Firsova was born in Leningrad into the family of physicists Oleg Firsov and Viktoria Lichko.[1] She studied music in Moscow with Alexander Pirumov, Yuri Kholopov, Edison Denisov and Philip Herschkowitz. In 1979 she was blacklisted as one of the "Khrennikov's Seven" at the Sixth Congress of the Union of Soviet Composers for unapproved participation in some festivals of Soviet music in the West. She was married to the composer Dmitri Smirnov and lives in the United Kingdom. Their children are Philip Firsov (an artist and sculptor), and Alissa Firsova (a composer, pianist and conductor).[1]
Her favourite genre is a chamber cantata for solo voice and ensemble (or orchestra). Some of them are written to the poems by Alexander Pushkin, Marina Tsvetaeva, Boris Pasternak and Oleg Prokofiev. However, most of them are setting the poems by her favourite poet Osip Mandelstam that include Earthly Life, Tristia, The Stone, Forest Walks, Before the Thunderstorm, Stygian Song, Secret Way, Seashell, Whirlpool, Silentium, Winter Songs, and Petrarch's Sonnets (in Russian translation by Osip Mandelstam).[1]
She received commissions from many music festivals, orchestras and ensembles including the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Brodsky Quartet, Manchester Wind Orchestra, Schubert Ensemble, Freden Festival, BBC Proms, Asiago Festival, and Expo 2000 (Hanover). Her music is available through publishers Boosey & Hawkes, London; Hans Sikorski, Hamburg; G. Schirmer, New York.
Works
Concerto
Cello Concerto No. 1 (1973)
Chamber Concerto No. 1 for flute and strings (1978)
Secret Way for voice and orchestra (Mandelstam, 1992)
Das erste ist vergangen (Christushymnus 2000) (The Former Things are Passed Away) for soprano, bass, mixed choir, and chamber orchestra (Franz Kafka, Bible, etc., 1999)
Requiem for soprano, chorus and orchestra (Anna Akhmatova, 2001)
La Malinconia, String Quartet No.10 Op.84 in: Brodsky Quartet: Beethoven Op.18 and six more: Alvarez, Beamish, E. Firsova, Jegede, Smirnov, Tanaka, Vanguard Classics 99212
Chamber Concerto No.1 for Flute and Strings Op.19 in: Works by modern composers of Moscow: Smirnov, Bobilev, E. Firsova, Pavlenko, Artiomov, Mobile Fidelity MFCD 906
Cassandra for symphony orchestra Op.60 (1992) together with Sofia Gubaidulina: Pro et contra BIS CD-668 STEREO
The Mandelstam Cantatas (Forest Walks, Earthly Life, Before the Thunderstorm) Studio for New Music Moscow, Igor Dronov, conductor; Ekaterina Kichigina, soprano Megadisc MDC 7816 [2]
For Alissa Op. 102 (2002) in: RUSSIAN ÉMIGRÉS: Rachmaninov, Smirnov, E. Firsova, A. Firsova: Alissa Firsova, piano: Vivat 109 DDD
Homage to Canisy, Op.129 for Cello & Piano
Lost Vision, Op. 137 for Piano Solo
A Triple Portrait, Op.132, commissioned by Marsyas Trio (2011)
Night Songs, Op.125 for Mezzo-Soprano, Flute & Cello
Spring Sonata, Op.27 for Flute & Piano
For Slava, Op.120 for Solo Cello
Meditation in the Japanese Garden, Op.54 for Flute, Cello & Piano
Three Poems of Osip Mandelstam, Op.23 for Soprano & Piano
Tender is the Sorrow, Op.130 for Flute, String Trio and Piano in: A Triple Portrait. Chamber Music by Elena Firsova – Marsyas Trio, Meridian: CDE84635 [3]
Bibliography
Elena Firsova: On Music; in Sovjetische Music in Licht der Perestroika, pp. 337–8, Laaber-Verlag, Germany, (German translation by Hannelore Gerlach and Jürgen Köchel) 1990
References
^ abcdFlechsig, Amrei. "Jelena Firssowa". hfmt-hamburg.de (in German). Retrieved 15 April 2020.
^. 20 September 2005. Archived from the original on 20 September 2005.
