Shostakovich: Waltz from "The First Echelon"

[padredemishijos12]

It is sad, but not surprising that the "new" Russia has not produced the artistic talent the the Soviet Union produced in abundance. The composers who abandoned their homeland withered in the West having to perform for food and rent.

[infidel94]

genius

[ChopstickBrando]

Doesn't Shostakovich look like Tom Courtenay in "Doctor Zhivago" here? Yknow, he's got that whole "brilliant, sensitive young soul trapped in Soviet gloom" thing going on.

[GITASOLOX45]

what movie is this from?

[TenderTrap86]

It is so wrong that people think of a movie everytime they hear some famous classiscal piece of music. These compositions weren't made for movies although people will put them in their production. These songs can stand on their own feet without Hollywood.

[GITASOLOX45]

hey i wasn't asking for an argument i enjoy playing this song and listening to it no matter what setting it comes from.

[GITASOLOX45]

but im guessing that you know the movie right?

[MrDanielWakefield]

@TenderTrap86 I think Shostakovich actually composed the score to The First Echelon. He's used this same waltz (more or less) in a bunch of different pieces of music.

[cyberlarry7]

@TenderTrap86 The crazy thing is, the Waltz No. 2 WAS SPECIFICALLY COMPOSED FOR A MOVIE! YES - it was part of the background soundtrack dramatic score that Shoshtakovich composed for the Russian comedy film THE FIRST ESCHELON. And you are hearing it EXACTLY as HE orchestrated it for the movie. Years later, Shoshtakovich re-worked this waltz and added some new material. But remember - he composed it for A MOVIE. It wouldn't exist had he not been hired to score the film! Amazing . . .

[cyberlarry7]

@TenderTrap86 If you would like to see the 2 parts of that Russian Movie that Shostakovich composed the waltz music for - do a Youtube search with this phrase: "Shostakovich, waltz No 2, original performance". A knowlegeable person wrote: "The well known "Waltz No. 2" is a modified arrangement of this one (as You can hear, one section is missing here), placed by him few years later in a "Suite for Variety Orchestra" (which was rediscovered decades later and mistaken for the 2nd Jazz Suite).

[jaimeskywalker]

@TenderTrap86 But this composition was indeed made for this movie...

[TenderTrap86]

@jaimeskywalker The movie I was referring to was Eyes Wide Shut...

[jaimeskywalker]

@TenderTrap86 Oh sorry, then you are totally right!!

[jomattia]

eyes wide shut.

[cheblack0000]

@GITASOLOX45 If you are here yet: the episodes from the "First echelon", where the waltz backgrounds, see among my videos :):)