ConcertPulse
Das neue Babylon
The 1929 silent film "New Babylon" by Grigori Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg, set against the backdrop of the Paris Commune's fall, contrasts the pleasure-seeking bourgeoisie with the working class. Shostakovich's score, his first for film, uses irony and grotesque play, combining and confronting familiar forms and melodies. The modern realization avoids clichés, creating distance through reflection and parody, resulting in powerful music with an unusual structure, reflecting the film's conflicts.
