Download or read book The New Shostakovich written by Ian MacDonald and published by Random House. This book was released on 2006 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the posthumous publication in 1979 of alleged memoirs by Shostakovich, the controversy about the composer and his music has escalated. This book presents the case for the dissident view, arguing that the meaning of the composer's music cannot be appreciated without a knowledge of the terrible times he lived through under Soviet Communism.