Nos between Gogol and Šostakovič explores the transformation of Nikolai Gogol’s satirical short story The Nose into the operatic work composed by Dmitri Šostakovič. This thesis examines the intricate relationship between literature and music, focusing on how Šostakovič reinterprets Gogol’s absurdist narrative through a modernist and often dissonant musical language. The analysis considers both the libretto—largely adapted from Gogol's text—and the musical structure, highlighting Šostakovič’s innovative compositional techniques. Furthermore, the thesis contextualizes the opera within the turbulent political and cultural environment of early Soviet Russia, discussing how Šostakovič’s work both reflects and challenges the ideological pressures of the time. By drawing connections between the source material, the composer’s biography, and the socio-political context, the study offers a comprehensive understanding of The Nose as a unique synthesis of satire, modernism, and artistic resistance.
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