Dmitri Shostakovich Research Articles

Музыка советской эпохи как часть публичной истории (по материалам сайта Arzamas)

This article is devoted to the phenomenon of Soviet music as presented in the Russian‐language educational project Arzamas (2015–2023). Posted in the public domain of the Internet, the materials on the Arzamas website fully fit into the interdisciplinary discourse of public history. In this article, the author selects and from the perspective of cultural recycling analyses an array of materials of the Soviet period presented on the website: from folk and Soviet mass songs, gypsy and classical romance (including romance in cinema) to jazz, symphony, ballet, and break dance. The article traces how the authors of different genre materials interpret selected works and the historical and cultural profiles of their creators from the point of view of postmodernity. Special attention is paid to the principles according to which the website forms a musical image of the Soviet period for the modern audience (which statistically consists of Millennials and, if taking into account the Arzamas Children’s Room, the next two generations — Z and Alpha). The author of this article makes a conclusion that what is meant by Soviet music in the Arzamas project is compositions created from the 1920s to the late 1960s (early 1970s) and listened to by different social groups. The dominant type of a musical composition is a song in various modifications. Soviet music (mostly non-academic) is treated as an integral part of the country’s history which emotionally accurately reflects political and cultural changes. In such a context academic music becomes a peripheral phenomenon: only two composers are highlighted — Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich — but shown as victims of the Soviet system.

“Spaces of Silence” and “Secret Music of the Word”: Verbo-Musical Minimalism in the Poetry of Gennady Aygi and Elizaveta Mnatsakanova

Two major poets of the Russian Neo-Avant-Garde—Gennady Aygi and Elizaveta Mnatsakanova—created textual works that transgressed the limits of language and the borders between the arts. Each pursued their own method of the visualization and musicalization of verbal matter, yet both share a particular musical sensibility, which guarantees the integrity of the linguistic structure of their verse, despite the fragmentation and logical incoherence of its elements. The atonal (serial) musical tradition has a special significance for these experimental poetics of minimalism. Mnatsakanova, herself a musicologist, who was friends with Dmitri Shostakovich, not only used the techniques of contemporary music composition in her visual and sound poetry, but also collaborated with electronic musicians in her recorded poetry performances. Aygi experimented with language, not only crossing the boundaries between music and poetry, but also between sound and silence. For him, music was a way of expressing pre-verbal subjectivity and reproducing signs of meaning that are hidden from ordinary perception. In his poems, Aygi brought together Chuvash folk music with experimental techniques of minimalism, correlating his own work with such Soviet unofficial composers as Andrey Volkonsky and Sofia Gubaidulina. This paper will address the issues of transmutation between verbal, visual, and sound art in poetic minimalism of the Soviet-era underground.

THE INFLUENCE OF MUSICAL COMPONENTS ON THE OPENNESS OF THE FORM

The paper discusses the influence of musical components on the openness of the form on the example of the String Quartet no. 8 op. 110 by Dmitri Shostakovich. Different collaborations and interweaving of musical components create various solutions for both the macro and micro structure of a work. This kind of cooperation will be analyzed in this paper on the example of the analysis of the work String Quartet No. 8 op. 110 by Dmitri Shostakovich. This quartet mostly belongs to the field of tonality. Without losing sight of the integrity of the musical flow, the analysis of individual components is carried out with the aim of indicating how they are activated and participate in the construction of the musical flow. The analysis is focused, first of all, on one of the most significant means of expression of this work - the thematic content. The reason for this is certainly its leading role, of course in cooperation with other components and musical plans, in the education of the openness of the form of this musical work. The focus of attention are also compositional techniques and the way Dmitri Shostakovich uses them in this string quartet, as well as quotes from composers such as J. S. Bach, P. I. Tchaikovsky and autoquotes of his own compositions from different periods of his creation. It was concluded that by passing other composer’s material through his own stylistic prism, Shostakovich builds a specific sonority, moving airy harmony and chordal texture into the dark, ghostly realm of Shostakovich. The method of analysis and synthesis was used in the paper.

