Shostakovich & Other Russians

Session SixBob Fabian

LIFEcourses.ca/Shostakovich

Plan for session

● Successors– Weinberg peers

– Galina Ivanovna Ustvolskaya 1919– Boris Alexandrovich Tchaikovsky 1925

– Students– Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina 1931– Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin 1932– Boris Ivanovich Tishchenko 1939

● Shostakovich Keyboard Works– 24 preludes & fugues

– Piano Concerto No. 2

Galina Ustvolskaya 1919-2006

● “I am convinced that the music of G. I. Ustvolskaya will achieve worldwide renown, to be valued by all who perceive truth in music to be of paramount importance.” Shostakovich

● Pupil of Shostakovich 1939 – 1947

● But she claimed he had no impact on her mature music

Ustvolskaya Symphony No. 5

● Symphony No. 5 - Amen (1989/90), for voice, oboe, trumpet, tuba, violin and percussion (wooden cube)

● Text: The Lord's Prayer (in Russian)● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo3u4Zz-DZU

Boris Tchaikovsky 1925 - 1996

● Studied at Moscow Conservatory with Dmitry Shostakovich and Nikolai Miaskovsky

● "I consider him to be a genius ... I do think that one day people will come to know that two great Russian composers bore the same name" M. Rostropovich

● http://www.boris-tchaikovsky.com/

Piano Trio (1953)

● In three movements: Toccata, Aria, Variations● Festival Wissembourg August 28th 2014● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhgQ2Pu8X3E

Sofia Gubaidulina 1931 -

● As a student, her music was deemed "irresponsible", but she was supported by Shostakovich

● In 1979, she was blacklisted as one of the "Khrennikov's Seven".

● In the 1980s, Gidon Kremer championed her violin concerto

● Since 1992, Gubaidulina has lived in Hamburg

The Canticle of the Sun of St Francis of Assisi

● Ivan Monighetti - cello● Ryszard Haba, Tomasz Sobaniec - percussion instruments● Polish Radio Choir, Jerzy Swoboda - conductor● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN4yafIorPM (part I)

Rodion Shchedrin 1932 -

● 1955 graduated Moscow Conservatory

● His early music is tonal, colourfully orchestrated and often includes snatches of folk music

● Wide range of music: piano, ballet, opera, symphony, solo

● Divides his time between Munich and Moscow

Piano Concerto No. 1

● Rodion Shchedrin playing his own concerto● State Academic SO under Yevgeny Svetlanov

– Live in Moscow in 1975

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2H1oexDzHs

Boris Tishchenko 1939 - 2010

● Studied with Shostakovich 1962-1965

● Very much influenced by music of his teachers Dmitri Shostakovich and Galina Ustvolskaya

● Shostakovich orchestrated his First Cello Concerto

● Wide range of compositions

Concerto for flute, piano & string orchestra

● Elena Oshchepkova (flute), Irina Timofeeva (piano)● St Petersburg Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, Alim

Shakhmametyev● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34qcr_tPFs0

Shostakovich the pianist

Shostakovich & the piano

● Helped to support his family by playing in silent movie house

● Regularly appeared as a concert pianist● Works for piano

– 2 piano concertos

– 2 piano trios, piano quintet

– Sonatas for string instruments and piano

– Multiple solo piano pieces● Including 24 preludes & fugues

24 preludes & fugues

● Total of 24 major and minor keys● Since J.S.Bach's time, composers have written a

“full” suite of preludes & fugues● J.S.Bach did it twice

● Shostakovich's 24 preludes & fugues considered one of the finest examples and one of his finest compositions

● Composed (early 1950s) in a time of “trouble” for serious music in the Soviet Union

Tatiana Nikolayeva on Shostakovich

● Her performance of Bach “48” inspired his “24”● She was the first pianist to perform them● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjNmBPBO1gA

Comparison of the 4th prelude & fugue

● Tatiana Nikolayeva– https://www.youtube.com

/watch?v=Iw6PzoKiomk

● Dmitri Shostakovich– https://www.youtube.com

/watch?v=_jFT9BCq8x4

The 2nd Piano Concerto

● 1957: Composed for his son's 19th birthday; he played it as his graduation piece

● Lasts about 20 minutes; 3 movements; 3rd follows the 2nd without a break

● Often dismissed as “light weight”● By Shostakovich himself, but he regularly performed it

and he recorded it

● It may be “light”, but it's also popular

2nd Piano Concerto, 1st movement

● Disney saw the potential - Fantasia 2000– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFanayBhyeA

Concert performance

● Piano Concerto No 2 in F major, Op 1021 Allegro; 2 Andante; 3 Allegro

● Denis Matsuev, piano● Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra,Valery Gergiev

– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8trqW4_lwSk

We covered (skimmed)

● Not quite random selection of Russian classical music from the 19th century to post-WW II

● Shostakovich appeared regularly, but we sampled a number of other fine Russian composers

● Limited availability of good YouTube examples of too many other fine Russian composers

● Appealing, great modern classical music is possible ● Even for those of us in our 3rd Age, it makes sense

to be open to new music

Thank You

● Putting together the six sessions taught me a great deal about the music

● Without you, I would never have gone as far

● Winter term: The String Quartet● Some of our best, some of our most intimate music was

written for the string quartet● Only some high points during the six sessions, but what

high points!

3rd Hour

● LIFE music courses● What should LIFE be offering?● What should be the mix of talk & performance?● How to make LIFE music courses enlightening, engaging

& entertaining?

● This music course● What feature(s) is most in need of change?● What feature(s) should be preserved?

● Any final comments?