Music and Time Annotation << Back The Myth of «Happy Life» in the Works of Shostakovich T.E. Kudryavtseva The Soviet myth of «a happy life» in a creative interpretation of Shostakovich is considered in the article. This myth was born in 1930-s, at the time of stabilization of the government and had its origins in one of the most important Soviet myths – The Sacred Earth. Both myths, go hand in hand, implement the opposition «we – they» inherent in it, implying a deep contrast between the two worlds: the Enemy’s, the Western’s – and This World, Fair. This scheme is perfectly described in two ballets by Shostakovich, «Bolt» and «The Golden Age». In fact the myth of the happy life is clearly manifested in such works by Shostakovich, as the ballet «Bright Stream», «Song of the Forests», and rather controversial final songs of cycle «From Jewish Folk Poetry». These works will form the basis of musical analysis of this article. If the «Bright Stream»’s score, written in 1935th, filled spurts of optimism and genuine fun, yet untouched by increasingly spreaded monotonous official style – the «Song of the Forests» (which was appeared in the postwar period), on the contrary – opportunistic opus. Nevertheless, Shostakovich, being a true genius, goes out the circle of universal human problems, giving new shades and «overtones» the myth of the happy life. The ambivalent poetics of final of the cycle «From Jewish Folk Poetry» – another «mystery» of Shostakovich, could not be uniquely solvable one. Mythologeme of death, found at the first section of the opus («The Winter»), turns to the contemplation of otherness of death in the last three songs, inheriting the principle of drama development of the Sixth Symphony. Thus, the character of Shostakovich’s «mythological» is due by the multilayered essence of both the myth of «a happy life», and the deep content of the composer's works. Keywords: Soviet Myth of «Happy Life», «Song of the Forests» by Shostakovich, Ballet Triad by Shostakovich, «From Jewish Folk Poetry» by Shostakovich. Contacts: E-mail: ktanchita@gmail.com Pp. 19-25.