Description
Book SynopsisAims to introduce the general public to the scholarly debate that has revolutionized Russian music history. This work summarizes the fresh view of Russian music and provides an overview of the relationships between artistic movements and political ideas. It explores the cultural and historical milieu from which great works have emerged.
Trade Review"Maes's work is superbly translated here and proceeds from Mikhail Glinka to Dmitri Shostakovich in 14 chronological chapters, each rich in detail and illuminating in context. An excellent addition to all collections." - Library Journal, starred review "Glossing over lesser-known composers and stopping short of the post-Soviet period, the book is worthwhile for seeing how Russia's politics affected her music." - Booklist "At last there is a short and comprehensive introduction to Russian music and its history that is up to date in research, sophisticated in viewpoint, elegantly written, and completely free of nonsense. It fills a longstanding gap and fills it most satisfyingly. Francis Maes deserves hearty congratulations and thanks." - Richard Taruskin, author of Stavinsky and the Russian Traditions: A Biography of the Works Through "Mavra"
Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction: Natasha's Dance, or Musical Nationalism 2. "I'm Finished with Russian Music": Mikhail Glinka 3. "There's Petersburg for You!" The Birth Pangs of a Music Culture 4. The Clash of Ideas: The Quest for the Essence of the New Russian Music 5. The Theory in Practice: Musical Creation 6. "Truth in the Realm of the Pseudo": Russian Opera 7. "The Musician-Human": Pyotr Chaikovsky 8. "A Musical Conscience": Rimsky-Korsakov and the Belyayev Circle 9. Imagination and Renewal: The Silver Age 10. "The Cleansing Catastrophe": Early Soviet Music 11. Russia's Loss: The Musical Emigration 12. From Yezhovshchina to Zhdanovshchina 13. "Prokofiev Must Return to Us" 14. "The Secret Diary of a Nation": The Works of Shostakovich Notes Bibliography Index
