Official Review: Variations on the theme 'Galina Ustvolsk...

raikyuu · Post by **raikyuu** » 20 Jan 2020, 23:14

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Variations on the theme 'Galina Ustvolskaya - the last composer of the passing era'" by Semyon Bokman.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Variations on the Theme Galina Ustvolskaya - The Last Composer of the Passing Era is a non-fiction book that details the life and music of Galina Ustvolskaya in the perspective of one of her students. The book aims to analyze Ustvolskaya’s art and philosophy in the context of the Soviet Union in the 20th century. Based on his recollections and research, Semyon Bokman brings together different musical traditions, Russian musicology, and Philosophy to make sense of Ustvolskaya’s life and music.

The book starts with a short history of music composers from the time of Mozart to the formation of the Soviet Union. This history gives rise to the development of music, wherein Ustvolskaya becomes a “composer-symbol” of the 20th century. The author recollects his lessons and talks with Ustvolskaya, wherein they discussed art and different composers like Mozart, Bach, and Shostakovich (the last one being Ustvolskaya’s teacher). In analyzing Ustvolskaya’s music, the author relates this to Ustvolskaya’s musical philosophy and the tyrannical authority of the Soviet Union. All of these aim to provide more depth to Ustvolskaya’s music.

Interestingly, the book makes use of captivating storytelling, which effectively portrays Ustvolskaya’s source of creative energy. This portrayal sheds light on Ustvolskaya’s music while at the same time enriching the mystery that surrounds it. I like that the author intermixes his recollection with other accounts about Ustvolskaya because this shows that the author’s interpretation of Ustvolskaya’s music is not purely subjective. This allows the reader to easily relate to the music being analyzed.

My only problem with the book is that it contains multiple errors. Examples include “But non of them managed to express what she did...” and “She did not teach to her own music.” The former has “none” misspelled as “non” while the latter shouldn’t have added the preposition “to.” Based on the number of errors I’ve found, I can say that the book is not professionally edited.

I commend the author for writing such a captivating book. Overall, Variations on the Theme Galina Ustvolskaya - The Last Composer of the Passing Era is a book that reveals the development of creativity through the life of Galina Ustvolskaya. But because of the number of errors, I have to rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While it’s hard to recommend this book to those who are not a fan of classical music, I can especially recommend this book to those who want to know more about Russian musicology in the 20th century.

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Variations on the theme 'Galina Ustvolskaya - the last composer of the passing era'
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kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 22 Jan 2020, 00:24

This book offers an opportunity to expand horizons! I was unaware of this composer and the connection to classical composers like Mozart and Bach. I appreciated your comments about the author's storytelling manner of writing. Great review!