Yuri Kholopov: Russians in England: Dmitri Smirnov, Elena Firsova. Article, in: Music From the Former USSR. Issue 2. Moscow: Composer, 1996, pp. 255–303; Ex oriente...: Ten Composers from the Former USSR. Berlin: Verlag Ernst Kuhn, 2002, pp. 207–266 ISBN3-928864-84-X
elena, firsova, elena, olegovna, firsova, russian, Еле, на, Оле, говна, Фи, рсова, also, yelena, jelena, firssowa, born, march, 1950, russian, composer, Еле, на, Фи, рсова, 2003bornelena, olegovna, firsova, 1950, march, 1950leningrad, russian, soviet, unionocc. Elena Olegovna Firsova Russian Ele na Ole govna Fi rsova also Yelena or Jelena Firssowa born 21 March 1950 is a Russian composer Elena FirsovaEle na Fi rsovaElena Firsova in 2003BornElena Olegovna Firsova 1950 03 21 21 March 1950Leningrad Russian SSR Soviet UnionOccupationComposerSpouseDmitri Smirnov m 1972 died 2020 wbr Children2 Contents 1 Life 2 Works 2 1 Concerto 2 2 Ensembles 2 3 Quartet 2 4 Cantata 2 5 Orchestral 2 6 Opera 2 7 Vocal 2 8 Solo 3 Discography 4 Bibliography 5 References 5 1 Sources 6 External linksLife EditFirsova was born in Leningrad into the family of physicists Oleg Firsov and Viktoria Lichko 1 She studied music in Moscow with Alexander Pirumov Yuri Kholopov Edison Denisov and Philip Herschkowitz In 1979 she was blacklisted as one of the Khrennikov s Seven at the Sixth Congress of the Union of Soviet Composers for unapproved participation in some festivals of Soviet music in the West She was married to the composer Dmitri Smirnov and lives in the United Kingdom Their children are Philip Firsov an artist and sculptor and Alissa Firsova a composer pianist and conductor 1 She has composed more than a hundred compositions in many different genres including chamber opera The Nightingale and the Rose after Oscar Wilde and Christina Rossetti premiered at the 1994 Almeida Opera Festival London an orchestra work Augury premiered at the 1992 BBC Proms that includes a choral setting of William Blake s famous lines To see the world in a grain of sand and Requiem to Anna Akhmatova s poem for soprano chorus and orchestra premiered at the Konzerthaus Berlin in September 2003 1 Her favourite genre is a chamber cantata for solo voice and ensemble or orchestra Some of them are written to the poems by Alexander Pushkin Marina Tsvetaeva Boris Pasternak and Oleg Prokofiev However most of them are setting the poems by her favourite poet Osip Mandelstam that include Earthly Life Tristia The Stone Forest Walks Before the Thunderstorm Stygian Song Secret Way Seashell Whirlpool Silentium Winter Songs and Petrarch s Sonnets in Russian translation by Osip Mandelstam 1 She received commissions from many music festivals orchestras and ensembles including the Concertgebouw Orchestra Brodsky Quartet Manchester Wind Orchestra Schubert Ensemble Freden Festival BBC Proms Asiago Festival and Expo 2000 Hanover Her music is available through publishers Boosey amp Hawkes London Hans Sikorski Hamburg G Schirmer New York Works EditConcerto Edit Cello Concerto No 1 1973 Chamber Concerto No 1 for flute and strings 1978 Chamber Concerto No 2 Cello Concerto No 2 1982 Violin Concerto No 2 1983 Chamber Concerto No 3 Piano Concerto No 1 1985 Chamber Concerto No 4 for horn and ensemble 1987 Chamber Concerto No 5 Cello Concerto No 3 1996 Chamber Concerto No 6 Piano Concerto No 2 1996 Ensembles Edit Odyssey for 7 players 1990 Petrarch s Sonnets translated by Osip Mandelstam for voice and ensemble 1976 Music for 12 for ensemble 1986 Insomnia for four singers Pushkin 1993 The Night for voice and saxophone quartet Boris Pasternak 1978 Stygian Song for soprano and chamber ensemble Mandelstam 1989 Before the Thunderstorm cantata for soprano and ensemble Mandelstam 1994 Black Bells for piano and ensemble 2005 Piano Trio Op 8 1972 9 Trio cl vn pfn 1990 9 Boosey amp Hawkes Quartet Edit Amoroso String Quartet No 4 1989 Misterioso String Quartet No 3 1980 Compassione String Quartet No 7 1995 The Stone Guest String Quartet No 8 1995 Purgatorio String Quartet No 11 completed in 2008 Silentium for voice and string quartet Mandelstam 1991 The Door is Closed String Quartet No 9 1996 La malinconia String Quartet No 10 1998 Lagrimoso String Quartet No 5 1992 String Quartet No 6 1994 Farewell String Quartet No 12 2005 Cantata Edit The Stone cantata for voice and symphony orchestra Mandelstam 1983 Earthly Life chamber cantata