Music and Politics

Music can draw people together and build solidarity. It can evoke a sense of patriotism – or revolution. In this election season in the US. we have seen politicians use music to influence voters – sometimes as part of an election speech event and sometimes without the musician’s permission. Music’s influence on elections has a long history. Here are some examples.

Handel’s “See, the Conquering Hero Comes!” from his oratorio Judas Maccabeus was performed by bands and singers throughout England as political winners were carried on chairs throughout the streets in celebration.

One way to popularize a politician or an issue is to sing about it. In 18^th and 19^th century, ballad singers would take a popular song and write new, political lyrics to it. Then the singers would perform those songs in public places. Sometimes those songs affected the election outcome.

In other cases, composers expressed their political views through their music. Shostakovich exemplifies his changing politics – and reaction by the Soviet government. His second symphony’s finale was a pro-Soviet choral movement, but his politically satirical opera The Nose was attacked by the Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians. Five years later his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk reflected “the correct policy of the Party.” However, Stalin was not impressed so the music critics turned around and denounced it. His fifth symphony was more conservative musically so the Soviet reviews were more popular. His seventh symphony contributed to the country’s war efforts, and was performed in Leningrad while it was under siege as a way to keep the people’s morale up. On the other hand, his 1945 ninth symphony was considered to light and amusing for the times. After the way, his formalist music was denounced as being too Western, and his works were banned. Indeed, all Soviet composers were mandated to write only proletarian music for the masses.

The freedom to express one’s political opinions through music is a vital right – and its use needs to consider the composer’s wishes.