Dmitri Shostakovich’s Early Works: An Insight into the Creative Process through the Prism of Variants of Musical Works

The quantity of draft autographs pertaining to Dmitri Shostakovich’s early works is relatively small. But for acquiring a perception of the creative process of the young composer, other documents of this period may be used — variants of compositions that have been preserved in large quantities. And although some of them present simple complimentary authorial copies meant to be gifts for friends and acquaintances, differing to a minimal amount from the initial musical texts, there exists a number of variants where the composer’s creative will is distinctly manifested — an improvement of the perception of form and the sound of the musical composition. The article makes use of the method of comparative analysis of autograph scores, and all the variants were classified in to 1) compositional and 2) those connected with orchestration. The existent mixed variants, for the most part characteristic for later and more large-scale compositions (the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District and the Eighth Symphony) have remained beyond the sphere of this research. The compositional transformations are examined on the example of two short pieces written during the year of the composer’s enrollment in the Petrograd Conservatory (1919). They demonstrate various diametrically opposed to each other techniques of work with the material: those include the omission of measure units and groups of measures and the additional composition of new musical text, at times, of great capacity. The variants connected with orchestration are examined on the example of Prelude No. 4 from the Eight Preludes opus 2. The piece has been orchestrated twice. It can be seen in the manuscripts how the composer gradually elucidates for himself the sound contours of the composition and correlates the orchestral profile with the form. The keen understanding of the regularities of orchestrating a composition for wind orchestra is reflected in the variants of the March from the incidental music for the performance of Vladimir Mayakovsky’s The Bedbug. As the result, it becomes possible to conclude that in the early period of his music, Shostakovich’s talent developed itself dynamically. The composer not only evaluates his own works critically, but also aspires to transform some of them. These transformations touch upon both the compositional and the timbral aspects of the compositions, however, at the same time, they do not bring in any radical changes, do not affect the figurative qualities or the musical language and preserve the general structure of the pieces. At the same time, the application of discrepant principles of transcription in various cases demonstrates the composer’s attention to the material.

Оркестровая фактура в симфонических сочинениях Ван Силиня

Wang Xilin (born 1936) is a Chinese composer currently living in Germany. In his home country, he is known as a musician of the Western trend. His works are occasionally performed in China and are widely known abroad. He has written about one hundred works in various genres, among which orchestral music plays a key role. In his symphonies and symphonic suites, Wang Xilin reinterprets in a new manner the diverse traditions of the Russian and Western European classics. On the other hand, these works vividly express the national Chinese color, manifested in the figurative and emotional sphere, melodicism and textural techniques. The composer has turned towards the orchestral genres during the course of his entire life. They have become a peculiar brand of chronicles of his style and reflect the periodization of his musical output, in which it is possible to highlight three styles. Each of them has its own priorities in his choice of textural means. Thus, his early period (1961–1977) is marked by the study of the Russian and Soviet schools of composition at the Shanghai Conservatory and of Chinese folklore during his exile in the province of Shanxi. The list of textural techniques in the orchestral works of this period — the suite Poems of Yunnan and Symphony No 1 — is not marked by any originality: the composer uses doublings, imitations and canonic expositions most frequently. Wang Xilin bears a striking resemblance to Dmitri Shostakovich in his construction of monodic lines. In his second period (1977–1990) Wang Xilin expanded his arsenal of textural means, in particular creating original “figuration canons” based on pentatonic chants based on intervals of seconds and fourths. These were first used in the suite The Impressions of Mount Taihang and were subsequently widely used by him in his symphonies and suites of his later period. Despite the ban on Western music during the Cultural Revolution, Wang Xilin studied the scores of Charles Ives and Krzysztof Penderecki. This influenced the third period of his work (starting from 1990), marked by a general chromatization of the harmonies and thematicism and the creation of different types of sonorous textures in his music. Overall, the textural basis of Wan Xilin’s works examined here is polyphonic many-voiced texture, but it also includes some homophonic-harmonic sections. Among them there are pastoral fragments with static textures and dance sections with tutti-pizzicato in the strings.

