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While writer Rudkin and director Palmer make reference to journalist-musicologist Solomon Volkov (author of Testimony, written memoirs of Shostakovich as related to and edited by Volkov], the overriding credit belongs to those directly involved in this production.

Since its first publication (1979) Volkov's book has fostered unrelenting controversy though most of the criticism has come from academics (ie Dr James Loeffler, Founder, and Academic Vice Chair, American Society for Jewish Music) -- cf acceptance from musicians who lived through Stalin's regime.

At the death of Stalin (1953) we hear music -- of Mozart. 'I'm alive, and you're dead', Shostakovich exults, somewhat drunkenly. 'I shall go to Prokofiev's funeral'. (Prokofiev died the same day as Stalin.)

Maxim Shostakovich commented (New York Times, 23 August 1981): 'The attitude of Shostakovich toward the regime (depicted in Testimony) is correct ... My father hated the (Soviet) tyranny. If this book changed in any way the attitude of the public toward Shostakovich as a court musician of the Soviet government, it's very good. If it proved that Shostakovich wasn't a servant of the Communist party, then thank God.'

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