War II -- can currently be seen at the Institute Francais De
St-Petersbourg.
Gold of the Greeks. (Photo)
A dazzling collection of solid gold jewelry and artifacts from
ancient Greece is on display at the Hermitage.
MUSIC
Aquarium takes on water. (Photo)
A former member of the British band "The Waterboys" has signed up
with top Russian rock band "Aquarium" for its latest tour.
Mandolin and saxophone player Anthony Thistlethwaite will appear alongside
Aquarium's lead singer-songwriter Boris Grebenshchikov on the band's extensive
tour of the country which takes in St Petersburg this week.
