Music without social life the garmon’ player mikhail sorochinsky – A non-revivalist musician in Smolensk province

Abstract

Against the background of generally low music activity in rural Russia, the button accordion (garmon’) player Mikhail Sorochinsky from the Smolensk province (Smolenskaja oblast) lives an intensive yet solitary musical life. The paper presents Sorochinsky’s artistic development and his not always easy relation to his social and musical environment. Further, the historical background of solitary music-making is discussed as well as socially and musically meaning ful emotions.