The melodic singing of birds, the quiet whisper of trees and the roar of mountain streams have accompanied the human race from the beginning of time. People grew up in the harmony of natural music and eventually began to play music, imitating nature. The baton of creating musical works in the 18th century was taken over and achieved unprecedented heights in creating musical masterpieces.
The first began to appear with the development of the Russian school of composition in the early 18th century. Describing this period, one does not have to talk about their own composer's achievements, since for the most part Russian composers imitated and copied the achievements of Western culture. Thus began the first stage in the formation of the national composer tradition. The representative of this period was Bortnyansky, who copied the work of Vivaldi in his works.
In the first half of the 19th century, Glinka made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Russian school of composition, for which he is considered the first great Russian composer who managed to introduce the Russian national tradition into musical works. Russian melodies and intonations are skillfully combined in his ingenious works with the modern composing trends in Europe of that time. The biography of the Russian composer is worthy to be immortalized for centuries and studied by all generations of the Russian people.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the traditional Russian school of composition was represented by Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and many others. They picked up the Russian tradition and, as befits a new generation, made their own amendments to the art of music. Now Russian melodies were not expressed so clearly in the works, but their spirit was still clearly visible in the compositions.
At the time, symphonic music was influenced by many objective factors. There was a tendency to complicate musical compositions with the simultaneous absorption of the cultural traditions of other nationalities. Famous representatives of this era are Shchedrin, Denisov and Gavrilin.
Russian composers have enriched the cultural treasury of the country, giving us many brilliant musical works. The whole world is fascinated by the compositions of our compatriots to this day. These works and those who wrote such masterpieces are destined for eternal life in the hearts of people.
Varlamov Alexander is a famous composer who created about 200 works in his 47 years of life.
He directed all his creative forces to writing romances and songs, in which the soul of a Russian person was fully reflected.
In his works, based on the poems of Russian classics, he expresses the rebellious spirit that is placed in the lines of poetic poems.
Childhood
Alexander Yegorovich was born in Moscow in November 15 (27). 1801. His father was a petty official, and by his origin he went back to the Moldavian nobles. Already in his youth, he showed interest in the art of music. He could play by ear, without knowing musical notation, on the violin and on the guitar.
Gurilev Alexander is a great Russian musician, whose lyrical romances have steadfastly survived two centuries.
The music that flowed in his veins and was reflected on paper is still striking in its sincerity and sensuality. Vocal works written on the basis of poems by great Russian poets express the national spirit and rich soul of the composer.
Childhood
The boy was born in Moscow in the family of a serf musician in 1803 on August 22 (09.3). Therefore, childhood and adolescence passed in difficult conditions of a difficult life. Alexander's father served as the head of the orchestra of Count V. Orlov. So the love of music was born in the soul of a small child.
When he was in his seventh year, his father fully engaged in the musical education of his son.
Cesar Cui is a gifted composer who created his first piece of music as a teenager.
In addition to the fact that he shone in the cultural sphere, he made a significant contribution to military affairs. In both areas he left his mark.
Childhood
The child was born in 1835 on January 6 in the territory of modern Vilnius. His father was a Frenchman, he remained in Russia after in 1812 the remnants of the Napoleonic army, in which he was listed, did not return to their homeland.
Alexander Borodin is a talented person. He is definitely talented in everything, he left a deep mark on Russian culture of the 19th century.
His prints can be found in completely different areas. Alexander participated in the scientific, political, pedagogical and cultural activities of the country. However, the whole world knows this man as a great composer.
early years
Alexander was born on November 12, 1833. His father was Prince Gedianov. The boy was an illegitimate child. Therefore, he was recorded under the name of a serf serving in their house - Borodin.
When the child was 8 years old, his father died, having given him freedom before that. Alexander grew up in a luxurious house donated by the Gedianovs.
Anton Grigorievich Rubinshtein is a world-class personality. Composer, conductor, teacher, pianist, public figure.
His amazing energy made him create, do charity work, devote himself to musical and educational work.
Childhood
On 11/16 (28), 1829, a baby saw the world, who was named Anton. The event took place in a wealthy Jewish family in the village of Vykhvatinets, Podolsk province (now it is the Dnieper Moldavian Republic). When the child was three years old, the Rubinsteins arrived in Moscow.
The boy began to show interest in music early. He listened attentively when his mother played music, and sang the melodies he liked.
Alexander Dargomyzhsky had a great influence on the development of Russian musical art. Sitting down at the piano, this man was completely transformed. He delighted everyone with his passion for music and easy playing, although in everyday life he did not make a vivid impression on people.
Music is exactly the area where he revealed his talent, and then gave the world great works.
Childhood
Alexander was born in the village of Troitskaya in 1813 on 2/14.02. His family was large, in addition to him there were five more children. Until the age of five, little Sasha did not speak. His voice developed late. For the rest of his life, he remained tall with a slight hoarseness, which was not considered a disadvantage, but helped him touch the hearts of listeners while singing.
Sergei Taneev is a little-known classic of Russian music. Once upon a time, his name was well known to the educated public in all parts of the vast Russian Empire. Today, only music historians and students of a few music schools and colleges named after him know about him.
The early years of Taneyev Sergey
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev was born in the provincial town on November 13, 1856. His father Ivan Ilyich belonged to an old noble family that traced its history back to the time of Ivan the Great. From childhood, his parents taught Sergei to play the piano, as was the custom in many noble families. When the boy was ten years old, his parents moved to Moscow and sent their son to a newly opened educational institution - the conservatory.
Childhood and youth
The future composer was born in the small town of Yelets (now the Lipetsk region) on May 28, 1913 into a merchant family. Tikhon was the youngest of ten children. Very early, the boy showed the ability to music. At the age of nine, he began to play the piano. When Tikhon was eleven, he had a new teacher - the metropolitan pianist Vladimir Agarkov.
