The Russian musical art of the early 20th century: Dissonances

Over an extended period spanning more than four decades (from the late 1880s to the early 1930s), a transition from the Classical era to Modern took place. This essay examines distinct shifts in the interaction between classical and modern styles within the specific historical contexts of the late classical era (as the culmination of the classical evolution) and the early modern era (as the emergence of Modern), focusing on a range of 1910s musical works: Alexander Taneyev’s Piano Quintet, the ballets “The Firebird” and “Petrushka” by Igor Stravinsky, Nikolai Myaskovsky’s Symphony No. 5, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s cantata “The Bells”. Additionally, attention is given to the development of this issue in the 1920s: including the ballets “Flames of Paris” by Boris Asafiev, “Carmagnola” by Vladimir Femelidi, “The Red Poppy” by Reinhold Glière, “Pulcinella” by Igor Stravinsky, and N. Myaskovsky’s Symphony No. 6, where the confrontation between the old and the new world reached its peak. In conclusion, it is argued that the stark divergence into two contrasting types of worldviews inherent in the old and the new world was aimed at a sharp reorientation of values, leading to a fundamental transformation across all aspects of existence.