Dmitri Shostakovich. Sonata for Viola

Dmitri Shostakovich. Sonata for Viola

1981 · 77 min · ★ 5.4 · Music, Documentary

The life and work of the great Russian composer Dmitriy Shostakovich is presented in this documentary through rare images and audios from many archives, at one time censored by the Soviet government. A brief take on his life, from his transition as an early prodigy to a first rate artist, his celebrated compositions and the final years with a declining health.

Directed by Semyon Aranovich · Written by Boris Dobrodeev

Your Rating

Cast

Trailers & Videos

Make it a double feature

Dmitri Shostakovich. Sonata for Viola

Confrontation

Both from Semyon Aranovich.

More from Semyon AranovichSee all →

People of Earth and Sky

People of Earth and Sky · 1969

People of Earth and Sky

MovieDocumentary

The heroic romance of the profession is in the story about the life of test pilot Yuri Garnaev, who tragically died with his crew while extinguishing forest fires in France in 1967.

Confrontation

Confrontation · 1985

MovieDramaCrime

In 1979, in one of the northern Soviet cities, the police are investigating the murder of a man who was on his way home from the gold mines. The detectives track down the main suspect, Grigory Milinko. But the further the case progresses, the more complicated it becomes, as it turns out that the real Milinko died during the war. So someone stole his name. The criminal is declared wanted throughout the Soviet Union, but the crimes continue.

The Great Concert of Nations, or The Breath of Cheyne-Stokes

The Great Concert of Nations, or The Breath of Cheyne-Stokes · 1991

The Great Concert of Nations, or The Breath of Cheyne-Stokes

MovieDocumentary

A film about the destruction of the Jewish intelligentsia - from the defeat of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee to the “Doctors’ Plot.”

I Worked For Stalin

I Worked For Stalin · 1990

I Worked For Stalin

MovieDocumentary

Gain an inside look into the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin's reign of terror through eyewitness testimonies, archival photographs and rare film footage, which reveal the real-life backstabbing and power plays among Stalin's inner circle. This documentary follows the stories of such high-ranking officials as Andrei Zhdanov, Nikita Khrushchev and Georgy Malenkov as they battled to secure their place in history by becoming Stalin's successor.

The Broken Horseshoe

The Broken Horseshoe · 1973

The Broken Horseshoe

MovieMysteryCrime

French aeronaut Jules Ardan, traveling in a hot air balloon, accidentally finds himself in Reval. Here he meets Dr. Peterson and his daughter Leida. The gendarmes are hunting for Leida's fiance. The banker's son is being murdered in the city. Suspicion falls on Peterson. Jules Ardan takes over the investigation of the crime.

Confrontation

Confrontation · 1985

SeriesMysteryCrime

Operatives are looking for a killer who has appropriated someone else's identity. The story of a real case based on the story of Yulian Semyonov.

Summer Trip to the Sea

Summer Trip to the Sea · 1978

Summer Trip to the Sea

A story about a group of Arkhangelsk kids during 1942.

The Anna Akhmatova File

The Anna Akhmatova File · 1989

The Anna Akhmatova File

MovieDocumentary

A documentary about the life of one of the greatest Russian poets of the 20th century, her battles with and tragedies under the Soviet regime.

Press Center

Press Center · 1988

SeriesMysteryWar & Politics

Young Catherine

Young Catherine · 1991

Young Catherine

SeriesDramaWar & Politics

A Prussian princess is chosen to marry the heir to the Russian Throne, but faces plots and intrigues against her.

Torpedo Bombers

Torpedo Bombers · 1983

Torpedo Bombers

In 1944 a Soviet marine air force unit stationed near Murmansk is fighting off the German bombers attacking the British navy convoys supplying the Soviet Union with war materials under the lend-lease agreement.

...And Other Officials

...And Other Officials · 1976

...And Other Officials

The plot structure of the film is based on a commonplace situation from the practice of foreign trade organizations - the conclusion of a trade agreement with a foreign company.

Rafferty

Rafferty · 1980

MovieMysteryDrama

The story of the trial of the trade union boss Jack Rafferty. With great force and astute critical insight, corruption and crime are exposed, accompanying the advancement of Western leaders to power.

I Was Stalin's Bodyguard

I Was Stalin's Bodyguard · 1989

I Was Stalin's Bodyguard

MovieDocumentary

This controversial documentary created a storm in Russia by taking the cloak off a violent, repressive period of Soviet history. Filmmaker Semyon Aranovich found the last surviving personal bodyguard of Joseph Stalin, Alexey Robin, who began working for the dictator in the 1930s.

The Year of the Dog

The Year of the Dog · 1994

The Year of the Dog

Former criminal Sergei meets Vera - an elderly unhappy woman who lives in a dormitory. After Sergei commits another crime, they run together and along the way they accidentally get into a zone contaminated by radiation. Sergei decides to stay there, but Vera does not leave him. At that moment three looters come to the territory.

Gorky's Friend — Andreyeva

Gorky's Friend — Andreyeva · 1966

Gorky's Friend — Andreyeva

MovieDocumentary

The love story of writer Maxim Gorky and actress Maria Fedorovna Andreeva.

More Like This

Becoming Warren Buffett

Becoming Warren Buffett · 2017

Becoming Warren Buffett

MovieDocumentary

The story of the evolution of a boy from Nebraska who became one of the most respected men in the world, and the heroes who helped guide him along the way. By allowing access to his life and never-before-released home videos, Buffett offers a glimpse into his unique mind to help us understand what is truly important when money no longer has meaning.

Whitney

Whitney · 2018

MovieMusicDocumentary

Examines the life and career of singer Whitney Houston. Features never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive recordings, rare performances and interviews with the people who knew her best.

A Secret Love

A Secret Love · 2020

MovieDocumentary

Amid shifting times, two women kept their decades-long love a secret. But coming out later in life comes with its own set of challenges.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter