Lecture
Judge Dennis Davis
Thursday 28.05.2026
Judge Dennis Davis
Dmitri Shostakovich
Thursday 28.05.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 28 May at 7:00pm (UK).
Summary
This lecture explores the survival strategy of the great Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–75) by examining some of his key works, including the 5th, 7th, and 10th symphonies, as well as as the ‘Babi Yar’ (13th symphony), which shows his clear views about sympathy with the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and Russian complicity.
Judge Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis is a judge of the High Court of South Africa and judge president of the Competition Appeals Court of South Africa. He has held professorial appointments at the University of Cape Town and University of the Witwatersrand, as well as numerous visiting appointments at Cambridge, Harvard, New York University, and others. He has authored eleven books, including Lawfare: Judging Politics in South Africa.