17th Annual Student Research Conference
Fine Arts
The Effect of Socialist Realism Upon the Music of Dmitri Kabalevsky
Nicholas D. Johnson
Dr. Marc Rice, Faculty Mentor
Since the fall of the Soviet Union there have been many unanswered questions about Socialist Realism’s impact on the arts. I plan to look at the music of the composer Dmitri Kabalevsky who proclaimed himself a Communist in 1940. Kabalevsky’s Piano sonatas are some of his more popular works outside of Russia, perhaps due to their simple nature. I will research his Piano Sonata No. 3, written in 1946, searching for signs of Socialist Realism. I will also research what effect his adherence to Socialist Realism had for his career in both Soviet Russia and the West.
Keywords: Socialist Realism, Kabalevsky, Communism, Piano Music
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 41-2
Location: OP 2111
Time: 4:00