The Sound of Utopia: Musicians in the Time of Stalin

(Hardback)

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When Stalin came to power, making music in Russia became dangerous. Composers now had to create work that served the socialist state, and all artistic production was scrutinized for potential subversion. In The Sound of Utopia, Michel Krielaars vividly depicts Soviet musicians and composers struggling to create art in a climate of risk, suspicion and fear. Some successfully toed the ideological line, diluting their work in the process; others ended up facing the Gulag or even death. While some, like Sergei Prokofiev, achieved lasting fame, others were consigned to oblivion, their work still hard to find. As Krielaars traces the twists and turns of these artists fortunes, he paints a fascinating and disturbing portrait of the absurdity of Soviet musical life - and of the people who crafted sublime melodies under the darkest circumstances.

Reviews

'Krielaars testifies to a deep knowledge of Russia. Told with the voice of a great master' - Pieter Waterdrinker, author of 'The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street'

'Michel Krielaars unravels a staggering piece of history' - De Morgen

'Ten interesting portraits, not only of celebrities like Sergei Prokofiev, but also lesser-known figures who seldom receive attention in the Western world' - NRC

'There was no room for heroism under Stalin, Michel Krielaars convincingly shows' - de Volkskrant

'Its beautiful how Krielaars manages to keep something sparkling through Stalins cold winter. Something like song' - Trouw

Author Bio

Michel Krielaars is a writer and journalist who currently edits the Literature section of the NRC newspaper. He studied history and Russian at the University of Amsterdam and was a correspondent in Russia between 2007 and 2012. Krielaars has written novels, short-story collections and several books about Russia, including Through Chekovs Glasses and Travels through Russia, which won the Bob den Uyl Prize. He lives in Amsterdam.