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Dmitri Shostakovich

Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer of the Soviet period. His greatest works are generally considered to be his cycles of symphonies and string quartets, 15 of each. Since his death, his response to life in the USSR has been the subject of political and musical controversy. It is clear that outwardly he conformed with the state, reading speeches and putting his name to articles supporting the government line. It is also generally agreed that he disliked the regime, a view confirmed by his family, his letters to Isaak Glikman, and the satirical cantata "Rayok", which ridiculed the "anti-formalist" campaign and was kept hidden until after his death.

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