Composer

:

Dmitry Shostakovich

Genre

:

Ballet

Style

:

Ballet

Compose Date

:

1929 - 1930

Average_duration

:

127:50

Movement_count

:

39

Movement ....

The Age of Gold is a ballet composed by Dmitry Shostakovich in 1930. The plot of the ballet is set in a Soviet city where a group of young people are trying to overthrow the bourgeoisie. The ballet is divided into four movements, each depicting a different scene in the story. The first movement, titled "The Adoration of the Machine," shows the bourgeoisie celebrating their wealth and power while the workers toil away in the factories. The second movement, "Dance of the Rose Maidens," features a group of young women who are lured into the bourgeoisie's world of luxury and excess. The third movement, "The Football Game," is a satirical take on the bourgeoisie's obsession with sports and competition. The workers and the bourgeoisie face off in a football match, but the game quickly devolves into chaos and violence. The final movement, "The Victory of the Proletariat," depicts the workers rising up against the bourgeoisie and overthrowing them. The ballet ends with a triumphant celebration of the proletariat's victory. The Age of Gold premiered on November 8, 1930, at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The ballet was met with controversy due to its satirical portrayal of the bourgeoisie and its use of jazz and other modern musical styles. The Soviet government initially praised the ballet for its revolutionary themes, but later condemned it for its supposed "formalism" and "bourgeois decadence." Despite the controversy, The Age of Gold remains a popular and influential work in the ballet repertoire. Its use of modern music and satirical themes paved the way for other experimental ballets in the 20th century.

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