Andrei Mikhailovich Volkonsky

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Prince Andrei Michailowitsch Wolkonski , also Andrey, André, Mikhailovich, Michailovich, Volkonski, Volkonskiy , Russian Андрей Михайлович Волконский (born February 14, 1933 in Geneva ; † September 16, 2008 in Aix-en-Provence ) was a Russian composer and harpsichordist . He was a key figure in the rediscovery of early music in Russia.

Live and act

Volkonsky comes from the Russian princely Rurikid family Volkonsky . His grandfather was a brother of Sergei Mikhailovich Volkonsky . He showed musical talent at an early age and, as a child, performed his improvisations to Sergei Wassiljewitsch Rachmaninoff . He studied piano with Johnny Aubert and Dinu Lipatti at the Geneva Conservatory and composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris . In 1947 the family moved to Moscow . From 1950 to 1954 he studied at the Moscow Conservatory , especially with Yuri Alexandrovich Shaporin . He was expelled from school for a disciplinary offense. From 1956 he worked as a harpsichordist and organist; in the process, he developed into a pioneer for music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, which was previously rarely played in the USSR . In 1964 he founded his own ensemble for early music with Madrigal .

As a composer he experimented with twelve-tone technique and serial music . Since his piano suite Musica stricta from 1956 he has been considered "the first Soviet dodecaphonist". However, his music, which did not conform to the prevailing form of Socialist Realism , was not performed. In 1972 he applied to leave the Soviet Union. He was expelled from the composers' association and lost all material support. Only a year later was he allowed to leave the country.

Volkonsky first returned to his native Geneva and later lived in Aix-en-Provence until his death.

From 1954 to 1960 he was married to the Estonian poet Helvi Jürisson (born October 5, 1928). The couple had a son, Peeter Volkonski , now known as an actor and musician .

Works

  • Piano Sonata in B flat major (1949)
  • Rus , cantata after Nikolai Gogol (1952)
  • The face of peace , cantata based on Paul Éluard (1952)
  • Concerto for Orchestra (1953)
  • Capriccio for orchestra (1954)
  • Piano Quintet (1954)
  • String Quartet (1955)
  • Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 8 (1955)
  • Fantasy for piano (1955)
  • Musica stricta for piano (1956)
  • Two Japanese songs for choir, electronic sound and percussion (1957)
  • Music for 12 instruments (1957)
  • Serenade for an insect for chamber orchestra (1959)
  • Suite de los espejos (Spiegel Suite) for soprano and 5 instrumentalists: flute, violin, guitar, organ and drums based on poems by Garcia Lorca (1960)
  • Sonata for viola (1960)
  • The laments of Shchaza for soprano, Cor Anglais, violin, marimba, vibraphone, and harpsichord after Schchaza (1961)
  • Jeu à Trois for flute, violin and harpsichord (1962)
  • Concerto itinérant (The Wandering Concert) for soprano, violin, percussion and 26 instruments based on texts by Omar Chajjam (1967)
  • Replica for small orchestra (1969)
  • Les mailles du Temps for 3 groups of instruments (1970)
  • Maqam for tar and harpsichord (1974)
  • Song for 4 Voices (1974)
  • Immobile for piano and orchestra (1978)
  • 7 sacred chants for three male voices (solo or choir) (1984)
  • Was noch Leben for mezzo-soprano and string trio based on poems by Johannes Bobrowski (1985)
  • Psalm 148 for three voices (solo or choir), organ and timpani (1984, rev. 1989)
  • Carrefour for Ensemble (1992)

Film music

  • 1958: The Adventures of Puss in Boots (Новые похождения кота в сапогах)
  • 1960: The enchanted Marie (Марья-искусница)
  • 1961: The Adventures of Krosch (Приключения Кроша)
  • 1962: 3 + 2
  • 1967: Война под крышами
  • 1968: Dead season (Мёртвый сезон)
  • 1971: Могила льва
  • 1987: Переправа

literature

  • Yuri Kholopov: Andrei Volkonsky the initiator: a profile of his life and work , in "Ex oriente ... II" Nine Composers from the former USSR: Andrei Volkonsky, Sergei Slonimsky , Alemdar Karamanov , Valentin Silvestrov , Nikolai Karetnikov , Roman Ledenyov , Faraj Karayev , Victor Ekimovsky , Vladimir Tarnopolsky , Edited by Valeria Tsenova, English Edition only, (studia slavica musicologica, Vol. 30) ISBN 3-928864-91-2
  • Дружинин, Фёдор. Андрей Волконский // Воспоминания. Страницы жизни и творчества. Греко-латинский кабинет Ю.А.Шичалина, Консерватория им. Чайковского, Москва 2001
  • Peter John Schmelz: Andrey Volkonsky and the Beginnings of Unofficial Music. ; Volkonsky's Rejoinder. In: Such Freedom, if only musical. Unofficial Soviet Music during the Thaw. Oxford University Press, New York, 2009, ISBN 978-0-19-534193-5 , pp. 67-130; Pp. 275-294

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Marina Lobanova:  Volkonskij, Andrej Michajlovič. In: MGG Online (subscription required).
  2. ↑ biography at Schott Music
  3. ↑ Dorothea Redepenning : The history of Russian and Soviet music . The 20th century. tape 2, 2 . Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2008, ISBN 978-3-89007-709-3 , p. 652 f .
personal data
SURNAME Volkonsky, Andrei Mikhailovich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Volkonsky, André; Volkonskiy, Andrey Mikhailovich; Volkonsky Andrei Michailovich; Волконский, Андрей Михайлович
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Russian composer and harpsichordist
DATE OF BIRTH February 14, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Geneva
DATE OF DEATH September 16, 2008
Place of death Aix-en-Provence