Summary

Page 3 - 10 – The novel opens with Russian composer Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich standing by the elevator of his apartment building, recalling people, events, and music from his past. He remembers most people from his past in general terms, but he lingers on a few specific anecdotes. First, he recalls the story of a priest who christened him Dmitri instead of Yaroslav, the name his parents had originally chosen. Then he recalls Jurgensen, the manager of a farm where his father used to work. At age seven or eight, Dmitri threatened to run away from his parents and live with Jurgensen, to which his mother responded by escorting Dmitri all the way to Jurgensen’s cottage and releasing his hand once they had arrived, leaving Dmitri to run tearfully back home instead of making good on his threat. This transitions into the...