After Agarkov left Yelets, Anna Vargunina took up the training of the young talent. At this time, Khrennikov began to write music. At the age of fourteen he went to Moscow to show his first works to Agarkov. The teacher praised the gifted young man, but advised him to finish the nine-year school in his native city and only after that think about a career in music.
A.P. Borodin is known as an outstanding composer, the author of the opera "Prince Igor", the symphony "Bogatyrskaya" and other musical works.
He is much less known as a scientist who made an invaluable contribution to science in the field of organic chemistry.
Origin. early years
A.P. Borodin was the illegitimate son of the 62-year-old Georgian prince L. S. Genevanishvili and A.K. Antonova. He was born on 31.10. (12.11), 1833.
He was recorded as the son of the serf servants of the prince - the spouses Porfiry Ionovich and Tatyana Grigoryevna Borodin. Thus, for eight years the boy was listed in his father's house as a serf. But before his death (1840), the prince gave his son free, bought him and his mother Avdotya Konstantinovna Antonova a four-story house, after marrying her to the military doctor Kleineke.
The boy, in order to avoid unnecessary rumors, was presented as the nephew of Avdotya Konstantinovna. Since Alexander's origin did not allow him to study at the gymnasium, he studied at home all the subjects of the gymnasium course, in addition to German and French, receiving an excellent education at home.
Contemporary composers. See a directory of contemporary composers at musikaneo.com Classical music has stood the test of time and we agree that if a piece is less than 100 years old it cannot be classical music. But what do conservatory graduates do, where are their works and how can they relate to classical music?
Classical music. In a narrow sense, the term refers to the period of classicism that dominated from 1750 to 1830. In a broad sense, classical is any serious music that makes you think, implies the presence of attention for listening and some emotional effort.
musical periods. Musical eras and authors creating music in different periods are beautifully presented on musikaneo.com
Great Russian composers of the 20th century. All these personalities are the brightest representatives of their century, they can be safely called the great modern composers of the 20th century. Listed are not just composers born at the turn of the 20th century. Their works during this period of time were already known, or their heyday of creativity fell on the 20th century.
- Pakhmutova Alexandra Nikolaevna Prokofiev Sergei Sergeevich. Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilievich. Sviridov Georgy Vasilievich. Skryabin Alexander Nikolaevich. Slonimsky Sergey Mikhailovich. Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich.
- Khachaturian Aram Ilyich. Shostakovich Dmitry Dmitrievich. Schnittke Alfred Garrievich. Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich.
Foreign composers of the 20th century.
- Alban Breg. Anton Webern. Arnold Schoenberg. Bela Bartok. Villa Lobos Heitor. Vitold Lutoslavsky. György Ligeti. John Cage. George Gershwin.
- Leonard Bernstein. Luigi Nono. Mikalojus Ciurlionis. Nadia Boulanger. Olivier Messiaen
- Paul Hindemith. Charles Ives. Edward Benjamin Britten. Edgar Varese. Janis Xenakis.
Russian composers of the 21st century It is impossible to attribute some music creators to a particular century. After all, many works by contemporary composers were published and deserved attention both in the 20th century and in the 21st. This is especially true of living composers who managed to become famous for their highly artistic creations in the last century and continue to compose music in the current one. We are talking about Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin, Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina and others.
However, there are also little-known Russian composers of the 21st century who created wonderful compositions, but their names did not have time to become popular.
- Batagov Anton. Bakshi Alexander. Ekimovskiy Victor. Karmanov Pavel. Korovitsyn Vladimir. Markelov Pavel. Martynov Vladimir. Pavlova Alla. Baker Mark. Savalov Yuri. Saveliev Yuri. Sergeeva Tatiana.
6. (1872 - 1915)
Alexander Nikolaevich Skryabin is a Russian composer and pianist, one of the brightest personalities of Russian and world musical culture. The original and deeply poetic work of Scriabin stood out for its innovation even against the background of the birth of many new trends in art associated with changes in public life at the turn of the 20th century.
Born in Moscow, his mother died early, his father could not pay attention to his son, as he served as ambassador to Persia. Scriabin was brought up by his aunt and grandfather, from childhood he showed musical abilities. At first he studied at the cadet corps, took private piano lessons, after graduating from the corps he entered the Moscow Conservatory, his classmate was S.V. Rakhmaninov. After graduating from the conservatory, Scriabin devoted himself entirely to music - as a concert pianist-composer, he toured Europe and Russia, spending most of his time abroad.
The peak of Scriabin's composing work was the years 1903-1908, when the Third Symphony ("Divine Poem"), the symphonic "Poem of Ecstasy", "Tragic" and "Satanic" piano poems, 4th and 5th sonatas and other works were released. "The Poem of Ecstasy", consisting of several themes-images, concentrated Sryabin's creative ideas and is his bright masterpiece. It harmoniously combined the composer's love for the power of a large orchestra and the lyrical, airy sound of solo instruments. The colossal vital energy, fiery passion, strong-willed power embodied in the "Poem of Ecstasy" makes an irresistible impression on the listener and to this day retains the strength of its influence.
Another masterpiece of Scriabin is "Prometheus" ("Poem of Fire"), in which the author completely updated his harmonic language, departing from the traditional tonal system, and for the first time in history, this work was supposed to be accompanied by color music, but the premiere, for technical reasons, passed no light effects.
The last unfinished "Mystery" was the idea of Scriabin, a dreamer, romantic, philosopher, to appeal to all mankind and inspire him to create a new fantastic world order, the union of the Universal Spirit with Matter.
Quote by A.N. Scriabin: “I’m going to tell them (people) that they ... don’t expect anything from life except what they can create for themselves ... I’m going to tell them that there’s nothing to grieve about, that there is no loss "So that they are not afraid of despair, which alone can give rise to real triumph. Strong and powerful is the one who has experienced despair and conquered it."
