The preferred general history in English is:
- Leonard, Richard Anthony. A History of Russian Music. New York: Macmil-
lan, 1957. Reprint, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1977. ISBN 0-8371-9658-2.
ML300 .L45.
A useful survey of main trends, drawn from secondary sources in Western lan-
guages. Good summary of operatic development. Bibliography of about 100
titles, expansive index of names and titles. - Mooser, Robert Aloys. Annales de la musique et des musiciens en Russie au
XVIIIe siècle. Geneva: Mont-Blanc, 1948–1951. 3v. ML300 .M84.
Based on primary documents, which are quoted extensively, this is the pre-
ferred Western-language account of the 18th century. Incudes much biograph-
ical detail. Appendixes of letters, programs, and other contemporary
materials. The impressive bibliography has about 800 titles, unfortunately ren-
dered in French translation only. Name and title indexes.
In Russian the significant studies of the 18th century are by Iurii Keldysh (IOM 3193)
and Nikolai Findeizen (IOM 3194 ).For the 19th century the most esteemed Russian
writers are Boris V. Asaf’ev (IOM 3197) and Vladimir V. Stasov (IOM3198; Stasov
must be read cautiously [see #2644]); some of this work is available in translations
(noted in the IOMentries). There is a useful account in English of 20th-century
trends:
- Schwarz, Boris. Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia, 1917–1970. 2nd ed.
Bloomington: Indiana U.P., 1983. xiii, 722p. ISBN 02-5333-9561. ML300.5
.S41.
First edition, 1972. A musical and political history, since the two spheres were
united under the Soviets. A valuable study, perhaps most important for “the
final two chapters of this book, newly written for the enlarged edition, [which]
focus on Soviet consent and dissent” and bring out the adjustments in scores
and attitudes by such masters as Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Schwarz
observes that “next to the Italians, the Russians are probably the world’s most
opera-loving and most opera-conscious people.” Backnotes, bibliography of
about 200 items, expansive index of names and topics.
2640.Russian and Soviet Music: Essays for Boris Schwarz.Ed. Malcolm Hamrick
Brown. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Research, 1984. viii, 327p. ISBN 0-8357-
1545-0. ML55 .S398.
Consists of 18 essays by various authors, plus a bibliography of writings by
Schwarz, and an index. These are entered separately in this guide: Richard
Taruskin on 19th-century opera (#2649), Laurel E. Fay on Shostakovich’s
Nose(#1670), and Royal S. Brown on Lady Macbeth(#1669). - Moldon, David. A Bibliography of Russian Composers.London: White Lion,
- xviii, 364p. ISBN 0-7285-0010-7. ML120 .R8 M6.
A useful bibliography with some annotations of about 3,000 books, parts of
books, articles, and unpublished materials in English. Sixty journals were
searched. About 370 entries deal with the period 1883–1973; then there is a
Russia 489