week 1 lecture 2 early soviet music shostavovich 1 copy
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Early Soviet Music : Shostakovich Symphony
1-‐4
Soviet Policy
Ê Dominated whole of Russian Society – including the arts.
Ê However in early years artists operated with some degree of freedom. Until death of Lenin and rise of Stalin.
Ê Lunacharscky – Appointed by Lenin to lead artists then still in Russia – Chagall (Modernist avant guard until 1922), Kandinsky (returned to Germany 1921) , Meyerhold.
Ê Gradual burearocratization of culture including music. Avante guarde increasingly abandoned Russia. Stalin hated it.
Ê NARCOMPROS-‐ People’s Commissariat of Public Education. All publishing in their hands – but tolerant at first.
The Bolshevik (1920) Boris Kustodiev
Poster Art and Photo Montage
Meyehold biomechanics – movement for actors. The new Soviet man -‐
1000 #FF577A
Agitprop poster by Mayakovsky
1000 #FF577A
prolelkult
Ê Wanted to get rid of all bourgeois culture – instead develop new proletarian culture – ideas of Bogdanov.
Ê Art should be a form of collective culture. Wanted to get rid of all forms of elite culture. Artistically a flop.
Ê Studios and workshops – to help workers join in creative process.
Ê In music – revolutionary hymns and choral singing. Also approved forms of folk music.
Ê For Lenin – art and music/culture subordinate to politics.
Avant guard in Russia
Ê Welcomed revolution – e.g. Futurist poet – Mayakovsky ‘bard of the revolution’.
Ê Meyerhold’s biomechanics in the theatre. Rhythmic movement – in sports parades.
Ê Nationalisation of theatres.
Ê Then orchestras – music schools -‐ all under glavrepertkom – Narkompros took over conservatories. Glazunov stayed and tried to hold back bureuacratisation.
Ê All arts under the state. The private life is dead.
Shostakovich Symphony no.1 – 1924-‐5
Ê Written as 19 year old. Graduation exercise from Leningrad Conservatoire. Parallels with Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ of 1918.
Ê Instant international success.
Ê Uses Sonata Form.
Ê Famous premier 12 May 1926 in the Great Hall of Leningrad Philharmonic, event celebrated by Shostakovich for the rest of his life.
Ê Taken up by Walter in Berlin (1927); Stokowski and Toscanini in America (128, 1931).
Ê A sensational success. It made him famous from them on and identified as the face of Soviet Music.
Young Shostakovich (1906-‐1975
Ê Parents – Siberian/Polish. In sympathy with revolution at least at first.
Ê Father and engineer living in St Petersburg.
Ê Mother musical and taught him piano – but quite late.
Ê By 12 playing Bach’s Preludes and Fugues. A prodigy – fantastic memory.
Ê Petrograd conservatory at 13 (1919). Under Glasunov with Nikolayev as piano teacher
Ê Father dies in 1922 – then supports mother by playing piano for silent films
Ê Failed his exam in Marxists methodology in 1926
Ê A few minor pieces before first symphony (graduation piece). 1926
2 ideas – Trumpet solo and bassoon solo
Ê Rhythmic idea.
Ê But also the notes.
First mvt start
Page 3
More page 3
Clarinet Tune
Clarinet solo
P.10 Flute Solo
p,.24 recap
More recap p.25
p.32 coda
Video
Importance
Ê Russian Symphonic tradition in abeyance – Many composers had left by 1917 (Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, etc).
Ê Of those who stayed few composed symphonies – Glazunov, Gliere – but concentrated on pedagogical works.
Ê Caught the spirit of the age of silent film, -‐ juggling of genre – marches, waltzes, galops, etc.
Ê Balance of academic writing and spirited playfulness – witty and boisterous.
Ê Influence of Petruska, -‐ reckless transformations, commedia dell’arte crowds. Music Hall, -‐ but all material is Shostakovich’s own.
Mvt 2
Mvt 3
Mvt 4
Mvt 4 Allegro