Quote about A.N. Scriabin: "Scriabin's work was his time, expressed in sounds. But when the temporary, transient finds its expression in the work of a great artist, it acquires a permanent meaning and becomes enduring." G. V. Plekhanov
A.N.Scriabin "Prometheus"
7. (1873 - 1943)
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov is the greatest world composer of the early 20th century, a talented pianist and conductor. The creative image of Rachmaninoff as a composer is often defined by the epithet "the most Russian composer", emphasizing in this brief formulation his merits in uniting the musical traditions of the Moscow and St. Petersburg composer schools and in creating his own unique style, which stands out in isolation in world musical culture.
Born in the Novgorod province, from the age of four he began to study music under the guidance of his mother. He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, after 3 years of study he transferred to the Moscow Conservatory and graduated with a big gold medal. He quickly became known as a conductor and pianist, composing music. The disastrous premiere of the groundbreaking First Symphony (1897) in St. Petersburg sparked a creative composer's crisis, from which Rachmaninoff emerged in the early 1900s with a style that combined Russian church songwriting, waning European romanticism, contemporary impressionism and neoclassicism, all saturated with complex symbolism. During this creative period, his best works were born, including 2 and 3 piano concertos, the Second Symphony and his favorite work - the poem "The Bells" for choir, soloists and orchestra.
In 1917 he was forced to leave our country and settle in the United States. For almost ten years after his departure, he did not compose anything, but toured extensively in America and Europe and was recognized as one of the greatest pianists of the era and the greatest conductor. For all the stormy activity, Rachmaninoff remained a vulnerable and insecure person, striving for solitude and even loneliness, avoiding the intrusive attention of the public. He sincerely loved and yearned for his homeland, wondering if he had made a mistake by leaving it. He was constantly interested in all the events taking place in Russia, read books, newspapers and magazines, helped financially. His last compositions - Symphony No. 3 (1937) and "Symphonic Dances" (1940) became the result of his creative path, absorbing all the best of his unique style and the mournful feeling of irreparable loss and homesickness.
Quote by S.V. Rachmaninov:
"I feel like a ghost wandering alone in a world that is alien to him."
"The highest quality of any art is its sincerity."
"Great composers have always and above all paid attention to melody as the leading principle in music. Melody is music, the main basis of all music ... Melodic ingenuity, in the highest sense of the word, is the composer's main life goal .... By For this reason, the great composers of the past showed so much interest in the folk melodies of their countries.
Quote about S.V. Rachmaninov:
"Rakhmaninov was made of steel and gold: Steel in his hands, gold in his heart. I can't think of him without tears. I not only bowed before the great artist, But I loved the man in him." I. Hoffman
"Rakhmaninov's music is the Ocean. Its waves - musical - start so far beyond the horizon, and lift you so high and lower you so slowly ... that you feel this Power and Breath." A. Konchalovsky
An interesting fact: during the Great Patriotic War, Rachmaninov gave several charity concerts, the money collected from which he sent to the Red Army fund to fight the Nazi invaders.
S.V.Rakhmaninov. Piano Concerto No. 2
8. (1882-1971) 
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky is one of the most influential world composers of the 20th century, the leader of neoclassicism. Stravinsky became a "mirror" of the musical era, his work reflects the multiplicity of styles, constantly intersecting and difficult to classify. He freely combines genres, forms, styles, choosing them from centuries of musical history and subordinating them to his own rules.
Born near St. Petersburg, studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, independently studied musical disciplines, took private lessons from N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, this was Stravinsky's only composing school, thanks to which he mastered the compositional technique to perfection. He began to compose professionally relatively late, but the rise was swift - a series of three ballets: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913) immediately brought him to the number of composers of the first magnitude.
In 1914 he left Russia, as it turned out almost forever (in 1962 there were tours in the USSR). , forced to change several countries - Russia, Switzerland, France, as a result, he remained to live in the USA. His work is divided into three periods - "Russian", "neoclassical", American "serial production", the periods are divided not by the time of life in different countries, but by the author's "handwriting".
Stravinsky was a very highly educated, sociable person with a wonderful sense of humor. The circle of his acquaintances and correspondents included musicians, poets, artists, scientists, businessmen, statesmen.
The last highest achievement of Stravinsky - "Requiem" (Chants for the Dead) (1966) absorbed and combined the composer's previous artistic experience, becoming a true apotheosis of the master's work.
In Stavinsky's work, one unique feature stands out - "uniqueness", it was not for nothing that he was called "the composer of a thousand and one styles", the constant change of genre, style, plot direction - each of his works is unique, but he constantly returned to designs in which Russian origin is visible, heard Russian roots.
Quote by I.F. Stravinsky: "I have been speaking Russian all my life, I have a Russian style. Maybe in my music this is not immediately visible, but it is inherent in it, it is in its hidden nature"
Quote about I.F. Stravinsky: "Stravinsky is a truly Russian composer ... The Russian spirit is indestructible in the heart of this truly great, multifaceted talent, born of the Russian land and vitally connected with it ... " D. Shostakovich
Interesting fact (bike):
Once in New York, Stravinsky took a taxi and was surprised to read his name on the sign.
- You are not a relative of the composer? he asked the driver.
- Is there a composer with such a surname? - the driver was surprised. - Hear it for the first time. However, Stravinsky is the name of the taxi owner. I have nothing to do with music - my name is Rossini ...
I.F. Stravinsky. Suite "Firebird"
9. (1891—1953)
Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev - one of the greatest Russian composers of the 20th century, pianist, conductor.
Born in the Donetsk region, from childhood joined the music. Prokofiev can be considered one of the few (if not the only) Russian musical "wunderkinds", from the age of 5 he was engaged in composing, at the age of 9 he wrote two operas (of course, these works are still immature, but they show a desire for creation), at the age of 13 he passed exams in Petersburg Conservatory, among his teachers was. The beginning of his professional career caused a storm of criticism and a misunderstanding of his individual fundamentally anti-romantic and extremely modernist style, the paradox is that, having destroyed academic canons, the structure of his compositions remained true and subsequently became a restraining force of modernist all-denying skepticism. From the very beginning of his career, Prokofiev performed and toured a lot. In 1918, he went on an international tour, including visiting the USSR, and finally returned to his homeland in 1936.
