Shostakovich has that weaponized ambiguity—layers of irony so dense that compliance sounds satrical, but the satire itself may also be satirized. You don’t know if you’ve heard compliance, mockery, or mockery of mockery. It’s both artistic strategy and shield. Leaving only one certainty: the music’s brilliance makes the question of intent unquestionable.
One piece that showcase this is the Ballet The Golden Age (Op. 22). It premiered on 26 October 1930 at the then Kirov [who was a Soviet Politician] (now Mariinsky) Theatre.
The ballet is a satirical take on the political and cultural change in 1920s Europe. It follows a Soviet football (soccer) team in a Western city where they come into contact with many politically incorrect antagonistic characters such as the Diva, the Fascist, the Agent Provocateur, the Negro and others. The team falls victim to match rigging, police harassment, and unjust imprisonment by the evil bourgeoisie. The team is freed from jail when the local workers overthrow their capitalist overlords. The ballet ends with a dance of solidarity between the workers and the football team.
The Polka from Act III of the ballet, “Once upon a Time in Geneva” is quite famous. Watch below a recent version by the Bolshoi Theatre, recorded October 2016, pretty much the OG costume design and choreography:
The piece has become a popular encore. Watch below an orchestral version by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Yuri Simonov. Simonov is so playful in the encore:
Shostakovich transcribed it into an orchestral suite version:
piano versions:
and also reused in his Two Pieces for String Quartet (Op 36a):