Soviet Music @ Lewes U3A Summer Shorts: a sequence of pieces from the 1930s

© 2021 Terry Metheringham terrymetheringham@btinternet.com +44 7528 835 422

Khachaturian Poem about Stalin Aram Khachaturian (1903 – 78) was a Soviet-Armenian composer who built a strong international profile.

His reputation isn’t enhanced by this toe-curling sycophantic work, a symphonic poem culminating in a hymn praising Stalin – “leader of the country… who lights up the expanse like the sun”. It’s fascinating that a wide range of artists contributed such works during the Stalin era. There would be a good commission for a composer, and repeat performances would bring royalties. But it is not safe to assume that cynicism was the only driver for such art! The song dates from 1937, and the entire symphonic work was first heard on 29 November 1938.

Soviet Music: Summer Shorts Khachaturian Poem about Stalin Page 2

© 2021 Terry Metheringham terrymetheringham@btinternet.com +44 7528 835 422

Khachaturian’s background Born in Tiflis (now called Tbilisi) in Georgia – but identified as Armenian. (Yes, this area is known as Trans Caucasus.) His father was a bookbinder. He grew up in a cosmopolitan mix of influences, later writing:

“Old Tiflis was a city of sounds. If you wandered away from the main street you were quickly plunged into a world of vivid musical incense from a variety of sources”.

Moved to Moscow in 1922 to study biology and music. Soon he was focusing solely on music, gaining formal composition training to support his gift for improvisation. His teachers were:

Gnesin Glière Myaskovsky.

Glière was perhaps the most significant of these teachers in terms of the development of his personal style He was the Soviet-era master of the re-emergence of (predominantly ersatz) Russian orientalism.

Khachaturian had soon established his own style, which fellow Armenian Levon Hakobian summarises as: a spectacular flourish followed by “a plain course of further development, a misuse of repeating structures and rather wearisome instrumental flourishes.”

[Hakobian Music of the Soviet Era 2017 p114]

Boris Asafyev, writing in 1945, likened Khachaturian to Rubens: sumptuousness of life-enjoying melodies… resplendence of orchestra … abundance in bunches of melodies and adornments… He is the Rubens of our music, the Rubens of oriental tales; for the musician Khachaturian originates from the land of superb colourful poems and admirable embellished melodies.

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© 2021 Terry Metheringham terrymetheringham@btinternet.com +44 7528 835 422

Poem about Stalin This composition was first heard in November 1937 as a choral setting of the poem – a hymn to Stalin.

The lyrics are by Mirza Bayramov (1888-1960) an Azerbaijani ashug from Tauz. (An ashug is a folk singer-poet… a sort of bard.)

The orchestral element, a rhapsodic symphonic poem, was added and the entire work was first performed on 29 November 1938, in Moscow, conducted by Aleksandr Gauk. There are three movements:

I Prologue This lasts about 15 minutes, two-thirds of the duration of the entire work It alternates song-like sections with dance sections.

II Allegro Short and dramatic.

III Epilogue Here the choir joins with the magnificent hymn. A contemporary review by Danilevich says:

This song is a real flood of feelings. It expresses with tremendous force the enthusiastic jubilation of the masses, who salute their leader. It also expresses a wonderful pride of the rejuvenated people:

The country flourishes like a garden; In which the gardener is Comrade Stalin.

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© 2021 Terry Metheringham terrymetheringham@btinternet.com +44 7528 835 422

Assessment Modern commentators mostly avoid speaking of this piece. Hakobian is characteristically blunt:

The best and worst elements of Khachaturian’s style – the moments of genuine uplift and delicate lyricism, and those of sheer tastelessness – are united in Poem about Stalin in an idiosyncratic manner, which is itself not devoid of a certain charm.

In its time Khachaturian’s symphonic poem was seen as one of the most successful musical tributes to Stalin… surpassed only by Prokofiev’s cantata: Zdravitsa. When Stalin Prizes were first awarded, in 1941, Poem about Stalin was briefly considered for prize, but instead the music sub-committee submitted Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto. The explanation for this decision, as recorded in the minutes, is extremely revealing…

Despite its undoubted worth, we didn’t submit Poem about Stalin because by granting it a prize, we would be saying: here is a work which offered a fine rendition of this huge theme in the language of its art. But we didn’t consider the work to be on the scale of the finale of Ivan Susanin [= Glinka’s Life for the Tsar], or the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. That is why we are submitting Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto.

[words of Goldenweiser, in Frolova-Walker Stalin’s Music Prize 2016 p50]

Unpack that remarkable statement…

Rendering Stalin in art is a huge theme… to succeed a composition would need to be at the level of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

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© 2021 Terry Metheringham terrymetheringham@btinternet.com +44 7528 835 422

Поэма о Сталине / Poem about Stalin – lyrics by Mirza Bayramov (1888-1960) Вождь страны, о тебе выше гор Поднимается слава в народе, Осветил ты, как солнце, простор, Хорошо нам теперь на свободе.

Leader of the country, about you above the mountains Your glory rises among the people, You light up the expanse like the sun, It's good for us now to be free.

Скоро мир весь откроет глаза И поднимет знамя твое, Это знает ашуг Мирза, Потому так легко поет.

Soon the whole world will open its eyes And raise your banner, Ashug Mirza* knows this, That is why he sings so readily.

Песней радости и труда Огласятся широкие дали; С нами имя твое всегда, Словно знамя, товарищ Сталин!

Songs of joy and labour Sound across wide expanses; Your name is always with us Like a banner, Comrade Stalin!

Вождь народов, я славлю твой ум Твою волю, что крепче стали. У меня в голове много дум О тебе, мой любимый Сталин!

Leader of the nations, I praise your mind Your will is stronger than steel. I have in my head many thoughts About you, my beloved Stalin!

Я смотрю на народ, в душе весна, Нет ни бедности, ни печали. Расцветает, как сад, страна; В нем садовник — товарищ Сталин.

I look at the people, there is spring in my soul, There is no poverty no sorrow. The country flourishes like a garden; In which the gardener is Comrade Stalin.

Тебе всегда мы будем песнь слагать, Твоею жизнью весь народ богат. Живи же вечно среди нас, наш брат, Учитель, друг, бесценный вождь наш Сталин!

We will always write songs about you, Your life enriches all people. Live among us, forever our brother, Teacher, friend, priceless leader, our Stalin!

* Ashug Mirza – the poet, Mirza Bayramov (an ashug is singer and poet; a sort of bard)

Soviet Music: Summer Shorts Khachaturian Poem about Stalin Page 6

© 2021 Terry Metheringham terrymetheringham@btinternet.com +44 7528 835 422

LINK

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SGErJewnrk Khachaturian Poem about Stalin

An anonymous performance from 1938 Possibly conducted Aleksandr Gauk?