"Revelatory and poignant" stories of suppression and freedom told through the artists trying
to make music in the dangerous time of Stalin's purges ( The Guardian ). "Krielaars testifies
to a deep knowledge of Russia. Told with the voice of a great master" -- Pieter Waterdrinker
author of The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street "Highly readable. . . Transport[s] us through a
rich mix of anecdotal and historical material" -- Financial Times When Stalin came to power
making music became a dangerous endeavour. Russian composers now had to create work that served
the socialist state and all artistic production was scrutinized for potential subversion and
traces of the now-maligned "formalism." The Sound of Utopia offers a vivid portrait of Soviet
musicians and composers struggling to create art in this climate of terror. Some successfully
toed the ideological line following the whims of the powerful and diluting their work in the
process others ended up facing the Gulag or even death. With pace and verve Michel Krielaars
tells stories of intrigue betrayal and stunning reversals of fortune from the gay popular
singer arrested at the height of his popularity to the blacklisted composer who wrote his
greatest music on scrap paper in a forced labour camp. Featuring fresh perspectives on famous
figures such as Sviatoslav Richter and Sergei Prokofiev alongside suppressed and forgotten
artists such as Vsevolod Zaderatsy The Sound of Utopia offers a portrait of the full range of
Soviet musical life. Dramatic and immersive this is a rich exploration of the absurdity and
the richness of Soviet musical life--and a tribute to those who crafted sublime melodies under
the darkest circumstances.
