id- xe ry the gu site Dimitri 3zhostakovich - Why the leading Soviet composers were criticized Communist Party has created a furore in musical circles. “The Communists are T= sharp criticism directed at Soviet musicians by the central committee of the Soviet trying to make their musicians toe the party line,” is the comment. Or, “You can’t mix politics with art.” Or, “It’s all another Russian propaganda game’”—or—“How can anyone tell people’s music from reactionary bourgeois, music?” — and similar comments. Some of our leading musical @gures suddenly began to wring their hands over the awful fate of composers like Shostakovich, Khatchaturian and Prokofieff and took the opportunity to climb aboard the anti-Soviet wagon. Dr. Arnold Walter, head of the School of Graduate Studies at the Royal Conservatory When they (the Soviet Union) could make use of their com- posers for war propaganda they were all right. Remember the hullabaloo: when the Leningrad Symphony (Shostakovich 7th) was flown out? It’s all a propa- ganda game. The Germans ‘played it before. The Russians are playing it now,” (Presumably Dr. Walter boy- ‘cotted the memorable perform- ‘ance of the Leningrad Symph- ony in Massey Hall by Sir Er. nest MacMillan and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra during the years when Russian blood was mingling with Canadian blood on Europe’s anti-fascist battile- fields. It was “only propaganda”). Reginald Stewart, onee con- ductor of Toronto’s ‘Prom con- certs and now conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, joins the off-key chorus. Speak- ‘ng as an “American” now, Stewart says: “Such methods, Such ‘ukases’ or decrees bring FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1948 said: back to one’s memory the worst periods in European history — the Inquisition, the Nazi regime, the ‘time of religious and ideo- logical intolerance.” Ettore Mazzoleni, Principal of the Royal Conservatory com- mented: “My reaction is a mix- ture of sheer amusement and sheer outrage.” And Elie Spivak, dapper con. certmaster of the TSO distin- guished himself with this: “It is all very illogical. It is utterly ludicrous. to try to put politics into music.” e (COMPARE these with state- ments of Soviet composrs un- der criticism. Sergei Prokofieff, acknowledged one of the world’s leading composers, has thanked the central committee of the Communist Party for helping him correct the “mistakes he was making in his music.” The party’s resolution, he said, “sep- arated the decayed tissues of musical art from the healthy tissues.” He expresSed his grati- tude for “clear directions which are helping me in a search for musical language which is near to our people.” Aram Katchat- urian and Vano Muradeli also acknowledged the criticism, Kha- chaturian called on other com- posers to “choose work close to the people -and understood by them.” : - The Soviet music world was accused of ‘“formalistic distor. - especially of the tions and anti-democratic ten- dencies alien to the Soviet peo ple and their artistic tastes, de- nial of the main principles ot classic music, propaganda of nationality, dissonance and dis- harmony which are allegd to be the expression of ‘progress’ and ‘novelty’ in the development of musical forms; renunciation — of such most important foundations of musical creation as melody, & passion for muddled neuro- pathic combinations which trans- form music into a cacophonic and chaotic heaping of sounds . renunciation of polyphonic music and singing which are based on the simultaneous com- bination and development of a number of independent melodic lines, and a passion for one-tone unisonal music and singing — often without words which violates the many-voiced ~ struc- ture. common to our people and which leads to the pauperization and downfall of music.” The central committee fash- ioned this program for the Sov- iet music world — in operatic symphonic, choral and dance compositions: — _@ “The development in Soviet music of realistic direction, the foundation of which is recog- nition of the huge, progressive role of the classic heritage and traditions of the Russian musical school.” - @ “The utilization of this her- itage and ment.” its further develop- @ “The combination in music of a high content of artistic per fection and musical form.” @ Recognition of the “truth. fulness and reality of music, of its deep organic connection with the people and their music and songs; and of high professional art with simultaneous simplicity and accessibility of musical works.” ‘Where in this is an “Inquisi- tion?” Where in this program can be found “intolerance”? How can anyone with an ounce of understanding that music is something more than a mere progression of