I expected the book to be more focused on Shostakovich and the process of writing his 7th ("Leningrad") Symphony, but the author also mixed in a great deal of information about pre-war terror by Stalin and the military aspects of the Leningrad situation (siege, etc.). And in the end it all fit together pretty well, much worth reading.The overall story arc is entirely amazing.
Stalin always distrustful of Leningrad - some of its leaders not necessarily in his camp at selection time; plus general suspicion based on the city's proximity to the West.
Shostakovich - young, talented, popular; a symphony runs afoul of the authorities for whatever reason and is branded as "formalism" - never a good thing for one's future.
But war came along, Shostakovich did have useful allies within the government, and it was recognized that he could be used for propaganda. One example is a famous posed photo where he serves in a fire brigade atop a building. The photo was fake, but his service was real. Eventually he was whisked out of Leningrad to the safety of the south - too valuable an asset to risk. Most of the 7th ("Leningrad") Symphony wasn't written in Leningrad (though Shostakovich certainly had lived the life there).
Much more detail than I'd seen about the difficulties of keeping alive performances of classical music in siege-beset Leningrad. Performers starved to death, or were too weak to function. Performance halls (not to mention rehearsals) were ridiculously cold. Performing the 7th in Leningrad itself was almost asking too much - but it was a huge success. Military authorities timed massive barrages to reduce the risk that German bombers might hit the performance venue.
Tremendous propaganda value - Shostakovich's music helped ease fears in the Allied nations that the Soviets were Asiatic brutes, or something.
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