An engrossing, wide-ranging account of the artists trying to make music in the dangerous time of Stalin’s purges

‘Krielaars testifies to a deep knowledge of Russia. Told with the voice of a great master’ Pieter Waterdrinker, author of The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street

When Stalin came to power, making music became a dangerous endeavour. Russian composers now had to create work that served the socialist state, and all artistic production was scrutinized for potential subversion.

The Sound of Utopia offers a vivid portrait of Soviet musicians and composers struggling to create art in this climate of terror. Some successfully toed the ideological line, diluting their work in the process; others ended up facing the Gulag or even death. With pace and verve, Michel Krielaars tells stories of intrigue, betrayal and stunning reversals of fortune, from the gay popular singer arrested at the height of his popularity to the blacklisted composer who wrote music on scrap paper in a forced labour camp.

Dramatic and immersive, this is a rich exploration of the absurdity and the richness of Soviet musical life – and a tribute to those who crafted sublime melodies under the darkest circumstances.