# Alexander Mossolov



## deprofundis

I did a blog on him an Tadeusz baird, no one comment on *mossolov*, he has a bad reputation, from what is written on wikipedia he was a nazi partisan maybe this is why people scorn him and his work.His iron fonderie is quite something do...

but Wagner was a notorious antisemite yet he is accepted here and i heard some israeli or jewish chef still like Wagner despite the man and struggle to play Wagner in israel.

Meaning some people draw a line between a composer work and the person.Meaning someone can enjoy Mossolov or Wagner whiteout being a nazi or a jew hater.I myself am a music lover first,* i dont have to like the person to enjoy is work*.Anyone share my view on this comment here?

have a nice day folks :tiphat:

_p.s if i like the iron fonderie what is in my alley, something in the same league ?,_


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## Kilgore Trout

Where did you get your info ? Mosolov wasn't a nazi, and such thing is not written on his wikipedia page. If he has a reputation, it's one of a victim : he was one of the great avant-garde composers in Russia in the 1920's, and had to switch to a more conservatist style in the 1930's because of criticism from the regime. He was then sent to Gulag in 1937 and then exiled. In short, he was killed artistically by the soviet regime and was not a nazi by any means.

His first quartet and his piano concerto are both masterpieces. Sadly, _Steel_, the ballet which _Iron foundry_ is taken from, is lost.

On the subject of the difference between the work and the person, there are various threads around here.


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## deprofundis

Sorry for the bad info maybe the mossolov page on wikipedia was hack, by vandal when i read it, this has happen to bela bartok page in the past.


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## KenOC

Believe Mosolov was sent to the camps due to his rather objectionable behavior, not anything to do with his music or ideology. Before that, he had been kicked out of the Composers' Union for similar reasons.

He served eight months before his release. He was not exiled* but returned to composing. He lived in Moscow until his death in 1973.

*Well, kind of. He was not allowed to live in Moscow for five years.


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## Kilgore Trout

KenOC said:


> Believe Mosolov was sent to the camps due to his rather objectionable behavior, not anything to do with his music or ideology. Before that, he had been kicked out of the Composers' Union for similar reasons.


Everything had to to do with ideology in this time. There was a conflict between the composers' factions since around 1923 (ACM vs RAPM). The so-called pro-proletarians/traditionnalists won in 1932 with the creation of the Composers' Union, which promoted socialist realism in music and kicked out all the avant-garde : Roslavets, Popov, Mosolov, Shostakovich and others were banned or forced to change their music in various degrees and with various means. Mosolov's music was considered "formalist" and "anti-proletarian". The so-called "objectionable behavior" was probably an excuse to kick out Mosolov. When you were out of the Composers' Union, you were as much as dead as composer : you couldn't be played anymore.
He was then sentenced to 8 years of Gulag for "counter-revolutionary activities", an accusation made up by Mosolov's enemies inside the Composers' Union. It was usual for "proletarian musicians" to spread misinformation about composers who did not share their beliefs and refuse to submit to socialist realism (or not enough to their taste), or simply about the people they wanted to destroy (like Roslavets, who as the leader of the ACM in the 20's was a man to kill). He was saved from the Gulag by Glière and Myaskovsky and was exiled for 5 years.

He did return to composing in a socialist realism style which would not lead him to trouble, and has little to do with the talent he displayed in his younger years.


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## deprofundis

naxos should put out a cd by mosolov works the iron fonderie is awesome yet i need more of this composer, everything out of print i try to order some of his work whiteout luck.


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## joen_cph

I agree with the remark above calling the piano concerto a major work. The piano works could need more and better recordings too, though apparently they don´t reach the level of the 1st concerto and the Iron Foundry (IMO, the Arte Nova recording with Lombardi is poor, for example). 

BTW, the "2nd Piano Concerto" is extremely short, like Rakov´s in that genre.

Some of the other recorded works include a symphony, a cello concerto, the un-interesting "Soldier´s Songs Suite", and string quartets.


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## AST

You bring up a good point. I enjoy Woody Allen's movies, but...well you know where I'm going with this. Plus, I'll let it slide that Rachmaninoff married his cousin.


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## TxllxT

*Alexander Vasilyevich Mosolov (1900 - 1973)*

Russian Soviet composer, who in 1926 earned fame because of the 'Iron Foundry'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Mosolov
















Opera Op. 35, The Dam (1930)


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## Zhdanov

Kilgore Trout said:


> Everything had to to do with ideology in this time.


really?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Mosolov -


> Mosolov was expelled from the Composers' Union for treating waiters poorly and taking part in a *drunken brawl* in Press House


 - has to do with ideology or you distorting facts?


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## Zhdanov

Kilgore Trout said:


> He was then sentenced to 8 years of Gulag


but you are trying to conceal the truth -



> Mosolov's sentence was commuted to a five-year exile


 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Mosolov#Biography


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