Variety of director's interpretations of the opera "Katerina Izmailova" by Dmitry Shostakovich in the modern opera art

the article explores the variety of director's interpretations of the opera «Katerina Izmailova» by Dmitry Shostakovich in modern opera art. Various approaches to the production of this work analyzed, revealing the features and accents in the interpretation of the work. The diversity of interpretations is emphasized, contributing to the renewal of the subject, the introduction of innovations in the productions, the disclosure of the depth and versatility of the work, and also stimulates cultural dialogue and discussion of topical issues. In conclusion, it summarizes the importance of the diversity of director's interpretations for the development of opera art and the preservation of the relevance of «Katerina Izmailova» in the modern world.

Variety of director's interpretations of the opera «Katerina Izmailova» by Dmitry Shostakovich in the modern opera art

The article is devoted to the vocal cycle "Ten Sonnets of Shakespeare in translation by S. Marshak" by Dmitrii Borisovich Kabalevsky. A brief general characteristic of Kabalevsky's vocal music style and its role in the composer's creative work is given, "Sonnets" are considered in the historical context. Sonnets" melodic language and piano texture are described, the influences of different composers on Kabalevsky are studied. Each number of the cycle is analysed individually, the most outstanding intonations, harmonies, elements of the texture and melodic passages are highlighted. The interpretation by Sergei Leiferkus (baritone) and the author (piano) as one of the few surviving interpretations is analysed. The article will be useful both for musicologists who study the creative legacy of Kabalevsky and for singers and pianists who perform the cycle and other vocal works, as well as for their teachers.

“New Ballet Criticism” (1993–2003) About “Soviet” Ballet: Forms of Cultural Recycling

In post-Soviet Russia ballet criticism, similar to opera criticism, has an almost 30-year-old history, but the period perceived as the brightest and most significant is the first period, spanning the 1990s and the early part of the first decade of the 21st century. For this New Ballet Criticism (as it has been labelled by Vadim Gaevsky), as a part of New Russian Music Criticism (as defined by Olga Manulkina and Pavel Gershenzon), a number of features have become normative: provocative styles and titles, a demythologization of works and of choreographers, the use of comparisons with mass culture in narratives, and ironic subtext. Similar to opera, political discourse has become important in ballet receptions of that time. Reviews of Soviet-era ballet productions (as well as other types of performance) often refer to the main elements of Soviet mass art — Soviet films, as well as symbols of the totalitarian culture, such as sculpture and ideological materials. The styles and headlines exploit numerous Sovietisms that are familiar and recognizable by the audience. Just like in opera reviews, the recent “Soviet” element in ballet receptions is synthesized with Soviet mass culture and fashionable trends in the country via the cult of Western cinema and the influence of domestic and foreign literary, scholarly and epistolary texts. But unlike opera criticism, ballet narratives clearly record the diversity of genres of “Soviet” ballet (ranking Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich among them); ballets since 1961 have been interpreted as a transformation of the “Soviet” element under the influence of George Balanchine’s choreography; the concept of “Soviet choreography” also implies the unreachable, for example, in the embodiment of heroic moods and the creation of mass scenes. Four forms of cultural recycling in ballet receptions are identified: recycling, recycling à la ballet, double recycling and quasi-recycling.

Yuliy Meitus's Musical Ballads on Robert Burns's Lyrics as part of Soviet Musical Burnsiana of the 1940–50s

The article examines Yuliy Meitus's musical ballads on Robert Burns's lyrics as part of Soviet musical Burnsiana of the 1940–50s. Up to the present time the names of such Soviet composers as Dmitry Shostakovich, Tikhon Khrennikov, Georgy Sviridov, Yuri Levitin and Edison Denisov embody the perception of the national poet of Scotland's heritage by Soviet composers of the middle of the twentieth century. However, the musical compositions of such prominent Soviet composers as Dmitry Kabalevsky, Lucian Prigozhin and Yuliy Meitus on Samuil Marshak's translations of Robert Burns dating back to the same period have been neglected. The contribution of Yuliy Meitus deserves special attention as he was neither Shostakovich's pupil nor close friend, unlike the majority of the composers mentioned, and his ballads: ‘A small ballad’ on ‘There was a Bonny Lass’, ‘ Macpherson before execution’ after ‘McPherson's Farewell’ and ‘Love’ on ‘A Red, Red Rose’ were composed in less then a month. The aim of the article is to attract the attention of musicologists to encourage analysis of these musical pieces in comparison with other interpretations of the same songs by Robert Burns, e.g. Dmitry Shostakovich's ‘Macpherson before execution’ (‘McPherson's Farewell’), Yuri Levitin's ‘Love’ (‘A Red, Red Rose’) and Edison's Denisov's ‘A small ballad’ (‘There was a Bonny Lass’).

