PrinceAndrei Mikhaylovich Volkonsky (also Andrey, André, Mikhailovich, Michailovich, Volkonski, Volkonskiy) (Russian: Андрей Михайлович Волконский; 14 February 1933 – 16 September 2008) was a Russian composer of classical music and harpsichordist. He was a key figure in Early Music Revival in Russia.
A descendant of Volkonsky, Russian aristocratic princely family in exile, he was born in Geneva in 1933. As a child he played his improvisations to Sergei Rachmaninoff. Then he studied piano at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève with Johnny Aubert and with the legendary Dinu Lipatti. The Volkonsky family resettled in Moscow in 1947. From 1950 to 1954 he studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Yuri Shaporin, but was expelled for breaking some minor disciplinary rules. In 1956 Volkonsky began the career of a harpsichord and organ player. He pioneered performing renaissance and baroque music, which had hitherto not been played in the USSR. In 1965 he founded an ensemble of early music, called "The Ensemble Madrigal".
He was among the first Soviet composers who began experimenting with twelve-tone and serial techniques. An early work in this style was his piano suite "Musica Stricta" (1956). His works greatly influenced his colleagues. Composing such music at that time was an act of courage: it was a protest against the suppression of freedom, and specifically against the requirement that the composers in Soviet Russia followed the narrowly prescribed doctrines of the Socialist Realism. It is not surprising that his music, attempting at a real renewal and enrichment of the musical language in Russia, was banned from performance. Volkonsky said that he had been fighting for 25 years to establish and preserve his artistic individuality in Moscow before requesting an exit visa in December 1972.
"The next day I was expelled from the Union of Composers. All my concerts were cancelled. The record company was instructed not to release the records I had made…" (Andrei Volkonsky)[1]
But he was not allowed to leave the country immediately. Five months of suspense and unemployment followed, during which he hounded the passport office and sold most of his belongings, including scores and books, to support himself.
"The Soviet authorities finally had the intelligence and wisdom to release the composer who was of no use to them in the fulfilment of their music five-year plans, who could not compose that only kind of music which was allowed in the Soviet Union… I was just a speck of dirt in the grand marble palace of the Soviet Culture." (Andrei Volkonsky)[2]
Andrei Volkonsky emigrated to the West in 1973. He first returned to Geneva, where he was born, and later settled in Aix-en-Provence (in the South of France) where he died at the age of 75. He was married (1954–1960) to the poet Helvi Jürisson (b. 05.10.1928). They had a son, prince Peeter Volkonski (Piotr Andreevitch Volkonsky) (b.12.09.1954), an acclaimed Estonian actor and rock-musician.
(1-9) Lydia Davydova (Sopran), Andre Volkonsky (Orgel) und Solisten des Symphony Orchestra of Leningrad Philharmonic, Leitung: Igor Blazhkov. Aufnahme: 1967 (10-13) Lydia Davydova (Sopran), Andre Volkonsky (Cembalo) und Solisten des Symphony Orchestra of Leningrad Philharmonic, Leitung: Igor Blazhkov. Aufnahme: 1965 (14) Tatiana Marushchak (Sopran), Grigory Sandomirsky (Violine), Natalia Pshenichnikova (Flote), Mark Pekarsky Percussion Ensemble, Collegium Musicum Chamber Orchestra, Leitung: Timur Mynbaev Live-Aufnahme beim, Alternativa?" Festival Moskau im Oktober 1989
Bella, CD, ADD, 1965-1989
References
^Schwarz, Boris (1983). Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia. Indiana University Press.
