20th Century Nationalists: Russia

Russians covered so far in the course lived most of the time outside Russia.  Russian Revolution went in fits and starts for years, but as of 1917, it was definite; it separated composers into those who stayed and those who left.

á          Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-75) spent entire creative life as Soviet citizen. 

á          from well-to-do family in St. Petersburg.  Parents were young intellectuals who discussed revolution frequently.  At age 11 he witnessed the murder of a revolutionary by a Cossack; this trauma found its way into his music.  The political realities of Soviet Russia were a major influence on him.

á          First Symphony (1925) launched his career: a graduation project from Leningrad Conservatory (he was 19).  Contains very sophisticated counterpoint as well as one of his long, lyrical ÒtragicÓthemes.   

á          Under the Soviet Regime, music regarded as a tool of the State; restrictions were placed on composers by Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians (RAPM):

á          music must be accessible (related to Gebrauchsmusik)

á          music must inspire the Proletariat to do good work

á          music mustnÕt be too gloomy (Revolution wasnÕt going well)

á          musical form was too intellectual in concept to be understood by Proletariat, so complex formal designs were discouraged

á          Under these circumstances, it is surprising that he was able to present works that were very avant garde and very critical of the State, e.g.

á          The Nose (1927), an opera about a soviet bureaucrat who wakes up without his nose one morning.  Ridiculed Soviet bureaucracy, called for extraordinary vocal effects (snoring) plus very progressive percussion effects.

á          Lady MacBeth of the Mtsensk District (1936), an opera about a woman who is unfaithful to her husband and is blamed for murdering him.  The opera infuriated Stalin.  Shostakovich had to go into semi retirement for a time; officially, he was Òre-aligning himself with Soviet values.Ó  After Òretirement,Ó came out with

á          Fifth Symphony (1937), described officially as ÒAn artistÕs creative answer to justified criticism.Ó  It was accepted as a peace offering, even though it contains many traits condemned by RAPM: received formal patterns, abstract, inaccessible nature, tragic themes.

á          Stalin died in 1953, and Shostakovich was free to write his most expressive works, including Tenth Symphony (some regard as the finest of the 15). Popular theory is that it is a musical portrayal of SÕs struggles with Stalin

á          last 2 mvts. use one of his signature techniques, turning his name into notes D.Sch= D - Eb - C - B nat. 

á          Another work uses this technique: Eighth String Quartet, dedicated to ÒThe Memory of the Victims of Fascism and War.Ó H recorded his own reactions by including the DSCH motive.  This piece also has excerpts from First Symphony. 

á          Serge Prokofiev (1891-1953)

á          Upheld traditions of earlier Russians (Darhomyzhsky, Mussorgsky): macabre or grotesque subjects.  10 yrs younger than Stravinsky, who was an early influence.  Also influenced by Debussy, Strauss, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin

á          Prokofiev lived outside of Russia from (1917-36).  Spent time in America, Japan, wrote some works for Diaghilev in Paris, like Stravinsky on Russian mythology and folk tradition.  Returned to Moscow permanently in 1936, but had stigma of his western associations, caused criticism.

á          Musical characteristics:

á          favored extremes, e.g. mixtures of accessible lyricism and gratuitous noisiness

á          frequent sarcastic or grotesque effects

á          harmony: liked tonal shifts: sudden shift from one pitch center to another, and preferably unrelated

á          textures ranged from classical clarity to dense polyphony

á          form: sometimes used received patterns, but also liked Russian Linearism (allowing melody to dictate a piece, rather than German traditions of key areas, developments, etc)

á          Up to 1920Õs, had a tendency to Neoclassicism.  Example is Classical Symphony (his first, 1916-7).

á          Contains tonal shifts. Music has a classically tonal feel on local level; shifts are reinterpretation of classicism. 

á          On return to Russia, took a low profile; some of his best and best-known works are from this time, e.g. Fifth Symphony, Flute Sonata, Alexander Nevsky. 

á          Also wrote ÒPolitically CorrectÓ cantatas commemorating the Revolution; Soviet powers met these with suspicion: thought they detected sarcasm.