Synopsis
On today’s date in 1930, The Age of Gold, a new ballet by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich opened in Leningrad. At that time, it was trendy for Soviet art to extol sporting events, and contrast the wholesome values of the new Soviet society with those of the decadent, bourgeois West.
And so, the plot of this new Soviet ballet ran as follows: a Russian soccer team arrives in a Western city to play a match during an industrial exposition, only to find their heroic endeavors thwarted by a hostile hotel staff, a seductive Western opera diva, and, of course, corrupt police and city officials.
Dutifully following the party line, Shostakovich wrote, “Throwing into contrast the two cultures was my main aim. The dances for the Europeans breathe the decadent spirit of … contemporary bourgeois culture, but I tried to imbue the Soviet dances with the wholesome elements of sport and physical culture.”
One of the lasting hits of his ballet score was a sardonic little polka.
Despite all this political subtext, Shostakovich seemed to be having a whale of a time, as if he rather enjoyed spending a little time — if only musically — in the decadent West.
Music Played in Today's Program
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Polka, from The Age of Gold; Moscow Chamber Orchestra; Constantine Orbelian, conductor; Delos 3257
On This Day
Births
1685 - Italian composer and harpsichordist Domenico Scarlatti, in Naples
1694 - Swedish composer Johan Helmich Roman, in Stockholm
Deaths
1874 - German composer Peter Cornelius, 49, near Copenhagen
Premieres
1783 - Mozart: Mass in C minor, in St. Peter’s Church, Salzburg, with the composer conducting and his wife, Constanze, the soprano soloist
1873 - Bruckner: Symphony No. 2, in Vienna, with the composer conducting
1896 - Dvorák: symphonic poem The Golden Spinning Wheel, in London
1917 - Mussorgsky (arr. Cui): opera The Fair at Sorochinsky, posthumously, in St. Petersburg (see Julian date: Oct. 13)
1919 - Elgar: Cello Concerto, at London’s Queens Hall, with the London Symphony conducted by the composer, and Felix Salmond the soloist
1930 - Shostakovich: ballet, The Age of Gold, in Leningrad
1945 - Bloch: Suite Symphonique, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pierre Monteux conducting
1956 - William Schuman: New England Triptych, in Miami, Florida, by the University of Miami Orchestra, André Kostelanetz conducting
1961 - David Diamond: Symphony No. 8, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting
1961 - Robert Ward: opera The Crucible (after the play by Arthur Miller), in New York City; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1962
1962 - Gunther Schuller: Piano Concerto, in Cincinnati
1976 - Piston: Concerto for string quartet, winds, brass and percussion, in Portland, Oregon
Others
1739 - Handel completes his Concerto Grosso No. 6 (see Julian date: Oct. 15)
Love the music?
Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.
Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.
YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.
Your Donation
About Composers Datebook®
Host John Birge presents a daily snapshot of composers past and present, with timely information, intriguing musical events and appropriate, accessible music related to each.
He has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.