The country has changed and Prokofiev's "free" creativity has been forced to give way to the realities of the new demands. Prokofiev's talent flourished with renewed vigor - he writes operas, ballets, music for films - sharp, strong-willed, extremely accurate music with new images and ideas, laid the foundation for Soviet classical music and opera. In 1948, three tragic events occurred almost simultaneously: on suspicion of espionage, his first Spanish wife was arrested and exiled to camps; the Decree of the Poliburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was issued in which Prokofiev, Shostakovich and others were attacked and accused of "formalism" and the dangers of their music; there was a sharp deterioration in the composer's health, he retired to the country and practically did not leave it, but continued to compose.
Some of the brightest works of the Soviet period were the operas "War and Peace", "The Tale of a Real Man"; the ballets "Romeo and Juliet", "Cinderella", which have become a new standard of world ballet music; "On guard of the world"; music for the films "Alexander Nevsky" and "Ivan the Terrible"; symphonies No. 5,6,7; piano work.
Prokofiev's work is striking in its versatility and breadth of themes, the originality of his musical thinking, freshness and originality made up an entire era in the world musical culture of the 20th century and had a powerful impact on many Soviet and foreign composers.
Quote by S.S. Prokofiev:
"Can an artist stand aloof from life?.. I am of the conviction that a composer, like a poet, sculptor, painter, is called upon to serve man and the people... First of all, he must be a citizen in his art, sing of human life and lead man to a brighter future...
"I am a manifestation of life, which gives me the strength to resist all non-spiritual"
Quote about S.S. Prokofiev: "... all facets of his music are beautiful. But there is one completely unusual thing here. Apparently, we all have some kind of failures, doubts, just a bad mood. And in such moments , even if I don’t play and don’t listen to Prokofiev, but just think about him, I get an incredible boost of energy, I feel a great desire to live, to act” E. Kissin
An interesting fact: Prokofiev was very fond of chess, and enriched the game with his ideas and achievements, among which he invented "nine" chess - a 24x24 board with nine sets of pieces placed on it.
S.S. Prokofiev. Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra
10. Dmitry Dmitrievich SHOSTAKOVICH (1906 - 1975)
Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich is one of the most significant and performed composers in the world, his influence on modern classical music is immeasurable. His creations are true expressions of the inner human drama and the annals of the difficult events of the 20th century, where the deeply personal is intertwined with the tragedy of man and mankind, with the fate of his native country.
Born in St. Petersburg, he received his first musical lessons from his mother, graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, upon entering which its rector Alexander Glazunov compared him with Mozart - he impressed everyone with his excellent musical memory, keen ear and composer's gift. Already in the early 1920s, by the end of the conservatory, Shostakovich had a baggage of his own works and became one of the best composers in the country. World fame came to Shostakovich after his victory in 1927.
Until a certain period, namely before the production of the opera "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District", Shostakovich worked as a freelance artist - "avant-garde", experimenting with styles and genres. The harsh denunciation of this opera in 1936 and the repressions of 1937 laid the foundation for the subsequent constant internal struggle of Shostakovich for the desire to express his views by his own means in the face of the state's imposition of trends in art. In his life, politics and creativity are very closely intertwined, he was praised by the authorities and persecuted by them, held high positions and was removed from them, was awarded and was on the verge of arrest himself and his relatives.
A soft, intelligent, delicate person, he found his form of expression of creative principles in symphonies, where he could tell the truth about time as openly as possible. Of all the vast works of Shostakovich in all genres, it is the symphonies (15 works) that occupy the central place, the most dramatic are symphonies 5,7,8,10,15, which became the pinnacle of Soviet symphonic music. A completely different Shostakovich opens up in chamber music.
Despite the fact that Shostakovich himself was a "home" composer and practically did not travel abroad, his music, humanistic in essence and truly artistic in form, quickly and widely spread throughout the world, performed by the best conductors. The magnitude of Shostakovich's talent is so immense that the full comprehension of this unique phenomenon of world art is yet to come.
Quote by D.D. Shostakovich: "Real music is capable of expressing only humane feelings, only advanced humane ideas."
D. Shostakovich. Symphony No. 7 "Leningradskaya"
D. Shostakovich. Waltz No. 2
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Many of us managed to get from the 20th century to the 21st without a time machine. As they say, we live at the turn of two centuries. Therefore, when talking about who modern composers are and what century they belong to, we must take this into account. More recently, the 20th century was considered modernity. But when the 21st came, the previous century automatically became the past.
Terminology
Before starting a conversation about the stated topic, you should decide on the necessary terminology. First, what is classical music as such? Secondly, who are contemporary composers? The interesting opinion of Stephen Fry will help to understand these issues. His books on the history of classical music are so delightful that it is sometimes impossible to tear oneself away from them. He very clearly and extremely clearly defines the questions posed.
Classical music. If we consider this term in the narrow sense of the word, it becomes clear that it refers to a fairly short period of classicism, which dominated from 1750 to 1830. In a broad sense, classical is any serious music that requires attention for listening and some emotional effort.
contemporary composers. It is generally accepted that classical music has stood the test of time. Accordingly, how can it be modern? A certain metamorphosis just happened when we moved into the 21st century, leaving the 20th in the past. So it turned out that modern classical composers belong to the 20th century. How then to be with classical music in the 21st century? Here it means that it is used in the broad sense of the word - as serious music that makes you think and requires some emotional effort.
