Remembering October: The Great Socialist Revolution and its musical memorialisation Memorialisation of the communist takeover of October 1917 became a fundamental public and private exercise of Soviet Russia. Music played an important, even essential part in these rituals of displaying history, which were performed as acts both of self-assurance and of claim to power. This occasion gave birth to ambitious and utopian compositions, but also to ambiguous, ironic works as well as opportunistic ones. These different music manifestations of anniversary allow depicting the development of cultural politics and aesthetics of Soviet Russia. Further examples will include early efforts in musical constructivism, in early Socialist Realism, and in post-war Stalinism. | Issue |
