Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov

Yevgeny Svetlanov, 1967

Yevgeny Fyodorowitsch Svetlanov (born September 6, 1928 in Moscow , † May 3, 2002 ibid) was a Russian conductor , composer and pianist .

Life

Svetlanov came from a family of musicians whose members worked at the Bolshoi Theater . He decided early on for a career as a musician and studied composition, conducting and piano at the Moscow Conservatory , where Alexander Gauk gave him conducting lessons until 1955 and Yuri Shaporin took composition lessons, and at the Gnessin Institute , where Mikhail Gnessin taught him composition until 1951 . Svetlanov was already drawing attention to himself as a composer at the end of the 1940s. In 1953 he conducted his first opera at the Bolshoi Theater and began a two-year engagement with the Moscow Radio . In 1955 he was hired as an assistant at the Bolshoi Theater, made a brilliant career there and finally became chief conductor from 1962 to 1965 and honorary conductor in 1999. In 1965 he took over as chief conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. This orchestra, which has called itself the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia since 1991 , finally became one of the leading symphony orchestras in the Soviet Union under his direction. Svetlanov directed it for 35 years and was its most important and formative conductor.

In 1979 he became principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and in 1992 chief conductor of the Royal Orchestra in The Hague . He also conducted other foreign orchestras on a regular basis. His terrific career as chief conductor of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia came to an abrupt end in 1999 when Svetlanov was dismissed by the Russian Minister of Culture. This was justified with a lack of presence and caused great outrage in the Russian music scene. Svetlanov had received the Lenin Prize in 1972 and the State Prize of the Soviet Union in 1983. In addition, he had been awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968 as a People's Artist of the USSR and in 1978 , and on the occasion of his 70th birthday he had received the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class. The asteroid (4135) Svetlanov , discovered on August 14, 1966, has been named after him since 1991.

Svetlanov as a conductor

Svetlanov is one of the most important Russian conductors of all time. At a young age he made the decision to record an anthology of Russian orchestral music. As chief conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR, he realized this project comprehensively through countless recordings of Russian music. There is hardly a Russian orchestral work from the 19th and early 20th centuries that Svetlanov has not recorded. He was also extremely open to the newer repertoire, conducted numerous world premieres and also recorded the works. Outstanding projects included the complete recording of Tchaikovsky's symphonies , which also caused a sensation in the West, as well as the first and so far only complete recording of all 27 symphonies and other orchestral works by Nikolai Mjaskowski , a composer who was particularly dear to Svetlanov.

But he was not limited to Russian music, but also performed numerous works from other countries. His recordings of Gustav Mahler's symphonies were particularly well received. Swetlanow's conducting style was characterized by extensive work knowledge and care. He always explored the works intensively to their limits. His interpretations are characterized by the intensity of expression, the dramatic force and Swetlanov's gripping, thrilling approach to music. In total, Svetlanov recorded almost 2,000 works with the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR alone.

Svetlanov as a composer

Svetlanov was a very conservative composer and often represented significantly less modern positions in his own works than in the works of other composers whom he performed. His works are deeply rooted in Russian tradition and are often inspired by Russian folk music. In individual works, Svetlanov was also interested in the folk music of other countries such as Spain. The instrumentation is always rich and skillful. Harmonics and design are more traditional, as Svetlanov generally avoided newer compositional techniques. He remained rooted in an occasionally sharpened tonality . In his own words, he orientated himself on Nikolai Myaskovsky - although he had a style that was much more effective and appealing to the public than that -, on Sergei Rachmaninov and on the rhythmic conciseness of Dmitri Shostakovich , whose influence otherwise remained rather marginal. Svetlanov always saw himself primarily as a composer and was disappointed that the public perceived him primarily as a conductor.

Svetlanov as a pianist

Svetlanov was also a brilliant pianist. He devoted himself mainly to the work of Nikolai Medtner and his own compositions. However, he appeared as a pianist only very sporadically. He was in great demand from his composer colleagues when it came to presenting new orchestral works to the Soviet Composers' Association on the piano. His meticulousness and emotionality, which distinguished him as a conductor, were also reflected in his piano playing.

Works

• Orchestral works
  • Symphony in B minor op.13 (1956)
  • Preludes. Six symphonic reflections (1966)
  • Pictures of Spain , Rhapsody No. 1 (1954)
  • Rhapsody No. 2 (1978)
  • Daybreak in the Fields , Symphonic Poetry (1949)
  • Daugava , symphonic poem (1952)
  • The red snowball , symphonic poem (1975)
  • Romantic Ballad (1974)
  • Piano Concerto in C minor (1950, rev. 1976)
  • Poem for violin and orchestra in memoriam David Oistrach (1975)
  • Russian Variations for Harp and Orchestra (1975)
• Vocal music
  • Heimatfelder , cantata (before 1950)
  • Three Russian Songs for Voice and Orchestra (1950)
  • Choirs
  • Songs
• Chamber music
  • String Quartet in D major (1948)
  • Wind quintet A day in the country (1975)
  • Violin sonata
  • 2 sonatinas for violin and piano
  • Five melodies in memoriam Michail Gnessin
  • Violoncello Sonata (1946)
• Piano music
  • 3 sonatas
  • 5 sonatinas
  • Orient , rhapsody
  • Children's album
  • 24 preludes in all keys (1950)
  • smaller pieces

Web links

Commons : Yevgeny Svetlanov  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official site - very detailed site about Svetlanov with documents and pictures

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Minor Planet Circ. 18455