Great Russian composers of the 20th century. List
The list below is not arranged chronologically, but alphabetically. Of course, one can single out from it, and one can point out especially outstanding ones. But since all these personalities are the brightest representatives of their century, they can be safely called so - the great modern composers of the 20th century. Listed are not just composers born at the turn of the 20th century. Their works during this period of time were already known, or their heyday of creativity fell on the 20th century.
Foreign composers of the 20th century. List
Russian composers of the 21st century
It is impossible to attribute some music creators to a particular century. After all, many works by contemporary composers were published and deserved attention both in the 20th century and in the 21st. This is especially true of living composers who managed to become famous for their highly artistic creations in the last century and continue to compose music in the current one. We are talking about Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin, Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina and others.
However, there are also little-known Russian composers of the 21st century who created wonderful compositions, but their names did not have time to become popular.
- Batagov Anton.
- Bakshi Alexander.
- Ekimovskiy Victor.
- Karmanov Pavel.
- Korovitsyn Vladimir.
- Markelov Pavel.
- Martynov Vladimir.
- Pavlova Alla.
- Baker Mark.
- Savalov Yuri.
- Saveliev Yuri.
- Sergeeva Tatiana.
This list can be greatly expanded.
About contemporary composers
Pekarsky Mark (b. 1940). He became famous for his ensemble of percussion instruments. The atmosphere at his concerts is conducive to laughter, as the composer in the process of performing music (and during breaks) can successfully joke.
Martynov Vladimir (b. 1946) is a minimalist composer. It combines religiosity and "advancement". The modern master of serious music is able to convey a lot with minimal means.
Yekimovsky Victor (b. 1947). Attention is drawn to his programmatic compositions with bright titles. These are "B" (music written for flutes and phonograms), "Siam Concerto" (intended for two pianos), "Sublimations" (for symphony orchestra), "27 Destructions" (for percussion instruments) and many others.
(b. 1951). In her works one can feel the influence of A. Scriabin's music. Lots of flight, fluctuations, fire. The second piano concerto attracts the attention of the listeners with its dynamic development and sudden finale, which takes the listener to the Middle Ages, and then returns him back.
Pavlova Alla (b. 1952) is an emigrant composer. Currently lives in America. Her music is melodic and at the same time sad and mournful. She wrote six symphonies in minor keys, which are whole tragedies.
As you can see, the music of modern composers is diverse, surprising and attractive. Many of the creators love experiments, looking for new forms. These include Bakshi Alexander (b. 1952). Among his compositions, "Unanswered Call" stands out, written for violin, 6-7 mobile phones and string orchestra.
Markelov Pavel (b. 1967). One of his favorite directions is sacred music. He wrote symphonies for orchestra, vers libre sonatas for piano, 20 bell symphonies.
Children's contemporary composers
Prominent representatives are Yuri Savalov, Vladimir Korovitsyn, Yuri Saveliev.
Yuri Savalov was a talented composer, an excellent teacher and a wonderful arranger. Enthusiastically led the orchestra at the Children's Music School. He was also a good performer. Played keyboards and wind instruments. Each of his nine pieces for piano has a subtitle: "Mother", "Confession", "Wind of Wanderings", "Inspiration", "Ball in the Prince's Castle", "Prelude", "March", "Waltz", "Lullaby". All of them are very interesting, diverse and beautiful.
Vladimir Korovitsyn was born in 1955. His work consists of music written in various romances, spiritual works written for choir, chamber and symphony orchestra. For children, he wrote a collection of children's songs called "Rejoice in the Sun" and "Children's Album" for piano. The plays are an excellent addition to the students' repertoire. The titles of the plays accurately reflect their character and mood: "Thumbelina", "Wooden Shoes", "Man with an Accordion Variations", "Emelya Rides on the Stove", "The Sad Princess", "Girl's Round Dance".
Songs for children
Children's songs of modern composers are filled with optimism and cheerfulness. Despite the fact that some of them were created half a century ago, they remain not only relevant, but also quite modern. V. Shainsky, I. Dunaevsky, D. Kabalevsky, G. Gladkov are considered the most. We listen to their cheerful and provocative songs with great pleasure, sing them ourselves and together with the children.
Not everyone knows that it is G. Gladkov who owns the melodies from such popular films and cartoons as "Little Red Riding Hood", "About Fedot the Archer", "Children of Captain Grant", "By Pike", "Plasticine Crow" and others.
Another legendary creator of modern songs for children is V. Shainsky. He has over three hundred of them. It is enough to listen to Blue Wagon, Piggy, Chung-Chang, Antoshka and many others to understand how talented this composer is.
So, modern composers are considered not only living or recently deceased composers of the 21st century, but also the masters of the 20th century. Both of them have created multi-genre and diverse music that deserves attention from listeners and musicologists.
World classical music is unthinkable without the works of Russian composers. Russia, a great country with talented people and its cultural heritage, has always been among the leading locomotives of world progress and art, including music. The Russian school of composers, whose traditions were continued by the Soviet and today's Russian schools, began in the 19th century with composers who combined European musical art with Russian folk melodies, linking together the European form and the Russian spirit.
A lot can be said about each of these famous people, all of them have not simple, and sometimes tragic fates, but in this review we have tried to give only a brief description of the life and work of composers.
1.Mikhail Ivanovich GLINKA (1804—1857)
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka is the founder of Russian classical music and the first domestic classical composer to achieve world fame. His works, based on the centuries-old traditions of Russian folk music, were a new word in the musical art of our country.
Born in the Smolensk province, educated in St. Petersburg. The formation of the worldview and the main idea of Mikhail Glinka's work was facilitated by direct communication with such personalities as A.S. Pushkin, V.A. Zhukovsky, A.S. Griboyedov, A.A. Delvig. The creative impetus to his work was added by a long-term trip to Europe in the early 1830s and meetings with the leading composers of the time - V. Bellini, G. Donizetti, F. Mendelssohn and later with G. Berlioz, J. Meyerbeer. Success came to M.I. Glinka after staging the opera "Ivan Susanin" ("Life for the Tsar") (1836), which was enthusiastically received by everyone, for the first time in world music, Russian choral art and European symphonic and operatic practice were organically combined, as well as a hero appeared, similar to Susanin, whose image summarizes the best features of the national character. VF Odoevsky described the opera as "a new element in Art, and a new period begins in its history - the period of Russian music."
