Una definición musical de Rusia

This seminal essay by musicologist Richard Taruskin combines musical, historical, and political analysis to shed light on the diverse narratives—both Russian and Western—that have shaped Slavic national identity. Convinced that music offers one of the best avenues for understanding the powerful myth of the Russian character, the author examines how that identity was forged, tracing the evolution from the enlightened aristocratic composers of the eighteenth century to those aligned with the Russian Revolution and the victims of Soviet totalitarianism. Despite their differences, Russian musicians shared a common goal: to forge their nation's identity by distinguishing it from the "East" of its imperial expansion and the musical "Wests" of Germany and Italy. The volume concludes with a lucid analysis of four essential composers who saw themselves as proudly Russian creators and, simultaneously, as European citizens: Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. It is a scholarly and revelatory work that will forever transform our understanding of the great Russian musical tradition.