Дружинин, Фёдор. Андрей Волконский// Воспоминания. Страницы жизни и творчества. Греко-латинский кабинет Ю.А.Шичалина, Консерватория им. Чайковского, Москва 2001
Schmelz, J. Peter. Andrey Volkonsky and the Beginnings of Unofficial Music; Volkonsky's Rejoinder// Such Freedom, if only musical. Unofficial Soviet Music during the Thaw. Oxford University Press, New York, 2009, pp. 67–130; pp. 275–294
andrei, volkonsky, prince, andrei, mikhaylovich, volkonsky, also, andrey, andré, mikhailovich, michailovich, volkonski, volkonskiy, russian, Андрей, Михайлович, Волконский, february, 1933, september, 2008, russian, composer, classical, music, harpsichordist, f. Prince Andrei Mikhaylovich Volkonsky also Andrey Andre Mikhailovich Michailovich Volkonski Volkonskiy Russian Andrej Mihajlovich Volkonskij 14 February 1933 16 September 2008 was a Russian composer of classical music and harpsichordist He was a key figure in Early Music Revival in Russia Contents 1 Biography 2 Ancestry 3 Selected works 3 1 Orchestral 3 2 Sonata 3 3 Cantata 3 4 Voice 3 5 Chorus 3 6 Piano 3 7 Ensemble 3 8 Film music 4 Recordings 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksBiography EditA descendant of Volkonsky Russian aristocratic princely family in exile he was born in Geneva in 1933 As a child he played his improvisations to Sergei Rachmaninoff Then he studied piano at the Conservatoire de Musique de Geneve with Johnny Aubert and with the legendary Dinu Lipatti The Volkonsky family resettled in Moscow in 1947 From 1950 to 1954 he studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Yuri Shaporin but was expelled for breaking some minor disciplinary rules In 1956 Volkonsky began the career of a harpsichord and organ player He pioneered performing renaissance and baroque music which had hitherto not been played in the USSR In 1965 he founded an ensemble of early music called The Ensemble Madrigal He was among the first Soviet composers who began experimenting with twelve tone and serial techniques An early work in this style was his piano suite Musica Stricta 1956 His works greatly influenced his colleagues Composing such music at that time was an act of courage it was a protest against the suppression of freedom and specifically against the requirement that the composers in Soviet Russia followed the narrowly prescribed doctrines of the Socialist Realism It is not surprising that his music attempting at a real renewal and enrichment of the musical language in Russia was banned from performance Volkonsky said that he had been fighting for 25 years to establish and preserve his artistic individuality in Moscow before requesting an exit visa in December 1972 The next day I was expelled from the Union of Composers All my concerts were cancelled The record company was instructed not to release the records I had made Andrei Volkonsky 1 dd But he was not allowed to leave the country immediately Five months of suspense and unemployment followed during which he hounded the passport office and sold most of his belongings including scores and books to support himself The Soviet authorities finally had the intelligence and wisdom to release the composer who was of no use to them in the fulfilment of their music five year plans who could not compose that only kind of music which was allowed in the Soviet Union I was just a speck of dirt in the grand marble palace of the Soviet Culture Andrei Volkonsky 2 dd Andrei Volkonsky emigrated to the West in 1973 He first returned to Geneva where he was born and later settled in Aix en Provence in the South of France where he died at the age of 75 He was married 1954 1960 to the poet Helvi Jurisson b 05 10 1928 They had a son prince Peeter Volkonski Piotr Andreevitch Volkonsky b 12 09 1954 an acclaimed Estonian actor and rock musician Ancestry EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Ancestors of Andrei Volkonsky16 Sergei Prince Volkonsky8 Mikhail Prince Volkonsky17 Maria Raevskaya4 Piotr Prince Volkonsky18 Grigori Prince Volkonsky9 Elisabeth Princessa Volkonskaya19 Maria Countessa Benckendorf2 Mikhail Prince Volkonsky20 Ivan Prince Shakhovsky10 Andrei Prince Shakhovsky21 Sofia Countessa Musina Puschkina5 Elisabeth Princess Shakhovskaya22 Aleksandr Olsufiev11 Sofia Olsufieva23 Maria Vassilevna Naryshkina1 Andrei Prince Volkonsky24 12 Boleslav Petkevich25 6 Georgi Petkevich26 13 