[1] From 1936 Dzerzhinsky held important administrative positions in the Union of Soviet Composers as well as in CPSU party politics.
According to Leonid's own account, he utilized Sholokhov's work motifs, freely rearranging and adapting to the purpose of accentuating the dramatic aspects of the plot and to condense as much as possible of the novel's social significance within the confines of the operatic format.
Sholokhov's novel, whose first edition was the basis of the opera, was later hailed: "...with its substance, construction, style and symbolism [it] is one of the most notable contemporary literary works of the Soviet Union.
The great events of history are made manifest in the quietude and tranquility of Cossack life suffering a total upheaval, degenerating into in a bloody struggle.
Stalin saw Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the same theater nine days after attending Quiet Flows the Don.
[1] Due at least in part to official praise, Quiet Flows the Don proved wildly successful, reaching its 200th performance in May 1938.