Symphony for the City of the Dead

Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

De: M. T. Anderson

Narrado por: M. T. Anderson

In September 1941, Adolf Hitler's Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history - almost three years of bombardment and starvation that culminated in the harsh winter of 1943-1944. More than a million citizens perished. Survivors recall corpses littering the frozen streets, their relatives having neither the means nor the strength to bury them. Residents burned books, furniture, and floorboards to keep warm; they ate family pets and - eventually - one another to stay alive.

Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who would write a symphony that roused, rallied, eulogized, and commemorated his fellow citizens - the Leningrad Symphony, which came to occupy a surprising place of prominence in the eventual Allied victory.

This is the true story of a city under siege: the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power - and layered meaning - of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award-winning author M. T. Anderson.

©2015 M. T. Anderson, original book published by Candlewick Press (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Reseñas de la Crítica

YALSA Nonfiction finalist, 2016

Be a classical music fan. Raw info on WW2, no.

This is a semi biography on a legendary Soviet composer. It is interesting but not for someone who is looking for war specific information on Germany vs the Soviet Union during WW2.

Incredibly Moving

A nuanced and thought provoking look at Soviet politics in World War II, at the power of art in the hierarchy of human needs and at the heart of the Russian people. Read movingly by the author himself. Highly recommend.

In awe of tragic consequences

This is an astonishing accounting of the life of the Russian composer Shostakovich and an incredibly informative explanation of events leading up to and following the siege of Leningrad (St Petersburgh, Petrograd, Stalingrad?) and speaks to the unspeakable atrocities of Lenin, and Stalin and has implications for our contemporary experience with Putin.
My wife and I had the privilege to tour St Petersburgh several years ago and marveled at such treasures as the restore Amber Room of the Catherine Palace, Hermitage and other touristy attractions which likely are not the same or possible in our current torrential times.
I am really in awe of the tragic experiences recorded and cannot help but marvel at the fortitude that seems to be evident in the Slavic peoples as depicted in this work.

This book blew me away

Would you listen to Symphony for the City of the Dead again? Why?

I'll have to wait a while until I listen to this again, just because it is so intense. I had to carry tissues while I listened because the tears kept coming, both from sorrow and joy. I usually avoid books read by the author, but MT Anderson did a fantastic job.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The people of Leningrad who inexplicably survived the siege really formed the backbone of the story. Anderson provided a balanced portrayal of the good, the bad and the ugly of ordinary people struggling through unimaginable horror.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The emotional denouement was the performance of the 7th symphony in a starving Leningrad still under siege. People who had been eating wallpaper paste for months found the grace to be moved by a piece of music.

Any additional comments?

This is the kind of book you force on people, begging them to read it just so you can discuss it with somebody. It's technically a young adult book, but I'm middle aged and never found it simplistic. I wish this book could replace To Kill a Mockingbird, which my kids read in high school a few years ago; the possibilities for meaningful discussion are amazing.

Great book, amazing story

Wow. An amazing, almost unbelievable story, beautifully told, about Shostakovich and his world. Highly recommend this book. 5 stars. 6 if I could.