The Specifics of the Timbral Embodiment of the Figurative & Emotional Sphere in Dmitri Shostakovich's 'Viola Sonata'

The object of the study is the Sonata for Viola and Piano Op. 147 by Dmitri Shostakovich—a work rightfully considered autobiographical and as a farewell. The subject of the study was the specificity of the timbral embodiment of the composition’s figurative and emotional sphere. In the proposed reading, the first part of the sonata is an image of the world to which the composer sends a farewell glance, the second is a sarcastic sketch of bright collective images of the vices of humanity, and the finale is a penetration beyond reality. The author of the article, in detail, referring to specific musical examples given in the text, examines the specific instrumental techniques used by the composer, which made it possible to embody the mystical concept of the sonata. The novelty of the research lies in the identification of three main figurative lines of the composition: eternity, the voice of the soul, and the world, which correspond to different timbral characteristics of the viola, which received their definitions through the use of specific expressive techniques. Eternity is the dispassionate sound of the viola, which is characterized by some programming, inexorability (an allusion to the "knock of fate”), monotonous figuration, and long double notes in the lower part of the range. The voice of the soul is detached, with the dark, gloomy coloring of the sound: melodica, devoid of "beautiful" intonations, sentimental singing, "Beethoven" trio in new refraction, acting as the personification of the otherworldly. The world is a tearing and sharp sound and sarcastic caricature of colors: glissando with access to the flageolet, short caustic foreshocks, exaggeratedly sharp staccato, ascending parallel quarts in sixteenth, illustrating a hysterical burst of laughter. The main figurative spaces coexist throughout the composition, presenting in the sonata genre a new specific characteristic of the viola for the first time, which interprets the world of unreal images in many ways. Shostakovich's sonata is defined as the starting point of the formation of the leading figurative direction of the viola repertoire of the last third of the twentieth century, which secured the viola the role of a guide to the world of the beyond—a kind of Virgil.

The Specifics of the Timbral Embodiment of the Figurative & Emotional Sphere in Dmitri Shostakovich's 'Viola Sonata'

The object of the study is the Sonata for Viola and Piano Op. 147 by Dmitri Shostakovich—a work rightfully considered autobiographical and as a farewell. The subject of the study was the specificity of the timbral embodiment of the composition’s figurative and emotional sphere. In the proposed reading, the first part of the sonata is an image of the world to which the composer sends a farewell glance, the second is a sarcastic sketch of bright collective images of the vices of humanity, and the finale is a penetration beyond reality. The author of the article, in detail, referring to specific musical examples given in the text, examines the specific instrumental techniques used by the composer, which made it possible to embody the mystical concept of the sonata. The novelty of the research lies in the identification of three main figurative lines of the composition: eternity, the voice of the soul, and the world, which correspond to different timbral characteristics of the viola, which received their definitions through the use of specific expressive techniques. Eternity is the dispassionate sound of the viola, which is characterized by some programming, inexorability (an allusion to the "knock of fate”), monotonous figuration, and long double notes in the lower part of the range. The voice of the soul is detached, with the dark, gloomy coloring of the sound: melodica, devoid of "beautiful" intonations, sentimental singing, "Beethoven" trio in new refraction, acting as the personification of the otherworldly. The world is a tearing and sharp sound and sarcastic caricature of colors: glissando with access to the flageolet, short caustic foreshocks, exaggeratedly sharp staccato, ascending parallel quarts in sixteenth, illustrating a hysterical burst of laughter. The main figurative spaces coexist throughout the composition, presenting in the sonata genre a new specific characteristic of the viola for the first time, which interprets the world of unreal images in many ways. Shostakovich's sonata is defined as the starting point of the formation of the leading figurative direction of the viola repertoire of the last third of the twentieth century, which secured the viola the role of a guide to the world of the beyond—a kind of Virgil.