27 3 Kira Petkevich28 Ivan Grigorievich Goremykin14 Ignat Goremykin29 Anna Petrovna N 7 Vera Goremykina30 15 Vera Nikolaevna N 31 Selected works EditOrchestral Edit Concerto for Orchestra 1953 Capriccio for orchestra 1954 Serenade to an Insect for chamber orchestra 1959 Replica for small orchestra 1970 Immobile for piano and orchestra 1978 Sonata Edit Piano Sonata in B Major 1949 Sonata for Viola and Piano Op 8 1955 56 Cantata Edit Rus cantata on text by Nikolai Gogol 1952 The Face of Peace cantata on text by Paul Eluard 1952 Voice Edit Mirror Suite for soprano and 5 players Flute Violin Guitar Organ and Percussion on text by Federico Garcia Lorca 1960 Lamentations of Schchaza for soprano Cor Anglais Violin Marimba Vibrafono and Cembalo on text by Schchaza 1961 Concerto Itinerant for soprano violin percussion and 26 instruments text from the Rubayiat of Omar Khayyam 1967 Lied for 4 voices 1974 7 Sacred Songs for three male voices solo or choir arrangement of Russian orthodoxe liturgical songs 1984 Was noch lebt for mezzo soprano and string trio on text by Johannes Bobrowski 1985 Psalm 148 for three voices solo or choir organ and timpani 1989 Chorus Edit Two Japanese Songs for chorus electric sound and percussion 1957 Piano Edit Piano Quintet Op 5 1954 Fantasia for Piano 1955 Musica Stricta fantasia ricercata Op 11 for piano 1957 Ensemble Edit String Quartet Op 6 1955 Music for 12 Instruments Op 12 1957 Jeu a Trois for flute violin and harpsichord 1962 Les mailles du Temps for 3 instrumental groups 1970 Maqam for tar and harpsichord 1974 Carrefour for ensemble 1992 Film music Edit Novye pokhozhdeniya Kota v Sapogakh 1958 Novye pohozhdeniya kota v sapogah as A Volkonsky Marya iskusnitsa 1960 Marya iskusnica Maria the Wonderful Weaver The Magic Weaver USA Priklyucheniya Krosha 1961 Priklyucheniya Krosha Adventures of Krosh 3 2 1962 Tri plyus dva Three Plus Two Across the Cemetery 1963 Cherez kladbishe Voyna pod kryshami 1967 Vojna pod kryshami The War Under the Roofs Dead Season 1968 Myortvyj sezon Mogila Lva 1971 Mogila lva The Lion s Grave Pereprava 1987 PerepravaRecordings EditCTH 2502 ANDRE VOLKONSKYSuite de los espejos Spiegel Suite Mirror Suite La Suite de miroirs Federico Garcia Lorca 1959 1 Symbol 1 15 2 Der grofte Spiegel 0 15 3 Reflex 1 18 4 Strahlen 0 19 5 Widerhall 1 01 6 Shinto Weg der Gotter 1 16 7 Die Augen 6 12 8 Initium 0 50 9 Schlaflied fur den schlafrigen Spiegel 5 16Les Plaintes de Shchaza Die Klagen der Shchaza Laments of Shchaza 1960 10 Lento ma non troppo 2 19 11 Presto 2 05 12 Lento rubato 6 38 13 Aussi vite que possible 5 07Concert itinerant Das wandernde Konzert Wandering Concerto 30 33 Omar Hayyam 1964 67 14 1 9 Lydia Davydova Sopran Andre Volkonsky Orgel und Solisten des Symphony Orchestra of Leningrad Philharmonic Leitung Igor Blazhkov Aufnahme 1967 10 13 Lydia Davydova Sopran Andre Volkonsky Cembalo und Solisten des Symphony Orchestra of Leningrad Philharmonic Leitung Igor Blazhkov Aufnahme 1965 14 Tatiana Marushchak Sopran Grigory Sandomirsky Violine Natalia Pshenichnikova Flote Mark Pekarsky Percussion Ensemble Collegium Musicum Chamber Orchestra Leitung Timur Mynbaev Live Aufnahme beim Alternativa Festival Moskau im Oktober 1989 Bella CD ADD 1965 1989References Edit Schwarz Boris 1983 Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia Indiana University Press The New York Times 5 June 1973 Further reading EditYuri 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 Karaev Victor Ekimovsky Vladimir Tarnopolsky Edited by Valeria Tsenova English Edition only studia slavica musicologica Bd 30 245 pp music illus ISBN 3 928864 91 2 Format 21 x 14 8 cm Druzhinin Fyodor Andrej Volkonskij Vospominaniya Stranicy zhizni i tvorchestva Greko latinskij kabinet Yu A Shichalina Konservatoriya im Chajkovskogo Moskva 2001 Schmelz J Peter Andrey Volkonsky and the Beginnings of Unofficial Music Volkonsky s Rejoinder Such Freedom if only musical Unofficial Soviet Music during the Thaw Oxford University Press New York 2009 pp 67 130 pp 275 294External links EditAndrei Volkonsky at IMDb Ernst Kuhn Berlin D Smirnov Russian Music in Exile CD information Listen to Photo with Yuri Kholopov Prince Peeter Volkonsky photo Portals Classical music USSR Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Andrei Volkonsky amp oldid 1101293949, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
