Machines and Mutations: Roslavets and Mosolov

Machines and Mutations: the music of Alexander Mosolov and Nikolai Roslavets. Donald Macleod talsk to Russian music expert Marina Frolova-Walker.

As part of BBC Radio 3's "Breaking Free: A Century of Russian Culture" season, Composer of The Week unravels the lives and masterpieces of the musicians that shaped musical life from the USSR's inception in 1917 through to its dissolution in 1991. In this first week, Donald Macleod explores a host of composers - from familiar names like Shostakovich and Prokofiev to lesser-known, though no less brilliant, figures like Gavriil Popov and Alexander Mosolov - whose music documents the turbulent and fascinating story of Russia up to Stalin's death in 1953.

Donald is joined by the Russian music expert Marina Frolova-Walker as they explore the tensions, censorship and cultural terror of the 1920s and 30s, followed by the trauma of the Second World War and finally the infamous Zhdanov affair of the late 1940s, which censured some of the USSR's foremost composers.

Today, Donald and Marina tell the story of two composers whose brilliant, daring music fell tragically foul of the authorities: Alexander Mosolov and Nikolai Roslavets.

Mosolov
Zavod (The Iron Foundry)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Riccardo Chailly, conductor

Roslavets
Three Compositions for Piano (1914)
Marc-André Hamelin, piano

Roslavets
Piano Trio No 3
Trio Fontenay

Mosolov
Piano Concerto, Op 14
Stefan Schleiermacher, piano
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Johannes Kalitzke, conductor.