#ClassicsaDay #SovietaDay Week 2

For May 2018, some of us contributing to #ClassicsaDay decided to mark May Day. Reason enough to post works by Soviet composers. I decided to go a little farther with my #SovietaDay posts and concentrate on Soviet prize winners. 

 Here are the posts I shared for week 2.

Arkady Filippenko (1912-1983 - String Quartet No. 2 in D major

Filippenko served in the Red Army during WWII. Afterward, he helped organize the Ukrainian Composers Union. His second string quartet, which represented the struggles of the Soviets during the war, won the Stalin Prize in 1948.

Otar Taktakishvili (1924-1989) - Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor

In the West Taktakishvili is best-known for his Sonata for Flute and Piano. In the East, it's his Anthem of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. His Piano Concerto No. 1 won the Stalin Prize in 1950.

Andriy Shtoharenko (1902-1992) - In Memory of Lesya Ukrainka, symphonic suite

Though barely known or performed in the West, Shtoharenko was an important teacher and composer in the USSR. Lesya Ukrainka was one of the leading writers of the Soviet Union. Like Shtoharenko, she was from Ukraine. "In Memory of Lesya Ukrainka" won the Stalin Prize in 1952.

Reinhold Glière (1875-1956) - The Bronze Horseman, Op. 89a (Ballet Suite)

"The Bronze Horseman" is a 1949 ballet based on a story by Pushkin. The story is set in St. Petersberg, and the final number, "Hymn to the Great City" was adopted as its anthem. The music won a Stalin Prize in 1949.

Vissarion Shebalin (1902-1963) - String Quartet No. 5 "Slavonic" Op. 33

Shebalin studied with Glière and Myaskovsky and was one of the founders of the Union of Soviet Composers. His fifth string quartet, as did much of his work, incorporate nationalist folk elements. It won the Stalin Prize in 1943.

#ClassicsaDay #SovietaDay Week 3

For May 2018, some of us contributing to #ClassicsaDay decided to mark May Day. Reason enough to post works by Soviet composers. I decided to go a little farther with my #SovietaDay posts and concentrate on Soviet prize winners. 

Here are the posts I shared for week 3.

Gara Garayev (1918-1982) Leyli and Majnun, symphonic poem

Garayev was one of Azerbaijan's most prominent composers. He held several key music-related government positions, eventually becoming a member of the Supreme Soviet. His tone poem "Leyli and Majnun" was based on a 12th Century poem by Nizami Ganjavi. It won the Stalin Prize in 1948.

Fikret Amirov (1922-1984) Symphonic Mughams

Amirov was Azerbaijani and used its folk music extensively in his compositions. A mugham is one such tradition. It's an improvised piece based on a highly codified collection of melodies, motifs, and modes. Amirov's symphonic version of this form won the Stalin Prize in 1949.

Reinhold Glière 1875-1956): String Quartet No. 4

Glières was a prominent composer both before and after the Revolution. He avoided politics and survived both the 1936 and 1948 ideological purges that ensnared many other composers. His fourth string quartet won the Stalin Prize in 1948. He was 73 at the time and considered something of a national treasure.

Otar Taktakishvili (1924-1989) Symphony No. 1 in A minor "Youth Symphony"

The Georgian-born Taktakishvili studied with Shostakovich, and they became life-long friends. Taktakishvili composed the Anthem for the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. His catalog includes operas and film scores, as well as concert works. His first symphony won the Stalin Prize in 1949.

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1900-1987): String Quartet No. 2

In the West, Kabelevsky's a one-hit wonder (Comedian's Galop), In the USSR, he was a major figure. He helped establish the Union of Soviet Composers and was at the forefront of children's music education. He wrote over 100 works, including four symphonies, and seven concertos. The second of his two string quartets won the Stalin Prize in 1946.

#ClassicsaDay #SovietaDay Week 4

For May 2018, some of us contributing to #ClassicsaDay decided to mark May Day. Reason enough to post works by Soviet composers. I decided to go a little farther with my #SovietaDay posts and concentrate on Soviet prize winners.

Here are the posts I shared for week 4.

