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.
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, 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 music on scrap paper in a forced labour camp.
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.
"Revelatory... poignant" - Guardian
"Highly readable... Transport[s] us into the heart of the Soviet machine through a rich mix of anecdotal and historical material... An illuminating account of how the Soviet system waged its war on musicians" - FT
"Ten cradle-to-grave pen-portraits of Stalin's musicians, told with bantering brio... Krielaars has done an admirable job rescuing his lesser-known subjects from obscurity" - The Times
"The stories Krielaars tells, in chattily accessible prose, are fascinating" - Telegraph
"A story of loss and terror, but also resilience and the consolation of music" - Herald
"Vivid, thoughtful... Engagingly written" - Spectator
"Michel Krielaars unravels a staggering piece of history" - De Morgen
"Ten interesting portraits, not only of celebrities like Sergei Prokofiev, but also lesser-known figures who seldom receive attention in the Western world" - NRC
"There was no room for heroism under Stalin, Michel Krielaars convincingly shows" - de Volkskrant
"It's beautiful how Krielaars manages to keep something sparkling through Stalin's cold winter. Something like song" - Trouw
