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…showed last 75 words of 1422 total…do to please Stalin, while at the same time may have been expressing the composer\'s true feelings about the difficulties of artistic life in Russia at the time. Although his vast output is variable in quality, Shostakovich was nevertheless able to compose some powerful and lasting works. He is known primarily for his fifteen symphonies and string quartets, as these are the works that contain much of his most original thought and expression