People Sing When They're Happy
Popular Music in 1970s Soviet Comedic Cinema
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4305035 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alexandra Grabarchuk (0009-0003-6357-6058, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 344-361 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Popular Music (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0261-1430 • E-ISSN: 1474-0095 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s026114302400045x |
| OpenAlex | W4407878837 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
Like any form of artistic production in the Soviet 1970s (Brezhnev's 'Stagnation' era), films had to tread a fine line between being acceptable to official organs, yet managing to appeal to the average citizen. Music - and specifically popular music or estrada - was an important factor contributing to how filmmakers could express themselves and connect with audiences despite official restraint. This article will explore the soundscapes of two iconic movies embodying that tension: The Twelve Chairs (Двеннадцать стульев, 1971, dir. Leonid Gaidai) and The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! (Ирония судьбы, или с легким паром!, 1975, dir. El'dar Riazanov). A close reading of musical scenes from these Stagnation-era artefacts will expose several key tactics that emerge in the complicated nexus between composer, director and text, demonstrating how popular music fits into a complex and multi-faceted relationship of minor liberties and major limits
Art · Art history · Literature · Movie theater · Popular music · Visual arts · Asian Culture and Media Studies · Eastern European Communism and Reforms · History · Soviet and Russian History
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |