Ludwig van Toronto

Video: Dmitri Shostakovich a sly little mouse in 1940 animated cartoon

Thanks to NPR’s blog, Deceptive Cadence, for pointing to the many soundtracks Dmitri Shostakovich composed during his penance period, after Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk offended Soviet leaders and the composers’ union in 1934.

While a lot of his film music is pretty schlocky, this 15-minute animated tale, Silly Little Mouse, made in 1940, is underpinned by a masterful soundtrack.

John Terauds