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The Commissar Vanishes, a book by David King, is a detailed study of how Stalin manipulated the science of photography to further his own political career and to erase the memory of his victims. On Stalin's orders, purged rivals were air-brushed from group portraits and crowd scenes were altered to depict even greater legions of the 'faithful'. The Kremlin's attempts to comply were often unintentionally hilarious. Michael Nyman has developed the subject matter to inspire an exciting new live music and film event. Nyman combines his characteristic pulsating, driving rhythms and strident harmonies to create a score both disturbing and deeply emotional.