Dmitry Shostakovich

2015
Bronze
300 x 250 x 180 cm (9 ft. 10 in. x 8 ft. 2 in. x 5 ft. 11 in.)
Moscow International House of Music

A monument to Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975), Soviet composer and pianist

Georgy Frangulyan has always been struck by the air of reverence and nuance, and at the same time the powerful charisma that Shostakovich embodied. This one man combined incredible vulnerability with monumentality and strength. Thus, when working on the monument, Frangulyan sculpted not only the composer himself, but also his music. Outwardly, the figure looks realistic, but this is no straightforward portrait. What is important is the lowered head, the tension of thought on the face, the introversion. Frangulyan is saying that, in fact, the creator always stands alone.

One hand floats reverently above the other. The sacred space between them bespeaks a phantom movement—it is here that we can divine a sound coming into being, music being born.

Much attention is paid to the architectural tectonics of the sculpture. Rather than facing the audience, Shostakovich is depicted in his characteristic pose of deep immersion within himself, an intense focus on the perception of a musical work. Per the authorial intent, the treads of the stairs near the monument turn into sheet music, and the passersby fill the notes with life.

The appearance of the monument introduced an emotive centerpiece to the architectural ensemble comprising the Moscow International Performing Arts Centre.