A time-travel tour through Russia
“Shadow of Stalin,” the L.A. Philharmonic’s two-month exploration of the music of the Soviet era, takes a sharp turn away from classical music with a trio of intriguing, offbeat programs. “Russian Chanson,” featuring the indie-gypsy-folk group DeVotchKa, violinist Petra Haden and spoken word artist Saul Williams, examines the Soviet Union’s underground “second culture” movement of the ‘60s, with its parallels to the musical political activism of the West. The sardonically titled “Pravda” (Truth) features an eclectic lineup of DJs, VJs, artists and musicians (Amon Tobin, Cut Chemist, DJ Spooky, J-Rocc, Peanut Butter Wolf, etc.) in a multimedia take on the complexities of the Stalinist era. And the Philharmonic, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents “Music Before the Crackdown” -- works by Popov, Shostakovich and Mosolov dating to the period before the 1936 Kremlin-inspired editorial attack on Shostakovich.
* “Russian Chanson,” Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 8 tonight. $30 to $38. (323) 850-2000.
* “Shadow of Stalin: Music Before the Crackdown,” Disney Hall. 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $39 to $135.
* “Pravda,” Disney Hall. 10 p.m. Saturday. $30 to $50.
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