Introduction: 'State Music" and Dictatorship

This book is a compilation of 10 studies on musical works written for some of the dictatorial regimes that, in different parts of the world and from different ideological positions, determined the political history of the twentieth century. In every case, the State played a decisive role in the commission, production, execution and public dissemination of the works; their description as ‘State music’ (Buch, 1999) therefore seems justified. This label is not, at any rate, limited to music promoted by dictatorial regimes, even if this form of government seems to be especially prone to the instrumentalisation of the arts. For this reason, beyond the empirical dimension of each of its chapters, this book aims to contribute to a broader reflection on music and politics, and on the State as a key agent in this relationship. The chapters share the same interdisciplinary approach, which combine ideas mostly taken from the fields of history and musicology.