Dimitri Shostakovich: 'Hamlet' Music For The Film Op.116: Orchestra

Dmitri Shostakovich's score for the 1964 Russian film-adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

When Grigori Kozintsev's Hamlet was released in 1964, it gained critical acclaim from audiences in the UK and US, despite the fact that Shakespeare's work was not heard in its original language. This praise was at least in part due to Shostakovich's impressive score. As one New York Times reviewer described:

'The lack of this aural stimulation - of Shakespeare's eloquent words - is recompensed in some measure by a splendid and stirring musical score by Dmitri Shostakovich. This has great dignity and depth, and at times anappropriate wildness or becoming levity'. 

This miniature score from the Shostakovich Complete Edition includes commentary by Koichi Owa in English and Japanese.