Socialist Realism in Music
Juan Jose Morales
was applied to music in the different communist countries. I know that
there was a favorite of Stalin, Zhdanov by name, who made the lives of
such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich a living hell.
En el Nombre de DIOS Arriba Nosotros.
Michael Weinstein
At the real risk of seeming condescending, I would go to the library,
find a book about socialist realism, or perhaps look in the
encyclopedia first, and read about it.
--
Michael Weinstein | "Those who cannot remember the
Nashua, NH | past are condemned to repeat it."
-George Santayana
Gary Goldberg
The Soviets usually explained it as "realistic in form, socialist in content".
That is, it had to be approachable to listen to, but also had to advance
socialism (thus, it had to have ideological content. Thus music with texts
- or at least a subtitle like "Lenin Symphony" - was preferred and
"ordinary" symphones, sonatas, and chamber music somewhat discouraged)
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Alan Watkins
> In article <17947-407...@storefull-3256.bay.webtv.net>,
> Hijod...@webtv.net (Juan Jose Morales) wrote:
>
> > Folks, I need a detailed explanation of socialist realism, and how it
> > was applied to music in the different communist countries. I know that
> > there was a favorite of Stalin, Zhdanov by name, who made the lives of
> > such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich a living hell.
> >
> > En el Nombre de DIOS Arriba Nosotros.
>
> The Soviets usually explained it as "realistic in form, socialist in content".
> That is, it had to be approachable to listen to, but also had to advance
> socialism (thus, it had to have ideological content. Thus music with texts
> - or at least a subtitle like "Lenin Symphony" - was preferred and
> "ordinary" symphones, sonatas, and chamber music somewhat discouraged)
A good example is The Sun Shines Over Our Motherland (Shostakovitch)
with not much in a minor key but with bright major "optimism" and a
childrens choir singing the praises of nuclear power stations (think
Chernobyl). I think that is how I would remember socialist realism
(that and the year when Prague shops only had left goloshes owing to a
foul up at the factory in Russia). That was the year that people with
"two left feet" came into their own:):)
That's the funny side of it. The less funny side is singers like
Nelepp who was an "informer" to Stalin and who sent countless
musicians, artists to long term imprisonment or death. It's why
Shostakovitch kept an overnight bag packed.
You either joined the party and got all the honours (as Mr Gauk and Mr
Svetlanov) or you didn't......like Rozhdestvensky and Ivanov.
Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins
Scott Kurtz
"An Optimistic Tragedy" which exemplifies the socialist realist ideal of
keeping things upbeat. It was recorded by Melodiya and available on LP in
the 1970s but has never been reissued on CD.
Juan Jose Morales <Hijod...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:17947-407...@storefull-3256.bay.webtv.net...
Juan Jose Morales
collectivizing the arts that composers, as well as other artists, had to
work in collaboration--the idea being that every work of art would be a
celebration of cooperative achievement and group effort and a rejection
of selfish individualism. How far did this nonsense go? I, for one,
cannot imagine many composers being willing to give up total control of
their creative achievements.
Peter T. Daniels
Ormandy's recording of "Yellow River Concerto," a collaborative
composition, may still be available.
--
Peter T. Daniels gram...@att.net
Gary Goldberg
"Scott Kurtz" <kur...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> There was a one act opera by a composer whose name I can't recall entitled
> "An Optimistic Tragedy" which exemplifies the socialist realist ideal of
> keeping things upbeat. It was recorded by Melodiya and available on LP in
> the 1970s but has never been reissued on CD.
It was Shostakovich's 10th Symphony, for which Soviet musicologists had
to invent this quasi-oxymoron.
Scott Kurtz
Kholminov (1965) on Melodiya C100915154. It was short enough to fit on one
LP.
Scott Kurtz <kur...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:XH0gc.39011$i74.9...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Porky Pig Jr
> "Scott Kurtz" <kur...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
> > There was a one act opera by a composer whose name I can't recall entitled
> > "An Optimistic Tragedy" which exemplifies the socialist realist ideal of
> > keeping things upbeat. It was recorded by Melodiya and available on LP in
> > the 1970s but has never been reissued on CD.
>
>
> It was Shostakovich's 10th Symphony, for which Soviet musicologists had
> to invent this quasi-oxymoron.
No, it wasn't.
"An Optimistic Tragedy" is the title of the play written by Vsevolod
Vishnevsky (sp), sometime back in 20s. Was very popular at some point.
I imagine some composer could have written an opera (but I don't
recall anything like that).
Shostakovich's 10th Symphony is written well after that.
Furthermore, the whole idea can be traced back to the ancient Greece's
aesthetic ('catharsis'). Not quite an oxymoron, ya know.
John Harrington
<snip>
> A good example is The Sun Shines Over Our Motherland (Shostakovitch)
> with not much in a minor key but with bright major "optimism" and a
> childrens choir singing the praises of nuclear power stations (think
> Chernobyl). I think that is how I would remember socialist realism
> (that and the year when Prague shops only had left goloshes owing to a
> foul up at the factory in Russia). That was the year that people with
> "two left feet" came into their own:):)
Music fared much better than the boots, though.
John
Alan Watkins
> Music fared much better than the boots, though.
>
>
> John
Absolutely agreed. It's a good piece musically but of course the
words do go a long way towards meeting the "idealism":):)