JAVS Spring 2026

These small-scale works thus demonstrate tangible potential for inclusion in the viola canon, both artistically and pedagogically. The following section introduces a selection of these compositions and analyzes them through the lens of Ivashkin’s four defining principles of socialist realist music: all-Soviet nationalism, Communist ideology, accessibility, and non-modernism. proved difficult, if not impossible, in both English, Russian, or other closely related languages. This challenge extended to the acquisition of musical scores themselves. 19 Much of the available material originates from unofficial Russian-language websites and cultural databases of uneven reliability. This scarcity reflects the limited scholarly and institutional interest in this sector of Soviet composers, both in Russia and in the West, as discussed above. It also mirrors one of the most dehumanizing mechanisms of industrialized totalitarian systems: the reduction of individuals—and, by extension, their creative output—to interchangeable, generic entities. In this sense, composers are rendered “Mr. or Ms. Nobody,” or, to invoke Uspensky’s allegory, a crocodile who works at the zoo simply as a crocodile. This observation underlies the title of the present article: Mr. (Lev) Stepanov and Ms. (Vera) Stepanova —bearers of one of the most common Russian surnames, seemingly interchangeable agents within a factory of endlessly similar works. Such an agency, however, dissolves upon closer examination, as the expressive depth and individuality of their compositions emerge through analysis. Fortunately, the prescriptive framework of socialist realism allows the absence of secondary literature to be partially offset by the self-explanatory, programmatic nature of the music itself. The primary analytical methodology employed in this article draws on topical theory, which identifies and maps musical signals based on their external associations. A similar approach was applied in a previous analysis of the socialist realist Sonata and Concerto by Revol Bunin published in this journal. 20 In the context of malaya forma , topical analysis proves especially effective: the brevity, clarity, and repetition inherent in these works render their musical signifiers unusually explicit. Titles of works or movements often indicate a fixed emotional affect, and when combined with clearly articulated formal designs, they allow For many of the composers listed above, locating reliable biographical information or contextual documentation

for confident interpretation of the intended musical narrative. Unlike Bunin’s works, which reveal concealed layers of resistance to Soviet authority, most of the compositions examined here remain ideologically neutral and thus function in alignment with Soviet cultural policy, or can even be seen as Soviet propaganda. 21 The significance of revisiting these works—despite their non resistant nature—will be addressed in the concluding section of this article, where questions of ethical listening, historical responsibility, and performative engagement come to the foreground. Mr. Stepanov Despite receiving the prestigious Stalin Prize in 1951 for his opera Ivan Bolotnikov (1950), remarkably little is known about the life and output of Lev Borisovich Stepanov (1908–1971). 22 In this sense, Stepanov is not an exception but rather a representative figure within the vast landscape of Soviet socialist realist composers whose careers unfolded successfully within official institutions, yet whose individual biographies and creative voices have since faded from historical view. Born in Tomsk, he graduated in 1938 from the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied composition with Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881– 1950), one of the most influential composers of the early Soviet period and a central figure in the formation of socialist realist musical aesthetics. 23 During his student years he worked as a coach at the Bolshoi Theatre, and later served as musical director of the leading Soviet (later Russian) Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular [Folk] Dance. 24 During World War II, Stepanov was sent to the front and was awarded a medal for his role in defending blockaded Leningrad. From 1946 onward, he also served on a governmental committee overseeing musical repertoire in educational institutions. 25 Three Miniatures ( Children’s Suite ) was composed in 1951 and published independently in the same year, an exception to the more common practice of issuing small scale works—often alongside larger ones—in pedagogical collections. 26 Each movement bears a title that can be interpreted within a juvenile context, yet also invites more mature associations or retrospective reflections on childhood. The first movement, Lullaby , unfolds at a slow tempo and opens with a brief but substantial piano introduction before presenting a melancholic lyrical melody in the viola (see Figure 2a). The choice of A minor, combined with a descending fifth that evokes the rocking motion of a cradle, aligns closely with the

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 2026