for soprano and ensemble Mandelstam 1984 Forest walks cantata for soprano and ensemble Mandelstam 1987 Orchestral Edit Augury for chorus and orchestra William Blake 1988 Nostalgia for orchestra 1989 Tristia cantata for voice and chamber orchestra Mandelstam 1979 The River of Time for chorus and chamber orchestra in memory of Edison Denisov Gavrila Derzhavin 1997 Captivity for wind orchestra 1998 Leaving for string orchestra 1998 Cassandra for orchestra 1992 Secret Way for voice and orchestra Mandelstam 1992 Das erste ist vergangen Christushymnus 2000 The Former Things are Passed Away for soprano bass mixed choir and chamber orchestra Franz Kafka Bible etc 1999 Requiem for soprano chorus and orchestra Anna Akhmatova 2001 The Garden of Dreams Homage to Dmitri Shostakovich for orchestra 2004 Opera Edit A Feast in Time of Plague chamber opera after Alexander Pushkin 1973 The Nightingale and the Rose chamber opera after Oscar Wilde and Christina Rossetti 1991 Vocal Edit Three Poems of Osip Mandelstam for voice and piano 1980 Shakespeare s Sonnets for voice and organ or saxophone quartet 1981 Seashell for soprano and ensemble Mandelstam 1991 Whirlpool for voice flute and percussion Mandelstam 1991 Distance for voice clarinet and string quartet Marina Tsvetaeva 1992 No it is not a Migraine for baritone and piano Mandelstam 1995 The Scent of Absence for bass flute and harp Oleg Prokofiev 1998 Winter Songs for soprano and cello Mandelstam 2003 Solo Edit Suite for viola solo Op 2 1967 Sonata for clarinet solo Op 16 1976 For Slava for solo cello 2007 Discography EditMisterioso String Quartet No 3 Op 24 in Lydian Quartet in Moscow E Firsova Chaushian Child Lee Art and Electronics AED 10108 Stereo Amoroso String Quartet No 4 Op 40 in Chilingirian Quartet Stravinsky Schnittke Smirnov Roslavets E Firsova Music for String Quartet Conifer Classics 75605 512522 La Malinconia String Quartet No 10 Op 84 in Brodsky Quartet Beethoven Op 18 and six more Alvarez Beamish E Firsova Jegede Smirnov Tanaka Vanguard Classics 99212 Chamber Concerto No 1 for Flute and Strings Op 19 in Works by modern composers of Moscow Smirnov Bobilev E Firsova Pavlenko Artiomov Mobile Fidelity MFCD 906 Cassandra for symphony orchestra Op 60 1992 together with Sofia Gubaidulina Pro et contra BIS CD 668 STEREO The Mandelstam Cantatas Forest Walks Earthly Life Before the Thunderstorm Studio for New Music Moscow Igor Dronov conductor Ekaterina Kichigina soprano Megadisc MDC 7816 2 For Alissa Op 102 2002 in RUSSIAN EMIGRES Rachmaninov Smirnov E Firsova A Firsova Alissa Firsova piano Vivat 109 DDD Homage to Canisy Op 129 for Cello amp Piano Lost Vision Op 137 for Piano Solo A Triple Portrait Op 132 commissioned by Marsyas Trio 2011 Night Songs Op 125 for Mezzo Soprano Flute amp Cello Spring Sonata Op 27 for Flute amp Piano For Slava Op 120 for Solo Cello Meditation in the Japanese Garden Op 54 for Flute Cello amp Piano Three Poems of Osip Mandelstam Op 23 for Soprano amp Piano Tender is the Sorrow Op 130 for Flute String Trio and Piano in A Triple Portrait Chamber Music by Elena Firsova Marsyas Trio Meridian CDE84635 3 Bibliography EditElena Firsova On Music in Sovjetische Music in Licht der Perestroika pp 337 8 Laaber Verlag Germany German translation by Hannelore Gerlach and Jurgen Kochel 1990References Edit a b c d Flechsig Amrei Jelena Firssowa hfmt hamburg de in German Retrieved 15 April 2020 MDC7816 Elena Firsova The Mandelstam Cantatas 20 September 2005 Archived from the original on 20 September 2005 CDE84635 Marsyas Trio www meridian records co uk Sources Edit Yuri Kholopov Russians in England Dmitri Smirnov Elena Firsova Article in Music From the Former USSR Issue 2 Moscow Composer 1996 pp 255 303 Ex oriente Ten Composers from the Former USSR Berlin Verlag Ernst Kuhn 2002 pp 207 266 ISBN 3 928864 84 X Firsova Yelena Olegovna by Stephen Johnson in the New Grove Dictionary of Opera ed Stanley Sadie London 1992 ISBN 0 333 73432 7External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elena Firsova Literature by and about Elena Firsova in the German National Library catalogue A Complete List of Works Brief biography at Boosey amp Hawkes site Composer s home page Texts of her vocal works at Recmusic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elena Firsova amp oldid 1121415642, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
