Description:
1. This book is a window into the intersection between Russian popular music and American popular culture in the early 20th century.
2. It sparks a new discussion on Russian émigré composers in the United States by looking at the influence of the First Wave Russian diaspora and their music up through the Post-soviet era. This study goes further than previous studies, which have usually stopped at the start of World War II.
3. Author Natalie Zelensky is an up-and-coming scholar who writes in a very accessible way and makes clear how relevant this topic is to current events regarding the relationship between the United States and Russia, and the role of immigrants in American society.
Review Quotes:
"In Performing Tsarist Russia in New York, music serves as a gateway to a broader understanding of historical and current Russian diaspora cultures. Engagingly and clearly written, Zelenksy's study captured me as a reader. The musical analyses are presented clearly and accessibly even for readers without musical expertise."--A. DANA WEBER, Florida State University