Russian Music since 1917

Notwithstanding its title, this book is less about Music than about Musical Life: exclusively classical musical life at that, and not confined to Russia, since it regularly touches on republics formerly within the Soviet Union. There is also a particular focus on musicological traditions, both East and West. The need for a shorthand title is obvious, and the result is a valuable and up-to-date survey. Still, anyone hoping for illumination of actual examples of ‘Russian Music since 1917’ will most likely come away unfulfilled. The origins of the book lie in the July 2011 ‘Russian and Soviet Music: Reappraisal and Rediscovery’ Conference at the University of Durham, which was something of a personal triumph for its organizer, Patrick Zuk. The Introduction describes that event, quite justifiably, as ‘of landmark significance, not least for being the first international conference of its kind that was of such comprehensive scope and on such a large scale’. With the above proviso concerning ‘music’, much the same could be said of the new publication.

Aesthetics · Art · Art history · Literature · Musical · Period (music) · Political science · Politics · Scope (computer science) · Soviet union · Diverse Musicological Studies · History · Law · Musicology and Musical Analysis