Ron Chaplin:
>The fact that he also wrote this delightful "light music" breaks all
>barriers of my understanding and appreciation of the composer.
This is, I think, why Shostakovich is a really great composer: his
emotional range. One of my favorite light pieces is his Festive Overture.
"Light" might be the wrong description -- "joyous" better. Also in this
category, the Piano Concerto No. 2, which (unlike the first) can't be
mistaken for satire.
Steve Schwartz