Watch: Shostakovich: Symphony in red (ARTE)

At the age of nine, Shostakovich already displayed outstanding musical talent

Fifty years after his death, Dimitri Shostakovich is considered a major composer of the 20th century and the most closely linked to Russia’s tumultuous modern history.

Growing up in the chaos after the Russian revolution, he built a career as a Soviet composer who was sometimes championed, sometimes vilified by the regime, although his artistic relevance and musical genius were never in doubt.

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