Shostakovich’s First Film Score: Politics and Symphonism

This article proposes a detailed historical-analytical analysis of the score for the film The New Babylon, composed by Dmitri Shostakovich.It explores how Shostakovich made use of a wide range of musical techniques to highlight the visual, emotional and narrative aspects of film production, thus illustrating an innovative approach to film music composition.The analysis focuses on the creative side, highlighting how the composer subtly incorporated various recurring musical motifs and fragments to emphasize the evolution of the characters' actions and emotions.It also explores how diegetic music was used to strengthen the synchronization between sound and image, thus highlighting the composer's concern for the coherence and impact of the soundtrack.In addition, the article examines the political and social context of the time in which the film was made, analysing the first critical reactions and the subsequent significance of this work in the history of cinema.This exhaustive approach reveals the importance of the film's soundtrack not only in the landscape of film music but also in the wider cultural and social context of the time.Thus, the work represents an essential contribution to the understanding and appreciation of the evolution of film music and its influence on the artistic and cultural landscape.