Dmitri Shostakovich
A Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist, who achieved fame in the Soviet Union and the West, known for his symphonies and string quartets.
Quotes by Dmitri Shostakovich
Freedom in art is the freedom to suffer.
I laugh to keep from crying in my music.
The orchestra is a microcosm of society.
Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent desperation.
In the USSR, even silence is censored.
Music must strike the listener in the heart, not the head.
My life is a footnote to history's tragedy.
Bureaucrats fear dissonance more than bombs.
The piano is the king of instruments, but the composer is its god.
War taught me that music can heal or destroy.
I compose for the future, not the present censors.
Rhythm is the pulse of the universe.
True art doesn't flatter; it accuses.
In my dreams, I conduct the stars.
The critic's pen is mightier than the composer's baton.
Soviet realism is a mask for conformity.
Melody is the soul's language.
I regret nothing but the silences I was forced to keep.
Art survives where freedom dies.