Classical Life

6 comments

Do you want to comment?

Comments RSS and TrackBack URI

1. 
   chris

   I will have to look at the Shostakovich Wars page and see what the evidence there is for the veracity of Testimony since I’ve seen so much convincing evidence of it being a fraud. Do you have an opinion of it, Tim?

   Permalink, Reply

   January 31, 2014 7:47 pm
   • 
     tmangan

     After speaking with Volkov and others, I believe “Testimony” to be true.

     Permalink, Reply

     January 31, 2014 8:53 pm
     • 
       chris

       Can you give some reasons why you think that? I’m curious.

       Permalink, Reply

       February 2, 2014 11:43 am
       • 
         tmangan

         Some of the reasons were off record, I’m sorry to say. But they helped convince me.

         Other than that, there were a lot of things. I have to say that speaking with Volkov, well, he comes off as a supremely reliable narrator.

         Another is that I have gotten over some of the objections to “Testimony,” namely that there is no tape of the conversations Volkov had with Shostakovich. (He took notes in shorthand.) Well, so what? So Volkov “composed” the book using the notes he took of what Shostakovich said. That’s what you have to do sometimes, as a writer and journalist.

         I talked to Maxim Shostakovich many years ago, and he said he also thought “Testimony” was reliable. Many other musicians have come out to vouch for its validity. I was fascinated, too, that one of Volkov’s critics refused to comment for my article.

         Permalink

         February 2, 2014 12:09 pm
2. 
   chris

   So it sounds like Volkov’s “mistake” was to call it the memoirs when it should have been billed more as a book in first person based on the interviews he did (or whatever shorthand name there is for something like that).

   Permalink, Reply

   February 3, 2014 1:12 pm
   • 
     tmangan

     Well, maybe. The subtitle makes it clear though — “as related to and edited by Solomon Volkov.”

     Permalink, Reply

     February 3, 2014 1:18 pm

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.