Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Russian national composers. His output - which includes the magnificent 1812 Overture;
concertos and symphonies; ballets Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker ; and the
opera Yevgeny Onegin - are among the world's most popular classical works. They are cer-
tainly the shows that are staged most often at the Bolshoi and other theatres around Mo-
scow.
Following in Tchaikovsky's romantic footsteps was Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
and the innovative Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971). Both fled Russia after the revolution.
Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which created a furore at its first performance in Paris, and
The Firebird were influenced by Russian folk music. Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953), who
also left Soviet Russia but returned in 1934, wrote the scores for Sergei Eisenstein's films
Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible, the ballet Romeo and Juliet, and Peter and the
Wolf, so beloved by music teachers of young children. His work, however, was condemned
for 'formalism' towards the end of his life.
Similarly, Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-75) was alternately praised and condemned by the
Soviet government. He wrote brooding, bizarrely dissonant works, in addition to more ac-
cessible traditional classical music. After official condemnation by Stalin, Shostakovich's
7th Symphony (also known as the Leningrad Symphony ) brought him honour and interna-
tional standing when it was performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic during the Siege of
Leningrad. The authorities changed their minds again and banned his formalist music in
1948, then 'rehabilitated' him after Stalin's death.
Classical opera was performed regularly during the Soviet period, and continues to be
popular. Nowadays, the top theatres - especially the Bolshoi - are attempting to showcase
new works by contemporary composers, as well as unknown works that were censored or
banned in the past.
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