Roman Matsov

Roman Matsov ( Russian Роман Вольдемарович Матсов ; born April 27, 1917 in Petrograd , Russia ; †  August 24, 2001 in Tallinn , Estonia ) was an Estonian conductor and violinist .

Life and music

Roman Matsov completed his studies in piano (with Theodor Lemba ) and violin (in the class of Johannes Paulsen ) at the Tallinn Conservatory in 1940 . From 1938 to 1940 he was a violinist with the Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra ( Estonian Riigi Ringhäälingu Sümfooniaorkester ). He trained with Georg Kulenkampff and Walter Gieseking in Berlin and at the Leningrad Conservatory , including as a conductor.

During the Second World War , Matsov and other Estonian musicians founded an Estonian symphony orchestra in Yaroslavl behind the front. With the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union , Matsov returned to his homeland in autumn 1944. He Russified his name and joined the Red Army . During the fighting for Leningrad against Finnish units, he was wounded in the right arm, the mobility of the fingers remained from then on. Matsov was brought to Yaroslavl, where he married the Armenian violinist Asmik Agekjan.

In 1946 Roman Matsov won second prize at the Union Competition for Young Conductors in Leningrad. He subsequently became one of the most respected conductors of the Estonian SSR . From 1947 until his death Matsov was a lecturer at the Tallinn State Conservatory, from 1977 with the title of professor. His most famous students include Peeter Lilje , Tõnu Kaljuste , Jüri Alperten and Arvo Volmer .

From 1950 to 1963 he was chief conductor of the Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra , which he developed into one of the leading symphony orchestras in the USSR. There he conducted from 1944 to 1988. Numerous concert tours took Matsov and the orchestra abroad.

The close and trusting contact with Shostakovich shaped his life and work. In Matsov's estate there are numerous autographs by Shostakovich and other composers who have become unpopular in the Soviet Union and supported by Matsov.

Awards

In 1954 Matsov received the title of "Honored Artist of the Estonian SSR". In 1967 he was awarded the title “National Artist of the Estonian SSR”.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Eesti Elulood. Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus 2000 (= Eesti Entsüklopeedia 14) ISBN 9985-70-064-3 , p. 283
2. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ http://www.erso.ee/lang/eng/article/history
4. ↑ http://www.reller-rezensions.de/belletristik/wolkow-die_memoiren_des_dmitri_schostakowitsch.htm

Web links

• Roman matsov in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Vastab Roman Matsov (interview, Estonian, viewed December 11, 2009)