Beschreibung
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.
Jir’i Smrz received his PhD in History at the University of Toronto and a
law degree from Osgoode Hall at York University. He taught at Lakehead
University and the University of Toronto at Mississauga. Dr. Smrz was a
member of the Canadian Opera Company Volunteer Speakers Bureau and made
guest lecture appearances around Canada, most notably to the Kingston
Opera Guild.
Thomas Lahusen is Professor of Comparative Literature and History and
Member of the Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies,
University of Toronto.
Peter H. Solomon, Jr., is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Law,
and Criminology and Member of the Centre for European, Russian and
Eurasian Studies, University of Toronto.
