▁he ▁had ▁been ▁known ▁early ▁in ▁his ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁leading ▁expert ▁on ▁Mah ler ▁and ▁Stra vin sky ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁declared ▁“ a ▁genius ” ▁by ▁Sh ost akov ich . ▁He ▁was ▁not ▁surprising ly ▁den ounced ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁authorities ▁as ▁“ dec ad ent ” ▁and ▁a ▁“ form al ist ” ▁for ▁the ▁very ▁reasons ▁that ▁his ▁music ▁may ▁be ▁tre as ured , ▁as ▁a ▁natural ▁out g row th ▁of ▁the ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁preceding ▁century . ▁Once ▁St alin ▁had ▁died , ▁Lok sh in ▁might ▁have ▁found ▁a ▁certain ▁improved ▁situation , ▁and ▁his ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁clar inet ▁qu int et ▁does ▁reflect ▁some ▁f lick ers ▁of ▁optim ism ; ▁trag ically , ▁though , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁accused ▁( f als ely , ▁as ▁has ▁only ▁been ▁settled ▁in ▁recent ▁years ) ▁of ▁being ▁NK VD - K GB ▁inform er ▁and ▁was ▁thus ▁o stra ci zed ▁by ▁even ▁those ▁who ▁would ▁have ▁r al lied ▁to ▁his ▁side . ▁In ▁summary , ▁for ▁those ▁wondering ▁why ▁an ▁American ▁premi ere ▁is ▁occurr ing ▁ 3 1 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁composer ’ s ▁death ▁and ▁ 6 3 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁composition ▁date , ▁such ▁trag ic ▁and ▁criminal ▁in just ice ▁is ▁why ▁– ▁the ▁mor ass ▁of ▁Soviet ▁s land er ▁and ▁ob f us cation ▁is ▁slow ▁to ▁un ra vel . ▁What ▁is ▁encourag ing , ▁though , ▁is ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁always