Twists of a Theme Self / Other’s with Regard to Shostakovich’s Рiano Cycle «Aphorisms» (оp.13) and Three Fugues (1934)

Abstract

The opposition self / other’s appears in different ways in Schostakovich’s pieces. In the «Aphorisms»  the other’s  appears in the form of musical topoi corresponding to the names of the pieces: 1. Recitative, 2. Serenade, 3. Nocturne etc.   The self is shown by Shostakovich’s words about «Aphorisms» that «they are covered by one idea». As shown in this article, this is the C major scale gradually comprising from piece to piece — the  fundamental element of music in composition with the  complex  harmony  language. 

Three Fugues are in process of publication in the New collected works by Shostakovich (DSCH Publishers). According to composer’s words he was writing these «extremely boring fugues» «to carry out some technical exercises», «like exercises of a pianist or trombonist». In the paper Three fugues are treated as examples of a changing Shostakovich’s  attitude  to the fugue, which was the self  during the period of study in Conservatory, the other’s after graduation and become the self again when he composed  Three fugues.

Keywords: D.D. Shostakovich, creative method, fugue