Shostakovich: The musical voice of the Russian Revolution
From this year’s Revolution Festival, Peter Kwasiborski, introduces Shostakovich.
Art and literature
Igor Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite of Spring’: The modernist ballet that sparked a riot
Stravinsky captured the spirit of the modernist movement. The Rite of Spring ballet, published in 1913, was decried as ‘childish barbarity’ by its bourgeois critics at the time. In reality, it only refracted the horrors that would unfold in the next four years of world war.
‘Frankenstein’: How Mary Shelley’s masterpiece stood the test of time
After two centuries, Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ remains one of the most enduring works of Romantic and Gothic literature, defining much of modern science-fiction. Now, Del Toro’s excellent new adaptation shows it still has room to be developed and reinterpreted.
Anton Chekhov’s short stories: A truthful reflection of pre-revolutionary Russia
Anton Chekhov’s influence on modern literature endures to this day. While best known for his dramatic works, Chekhov’s short stories masterfully portray the lives of ordinary people in 19th-century Russia – where seismic social transformations were taking place.
Art, alienation, and revolution
“The bourgeois like to think that they alone are born with the right to dominate culture. But every human being has the potential to appreciate the arts, and to excel in all of them. This artistic potential of the masses will be unleashed when they move to change society.”
Shostakovich’s ‘Anti-formalist Rayok’: A scathing satire of Stalin’s cultural crimes
Stalin’s bureaucracy waged a campaign of hate against artists who defied their narrow doctrine of ‘Socialist Realism’. Dmitri Shostakovich’s ‘Anti-formalist Rayok’ lambasts these cultural crimes, and defends the spirit of cultural freedom unleashed by the October Revolution.
Dadaism: Art in an age of revolution
Forged in the social upheavals during and after WWI, Dadaism was a radical school of art aimed at the capitalist establishment. Its initial inclination towards nonsensical absurdism developed into an open embrace of communism – reflecting an age of revolution.
Obituary: David Lynch – the abstraction in human form
Filmmaker David Lynch, who passed away last week, was a singular artist whose works were surreal and unsettling. Although not a ‘political person’, his films and TV shows explored alienation and the absurdity of everyday life under capitalism.
The necessity of art – New ‘In Defence of Marxism’ magazine out now!
Issue 46 of In Defence of Marxism, the quarterly theoretical journal of the Revolutionary Communist International, is now available for purchase! Get your copy today!
Socialism and musical innovation: The origins of the theremin
Thanks to the planned economy, the Soviet Union saw remarkable advances in science, technology, and culture. And musical innovation was no exception. The life and inventions of Leon Theremin are a testament to these achievements.
Art and the Russian Revolution
In this podcast, Nelson Wan discusses the artistic and creative emancipation unleashed by the October Revolution, which saw individual geniuses rise to prominence, and gave ordinary people access to the world of art and culture.
Obituary: Benjamin Zephaniah – “All great art is true”
Benjamin Zephaniah (1958-2023), an acclaimed British poet and political activist, passed away yesterday. Through his work, he shone a light on the injustices of capitalist society, calling for united struggle against oppression and exploitation.