Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich: biography, creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

There is an opinion among the people that nature rests on the children of famous people. However, the son of the famous Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich, Maxim, managed to completely refute these unfair rumors. A pianist and conductor from God, he became known throughout the world thanks to his innate musical talent and hard work.

Birth and early years

Maxim Shostakovich was born in Leningrad on May 10, 1938. His father was the famous throughout the Soviet Union composer Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich. The boy's mother was astrophysicist Nina Vasilievna Varzar, who, after marriage, refused to create a scientific career and devoted herself to her husband and children. In addition to Maxim, the eldest daughter Galina grew up with the spouses. The early years of the boy's life were overshadowed by the Great Patriotic War. Shostakovichi met the blockade of Leningrad in their native city. Here Dmitry Dmitrievich worked on his famous Seventh Symphony, which was subsequently broadcast on the radio from the captured by the NazisNorthern capital to the entire vast Soviet Union. In 1942, the composer and his family were evacuated to Kuibyshev (Samara), and a year later the Shostakovichs moved to Moscow. They could not return to Leningrad.

Relationship with composer father

Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich kept fond memories of his father. He characterized him as an unusually wise and intelligent person. The composer and his wife raised their children by their own example, instilled in them only positive qualities. Little Maxim and Galina did not know what physical punishment was. If they committed any offense, the father made them give a written commitment not to do it again. After that, the children could not even think about pampering or disobeying their parents.

Mother's death

Dad was an indisputable authority for Maxim and his sister, and mother was the keeper of the hearth, a reliable rear and a faithful adviser. Unfortunately, Nina Vasilievna died in 1954, when her son was in his sixteenth year. The death of his mother was a heavy loss for young Maxim, with which he could not come to terms for a long time. Shortly after the death of his first wife, Dmitry Shostakovich married a party employee, Margarita Kainova. The marriage with her did not last long, and in 1962 Maxim had a new stepmother, Irina Antonovna Supinskaya, who was the editor of the Soviet Composer publishing house. Her father lived with her until his death in 1975.

Decision to become a conductor

Dmitry Shostakovich took his son to rehearsals from an early age andconcerts. The work of the father aroused sincere admiration in the boy, and he, having fallen in love with music with all his heart, could not imagine his further existence without it. In 1946, Maxim came to the rehearsal of his father's 8th symphony and was deeply impressed by the virtuoso work of conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky. After that, he firmly decided that in the future he would become a conductor.

Studying at a music school and conservatory

Maxim Dmitrievich received an excellent education. Under the guidance of Elena Petrovna Hoven, he studied piano at the music school at the Moscow Conservatory. The conductor remembers his teacher as a woman who devotedly served the art of music. After leaving school, he entered the piano department of the Moscow Conservatory. Here, the outstanding Soviet pianist Yakov Flier became the teacher of Shostakovich's son. At the entrance exams for admission to the conservatory, the young man performed the Second Piano Concerto, composed by his famous father. In the fourth year, Shostakovich transferred to the conducting department. Here, such renowned conductors as Nikolai Rabinovich, Alexander Gauk and Gennady Rozhdestvensky became his teachers.

Career of a conductor in the USSR

After graduating from the conservatory in 1963, Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich became an assistant to the chief conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Veronika Borisovna Dudarova. Together with her, he traveled on tour throughout the Soviet Union. After 3 years, the young musician was enrolled in the staff of the State Symphonyorchestra of the USSR. Becoming an assistant to the great conductor Yevgeny Fedorovich Svetlanov, the composer's son went abroad for the first time. During the period of work in the State Orchestra, he traveled all over Europe, visited the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan.

After the end of his assistant term with Svetlanov, Maxim Dmitrievich was invited to work in the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio and Central Television. Subsequently, he was appointed its chief conductor. In 1971, Shostakovich's son Maxim became the head of the Symphony Orchestra of the Ministry of Culture of the Soviet Union. The conductor held this position for 10 years. In 1978, for high achievements in the field of musical art, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.

In 1979 Maxim Shostakovich made his debut as an opera conductor. Several operas were staged under his direction, including Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, The Nose, etc.