The History of the Creation, Premiere, and Prohibition of Dmitri Shostakovich's Thirteenth Symphony

The research subject of this article is Dmitri Shostakovich's “Thirteenth Symphony”—one of the most monumental symphonic canvases of the twentieth century, reflecting in its essence the chronicle of historical vicissitudes that took place in the Soviet Union. After a number of compromised compositions in the late 1940s and 1950s, forcibly written ("Songs about Forests," the Eleventh Symphony, numerous miniatures), the Thirteenth Symphony made a splash in musical and near-musical circles, as many perceived it from a polemic angle with the Stalinist regime. The reader's attention is focused on the fact that in it, the composer resorts to a veiled polemic with the current government, and the figurative world of the symphony is a direct reaction of Shostakovich not only to the events to which the opus is dedicated ("Babi Yar," the words of E. Yevtushenko) but also on the reality surrounding him. The semantic contexts of the work are examined through the prism of biographical data about the composer, as a result of which a wide documentary and historical apparatus are involved—the memoirs of Shostakovich's colleagues and contemporaries, his own statements addressed both to the symphony in question and to the broad historical and cultural context of the era. It is in the broad contextual approach that the scientific novelty of the article is seen. In addition, it presents analytical material that allows a deeper understanding of the essence of the work as a whole and the reasons why the symphony was banned at the time.

Кинематографические приемы в оперном театре России 1920-х годов

The article examines cinematography’s influence on the Soviet opera theatre of the 1920s. By the beginning of this decade, cinema rapidly gained popularity and began being perceived as a serious competitor to theatre. Awareness and comprehension of the new “threat” reasonably led to appeals for upgrading theatrical language with the help of new technical means. There were several innovations in the operas on stage: the use of intense straight lighting with the help of floodlights, montage as a director’s technique, the use of film screen in opera productions. It all confirmed that the process of cinemafication of the theatre had also affected the opera stage. The new trends expressed themselves in the productions of Sergey Radlov (“Vozzek” by Alban Berg), Nikolay Smolich (“The Golden Cockerel” by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, “Johnny Plays” by Ernst Krenek), Iosif Lapitsky (“Salome” by Richard Strauss, “The Queen of Spades” by Petr Tchaikovsky). Thus, in his version of “The Golden Cockerel” (1923), the opera director N. Smolich used a film projection, and then, staging E. Kshenek’s opera “Johnny Plays” (1928), he used animation. In the “The Queen of Spades” (Experimental Theatre), I. Lapitsky while trying to make the action cinematically dynamic, divided it into forty small episodes. The influence of cinema can also be traced in opera performances of the 1920s. The most vivid example is Dmitry Shostakovich’s opera “The Nose” with his special montage style of action. Opera cinemafication didn’t reach such heights as in dramatic theatre and faced a different, not always approving, reaction from the musical press. The time of ambitious experiments ended in the 1930s with a change in the country’s cultural policy.

The History of the Creation, Premiere, and Prohibition of Dmitri Shostakovich's Thirteenth Symphony

The research subject of this article is Dmitri Shostakovich's “Thirteenth Symphony”—one of the most monumental symphonic canvases of the twentieth century, reflecting in its essence the chronicle of historical vicissitudes that took place in the Soviet Union. After a number of compromised compositions in the late 1940s and 1950s, forcibly written ("Songs about Forests," the Eleventh Symphony, numerous miniatures), the Thirteenth Symphony made a splash in musical and near-musical circles, as many perceived it from a polemic angle with the Stalinist regime. The reader's attention is focused on the fact that in it, the composer resorts to a veiled polemic with the current government, and the figurative world of the symphony is a direct reaction of Shostakovich not only to the events to which the opus is dedicated ("Babi Yar," the words of E. Yevtushenko) but also on the reality surrounding him. The semantic contexts of the work are examined through the prism of biographical data about the composer, as a result of which a wide documentary and historical apparatus are involved—the memoirs of Shostakovich's colleagues and contemporaries, his own statements addressed both to the symphony in question and to the broad historical and cultural context of the era. It is in the broad contextual approach that the scientific novelty of the article is seen. In addition, it presents analytical material that allows a deeper understanding of the essence of the work as a whole and the reasons why the symphony was banned at the time.