pleasant or un- pleasant sounds, rush into print with such ill-founded statements? Is an American composer “free” to have his work per- formed by the Baltimore Sym. phony orchestra, or has Stewart and his board of directors the right of rejection? Why has Toscannini been relegated to a third rate ‘program hour, with- out benefit of sponsor? Could =: be the profit motive rearing its ugly head? There is nothing in the Soviet statement to prevent experiment in new forms — in- deed there is encouragement to development: of “artistic perfec- tion and musical form.” t “trouble with such people as Walter Stewart, Mazzoleni and Spivak is that they are accustomed to thinking of music in terms of the few. In the Soviet Union, the whole people participates, Orchestras, conserv- atories and all arts groups are endowed ‘by and belong to the people, not a select group as in Canada. It is a tribute to the vital role the arts play in tne building of a.free society, that the state interests itself — critically or ctherwise — in what is happen- ing. In tihs country, tne King Zov- ernment doesn’t give a damn if the arts live or die. The recom- mendations of the 16 major cultural organizations never got beyond their printing in Han- sard. The cabinet which lauds Barbara Ann Scott — justifiably — puts a 25 percent excise tax on musical instruments at the same time. Music is luxury in Canada. The cost of living index allows you nothing for it or any other “unnecessary” indulgence. Can it be denied that in Can- ada — indeed most of the west ern world — participation in the arts is the privilege of the few? With all our great technical advances especially in radio and motion pictures, only a tiny seg. ment of the poputation is able to participate in the develop- ment of the arts. The U.S. made one of its greatest contributions during the depths of the last depression when via WPA, tens of thousands of unemployed men and women took part in devel. oping music, theatre and paint- ing — and the state bore the cost. Participation in the arts is the privilege of the rich in the western world. Elie Spivak, TSO concertmaster, is paid out of the charity of wealthy patrons whose names are printed in the first pages of the TSO prograr- every other week. Without them, there would be no TSO. The same newspaper to which these ivory-tower musicians, who live in a world of semiquavers un_ blemished by people, poured forth their scorn, now condemns the request of the TSO and the Prom orchestra for civic finan- cial aid. is the making of this request for aid; was the statement h- Sir Ernest MacMillan fram the stage of Massey Hall recently Suggesting government aid for the TSO, mixing art with poli- tics? Would Spivak stand aloof from a campaign to demand that our governments give recogni- tion to the development of the arts in Canada? Does he con-, demn Sir Ernest MacMillan’y Participation in the brief sub- mitted to the government by the 16 leading cultura} organizations demanding a national policy and financial aid to the arts? Will Walter dispute a state- ment made to this writer severat years ago — again by Sir Ernest —that Beethoven's mighty Ninth Symphony © was perhaps the greatest “peace” music evér written? Does he suggest that the Hymn to Joy chorus of the last movement ig balderdash, sheer propaganda for the bro- therhood of man? All great art is “politica)” in the sense that Trv as he will, Walter cannot Seperate politics from life or life from music, Trace the of all great art to its roots and there you will people. sigs on These “court musicians” should look around them. People in Blass conservatories should be. ware before they sing , off pitch, tionhood. In more is spent on education than is any other part of Soviet Union, culture and allotted for the budget, is only for the “elite”* tn Soviet Union it is for Shes young person who wants it bank account or no. ~In Canada, native compositions had to be in Prague Canadian Premiered battles are inseparable There is a 5a aga awakening in gs all S of the arts in to grow in spite of, “free” enter- prise that ‘Seeks to preserve “culture” for its own plush . par- lors. 3 What is needed now is for the progressive peonle in the arts world — and they are many — to unite in forms that will per- mit them to carry on this two- front war. It behooves the enlt. ural commissions of the LPP cultural workers of the CCF: individua} artists, writers, mus_ icians — amateur and profes- sional — to act. The Canadian Arts Council in which most of the national arts associations participate to some degree, could be the form. But the form will collapse if the content ignores the needs of the people and measures up only to the narrow, reactionary and decited- lenis.—W.J.S.