Emigration from the USA

Despite the Cold War between the USSR and Western states, Maxim Shostakovich, whose biography is discussed in this article, has repeatedly performed abroad. His debut as a conductor outside the country took place in 1968 in the British capital. Then he performed at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. A year later, Maxim Dmitrievich went on a big tour of the USA with the State Orchestra.

Traveling through the capitalist countries, the son of Shostakovich saw how unfair the Soviet authorities treat theirartists. His dissatisfaction with life in the USSR grew more and more every year. Finally, in 1981, during a tour of Germany, Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich made a firm decision not to return to his homeland. His escape from the Union was a note of political protest. The conductor dreamed of playing the music that he likes, and not limply follow orders "from above". Thoughts about emigration visited him before, but while his father was alive, he could not afford to leave him. After the death of Dmitry Dmitrievich in 1975, the desire to break out of the USSR became even stronger. The stagnation that engulfed all spheres of life in the country seemed to Shostakovich Jr. eternal. He wanted his children and grandchildren to grow up in a free state. Left after a tour in Germany with his son Dmitry, the conductor emigrated to the United States after some time. He had no idea that someday he would set foot on Russian soil again.

Professional activities in exile

Shostakovich's creative career in the West was no less successful than in the USSR. In 1983, he took over as director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, which he directed for two years. From 1986 to 1991, Maxim Dmitrievich was Principal Conductor of the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra. While living in the States, Shostakovich continued to work hard and actively perform. In addition to concert activity, he recorded symphonies and piano concertos of his father. In 1994, the conductor for the first time after emigration came to Russia on tour. Despite the professionalin demand in the West, he often yearned for his homeland. In 1997, he and his family returned to Russia and settled in St. Petersburg.

The conductor's wives and children

Maxim Shostakovich was married twice. Very little is known about the first wife of the pianist and conductor. Married to her in 1961, he had a son, who was named Dmitry in honor of the famous grandfather. Having emigrated with his father from the USSR, he lived in the USA for some time, after which he moved to France. Dmitry Maksimovich is composing music for electronic synthesizers.

The current wife of Shostakovich's name is Marina. The composer's son married her after moving to the USA. In his second marriage, he had two children - daughter Maria and son Maxim, who also went on a creative path. From childhood, they took part in concerts, learned to play musical instruments.

Maxim Shostakovich cannot complain about his personal life. His wife Marina became for him not only the mother of his children, but also a real like-minded person who supports her talented husband in all endeavors. For the first time the conductor saw her during his performance at a musical evening in the House of Unions. Marina, who was still at school then, on behalf of the teacher, presented her future husband with a bouquet of flowers. The acquaintance of the spouses took place much later. The romance between Maxim Dmitrievich and Marina began shortly before his emigration to America. They got married already in the States, where the girl left after her beloved. The couple also had a daughter and a son there.

Joint life with the secondwife

While in the US, Maxim and Marina Shostakovichi regularly visited Orthodox churches and monasteries. Their favorite place was the small church of St. Nicholas, built by the efforts of the outstanding aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky. The decision to return to Russia was made by the spouses after their children began to grow up. They wanted their offspring to grow up in a Russian environment and be brought up in Orthodox traditions. Despite the fact that the conductor and his wife lived in Moscow before moving to the States, after their return to their homeland they settled in St. Petersburg, the city where Maxim Shostakovich was born. The conductor's family settled in the very center of the legendary city on the Neva. Shostakovich returned to music, and Marina took up social activities. Thanks to her efforts, a school was opened at St. Catherine's Church in St. Petersburg, in which children, in addition to basic subjects, are taught music, drawing and dancing. The son and daughter of Shostakovich became one of her first students. Later, the couple started building an educational institution in Pavlovsk.

Return to conducting in Russia

Having settled in the northern capital, Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich began his active professional work. Music still occupies a central place in his life. The conductor began to cooperate with orchestras in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities. In addition, he returned to recording works and began to conduct tours. According to Maxim Shostakovich, music gives himthe feeling that his father is still with him and rejoices in his success.