Symphonic Stalinism

The Soviet system of rule that developed under Stalin featured management of the arts by political authorities, and the main doctrine inspiring and justifying this activity was "socialist realism." The definition of socialist realism emerged through a fluid process, marked by twists and turns and at times even contestation, in which critics, scholars, and creators alike gave the doctrine practical meaning. Jirí Smrz's Symphonic Stalinism tells this story for music, and the author examines it in much greater detail than any other scholar before him. In the process, Smrz emphasizes the crucial role played by musicologists, which was probably unique in the history of that discipline internationally.