Сталинградская битва в отечественной и зарубежной музыке

In this article the authors analyze the artistic elaboration by various composers of the Battle of Stalingrad as a decisive episode of history. Examination is made of the aspects of conceptual solutions, genre-related and stylistic features, the peculiarities of thematicism (included the derived variety), as well as dramaturgy. These questions are posed in connection with the material of music by Russian composers (in the first section) and those from other countries (in the second section). In the present issue of the journal (where the first section is presented) a broad panorama of works by composers pertaining to several generations from Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich to Sergei Slonimsky, Tikhon Khrennikov-junior and the composers from the city on the Volga. Along with well-known works, oeuvres which have not received scholarly elaboration have ended up being within the sphere of research attention. Characterization is given to images of interpretation of the theme in the various spheres of genre: the cantata-oratorio, theatrical, symphonic, etc. It is noted that despite all the differences of the artistic merits of the compositions, the semantics of the Stalingrad victory inherits the traditions and highest spiritual intentions of Russian culture — assertions of peacefulness as a philosophical-ethical conception of existence.

Viola Sonata by Dmitri Shostakovich in the Art Space of Performance Interpretation

The paper discusses the Sonata for Viola and Piano op. 147 (1975) by Dmitri Shostakovich in order to generalize the aspects of its instrumental chamber stylistics. The performance version by Fyodor Druzhynin (viola) and Mikhail Muntyan (piano), who were the first performers of this musical piece, was analyzed. Their interpretation may be considered the golden standard, as precise as possible to the author’s idea. Shostakovich dedicated his opus to F. Druzhinin, who often participated in the premieres of the composer’s works and was familiar with the performing style of his music. The factors that form the musical stage image of Shostakovich’s chamber style include the conceptual intention to demonstrate the conflict, the scale of the concept, and conceptuality in interpreting its components during the implementation of the idea of symphonizing the genre. The importance of the Sonata for Viola in the history of this genre and in the history of 20th-century music can hardly be overestimated. The composer expanded the imagery and emotional sphere of the viola performance and used the sound range of the viola to the extreme: all registers of the instrument were involved. The viola part is rich in original effects: cantilena on flageolets, a large number of double notes, and a complex polyphonic fabric with double counterpoints (especially in the Cadences), it requires considerable effort from the performer. The analyzed performance version of the work is quite complete in terms of the performance of the specified characteristics of the author’sidea. It can be considered a benchmark in instrumental chamber performance of the 20th century.

“If That Be Treason, Let Them Make the Most of It!”: Olin Downes, the Spanish Civil War, and Civil Liberties in the United States

“If That Be Treason, Let Them Make the Most of It!”: Olin Downes, the Spanish Civil War, and Civil Liberties in the United States

Of Majesty, Mockery, and Misprints: The Coda of Shostakovich’s Fifth on Record

ABSTRACT Drawing on work by José Bowen, Nicholas Cook, and Daniel Leech-Wilkinson, in this article I examine the performance history of the coda of Dmitry Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony (1937) through statistical analysis of tempo in 152 recordings made between 1938 and 2019. I contextualize the trends that emerge from this data within the unique mix of errors, myths, and ideologies that have informed the performance and reception history of the symphony. Ultimately, I demonstrate how changing historical circumstances can affect the meanings of performances (as preserved in recordings) and how empirical methods can help reveal patterns among them.