The second opera - the epic "Ruslan and Lyudmila" (1842), the work on which was carried out against the backdrop of Pushkin's death and in the difficult living conditions of the composer, due to the deeply innovative nature of the work, was ambiguously received by the audience and the authorities and brought M.I. Glinka hard feelings . After that, he traveled a lot, living alternately in Russia and abroad, without stopping composing. Romances, symphonic and chamber works remained in his legacy. In the 1990s, Mikhail Glinka's "Patriotic Song" was the official anthem of the Russian Federation.
Quote by M.I. Glinka: "In order to create beauty, one must be pure in soul."
Quote about M.I. Glinka: "The entire Russian symphonic school, like the whole oak tree in an acorn, is contained in the symphonic fantasy "Kamarinskaya". P.I. Tchaikovsky
An interesting fact: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka did not differ in good health, despite this he was very easy-going and knew geography very well, perhaps if he had not become a composer, he would have become a traveler. He knew six foreign languages, including Persian.
2. Alexander Porfiryevich BORODIN (1833—1887)
Alexander Porfirievich Borodin, one of the leading Russian composers of the second half of the 19th century, in addition to his talent as a composer, was a chemist, doctor, teacher, critic and had a literary talent.
Born in St. Petersburg, since childhood, everyone around him noted his unusual activity, enthusiasm and abilities in various directions, primarily in music and chemistry. A.P. Borodin is a Russian nugget composer, he did not have professional musician teachers, all his achievements in music are due to independent work on mastering the technique of composing. The formation of A.P. Borodin was influenced by the work of M.I. Glinka (as well as all Russian composers of the 19th century), and two events gave an impetus to the close occupation of composition in the early 1860s - firstly, the acquaintance and marriage with the talented pianist E.S. Protopopova, and secondly, the meeting with M.A. Balakirev and joining the creative community of Russian composers, known as the "Mighty Handful". In the late 1870s and 1880s, A.P. Borodin traveled and toured extensively in Europe and America, met with the leading composers of his time, his fame grew, he became one of the most famous and popular Russian composers in Europe at the end of the 19th century. th century.
The central place in the work of A.P. Borodin is occupied by the opera "Prince Igor" (1869-1890), which is an example of the national heroic epic in music and which he himself did not have time to finish (it was completed by his friends A.A. Glazunov and N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov). In "Prince Igor", against the backdrop of majestic pictures of historical events, the main idea of \u200b\u200bthe entire work of the composer was reflected - courage, calm grandeur, spiritual nobility of the best Russian people and the mighty strength of the entire Russian people, manifested in the defense of the motherland. Despite the fact that A.P. Borodin left a relatively small number of works, his work is very diverse and he is considered one of the fathers of Russian symphonic music, who influenced many generations of Russian and foreign composers.
Quote about A.P. Borodin: "Borodin's talent is equally powerful and amazing both in symphony and in opera and romance. His main qualities are giant strength and breadth, colossal scope, swiftness and impetuosity, combined with amazing passion, tenderness and beauty." V.V. Stasov
An interesting fact: the chemical reaction of silver salts of carboxylic acids with halogens, resulting in halogen-substituted hydrocarbons, which he first investigated in 1861, is named after Borodin.
3. Modest Petrovich MUSSORGSKY (1839—1881)
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky - one of the most brilliant Russian composers of the 19th century, a member of the "Mighty Handful". Mussorgsky's innovative work was far ahead of its time.
Born in the Pskov province. Like many talented people, from childhood he showed talent in music, studied in St. Petersburg, was, according to family tradition, a military man. The decisive event that determined that Mussorgsky was born not for military service, but for music, was his meeting with M.A. Balakirev and joining the "Mighty Handful". Mussorgsky is great because in his grandiose works - the operas Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina - he captured in music the dramatic milestones of Russian history with a radical novelty that Russian music did not know before him, showing in them a combination of mass folk scenes and a diverse richness of types, the unique character of the Russian people. These operas, in numerous editions by both the author and other composers, are among the most popular Russian operas in the world. Another outstanding work of Mussorgsky is the cycle of piano pieces "Pictures at an Exhibition", colorful and inventive miniatures are permeated with the Russian refrain theme and the Orthodox faith.
There was everything in Mussorgsky's life - both greatness and tragedy, but he was always distinguished by genuine spiritual purity and disinterestedness. His last years were difficult - unsettled life, non-recognition of creativity, loneliness, addiction to alcohol, all this determined his early death at 42, he left relatively few compositions, some of which were completed by other composers. The specific melody and innovative harmony of Mussorgsky anticipated some features of the musical development of the 20th century and played an important role in the development of the styles of many world composers.
Quote by MP Mussorgsky: "The sounds of human speech, as external manifestations of thought and feeling, must, without exaggeration and rape, become truthful, accurate music, but artistic, highly artistic."
Quote about M.P. Mussorgsky: "Aboriginally Russian sounds in everything that Mussorgsky did" N.K. Roerich
An interesting fact: at the end of his life, Mussorgsky, under pressure from "friends" Stasov and Rimsky-Korsakov, renounced the copyright to his works and presented them to Tertiy Filippov
4. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840—1893)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, perhaps the greatest Russian composer of the 19th century, raised Russian musical art to unprecedented heights. He is one of the most important composers of world classical music.
