Moscow, Cheryomushki: Musical Theatre by Shostokovich

Dmitry Shostakovich. Moscow, Cheryomushki

Think of Shostokovich and there's a good chance his symphonies and string quartets will come to mind first of all. But he composed music in many genres, including today's selection.  Moscow, Cheryomushki (1959) is a lot of fun, full of social satire, and slapstick comedy. 'A Spin Through Moscow' is probably the best known orchestral number.

The plot revolves around a group of friends in their attempt to secure social housing in the newly built Cheryomushki estate. However the corrupt property developer has other ideas. Naturally, good prevails, evil is vanquished and there are plenty of song and dance numbers, plus a touch of magic realism in between.

Lenfilm turned the stage production into a film in the early 60s; the entire film is too long to include in a blog post, however the link below should take you to YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1mjkdjf2rg&t=2356s

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