VOICED: Soviet music echoes in Paris

The video explores the challenges faced by artists in Soviet Russia, focusing on musicians. It discusses how Russian revolutionaries aimed to use music to support their socialist state but were cautious of its influence. The struggle between sophisticated music with Western influences and proletarian music is highlighted, with Shostakovich exemplifying the dilemma faced by musicians under Stalin. Despite censorship, some artists managed to survive, and the era of socialist realism left a legacy of creativity and suffering in Soviet music history.

What was the initial approach of Russian revolutionaries towards music?

• They wanted to eliminate music entirely.

• They sought to use music to support the socialist state.

• They encouraged musicians to adopt Western styles.

• They ignored music as an art form.

What was the main conflict in Soviet music during the late 1920s?

• A struggle between traditional and modern music styles.

• A debate over the use of electronic instruments.

• A disagreement over the role of music in education.

• A conflict between sophisticated Western-influenced music and proletarian music.

What was the primary goal of proletarian music in Soviet Russia?

• To convey the message that life was better under communism.

• To explore complex musical compositions.

• To entertain the elite.

• To promote Western culture.

How did Shostakovich's life reflect the challenges faced by musicians under Stalin?

• He was exiled to another country.

• He was celebrated without any criticism.

• He lived in constant fear of arrest.

• He was allowed to freely express his musical ideas.

What was the doctrine that influenced Soviet music until 1991?

• Socialist realism

• Capitalist realism

• Modernism

• Romanticism