Talk:Testimony (book)

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I've tried to be NPOV in writing this; I'm ambivalent about it myself, so I like to think I've succeeded. Given the disagreements this one produces, it's probably best to discuss here a little more and be a little less bold than usual with substantive changes. It's not very wikified, but maybe it's just not that kind of subject. Markalexander100 02:02, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

From the first paragraph: "the Shostakovich of the book was sometimes critical of fellow composers, and most notably was strongly anti-communist in his views" - I wouldn't say so. I have read the book (in the German translation), and to me it seems that the "Shostakovich of the book" is strongly anti-Stalinist and dislikes many things in Soviet communism, but he doesn't denounce communism as a whole. I have changed "anti-communist" to "anti-Stalinist". gestumblindi 01:16, 24 Mar 2004 (CET)

"Anti-Stalinist" doesn't fully convey an anti-Soviet communism attitude - I seem to remember there's quite a lot of criticism of Lenin in the book as well (I may be wrong, it's a few years since I read it). Perhaps something more inclusive like "...and most notably strongly critical of the communist Soviet government" would be better. Just a thought. --Camembert

How about anti-Soviet? It's political rather than economic criticism, so I'd agree maybe communist isn't the best word. Markalexander100 07:54, 24 Mar 2004 (UTC)

"Anti-Soviet" seems good to me. I've edited the article accordingly. --Camembert

I agree. gestumblindi 23:15, 24 Mar 2004 (CET)

This article needs to be re-edited on the basis of a second article Laurel E. Fay wrote in 2000--2002, "Volkov's 'Testimony' Reconsidered", published in "A Shostakovich Casebook" (Indiana University Press 2004). The editing would concern the sections "Recycled Material", "Shostakovich and Volkov", and "Friends' Attitudes". In her second article Fay disputes the claim that the first page of the book, which contains unrecycled and controversial material, was signed by Shostakovich. She also provides strong evidence in support of the hypothesis that the words Flora Litvinova quotes refer to Volkov's and Shostakovich's collaboration on the latter's preface to Volkov's book, "Young Leningrad Composers", and not to the writing of the memoirs. Finally, on the basis of Boris Tishchenko's own words and the testimonies of Veniamin Basner's and Kara Karayev's children, Fay shows that at least four of the composers who signed the letter condemning "Testimony" (i.e., Tishchenko, Basner, Karayev, and Moisey Weinberg) did so of their own free will. I can make these additions by myself later on, but given that English is not my native tongue, I would happily leave the task to any one of the earlier writers of this article. --weikko 22:49, 27 Sep 2006

Rostropovich as a 'Testimony' defender? Over all, he seems to have supported the

• truth* of some passages, heatedly contested that of others (see: Prokofiev) and denied the *authenticity* of the book.

See also http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/09/06/040906crmu_music —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.16.204.74 (talk) 16:34, 6 October 2007 (UTC)