It is my term, and a term other people have used, for avant garde Russian classical music, written from about 1915 to about 1936 (a date I choose because it was the year Shostakovich’s “Lady MacBeth of the Mtensk District” was condemned by Pravda, ending Shostakovich’s ability to write what he pleased) More broadly, it refers to the Russian classical music of the first half of the 20th century condemned as “formalist” by the regime. It can also be used to refer to the composers who belonged to the Association for Contemporary Music (formed in 1923 by Nicolai Roslavets, disbanded in 1932), although the term also includes composers who did not belong to the association, such as Prokofiev, who had not returned to the Soviet Union permanently until the group was disbanded. The term refers to early Shostakovich, when he was getting himself into trouble with the government, and composers such Alexander Mosolov and Gavrill Popov and Roslavets. It is difficult to give a precise term to a musical movement, and also difficult to say whether composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Leo Ornstein should be included, although I reserve the right to write about them.
OK, but why are you doing a Russian Futurism blog?
Because of my strong opinion the music deserves more attention.
There have been many “waves” of music that most serious listeners will be familiar with: the “British Invasion” of 1960s British rock bands, the bebop jazz movement led by the likes of Charlie Parker, “grunge” rock music from Seattle, jazz fusion, Chicago electric blues performed by musicians such as Muddy Waters, the “First Viennese School” of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and so on.
Most listeners won’t know what “Russian Futurism” is or who Alexander Mosolov or Gavriil Popov were, but I’ve fallen in love with music that’s just as good as what listeners got from those other musical movements, and I want it to become better known.
Who are you? What are your credentials for doing a music blog?
I have no credentials. I’m just someone who likes music and listens to all kinds of music.
I listen mostly to classical music these days, including the usual composers everyone else listens to such as Mozart and Beethoven and Bach, but also many modern composers, ranging from minimalists such as Philip Glass to modernists such as Kaija Saariaho. I’ve listened to jazz for decades -- I have a fair amount of Miles Davis and Chick Corea and Charlie Parker -- and there are a few jazz artists I follow such as Dave Holland and Karrin Allyson. “Revolver” is my favorite Beatles albums, but I’ve listened to all of them. I’m a big Rolling Stones fan. I was happy when The Cars were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I love Talking Heads and I have a lot of Bob Dylan. I listen to quite a bit of blues.
So when I claim that Russian Futurist classical music is great, too, I hope some of you will be willing to consider my claim.
Oh, who am I? My name is Tom Jackson and I live in the Cleveland area. I'm a newspaper reporter and I also do a blog devoted to the AmericJan cult writer Robert Anton Wilson.
What are some good "Russian Futurist" albums to try?
Despite the general neglect of his period of music, there are quite a few recordings, and many of them are quite good. Some I like: Yury Favorin's survey; pianist Sarah Rothenberg's pioneering and very good Rediscovering the Russian Avant-Garde; any good recording of Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony, such as the Mariss Jansons or Kirill Kondrashin versions; Alexander Titov's recording of Popov's chamber symphony and first symphony; Novosibirsk Philharmonic Quartet's Great Russian Quartets. Once you find a composer you like, there's usually a fair amount of music to explore on the various music streaming sites, including the free ones offered by public libraries, such as Freegal and Hoopla and the Naxos Music Library.
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