07. The Beginning of Spring: Poetry and Song after the Death of Stalin

28 February 2021, 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Philip Ross Bullock looks at the rebirth of lyric poetry and song after the death of Stalin in March 1953. Tracing how writers and musicians responded to the greater cultural freedom that were integral to the Khrushchev 'Thaw', he examines how lyric forms could respond to important contemporary themes in Soviet society. Philip’s talk is illustrated by three artists who also impressed at the Song Connections events in our ‘Connections Across Time’ Festival.

Oxford Lieder gratefully acknowledges the support of the University of Oxford's KE Seed Fund.

This event will be streamed completely live from the Holywell Music Room. Shortly afterwards, it will also be available to watch again, using the same ticket and link, until 21 March (11 April for Pioneer Pass holders). Click here for further information on how tickets will work this year.

Watch a short clip of Helen and Natalie performing Elgar for October's Song Connections events from the Oxford Museum of Natural History:

[youtube url=https://youtu.be/lQ2xi-rh0aM]

Programme

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975)
Kolybel’naya, 'Lullaby' (1948) Op. 79 no.3 from From Jewish Folk Poetry
Broshennyi otets, 'An abandoned father' (1948) Op. 79 no.6 from From Jewish Folk Poetry
Pesnja o nuzhde, 'Song of want' (1948) Op. 79 no.7 from From Jewish Folk Poetry
Khoroshaja zhizn, 'The good life' (1948) Op. 79 no.9 from From Jewish Folk Poetry
Son, 'Dream' (1956) Op. 100 from Ispanskije Pesni, 'Spanish Songs'
Moi stikhi, 'To my verses' (1973) Op. 143 from Shest' stikhotvorenii Marini Cvetajevoj, 'Six Poems by Marina Tsvetaeva'
Rodina slyshit, 'The motherland hears' (1951) Op. 86 from Four Songs to Words by Evgeny Dolmatovsky