The early Soviet artistic propaganda is either so bad it’s good, or so good it’s bad. Take this film about the great Russian medieval hero, Alexander Nevsky, who led the Russians in victory over the invading Westerners. At best, the cinematography ranks up there with Plan 9 from Outer Space; but I can’t help totally loving it, thanks to Sergei Prokofiev‘s awesome musical score. In fact, I find myself actually getting excited during this horribly stupid battle scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKZPgGbUuX0

And then there’s The Red Poppy, a ballet with music by Reinhold Glière: the plot is a Soviet ship captain who tries to free Chinese laborers from their oppressive masters, thus earning the love of a fair maiden. If that doesn’t sound absolutely riveting, take heart, because the ballet includes a drunken sailors’ dance (of course).

So the question I leave you with today is, if Trump actually supported the arts, and created propaganda, what would it look like?

Everyone seems to want a piece of May 1st. Is it just about spring, or is it a religious festival, or day to celebrate the labor movement?

It’s a bit confusing, but then again, so is the Second Symphony of Dimitri Shostakovich. Written when the composer was barely 21 (which means, as a Russian, he was had been drinking vodka legally for only 9 years), it portrays the story of the October Revolution – not about May, but about the Soviet revolution, and therefore the labor movement. Shotakovich himself was a bit confusing, too, since he started his career as the Bolshevik poster boy, then he was shunned by the Soviets, then he was loved again, then he was hated again. Then he joined the communist party. Whatever, I’m confused; but so were audiences when the Second Symphony was first performed. The Russian laborers were baffled by the modernist, murmuring beginning that was void of any traditional melody or harmony – but were moved by the rousing revolutionary chorus that concludes the piece. Meanwhile, western European audiences loved the progressive beginning part, but were turned off by the cheesy revolutionary chorus.

Now I’m completely confused. I’m going to go back to circling a Maypole.