Dmitri Shostakovich’s Antiformalistic rajok for speaker, four basses, mixed chorus and piano as a specific document of gloomy Times Cover Image

Antyformalistyczny rajok na recytatora, cztery basy, chór mieszany i fortepian Dymitra Szostakowicza, jako swoisty dokument ponurych czasów
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Antiformalistic rajok for speaker, four basses, mixed chorus and piano as a specific document of gloomy Times

Author(s): Magdalena Stochniol
Subject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Music
Published by: Uniwersytet Jana Długosza w Częstochowie
Keywords: Dmitri Shostakovich

Summary/Abstract: The article describes and analyses composition of Dmitri Shostakovic’s Antiformalistic rajok for speaker, four basses, mixed chorus and piano. This piece was composed between 1948 and 1960 and based on selected texts from speeches of Josif Stalin, Andriej ĩdanow and Tichon Chrennikow. First part of this article concentrates on the genesis of the composition and tries to point out the relationship between texts used in piece of Shostakovic and the original text of the speech. Second part analyses the types of socialist realism of newspeak followed by construction of Antiformalistic rajok text in context of newspeak. Last part of my article tries to present the sound properties of the composition. Music is created by using the simple harmony and reduction of the musical technique. Additional problem is using a few citation from folk and popular songs, compositions of the another composer and auto-citation.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: 7
  • Page Range: 105-121
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Polish