From Bach to Shostakovich. Stories of Great Musicians

"From Bach to Shostakovich" is a new book by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), which illustrates the evolution of music over more than two centuries and reveals the human dramas behind great compositions. The fatal illness of Pergolesi, Beethoven's deafness, Schumann's madness,... Rachmaninoff's severe creative crisis — these and other life circumstances did not prevent the great composers from living and creating, and their works remain unmatched masterpieces and are rightly considered classics. In what sense can Bach be called an Orthodox composer? How did the sacred order affect Vivaldi's work? Why did Beethoven contemplate suicide, and how did Christ help him overcome these thoughts? What prompted Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff to turn to composing sacred music? Why did Stravinsky write the "Symphony of Psalms"? How were Hindemith's works influenced by the death of the English king and Giotto's frescoes? These and many other topics are discussed in the book. Before you is an exciting journey through eras, countries, and scores: from Johann Sebastian Bach, whose music — both spiritual and secular — is dedicated to God, to Dmitri Shostakovich, whose works became a chronicle of an era and a testament to the fact that no trials can break the human spirit.