“Maxim’s Youth”. Op. 41 (No. 1). “The Return of Maxim”. Op. 45. “The Vyborg Side”. Op. 50

Maxim’s Youth

This publication is based on the 1987 edition—Dmitri Shostakovich, Collected Works in 42 Volumes, Vol. 41, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow, verified with the author’s manuscript kept in CSALA St. Petersburg, rec. gr. 257, inv. 16, f. 2057. The sources have been verified with the film's soundtrack and the differences are noted.

The author’s music to the film consists of one item called “Prologue”, which is based on the “Oira” polka, Krakowiak (a lively Polish folk dance), a cabaret song called “I’m a Football Player” and the gypsy romance “Black Eyes”.

In addition to the “Prologue”, the film soundtrack includes the anthem Gaudeamus, the waltz “Danube Waves”, the songs “The Blue Balloon Keeps on Spinning and Turning”, “The Sea Is Spread Wide”, “Here Comes a Dashing Three-Horse Carriage”, “I Love to Sit by the River in Summer with a Fishing Rod” (solo accompanied by the accordion and guitar), revolutionary songs “You Fell as Victims” and “Varshavyanka” (“Warsaw March”) (an a cappella chorus), as well as background music and improvisations on an accordion in the urban folklore style of the early 20th century.

The arrangement of instruments in the score is not typical of Shostakovich: the Trombe is higher than the Corni (this arrangement is retained in the other two parts of the trilogy—“The Return of Maxim” and “The Vyborg Side”).

The Return of Maxim

The author’s manuscripts of the music to the film “The Return of Maxim” are kept in the RNMM, rec. gr. 32, f. 265, but none of them features in the final version of the film’s soundtrack. The composer revised some of these author’s manuscripts while working on the film (the original versions are printed in Appendix I).

The other author’s manuscripts are not used in the film at all (they are printed in Appendix II). The scores of the revised items have not survived, but the library of the Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra has a manuscript with the inventory number 2162 “The Return of Maxim”, which corresponds to the film’s soundtrack bearing the inscription “Transcription and orchestration by Vladimir Vassiliev”. One of the items (No. 15) has Shostakovich’s signature and his own handwritten date: “6 December 1965”, which indicates that this manuscript is authorised.

Some of the items are published in “Fragments of the Music to the Maxim Trilogy, Sovetskiy kompozitor, Moscow, 1961. This edition, prepared by Levon Atovmian, differs significantly from the author’s notation.

The sequence of the items is reproduced from the film’s soundtrack; the editor of this edition has numbered the items.

In addition to the original music, the film uses choral versions of the revolutionary songs “Varshavyanka”, “Marseillaise” and “Boldly, Comrades, On We March”, the song “The Blue Balloon Keeps on Spinning and Turning” accompanied by the accordion, the solo version of the song “I Changed Women Like Gloves”, the romance “Charming Eyes” accompanied by the guitar, as well as background music and improvisations on the accordion in the urban folklore style of the early 20th century.

The Vyborg Side

This publication of the score is based on several sources. No. 5. “Finale” is printed in accordance with the only surviving author’s manuscript, which is kept in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive, rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 227, No. 1.

The overture is printed in accordance with the 1987 edition: Dmitri Shostakovich, Collected Works in 42 Volumes, Vol. 41, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow, verified with the hand-written copy from the library of the Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra (RGSOK), No. 2762, restored by Vladimir Vassiliev.

Nos. 2 and 3 have been restored by Mark Fitz-Gerald in accordance with the soundtrack especially for this edition.

No. 4. “Destruction of the Wine Warehouses” and [Presto] have been restored by the editor of this edition from the parts kept in the St. Petersburg Central State Archives of Literature and Art (CSALA), rec. gr. 257, inv. 16, f. 2076.

All of the sources have been verified with the film’s soundtrack (F) and the differences have been duly noted. The sequence of the items has been reproduced from the soundtrack; the editor has numbered the items and given their titles in square brackets.

In addition to the author’s music, the film uses urban songs of the late 19th-early 20th centuries: “The Blue Balloon Keeps on Spinning and Turning” (solo voice, chorus, accordion), “My Brain is Pining Away in My Head” (solo voice), “I Changed Women Like Gloves” (solo voice), “Boldly, Comrades, On We March” (accordion) and “Fried Chicken” (voice accompanied by the guitar, piano, as well as in
orchestral numbers 2 and 4).