Ch. 32 Study Questions

*What was Socialist Realism

It defined what art was in Soviet Russia. A "creative method based on truthful, historically concrete artistic reflection of reality" /whatever they wanted to advance and whatever they thought fit that definition. Specifically challenging for instrumental music because composers were unsure of what flies and what doesn't. Music that sounds celebratory and nationalistic. People's music, should sound like happy people. Nationality, loyalty to communist party, easily grasped content. In the soviet union, Art was heavily policed and watched. If the art you created went against this definition, it was blacklisted and the artist could be heavily watched, or even sent away to die.

*Describe the debate over whether Shostakovich was a dissident or a collaborator. How and why do these different views influence the way you hear his fifth symphony?

It was hard to tell what Shostakovich's intentions for his fifth symphony were. Some critics rejected it because it seemed too pessimistic (which was forbidden because pessimism is not productive). While others saw that tragedy can exist if it is infused with positive ideas. So since no one knew exactly what Shostakovich intended from his work, it was debated whether it was in collaboration with the government or if it was actually dissident. The piece was officially used as an emblem of radiant optimism. Critics cautiously approved, but questioned whether Shostakovich meant to portray pessimism or if the work was actually optimistic, but somehow unwittingly signaled pessimism. He did make statements that supported communism, so people debated where he actually stood. There was rejoicing in the piece, but Volkov saw that as a forced effort. "Its as if someone were beating you with a stick saying 'your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing.' and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering 'our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.' What kind of apotheosis is that? You have to be a complete oaf not to hear that."

*In what ways did the Nazi government in Germany mix artistic censorship and racism? What kinds of music were promoted in Nazi Germany, and what kinds were considered "degenerate"?

Nazi Germany would censor anything that had to do with Jews, Romani, homosexuals, and the disabled. Their most extreme hatred was toward Jews. Any music written by a Jew or "honorary Jew" would have been "degenerate" and therefore banned. The music they promoted had to be written by someone who was their ally, that was more important to them than what the art was about. Allies were often those people from countries who allied with Germany or shared their ideals. Webern was denounced because of serialism, which Nazi's did not support.

*Describe the sequence of historical events that led to the suppression of Soviet artists in the 1930s. Why are Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District and his fifth symphony such important works in the history of Soviet censorship

There was a thing in 1932 called Socialist Realism that defined what was treated as art. Union of Soviet Composers = Traditional Establishment values & Mass Songs join together to create Socialist realism. Shostakovich was greatly promoted in this regime. And his works were actively used by the government. As a composer in that time, all the works he wrote had to be sent to the government to be approved. You could not show resistance, or write anything that was not to the approval of the government. As a response to the 1932 restructuring of the arts, he wrote Lady Macbeth. It showed a different kind of Socialist Realism: hopelessness, inhumanity, and people being shipped off to oblivion. Formalism, dark story line. Lady Macbeth was a huge success with audiences until Stalin saw it and called it a "muddle instead of music," attacking the libretto and its music. This kind of review made Shostakovich fear a "bad end." And he was put on a watch list. Upon performance of his fifth symphony, audiences wept in the concert hall. This work redeemed him and went on to become his most popular work.