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Is Communism Good for the Arts?
Communism’s been responsible for many of the world’s greatest civil rights abuses but without it we wouldn’t have Shostakovich symphonies, Milos Forman films, or Chinese ballet. Today on Soundcheck: we look at whether Communism is good, or bad, for arts. Also: Jazz pianist Kenny Werner performs live in our studio.
Is Communism Good for the Arts?
On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Russian Revolution we look at the affects of communism on the arts.
Solomon Volkov, the musicologist and author of several books about Shostakovich, talks about how Soviet Russia fueled the struggle faced by Shostakovich and his contemporaries; Bright Sheng, a Chinese-born, American-based composer talks about the conditions he dealt with while growing up during the Cultural Revolution; and Robin Moore, author of "Music and Revolution: Cultural Change and Socialist Cuba," talks about the fascinating links between cultural and political activity in post-Revolutionary Cuba.
Kenny Werner
Jazz pianist and composer Kenny Werner joins us to talk about putting together a heavy-weight quintet for his new record: Lawn Chair Society. He plays live solo in our studio.
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Sound Off
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Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.
