Herrala, Meri Elisabet

Dr. Herrala is a Post Doctoral Scholar at the University of Helsinki. She Received her Ph.D. in Soviet History from the University of Helsinki.

Struggle for Control of Soviet Music From 1932 to 1948

2012 0-7734-2611-6
During the sixteen critical years of tumultuous artistic upheaval from 1932-1948, the Soviet Union’s cultural authorities strove diligently to establish and refine a functional administrative infrastructure with which to direct and control Soviet Music. Yet in reality, this music policy system did not function as it had been intended to, which was to ensure the creation of Soviet operas acceptable to the Party. Because the agencies controlling the operas could not define which style best represented Socialist Realism, the music policy failed to establish adequate centralized control of Soviet music. Therefore, musical discussions deteriorated into ritualistic forums for revealing heretical composers, making scapegoats of them, and requiring them to perform self-criticism, yet providing little practical guidance on how to reach the artistic goals of Socialist Realism.