A native of the Vyatka province, although his paternal roots are in Ukraine, Tchaikovsky showed musical abilities from childhood, but his first education and work was in the field of law. Tchaikovsky is one of the first Russian "professional" composers - he studied music theory and composition at the new St. Petersburg Conservatory. Tchaikovsky was considered a "Western" composer, in contrast to the folk figures of the "Mighty Handful", with whom he had good creative and friendly relations, but his work is no less permeated with the Russian spirit, he managed to uniquely combine the Western symphonic heritage of Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann with Russian traditions inherited from Mikhail Glinka.
The composer led an active life - he was a teacher, conductor, critic, public figure, worked in two capitals, toured Europe and America. Tchaikovsky was a rather emotionally unstable person, enthusiasm, despondency, apathy, irascibility, violent anger - all these moods changed in him quite often, being a very sociable person, he always strove for loneliness.
It is a difficult task to single out something the best from Tchaikovsky's work, he has several works of equal size in almost all musical genres - opera, ballet, symphony, chamber music. The content of Tchaikovsky's music is universal: with inimitable melodism, it embraces images of life and death, love, nature, childhood, works of Russian and world literature are revealed in it in a new way, deep processes of spiritual life are reflected.
Composer quote:
"I am an artist who can and must bring honor to his Motherland. I feel a great artistic power in myself, I have not yet done even a tenth of what I can do. And I want to do it with all the strength of my soul."
"Life has charm only when it consists of the alternation of joys and sorrows, of the struggle between good and evil, of light and shadow, in a word, of diversity in unity."
"Great talent requires great hard work."
Quote about the composer: "I am ready day and night to stand guard of honor at the porch of the house where Pyotr Ilyich lives - to such an extent I respect him" A.P. Chekhov
An interesting fact: the University of Cambridge in absentia and without defending a dissertation awarded Tchaikovsky the title of Doctor of Music, and the Paris Academy of Fine Arts elected him a corresponding member.
5. Nikolai Andreevich RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844—1908)
Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov is a talented Russian composer, one of the most important figures in the creation of an invaluable domestic musical heritage. His peculiar world and worship of the eternal all-encompassing beauty of the universe, admiration for the miracle of being, unity with nature have no analogues in the history of music.
Born in the Novgorod province, according to family tradition, he became a naval officer, on a warship he traveled around many countries in Europe and two Americas. He received his musical education first from his mother, then taking private lessons from the pianist F. Canille. And again, thanks to M.A. Balakirev, the organizer of the "Mighty Handful", who introduced Rimsky-Korsakov into the musical community and influenced his work, the world did not lose the talented composer.
The central place in Rimsky-Korsakov's heritage is occupied by operas - 15 works demonstrating a variety of genre, stylistic, dramatic, compositional decisions of the composer, nevertheless having a special style - with all the richness of the orchestral component, melodic vocal lines are the main ones. Two main directions distinguish the composer's work: the first is Russian history, the second is the world of fairy tales and epic, for which he received the nickname "storyteller".
In addition to direct independent creative activity, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov is known as a publicist, compiler of collections of folk songs, in which he showed great interest, and also as the finalist of the works of his friends - Dargomyzhsky, Mussorgsky and Borodin. Rimsky-Korsakov was the founder of the composer school, as a teacher and head of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, he produced about two hundred composers, conductors, musicologists, among them Prokofiev and Stravinsky.
Quote about the composer: "Rimsky-Korsakov was a very Russian person and a very Russian composer. I believe that this primordially Russian essence of him, his deep folklore-Russian basis, should be especially appreciated today." Mstislav Rostropovich
The work of Russian composers of the late 19th - first half of the 20th century is a holistic continuation of the traditions of the Russian school. At the same time, the concept of an approach to the "national" affiliation of this or that music was named, there is practically no direct citation of folk melodies, but the Russian intonation basis, the Russian soul, remained.
6. Alexander Nikolaevich SKRYABIN (1872 - 1915)
Alexander Nikolaevich Skryabin is a Russian composer and pianist, one of the brightest personalities of Russian and world musical culture. The original and deeply poetic work of Scriabin stood out for its innovation even against the background of the birth of many new trends in art associated with changes in public life at the turn of the 20th century.
Born in Moscow, his mother died early, his father could not pay attention to his son, as he served as ambassador to Persia. Scriabin was brought up by his aunt and grandfather, from childhood he showed musical abilities. At first he studied at the cadet corps, took private piano lessons, after graduating from the corps he entered the Moscow Conservatory, his classmate was S.V. Rakhmaninov. After graduating from the conservatory, Scriabin devoted himself entirely to music - as a concert pianist-composer, he toured Europe and Russia, spending most of his time abroad.
The peak of Scriabin's composing work was the years 1903-1908, when the Third Symphony ("Divine Poem"), the symphonic "Poem of Ecstasy", "Tragic" and "Satanic" piano poems, 4th and 5th sonatas and other works were released. "The Poem of Ecstasy", consisting of several themes-images, concentrated Sryabin's creative ideas and is his bright masterpiece. It harmoniously combined the composer's love for the power of a large orchestra and the lyrical, airy sound of solo instruments. The colossal vital energy, fiery passion, strong-willed power embodied in the "Poem of Ecstasy" makes an irresistible impression on the listener and to this day retains the strength of its influence.
Another masterpiece of Scriabin is "Prometheus" ("Poem of Fire"), in which the author completely updated his harmonic language, departing from the traditional tonal system, and for the first time in history, this work was supposed to be accompanied by color music, but the premiere, for technical reasons, passed no light effects.
The last unfinished "Mystery" was the idea of Scriabin, a dreamer, romantic, philosopher, to appeal to all mankind and inspire him to create a new fantastic world order, the union of the Universal Spirit with Matter.
Quote by A.N. Scriabin: “I’m going to tell them (people) that they ... don’t expect anything from life except what they can create for themselves ... I’m going to tell them that there’s nothing to grieve about, that there is no loss "So that they are not afraid of despair, which alone can give rise to real triumph. Strong and powerful is the one who has experienced despair and conquered it."
