A landmark study of Dmitri Shostakovich’s final composition, the Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147, this book offers the first sustained scholarly exploration of a work long revered in performance yet still veiled in mystery. Drawing on new evidence and first hand testimony, it traces the Sonata’s genesis, its place in the composer’s final years, and the motivations that led Shostakovich to write for the viola—an instrument of introspection, one whose timbre so closely evokes the human voice. With historical insight and sensitivity, the study confronts lingering questions about the widely held belief that the Sonata stands as Shostakovich’s own musical requiem. Richly illustrated with rare and previously unpublished images, the book presents a multidimensional portrait of this enigmatic masterpiece, situating it within the broader arc of Shostakovich’s late style and legacy.
