Life after Stalin

His famous Sabre Dance was once the most frequently played piece of music in the world, this week Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Aram Khachaturian.

In 1953 Stalin died and those composers, such as Khachaturian, who had previously been charged with the crime of formalism, now started to speak out for greater creative freedom. Khachaturian was even invited, along with other members of the intelligentsia, to a reception at the Kremlin. In the spirit of this new democracy, Khachaturian composed his Ballad of the Motherland.

The 1960s were a busy time for Khachaturian, including many conducting trips abroad. He managed to meet both Ernest Hemingway and Charlie Chaplin on his travels. Life back home, in Soviet Russia, was also very busy. Much of his time was spent serving on official committees. In the final years of his life, Khachaturian composed two sets of trilogies. One was a set of sonatas for solo string instruments. The other was a trio of concerto rhapsodies, including one for cello and orchestra. In 1976 Khachaturian was devastated by the death of his wife and, despite his plans to compose a fourth symphony, just two years later he also died.