Mass song ( ''Massovaya pesnya'') was a genre of

Soviet music The music of the Soviet Union varied in many genres and epochs. The majority of it was considered to be part of the Russian culture, but other national cultures from the Republics of the Soviet Union made significant contributions as well. The S ...

that was widespread in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. A mass song was written by a professional or amateur composer for individual or chorus singing and intended for "broad masses" of Soviet people. The Soviet mass song is representative of the school of Socialist realism in art and an important part of

Soviet propaganda Propaganda in the Soviet Union was the practice of state-directed communication aimed at promoting class conflict, proletarian internationalism, the goals of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and the party itself. The main Soviet cen ...

. The Soviet ''Music Encyclopedia'' says that they were "a powerful means of organization and education of the masses". According to the Soviet ''Music Encyclopedia'', during 1920–1950s the term was applied to most of the songs written by Soviet composers. However, with the establishment of the term "Soviet song," the term "mass song" was restricted to the genre of chorus songs without accompaniment and with lyrics based on social-political themes, typically performed during various Soviet gatherings such as rallies, demonstrations, and meetings. Some songs of other Soviet song genres, "stage song" (estradnaya pesnya) and "everyday song" (bytovaya pesnya), could also be considered mass songs depending on their social importance. The concept of "mass song" was put forth by members of the union of young composers Prokoll (Production Collective of the Students at the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory () is a higher musical educational institution located in Moscow, Russia. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in musical performance and musical research. Th ...

).Olkhovsky, Andrey. Music under the Soviets. 1955. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1975.

Characteristics

Musical characteristics of a mass song ensured easy comprehension and performance by non-professional "masses". A mass song is typically an alternating sequence of four-line

stanza In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian ''stanza'', ; ) is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, but they are not required to have either. ...

s and

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music">poetry.html" ;"title="Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeat ...

s in a non-sophisticated

musical form In music, ''form'' refers to the structure of a musical composition or musical improvisation, performance. In his book, ''Worlds of Music'', Jeff Todd Titon suggests that a number of organizational elements may determine the formal structure of a ...

which employed most common

vocal register A vocal register is a range of tones in the human voice produced by a particular vibratory pattern of the vocal folds. These registers include modal voice (or normal voice), vocal fry, falsetto, and the whistle register. Registers originate in lar ...

. Typically these songs are of optimistic or heroic character, written in the form of a

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

."Mass Song"
''Music Encyclopedia'' (Музыкальная энциклопедия. — М.: Советская энциклопедия, Советский композитор. Под ред. Ю. В. Келдыша. 1973—1982.) A significant number of mass songs were film soundtracks and later on TV movie soundtracks, sports songs and patriotic marches written for important anniversaries.

Notable mass songs

14 Minutes Until Start "14 Minutes Until Start" (), also known as "I Believe, My Friends" () is a popular Soviet and Russian mass song composed in 1960 by Oscar Feltsman, to lyrics by Vladimir Voinovich. The original performer was Vladimir Troshin. The song was written as ...

References

{{reflist Soviet songs Song forms Propaganda in the Soviet Union Popular music

Characteristics

Notable mass songs

See also

References