Boris Lyatoshinsky (1895-1968) - Piano Quintet "Ukrainian Quintet" Op. 42

Lyatoshinsky, inspired by Scriabin, continually pushed the boundaries of tonality. His early works were sometimes accused of "formalism." In the 1920s he began incorporating folk elements of his native Ukraine into his work. His Piano Quintet Op. 42, the "Ukrainian Quintet" is the best example of this folk-inspired style. It won the Stalin Prize in 1946.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) - Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60 "Leningrad"

Shostakovich started work on his seventh symphony in 1939. He was working on the second movement when he was trapped in the Siege of Leningrad. During the war, the symphony was considered a symbol of resistance. Though around 80 minutes long, it was frequently performed in the West as a sign of support. Interest in the symphony declined after the war. Symphony No. 7 was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1942.

Alexander Arutiunian (1920-2012) - Cantata about the Motherland

Artuiunian's best-known work is his 1950 Trumpet Concerto in A-flat Major. In the Soviet Union, this Armenian composer was known for his concert works as well as his film scores. His Cantata about the Motherland won the Stalin Prize in 1948.

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) - On Guard for Peace, Op. 124

The cantata "On Guard for Peace" marked Prokofiev's return to political acceptance after the 1948 Zhdanov Decree. Although some of his works remained proscribed, new compositions were deemed safe to perform. The cantata won the Stalin Prize (second class) in 1951.

#ClassicsaDay #SovietaDay Week 1

For May 2018, some of us contributing to #ClassicsaDay decided to mark May Day. Reason enough to post works by Soviet composers. I decided to go a little farther with my #SovietaDay posts and concentrate on Soviet prize winners. 

Here are the posts I shared for week 1.

Nikolai Myaskovsky (1880-1950) - Symphony No.21 in F sharp minor, Op. 51

Myaskovsky, the "Father of the Russian Symphony" His orchestral output was popular both in and outside the Soviet Union. His 21st Symphony was completed in 1940 and was awarded the Stalin Prize. It was one of five that Myaskovsky won -- the most of any composer.

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) - Piano sonata No. 7

Prokofiev is the middle of the three piano sonatas he wrote during World War II. Sviatoslav Richter premiered the work in 1943. The middle movement is based on Schumann's lieder "Wehmut." "I can sometimes sing as if I were glad, yet secretly tears well and so free my heart." The buried subversion went unnoticed - the sonata was awarded the Stalin Prize (second class).

Samuil Feinberg 1890-1962) Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 36

Feinberg was a pianist first, and a composer second. He's best remembered for his complete recording of Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier." Feinberg wrote mostly for the solo piano, although he also completed three piano concertos. His second concerto won the Stalin Prize in 1946.

Valery Gavrilin (1930-1999) - Perezvony: a choral symphony of-action for soloists, mixed chorus, oboe, percussion and narrator

Gavrilin was part of the "neo-folk" movement. He wrote for film as well as the concert hall. Gavrilin was a singer and many of his compositions feature the human voice. HIs choral symphony Perezvony won the Stalin Prize.

The poster of the video for this work didn't allow embedding from YouTube. Here's the link to the performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi1_tbZZvHQ&feature=youtu.be

#ClassicsaDay #SovietaDay Week 5

For May 2018, some of us contributing to #ClassicsaDay decided to mark May Day. Reason enough to post works by Soviet composers. I decided to go a little farther with my #SovietaDay posts and concentrate on Soviet prize winners.

Here are the posts I shared for week 5. 

Jovdat Hajiyev (1917-2002): For Peace, symphonic poem

Hajiyev was a student of Shostakovich and has the distinction of being the first Azerbaijani to write a symphony. Primarily known for his large orchestral works, his symphonic poem "For Peace" garnered his second Stalin Prize in 1952.

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1900-1987): Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 48

Kabalevsky wrote three concertos dedicated to Soviet Youth. This concerto was the first of that series. It was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1949.

Gavriil Nikolayevich Popov (1904-1972): Symphony No. 2, Op. 39 "Motherland"

In 1936 Popov's First Symphony was banned before it could be performed. Popov wrote his second symphony to embody "the people’s soul" and to get back into the good graces of the authorities. It succeeded on both counts. It won the Stalin Prize in 1946.

Nikolai Myaskovsky (1880-1950) - String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, Op. 86

Myaskovsky was one of the composers who was called out by the 1947 Zhdanov Decree for writing anti-Soviet formalist music. He refused to be a part of the proceedings, or issue any statement of repentance. Mysaskovsky died of cancer in 1950. He was rehabilitated posthumously. His final string quartet and symphony were awarded Stalin Prizes in 1951.