Solomon Volkov

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Solomon Volkov (born 1944) is a Russian journalist/musicologist. He is best known for Testimony, which he published in 1979 following his emigration from the Soviet Union in 1976. He claimed that the book was the memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich, as related to himself. The book prompted a continuing debate over its authenticity and accuracy. Some musicologists now (2007) agree certain views of Dmitri Shostakovich are indeed presented in the book. Unfortunately it is difficult without acess to Volkov's original notes (claimed to be lost) to ascertain where Shostakovich ends and Volkov begins. However following rigorous research by American musicologist Laurel Fay who proved a portion of each chapter was plagiarised, musicologists stand divided on the value of Testimony. An interesting point is that despite translation into 30 different languages the Russian original has never been published. This forces one to ask the question: was Volkov covering his tracks by not permitting the Russian-language version?

His other books include St. Petersburg: A Cultural History and Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator (2004). In Russia Solomon Volkov is also well known due to his dialogues with Joseph Brodsky, collected and published in 1994.