Aram Khachaturian - Spartacus Suite No.2 (1955) [Score-Video]

[@justanotherdudedude3063]

Hello, I really appreciate what you post. I'm not sure what your process is regarding what you are going to put into a video next, but can you do Sondheim's Pacific Overtures?
I'm trying to learn and understand more about his music and Pacific Overtures is one I am very fascinated with, as well as Assassins (truth be told, all his shows)
Thank you

[@interex956]

Thank you for posting this video. I'm sure that writing the score with transposing instruments parts being written in C might have something to do with avoiding formalism, as this is also seen in Prokofiev's scores. But is writing everything sans a key signature the norm for Khachaturian?

[@OctopusContrapunctus]

I can only responds that it becomes a norm in most music of that period given the advanced borrowing From other Keyes and the advanced modulations and chord extension, giving a key signature would only confuse. Although in this case it’s not that much confusing, but if he ever wanted to do some sporadic crazy modulations, the keysgnature would only be a annoyance.
Hope it’s clear

[@notarbolz926]

It has nothing to do with avoiding formalism. Prokofiev is a different case, he preferred his scores be published in C, i.e. the transposing instruments notated at the sounding pitch. The instrument parts (like the clarinets) however would get their parts transposed with adequate key signatures. Khachaturians scores are transposing, it's just that he rarely uses key signatures. That seems to be a personal choice, as he may have found it frees up his harmonic language. It's not unusual at all. Composers like Stravinsky or Shostakovich's works change between sections with and sections sans a key signature, often in the same work. There is no connection to 'formalism', if anything, not using key signatures would make him suspicious of writing non-diatonic, too dissonant and modern music.