The musical art of the USSR was closely connected with the traditions of the past. The music of this period continues and develops the progressive features of the artistic heritage: citizenship, attention and respect for cultures, democracy, fidelity to the truth of life, humanism. At the same time, art is inspired by new ideas of party spirit, the building of a communist society, the conscious revolutionary transformation of the world. Music and composers actively participated in the spiritual life of society.
Academic music
The operatic, classical and symphonic music of the Soviet Union went from the revolutionary experiments of the 1920s to the academic style of the Stalin period. The list of Soviet composers who worked in the classical genre includes Sergei Prokofiev, Georgy Sviridov, Aram Khachaturian, Dmitry Kabalevsky, Dmitry Shostakovich Karu Karaev and others.
The public music education system made it possible for other talented people to emerge. For example, in the 60s, composers associated with avant-garde movements began to appear. Among them are Alfred Schnittke, Galina Ustvolskaya, Nikolai Karetnikov.
Music of Soviet cinema
Often, melodies and songs gained popularity through compositions for popular films. "Serious" composers of the USSR were also engaged in composing such compositions, for example, S. Prokofiev wrote music for Eisenstein's historical epics. The music for G. Aleksandov's films was written by Isaak Dunayevsky, who worked in various genres - from "official" marches to trendy jazz.
"The era of stagnation" was marked by the emergence of a new generation of composers in the USSR. The names of Alexander Zatsepin (“Prisoner of the Caucasus”, “Ivan Vasilievich changes profession”, “Diamond Hand”), Makael Tariverdiev (“Seventeen Moments of Spring”, “Irony of Fate …”), Vladimir Dashkevich (“Sherlock Holmes”), Maxim Dunayevsky ("Mary Poppins, goodbye!", "Midshipmen, forward!") and others.
Since the 70s, electronic music has gained popularity. The pioneer of Soviet electronics was the film composer Eduard Artemiev, who is best known for his sci-fi films by Andrei Tarkovsky. Interestingly, his compositions in the ambient genre (a style based on sound timbre modulations) appeared before the term was coined in 1978.
Separate category - songs from cartoons and films forchildren who were written to easy catchy melodies. Famous composers of the USSR who wrote for children were: Alexei Rybnikov (“About Little Red Riding Hood”, “The Adventures of Pinocchio”), Grigory Gladkov (“Plasticine Crow”), Gennady Gladkov (“How the Lion and the Turtle Sang a Song”, “The Bremen Town Musicians”) and others.
Sergei Prokofiev
The symphonic fairy tale "Peter and the Wolf", the melancholy symphony No. 7 and the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" by Sergei Prokofiev are included in the lists of world masterpieces. The future Soviet composer sat down at the piano for the first time at the age of five. His mother was engaged in his upbringing, who knew how to play the piano well, so the child began to teach the instrument. It was she who recorded the children's works of Sergei Prokofiev. By the age of ten, he had an impressive list of author's compositions, including two operas.
As a teenager, a talented young man went to St. Petersburg and entered the conservatory, where he graduated as a pianist, composer and organist. After the revolution, he went to Japan to seek permission from there to move to the United States. In America and Europe, he began touring, performing his own works. Everywhere Sergei Prokofiev was a great success.
Since 1936, the composer lived in Moscow with his wife, the daughter of Russian emigrants, whom he met on tour in Spain, and two children. After the outbreak of the war, Sergei Prokofiev sent his relatives to the evacuation, while he himself lived separately. He no longer moved in with his wife, because he met the young Mira Mendelssohn (girlwas 24 years younger than Prokofiev).
The composer's he alth had already greatly weakened by the 40s. He practically did not go beyond the dacha near Moscow, where he observed a strict regime, but continued to work. Sergei Prokofiev simultaneously wrote a symphony, a ballet and a sonata. The famous composer of the USSR spent the winter in a communal apartment in the capital. It was there that he died as a result of another crisis on March 5, 1953.
Sergei Rachmaninov
The hereditary nobleman has become a real symbol of Russian music all over the world. S. Rachmaninoff was born into a musical family: his grandfather studied with John Field, a well-known composer and teacher in Russia, his father was fond of music, but did not play professionally. The first music teacher for Sergei Rachmaninov was his mother, the daughter of the director of the Arakcheevsky Cadet Corps, Pyotr Butakov.
The young man studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the class of V. Demyansky, in Moscow with Nikolai Zverev, a famous teacher, and in the class of A. Siloti, his cousin, who became a famous Moscow pianist. For his diploma work (Opera Aleko) Sergei Rachmaninoff received a Grand Gold Medal and a five-plus-three rating from Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky recommended the opera to be staged at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Young Rachmaninoff was known to the Moscow public as a talented conductor, pianist and composer. He traveled with concerts to Canada and America, Europe, served as a conductor at the Bolshoi Theater, headed the artistic council of a music publishing house.
After the revolution in RussiaRachmaninoff emigrated. He was intolerant of power by the Soviet, but did not remain indifferent to his compatriots, so he transferred money collected at concerts to the USSR Defense Fund and the Red Army Fund. With these funds, a military aircraft was built in the USSR. The composer died in 1943. He was so dedicated to his calling that he continued to perform until the very end. Rachmaninoff gave his last concert a month and a half before his death.
Alexander Zatsepin
An outstanding composer of the USSR and Russia, the author of the most popular songs and music for films, was talented in many ways as a child. Only at student age did the young man begin to pay more attention to music. He learned to play the accordion, clarinet and balalaika, while serving in the army he performed in the Song and Dance Ensemble.
After demobilization, Alexander Zatsepin was invited to the Novosibirsk Philharmonic. During the year he toured Siberia, but realized that he lacked musical education for further development. Then Alexander Zatsepin tried to submit papers to the music school, but he was advised to go straight to the conservatory. Zatsepin was accepted, Professor Brusilovsky became his teacher.
Isaac Dunayevsky
Composer of the USSR (photo below) Isaak Dunayevsky lived a relatively short life. In certain circles they called Dunya, shortening a beautiful but long surname. During his 55 years, he left a significant creative legacy: ballets, operettas, music for films and performances, many songs. The USSR composer made his debut in 1920 astheater composer, he wrote the music for The Marriage of Figaro.
Real fame came to Isaac Dunaevsky after meeting with director G. Aleksandrov. These two talented people became the founders of musical cinema - a new genre in Soviet cinema. The music of the famous composer of the USSR Isaak Dunayevsky sounds in the films “Kuban Cossacks”, “My Love”, “Rich Bride”, “In Search of Captain Grant” (1986, S. Govorukhin), “Children of Captain Grant” and others.
Vladimir Vysotsky
He was a poet, performer and composer, and also the most passionate of the Hamlets. He played in theater and cinema, wrote penetrating author's texts. Vysotsky wrote in such a way that the whole country understood and loved his work. The author's poems have been translated into 200 world languages. As a composer, he first played the piano, then the accordion. He didn't have a guitar right away. Vysotsky himself said that at first he simply pounded the rhythm on the guitar and sang his own or other people's poems.
