Yet another reason to despise the Russian experiment in socialism.
After the communist revolution, the great composer Sergei Rachmaninoff went into exile, losing his home and other property to the Soviets — along with his publisher and his status in Russia as leading musician of his generation. Starting over in the West was a challenge, and he found he had much less time and ability to compose.
To have an income, he had to turn to performing concerts regularly concerts. That was time-consuming. That was compounded by a psychological obstacle: outside his beloved Russia, Rachmaninoff found himself less able to compose.
So: How much less awesome music do we have because of bad philosophy and politics?
Related:
Creative geniuses as selfish — Rachmaninoff version.
My art-related posts.
About America, when he became a citizen, Rachmaninoff said: “This is the only place on earth where a human being is respected for what he is and what he does, and it does not matter who he is and where he came from.”