Geography of Music
Age of Revolution | Age of Romanticism | Age of Emerging Modernism | Age of Art and Ideology
The World in the Age of Art and Ideology, 1920-1950
“There is nothing more honorable for a composer than to create works for and with the people.” – ShostakovichThe Roaring Twenties were followed by world-wide Depression. Hitler's aggression in Europe led to a Second World War. At the end of the war, Europe was devastated and the United States found itself with only one rival for economic and ideological influence in the world: the USSR. The Cold War between these nations took the form of regional Third World conflicts, a race for space technology, and international sporting meets. Even in the arts, individuals were expected to exemplify an ideological purity and loyalty to their nation. Artists tend to reject a simple translation of ideology into art, however, and their lack of loyalty was questioned in both the USSR and the USA.
