Tony Palmer: Shostakovich - Testimony: The Story of Shostakovich [DVD Video]

Editor's info:
'Testimony is one of those comparatively rare events nowadays - a real piece of cinema. Palmer's prowess as an editor, his knack of juxtaposing image and music - something which has remained his forte since he first caused a stir back in the Sixties with Buddhist monks burning to The Beatles - has a field day in Testimony. Most importantly for a movie about a composer, there is always the feeling that Palmer understands the music. For a start he puts to rest the hoary old cliché that the private Shostakovich is only to be found in his chamber music - try listening to the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Fourteenth symphonies - but he also brings vividly alive musical details (like the composer's use of unison scoring) in colour sequences showing the orchestra, as in the climax of the Fifth..... A truly remarkable film.' Derek Elley 'Films & Filming'