Shostakovich, old believers and new minimalists

The chapter discusses ‘minimalist’ elements of Dmitri Shostakovich's style as embodiments/ expressions of traditional Russian expressive modes rooted in the idioms of old folk music and the music of the ‘old believers’ The collection volume comprises a selection of articles that, as a group, marks an important new stage in our understanding of Shostakovich and his working environment. The papers have in common a perspective that we believe offers the most fruitful route forward for Shostakovich studies today. All address aspects of the composer’s output in the context of his life and cultural milieu. They are thus illuminating from two directions: the uncovering of ‘outside’ stimuli allows us to perceive the motivations behind Shostakovich’s artistic choices, while at the same time the nature of those choices offers insights into the workings of the larger world—cultural, social, political—that he inhabited. Thus his often ostensibly quirky choices are revealed as responses—by turns sentimental, moving, sardonic and angry—to the particular conditions, with all their absurdities and contradictions, that he had to negotiate. The composer emerging from the role of tortured loner of older narratives into that of the gregarious and engaged member of his society that, for better and worse, characterized the everyday reality of his life

Symbols, Metaphors and Irrationalities in Twentieth-Century Music

A Chapter in the volume 'Mimesi, Verita e Fiction. Ripensare l'arte. Sulla scia della "Poetica" di Aristotele' ed. Rafael Jimenez Catano and Ignacio Yarza. Published as a part of the series 'Poetica e Christianesimo', volume 3. Rome: EDUSC, 2009, pp 69 - 88

Pain at chronic pancreatitis: origin and treatment options

The aim of review. To present basic mechanisms of pain at pancreatitis and determine main management approaches in pain-predominant cases.Summary. Direct toxic action of damaging factors (first of all — alcohol), pancreatic enzyme deviation phenomenon, parenchymal damage by overflow of free radicals, elevation of intraductal pressure, damage of nerves (neuropathic pain) and compression of adjacent organs play primary role in development of pain. Enzyme supplements at chronic pancreatitis can be indicated not only as replacement treatment, but also as addition to complex treatment of patients with severe abdominal pain. Proton pump inhibitors, spasmolytics or prokinetics are recommended as additional therapy. At absence of desirable results application of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs and analgetics, in resistant pain — non-narcotic opiates or pregabalin are indicated. Efficacy of analgetics can be increased by coadministration of psychotropic agents, most often — tricyclic antidepressants. In severe cases intractable pain at a chronic pancreatitis itself can become indication to surgical intervention.Conclusion. Treatment efficacy in each given case depends on duly establishment and adequate treatment of complications, motivation for abstain of alcohol intake and smoking; strict diet restriction for relapse period, and functional rest for the pancreas

Chronic pancreatitis: issues remain unresolved

Key points. Article is devoted to one of the major syndromes of chronic pancreatitis — exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Clinical symptoms of exocrine insufficiency: diarrhea with steatorrhea and flatulence are nonspecific and inconsistent. Laboratory diagnostics nowadays in our country is based on a single method — pancreatic elastase stool test which has low sensitivity and specificity, moreover it is characterized by low reproducibility. Thus, in practical situation it is reasonable to control both severity of disorders of pancreatic secretion, and efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy according to scores of trophological status of the patient both clinical (BMI), and laboratory (serum levels of prealbumin, retinol-binding protein, cholesterol, magnesium). Treatment should include high dose microgranulated enzymes in the form of capsules (the starting dose should be no less than 40 U of lipolytic activity per meal) as well as proton pump inhibitors. Replacement treatment should be life-long

Treatment response rate and life prognosis at autoimmune liver diseases

The aim of review. To carry out comparative analysis of modern studies, to characterize actual modes of treatment and to define prognosis and features of treatment response at various autoimmune liver diseases.Key points. Diagnostics and treatment are the most complex and insufficiently investigated aspects of autoimmune liver diseases. Due to large studies, clinicians gain some understanding of approaches to therapy of these patients. Article presents up-to-date management algorithms and new promising agents, demonstrates complexities and alternative variants of treatment of autoimmune liver diseases.Conclusion. Appropriate and long-term (for 12–24 months) therapy of autoimmune diseases in most cases allows to achieve sustained response and in several folds surpasses efficacy of short courses (6–12 months)

'Italiani in Russia: Presenza fisica e influenza virtuale sulla Musica' [ Italians in Russia: Physical Presence and Virtual Influence on Music], in Rinascimento e Antirinascimento, Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario G.P. Vieusseux. Studi, vol. 22, ed. Lucia Tonini. Firenze: Casa Editrice Leo S.Olschki, 2012, 209-218.

The volume offers a reflection on the relationship between Russian and western culture, represented by Florence as the ‘cradle of the Renaissance’. The authors, Italian and Russian, consider under different perspectives the meaning of this confrontation, accentuated between XIX and XX century. The term ‘Anti-Renaissance’ indicates here the coexistence of a sort of ‘demonizing’ interpretation of the Renaissance centrality of mankind for a Russian alternative, and an admired devotion for it. Italian music was well known in Russia since Catherine the Great. The creation and the development of Russian national opera was largely dependant on Italian influence in general and on physical presence of the composers from Italy. Period of professional operatic music, which started in the late 16th century in Florence in the works by the composers of La Camerata Fiorentina , laid foundation for at least four centuries of European music , including flourishing development of Russian Renaissance in the 19th century. Russian post-Soviet minimalist composers are still following La Camerata Fiorentina’s ideas related to the roots of meanings in music

‘Shostakovich. Second Cello Concerto.’ In D.D. Shostakovich, New Collected Works Critical Edition, vol. 49. Moscow: DSCH, 2012, 83–124.

The introductory article and the editorial commentary for the new critical edition of the Collected Works by Dmitri Shostakovich, including the description/discussion of numerous sketches in the D.D.Shostakovich Archives in Moscow, Russia

Amerikanskii vzgliad na Sovetskuiu muzyku [American View on Soviet Music]

A review of recent American Publications on Soviet Musi

'Kod Schnittke' ['The Schnittke Code']. Al'fredu Schnittke posviashchaetsia [Dedicated to Alfred Schnittke: Schnittke Yearbook, 8], ed. Alla Bogdanova and Elena Dolinskaia. Moscow: Kompozitor, 2011: 13-24.

Schnittke and his music is not so much rooted in the Russian clulture of the twentieth-century or in German culture of the seventeenth century (with which he always felt a deep affinity), but in a much more remote era of early Christian mysticism. Schnittke, a deeply religious man, was a true follower of this tradition, going back to the Old and New Testament and early Byzantine literature. The article includes a detailed analysis of Schnittke's piece 'Klingende Buchstaben' dedicated to the author