Swansong

Composer Arvo Pärt has an unknown admirer who plants flowers in front of his front door every spring and autumn. “I walk through the door dozens of times a day and think of her every time. Every time I walk past the flowers, I thank her with all my heart.” Millions of people around the world have taken Pärt’s music to heart. 

Dmitri Shostakovich’s last symphony is packed with references to both his own works and those of other composers. This has led to various interpretations of the symphony’s meaning: Was the composer depressed due to poor health and contemplating death? Or was he recovering and looking to a brighter future? Or perhaps he was simply summarising his life’s work.