Het Mysterie Sjostakovitsj (Dutch spoken)

Myths and mysteries surround the life of composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Was his music a veiled criticism of the Communist regime, or do the hope and gloom in it express his own moods? And why did he do his best to emphasise his loyalty to the Soviet Union to the outside world, and why did he fill high political offices towards the end of his life? The historian and writer Michel Krielaars, an expert on Russia, and musicologist Saskia Törnqvist will discuss these questions in an attempt to debunk some of these persistent myths.

Please note: this event will be in Dutch.