At the Watershed: Russian Music in the First Decades of the 20th Century

The study examines the socio-cultural context of Russian music in the decades immediately preceding and following the October Revolution of 1917, focusing on several aspects: personalities representing pre- and post-revolutionary Russian (in exile) and Soviet (at home) musical activity and culture; second-tier national composers; “industrial music” of the early Soviet period; and Soviet cultural management in music behind the Iron Curtain. Portraits of composers little known to Western listeners and academic audiences are presented. The spectrum of musical styles and aesthetics is considered. Issues of ethnic diversity and religious affiliation of Russian composers are relevantly explored. Songs of the First Revolution (1905), the Civil War, and Soviet mass songs are briefly touched upon. The scope and choice of themes of the study provide a holistic approach to topics that are usually addressed separately: before or after the 1917 Revolution; classical music or folk/popular songs.