JAVS Summer 2025

Some pieces exemplify Socialist Realism, especially those written during the Stalin era, often featuring artificially cheerful themes, militaristic rhythms, and stylized folk references. These works may also include references to childhood and youth, here labeled as Pioneeric . Examples include Bunin’s Viola Concerto , op. 22 (1954), Shebalin’s Sonata for Violin and Viola (1940/44), and Stepanov’s Three Miniatures (Children’s Suite) (1951). During this period, all composers were expected to write in this idiom; failure to do so could result in accusations of “formalism.” At the opposite end of the aesthetic spectrum are approximately 55 atonal or avant-garde works from the final three decades of the USSR. These include minimalist works such as Ryabov’s Sonata , op. 23, and Firtich’s Sonata (1990), as well as compositions employing aleatoric elements and extended techniques, such as those by Schnittke, Bagdonas, and Latif-Zade. Several works are characterized by a dreamy or surreal atmosphere—e.g., A. Tchaikovsky’s Chromatic Dreams (1991), Denisov’s Three Paintings by Paul Klee (1985), Lukin’s Nocturne , or Stepanova’s Poem (1950). Others explore the mystical through veiled sacred or liturgical references, as found in music by Kancheli and Kollentai. 34 Approximately thirty works are labeled “lyrical,” often featuring a songful, narrative character, such as Blok’s Aria or Golubev’s Concerto , Op. 47. Many others adopt a rhetorical, recitative-like quality, such as Firsova’s Suite , op. 2, or Heifets’ Sonata no. 1. Perhaps most powerfully, a pervasive sense of solemnity and sorrow emerges across the repertoire—musical reflections of the psychological weight of life under the Soviet regime. Numerous works are elegiac or commemorative in nature, including Popatenko’s Meditation in Memory of Glière , Tkach’s Sonata (1976), and Levkovich’s Sonata (1984) in memory of Shostakovich. This affinity for the elegiac parallels other twentieth-century Western viola works—such as Hindemith’s Trauermusik (1936) and Carter’s Elegy (1943/1961)—underscoring the viola’s unique capacity to convey mourning, introspection, and human fragility. Approaching Soviet Viola Music From post-Romanticism to Socialist Realism and avant garde, the catalogue reveals a colorful and diverse, yet

almost untouched musical universe. The willingness and curiosity to explore Soviet music for viola may be driven by several forces, and it is important for a violist to identify them, as a way of refining the learning process, and preparing the extra-musical presentation of the repertoire. One idea to acknowledge is that music disappears from the public radar because of non-musical political situations, and no matter which side one takes in a conflict, or if they choose to stay neutral, it is our duty as artists to preserve any form of art, even if controversial, and save it from extinction. The key to improvement in the world is by enforcing and empowering education and the appreciation for art and culture. This cannot be completed if some works of art are victims—in the past, as well as in the present—of toxic regimes, and therefore abandoned. It is also our duty, as musicians, to sound again the voices of the forgotten and the repressed: many individuals who had no choice but to live and survive under one of the darkest dictatorships in history. Addressing the fate of the Soviet viola repertoire, Bezrukov makes an important point in his 1990 Glory of the Viola on how new works are equally outstanding in quality, yet some will not survive the test of time. 35 Despite that, he claims, their existence is important to enrich the viola literature and add a significant quantity (mass) to support the more popular works. 36 This communist philosophy might disclose at least one of the reasons why so many Soviet viola works are now forgotten. Whether this assumption is right or wrong, the popularity of viola repertoire should not depend on which composers have more mentions and higher rating, and by that fall under a hierarchy used by Western and Russian scholars. Different republics, time periods, styles, and artistic movements should be equally examined to enable the rediscovery of more musical treasures. Soviet viola works can fill a variety of programming niches and serve as valuable pedagogical material for students exploring the Russian school of playing. However, access to these works is often limited by practical challenges, including difficulty obtaining scores, a lack of supporting reference materials, instructions available only in Russian, and inconsistencies or errors in poorly edited editions. Recent research, as presented in my dissertation, identifies several bibliographic and digital resources that may help address these obstacles. This research also offers historical context and detailed

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 41, Summer 2025 Online Issue

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