Dmitry Shostakovich

a life challenged by the Powers That Be

“For some reason, it seems like everyone is looking at me. It seems as if they are whispering among themselves, following me with their gaze. And the main thing is that it seems they are waiting for me to fall, or at least to stumble. And so I feel that at any minute I will stumble. When the lights go out before a performance, I am almost happy… But, as soon as the lights are back on, I am once again unhappy.”