Хосров-Мирза: историческая личность и художественный образ. К вопросу о культурном своеобразии русско-персидских связей

The image of Persian Prince Khosrow Mirza, who headed the Apology Delegation to Russia, entered the Russian artistic culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. His name was mentioned by Alexander Pushkin in A Journey to Arzrum, by Nikolai Gogol in the Petersburg stories The Nose and The Portrait. Yury Tynyanov in his novel The Death of Vazir-Mukhtar (1928) elaborated in detail characteristics of the Persian prince. In Dmitri Shostakovich’s Opera The Nose, a musical and dramatic picture was built around the image of Khosrow Mirza. Although this image is inextricably linked to the memory of the death of Alexander Griboyedov, it formed a special set of motifs “colored” by the prince’s individual and personal features. The consideration of Khosrow Mirza’s image in Gogol’s stories casts doubt on the hypothesis proposed by Natalia Seregina about the connection of this image with the satirical element of the comedy The Inspector General. The image of Khosrow Mirza turns out to be the generator of the formation of the Persian text of Gogol’s Petersburg Tales. The analysis of the draft versions of the story The Portrait allows us to argue that, at the very beginning, a special semantic node is formed, which involves the generals who participated in the wars with Turkey and Iran, and the Tehran ambassador. Thus, an orientation is created for the development of an oriental theme, which was subsequently realized in the image of the terrible portrait and the demonic lender. The study of the semantic layers associated with Khosrow Mirza makes it possible to discover the connections between the Persian images of Gogol and the adventure novel The Adventures of Haji Baba from Isfahan by James Justinian Morier. Pictures of Persian life appear in the images of the Isfahan hereditary barber and local beauties, in the motif of money, cut-off noses, a head baked in bread, and are reflected in the stories Nevsky Prospect, The Nose, The Portrait. Another perspective of analysis opens up when understanding the special mission of Khosrow Mirza, aimed at the dialogue of cultures. The prince’s desire is noted to present in Russia the works of the great Persian poets Saadi and Ferdowsi, to implement the rhetoric of dialogue in an apology to Griboyedov’s mother and in a speech addressed to the Russian emperor. The introduction to scholarly discourse of translations of the book Ruzname-ye Safari Petersbourg [The Travel Notes of Khosrow Mirza] by Mirza Mustafa Afshar provides an insight into the Persian perception of the journey to Russia. The episodes of the arrival of the Iranian embassy in the royal palace, the description of the Tauride Palace, the process of making lithographs are considered. The authors conclude that the Persian embassy in St. Petersburg in 1829, caused by the tragic events, nevertheless significantly contributed to the strengthening of Iran’s authority and the formation of its unique cultural image in the minds of the Russian public. Much credit for establishing the dialogical character of relations belongs to the head of the Persian mission, Prince Khosrow Mirza. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

«Жёлтые звёзды»: память о Холокосте в музыкальном проекте Санкт-Петербургской филармонии

The title “Yellow Stars” was given to the annual project of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society devoted to the International Day of the Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (January 27). During the six years of its existence (since 2016) it has asserted itself as a bright cultural phenomenon presented by the artistic word and highquality music. Applying the analytical method, the author of the article analyzes concert programs in which two components have been apparently indicated: the literary-musical composition with documentary or artistic verbal texts which return us to the pages of the history of the Holocaust, including separate compositions for symphony orchestra (and those with chorus and solo vocalists) which disclose the traditions of Jewish musical culture (Isaac Schwartz, Max Bruch, Dmitri Shostakovich, Mechislav Weinberg, Leonid Desyatnikov, etc.), as well as other works which reveal the spiritual theme (Giya Kancheli, Alfred Schnittke). A high-quality level of concerts has been provided by the mastery of Valery Galendeyev, the producer of the project, and by his performers: the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Philharmonic Society (Vladimir Altshuler, conductor) and solo performers (Polina Osetinskaya, Maxim Vengerov, Julian Milkis, Ilya Gindin, Sergei Nakaryakov, etc.). Thereby, the project “Yellow Stars” asserts the significance of the memory of the tragedy of the Jewish people and projects it onto contemporary realities, where the art of music and the spoken word may become a powerful reaction to evil in its various manifestations, assertion of peace and the magnitude of human life.