The Perestroyka of Soviet Symphonism

P Fairclough

doi:10.1093/ml/gci070

The Perestroyka of Soviet Symphonism

P Fairclough

Department of Music

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

Socialist Realism is commonly regarded as sounding a death knell for Soviet artistic creation. Yet, as proceedings from the 1935 'Discussions about Soviet symphonism' show, it was so imprecisely formulated that no one could agree on its implications for Soviet symphonism. Soviet composers and musicologists tried to turn this to their advantage in several ways. It is argued here that, with crucia backing from prominent musicologists such as Ivan SOllertinsky, Shostakovich could have expected his Fourth Symphony to win official acceptance and thus set a valid precedent for a new kind of Soviet symphony.

Translated title of the contribution	The Perestroyka of Soviet Symphonism
Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	259 - 273
Number of pages	14
Journal	Music and Letters
Volume	83/2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/ml/gci070
Publication status	Published - May 2002

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Publisher: Oxford University Press

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title = "The Perestroyka of Soviet Symphonism",

abstract = "Socialist Realism is commonly regarded as sounding a death knell for Soviet artistic creation. Yet, as proceedings from the 1935 'Discussions about Soviet symphonism' show, it was so imprecisely formulated that no one could agree on its implications for Soviet symphonism. Soviet composers and musicologists tried to turn this to their advantage in several ways. It is argued here that, with crucia backing from prominent musicologists such as Ivan SOllertinsky, Shostakovich could have expected his Fourth Symphony to win official acceptance and thus set a valid precedent for a new kind of Soviet symphony.",

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year = "2002",

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AB - Socialist Realism is commonly regarded as sounding a death knell for Soviet artistic creation. Yet, as proceedings from the 1935 'Discussions about Soviet symphonism' show, it was so imprecisely formulated that no one could agree on its implications for Soviet symphonism. Soviet composers and musicologists tried to turn this to their advantage in several ways. It is argued here that, with crucia backing from prominent musicologists such as Ivan SOllertinsky, Shostakovich could have expected his Fourth Symphony to win official acceptance and thus set a valid precedent for a new kind of Soviet symphony.

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VL - 83/2

SP - 259

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JO - Music and Letters

JF - Music and Letters

ER -

The Perestroyka of Soviet Symphonism

Abstract

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