Leningrad: Siege and Symphony

The Story of the Great City Terrorized by Stalin, Starved by Hitler, Immortalized by Shostakovich

By: Brian Moynahan

Narrated by: George Backman

Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony was first played in the city of its birth on August 9, 1942. There has never been a first performance to match it. Pray God, there never will be again. Almost a year earlier, the Germans had begun their blockade of the city. Already many thousands had died of their wounds, the cold, and most of all, starvation. The assembled musicians - scrounged from frontline units and military bands, for only 20 of the orchestra's 100 players had survived - were so hungry, many feared they’d be too weak to play the score right through. In these, the darkest days of the Second World War, the music and the defiance it inspired provided a rare beacon of light for the watching world.

In Leningrad: Siege and Symphony, Brian Moynahan sets the composition of Shostakovich's most famous work against the tragic canvas of the siege itself and the years of repression and terror that preceded it. In vivid and compelling detail he tells the story of the cruelties heaped by the twin monsters of the 20th century on a city of exquisite beauty and fine minds, and of its no less remarkable survival. Weaving Shostakovic’s own story and that of many others into the context of the maelstrom of Stalin's purges and the brutal Nazi invasion of Russia, Leningrad: Siege and Symphony is a magisterial and moving account of one of the most tragic periods in history.

©2013 Brian Moynahan. Recorded by arrangement with Grove/Atlantic, Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Excellent perspective on the history of the siege.

The history of the siege, anchored to the perspective of the composer and symphony, progresses through the moving human chronicle drawn largely from the letters, journals, and writings of the city's inhabitants and defenders. Having visited St. Petersburg twice in recent years, this book was the best choice I could have made to fulfill my need to learn about and understand the experience of the siege.

Important take on history and music

Would you consider the audio edition of Leningrad: Siege and Symphony to be better than the print version?

Absolutely not! Too many Russian names and historical details. Seriously flawed narration.

Would you be willing to try another one of George Backman’s performances?

No.. I usually complain about poor pronunciation of foreign words and names in audiobooks. This one had the reverse problem. The narrator seemed so eager to show off his flawless Russian that the performance was annoyingly affected and pretentious. He also read every sentence as if it were the most important one in the book with exaggerated drama. Editing was also poor, with no breaks between sections of text./ Read the book instead.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

This book is not for the faint of heart. The descriptions of the siege of Leningrad are horrific, and the book requires a knowledge of World War II history and an interest in classical music. That being said, it's definitely worth the effort--to read.

repetitive

Perhaps easier to follow in an actual book, but via audio it just seems to go on and on about conditions of the city under siege.

Labored recording.

Would you try another book from Brian Moynahan and/or George Backman?

Not by Backman

What was most disappointing about Brian Moynahan’s story?

The story was too long and had an appeal to a narrow segment of ward historians.

How could the performance have been better?

The delivery of Russian and German words was labored. Destroyed the book for me.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment