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Analysis of Piano Trio No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich
Introduction
In this work, it is required to characterize the performed musical work. The analyzed performance of Piano Trio No. 2, written by the Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich was held at Mountain Bay College as part of the chamber music festival. This concert took place in 2020, while Shostakovichs suite was written in 1943 during the Second World War. The specificity of the performance lies in the fact that behind the instruments in the video are academicians from the conservatory and three doctors who have various awards for scientific achievements from universities in different states. The life of each of the performers is closely connected with the academic study of music. It makes sense to assume that this positively affects the accuracy of execution. An academic understanding of Shostakovichs music can be extremely useful for accurately reproducing it to convey the necessary emotional construct.
Analysis of the Piece
Shostakovichs music is certainly characteristic of the 20th century, despite the fact that its experimentalism is not as high as that of other avant-garde composers. Shostakovich can be called somewhat traditional, but this piano concerto emotionally clearly expresses the modernist sensual mindset characteristic of the 20th century. Piano chords in the First Movement often turn out to be dissonant, while violin melodies periodically glissando, that is, smoothly gliding from one tone to another. This technique can be called expressionistic, as it musically conveys inner turmoil and experience.
This work by Shostakovich is comparatively minimalist in its arrangement of his major and epic symphonies. However, this does not detract from the dramatic nature of the musical material. A modest piano accompaniment in the form of a violoncello and a violin has a strong effect on the listener, revealing deeply tragic motifs in the melody, in particular, the theme of war. The tread of the Fourth Movement, also titled Dance of Death, through the pulsating rhythm and dynamics of the three instruments, is almost frightening. The supposed playfulness of the melody, borrowing from Jewish musical tradition, is inspired by reports that the Nazis forced Jews to dance on their future graves. Shostakovichs music is usually gloomy and contains compressed melodies on very close tones and semitones. This gives the music an element of deep turmoil and anxiety.
The playful piano foundation in the Second Movement seems to borrow from the Romantic tradition, in particular from the pieces of Robert Schumann. At the same time, Shostakovich makes his melodies not only expressive but also equipped with a certain tragedy. Shostakovichs biography is full of stories of pressure from the Soviet authorities and cases of severe restrictions in writing and playing his music. This feeling of oppression is clearly projected onto the music, which expresses deep spiritual suffering through the post-romantic tradition. The gloomy descending piano chords express the darkness of the human soul, while the violin and cello add emotional volume, symbolizing screams and moans.
Conclusion
One can say that this performance is not expressive enough due to the quality of the recording. Nevertheless, the musicians managed to convey the complex and difficult emotions inherent in Shostakovichs music. His works can be classified as the modernism of the 20th century, but the context in which Shostakovichs creative path was formed highlights his music. Piano Trio No. 2 is both a playful and gloomy work, expressing through the manic dynamics and musical dissonances the composers anxiety for the worlds future.
Work Cited
PIANO TRIO FEB 2020. YouTube, uploaded by Mountain View Archives, 2020.
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