Post by robstl February 12, 2008 (11 of 12)
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Beagle said:
Elsewhere I passed on the information that Oliver Sacks can't bear to hear DLvdE. But to balance matters, Shostokovich grew to love Mahler as he matured -- at the expense of Prokofiev, whom he grew to detest. (If Volkov's Testimony can be trusted; to me he sounds credible here.)
I'll have to dig out the reference (I think from Shostakovich Reconsidered, but I'm at work and can't confirm) for this funny anecdote. I believe Maxim Shostakovich (the composer's son) and Solomon Volkov were being interviewed, and Maxim described the his father's attitude toward Prokofiev's music as complex. Maxim said (something to the effect of) that in the mornings, his father couldn't stand Prokofiev's music, but that as the day went on he might say complimentary things, and then in the evenings, would praise Prokofiev's genius for works like War and Peace. Volkov then quipped that he usually interviewed Dmitri Shostakovich for Testimony in the morning!
-Rob
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