The Sound of Utopia

Revelatory... poignant * Guardian *
Highly readable... Transport[s] us into the heart of the Soviet machine through a rich mix of anecdotal and historical material... An illuminating account of how the Soviet system waged its war on musicians * FT *
Ten cradle-to-grave pen-portraits of Stalin's musicians, told with bantering brio... Krielaars has done an admirable job rescuing his lesser-known subjects from obscurity * The Times *
The stories Krielaars tells, in chattily accessible prose, are fascinating * Telegraph *
A story of loss and terror, but also resilience and the consolation of music * Herald *
Vivid, thoughtful... Engagingly written * Spectator *
Krielaars testifies to a deep knowledge of Russia. Told with the voice of a great master -- Pieter Waterdrinker, author of 'The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street'
Michel Krielaars unravels a staggering piece of history * De Morgen *
Ten interesting portraits, not only of celebrities like Sergei Prokofiev, but also lesser-known figures who seldom receive attention in the Western world * NRC *
There was no room for heroism under Stalin, Michel Krielaars convincingly shows * de Volkskrant *
It's beautiful how Krielaars manages to keep something sparkling through Stalin's cold winter. Something like song * Trouw *