While The Gadfly is not among Shostakovich's best efforts in the realm of film music, it is a rank or so above most of his scores in the genre. This suite derived from it, arranged by Soviet composer Lev Atovmian, is about the only way the music has become known, since the full score has not been recorded as of the turn of the new century. Atovmian, not reticent to change Shostakovich's orchestration and take certain other liberties with the score, has assembled some of the film's most dramatic musical moments here.

The story concerns "The Gadfly", so nicknamed because of his freedom-fighting activities, which "sting" his Austrian oppressors in occupied 19th-century Italy. After much swashbuckling adventure, he meets his demise before a firing squad. The suite contains twelve movements and lasts about three-quarters of an hour. The first section, Overture, begins with a heroic theme couched in somewhat bombastic orchestration. As film music, it is effective; in the concert hall, however, it sounds a bit corny. The ensuing Contredanse is light and colorful, with a Classical bent. It has appeal and is better than most of the composer's ballet music.

Folk Feast is celebratory and colorful but ultimately trite in its allusions to Tchaikovsky and in its hackneyed rhythms and harmonies. The next movement, Interlude brings dark atmosphere, the one element Shostakovich rarely failed to project. Here, it supplies much-needed contrast, since the following two items, Barrel-Organ Waltz and Galop are also in the composer's light and trite vein.

Introduction (Prelude) is the longest movement and contains some of the film score's best music. The principal theme is romantic and lovely, tinged with sadness, however. Gradually, this melody transforms to a darker, more somber character and rises to a passionate climax. The warmer mood of the opening returns and the music ends quietly. Romance, another long slow movement, offers an attractive theme on cello and a tense middle section, with vague allusions to Sibelius. Thereafter the music returns to the rather Italianate character of the opening, but with the strings playing the melody. This theme was used for the television series, Reilly, Ace of Spies.

Intermezzo, yet another lengthy slow movement, comes next. Here, the mood is somber at the outset, but a colorful theme is introduced that calls both Tchaikovsky and early Sibelius to mind. Nocturne spotlights the cello again, but the mood is intense and mournful. Scene continues the procession of slow movements, and again brings in Tchaikovsky and Sibelius: the theme sounds like something from Swan Lake and the orchestration cut from the same cloth as Finlandia. The music is effective in conveying struggle and defiance, however. The last movement, Finale, reprises the heroic theme in a march-like manner, then the music ends triumphantly.

The first half of this suite is dominated by the lighter moments in the score and is the least effective portion of the suite. Several movements in the latter half are quite compelling, even though their style is only partially recognizable as Shostakovich.



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