Quote about A.N. Scriabin: "Scriabin's work was his time, expressed in sounds. But when the temporary, transient finds its expression in the work of a great artist, it acquires a permanent meaning and becomes enduring." G. V. Plekhanov
7. Sergei Vasilyevich Rahmaninov (1873 - 1943)
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov is the greatest world composer of the early 20th century, a talented pianist and conductor. The creative image of Rachmaninoff as a composer is often defined by the epithet "the most Russian composer", emphasizing in this brief formulation his merits in uniting the musical traditions of the Moscow and St. Petersburg composer schools and in creating his own unique style, which stands out in isolation in world musical culture.
Born in the Novgorod province, from the age of four he began to study music under the guidance of his mother. He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, after 3 years of study he transferred to the Moscow Conservatory and graduated with a big gold medal. He quickly became known as a conductor and pianist, composing music. The disastrous premiere of the groundbreaking First Symphony (1897) in St. Petersburg sparked a creative composer's crisis, from which Rachmaninoff emerged in the early 1900s with a style that combined Russian church songwriting, waning European romanticism, contemporary impressionism and neoclassicism, all saturated with complex symbolism. During this creative period, his best works were born, including 2 and 3 piano concertos, the Second Symphony and his favorite work - the poem "The Bells" for choir, soloists and orchestra.
In 1917, Rachmaninov and his family were forced to leave our country and settle in the United States. For almost ten years after his departure, he did not compose anything, but toured extensively in America and Europe and was recognized as one of the greatest pianists of the era and the greatest conductor. For all the stormy activity, Rachmaninoff remained a vulnerable and insecure person, striving for solitude and even loneliness, avoiding the intrusive attention of the public. He sincerely loved and yearned for his homeland, wondering if he had made a mistake by leaving it. He was constantly interested in all the events taking place in Russia, read books, newspapers and magazines, helped financially. His last compositions - Symphony No. 3 (1937) and "Symphonic Dances" (1940) became the result of his creative path, absorbing all the best of his unique style and the mournful feeling of irreparable loss and homesickness.
Quote by S.V. Rachmaninov:
"I feel like a ghost wandering alone in a world that is alien to him."
"The highest quality of any art is its sincerity."
"Great composers have always and above all paid attention to melody as the leading principle in music. Melody is music, the main basis of all music ... Melodic ingenuity, in the highest sense of the word, is the composer's main life goal .... By For this reason, the great composers of the past showed so much interest in the folk melodies of their countries.
Quote about S.V. Rachmaninov:
"Rakhmaninov was made of steel and gold: Steel in his hands, gold in his heart. I can't think of him without tears. I not only bowed before the great artist, But I loved the man in him." I. Hoffman
"Rakhmaninov's music is the Ocean. Its waves - musical - start so far beyond the horizon, and lift you so high and lower you so slowly ... that you feel this Power and Breath." A. Konchalovsky
An interesting fact: during the Great Patriotic War, Rachmaninov gave several charity concerts, the money collected from which he sent to the Red Army fund to fight the Nazi invaders.
8. Igor Fyodorovich STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky is one of the most influential world composers of the 20th century, the leader of neoclassicism. Stravinsky became a "mirror" of the musical era, his work reflects the multiplicity of styles, constantly intersecting and difficult to classify. He freely combines genres, forms, styles, choosing them from centuries of musical history and subordinating them to his own rules.
Born near St. Petersburg, studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, independently studied musical disciplines, took private lessons from N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, this was Stravinsky's only composing school, thanks to which he mastered the compositional technique to perfection. He began to compose professionally relatively late, but the rise was swift - a series of three ballets: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913) immediately brought him to the number of composers of the first magnitude.
In 1914 he left Russia, as it turned out almost forever (in 1962 there were tours in the USSR). Stravinsky is a cosmopolitan, having been forced to change several countries - Russia, Switzerland, France, and ended up living in the USA. His work is divided into three periods - "Russian", "neoclassical", American "serial production", the periods are divided not by the time of life in different countries, but by the author's "handwriting".
Stravinsky was a very highly educated, sociable person with a wonderful sense of humor. The circle of his acquaintances and correspondents included musicians, poets, artists, scientists, businessmen, statesmen.
The last highest achievement of Stravinsky - "Requiem" (Chants for the Dead) (1966) absorbed and combined the composer's previous artistic experience, becoming a true apotheosis of the master's work.
In Stavinsky's work, one unique feature stands out - "uniqueness", it was not for nothing that he was called "the composer of a thousand and one styles", the constant change of genre, style, plot direction - each of his works is unique, but he constantly returned to designs in which Russian origin is visible, heard Russian roots.
Quote by I.F. Stravinsky: "I have been speaking Russian all my life, I have a Russian style. Maybe in my music this is not immediately visible, but it is inherent in it, it is in its hidden nature"
Quote about I.F. Stravinsky: "Stravinsky is a truly Russian composer ... The Russian spirit is indestructible in the heart of this truly great, multifaceted talent, born of the Russian land and vitally connected with it ... " D. Shostakovich
Interesting fact (bike):
Once in New York, Stravinsky took a taxi and was surprised to read his name on the sign.
- You are not a relative of the composer? he asked the driver.
- Is there a composer with such a surname? - the driver was surprised. - Hear it for the first time. However, Stravinsky is the name of the taxi owner. I have nothing to do with music - my name is Rossini ...
9. Sergei Sergeevich PROKOFIEV (1891—1953)
Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev - one of the greatest Russian composers of the 20th century, pianist, conductor.
Born in the Donetsk region, from childhood joined the music. Prokofiev can be considered one of the few (if not the only) Russian musical "wunderkinds", from the age of 5 he was engaged in composing, at the age of 9 he wrote two operas (of course, these works are still immature, but they show a desire for creation), at the age of 13 he passed exams in St. Petersburg Conservatory, among his teachers was N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. The beginning of his professional career caused a storm of criticism and a misunderstanding of his individual fundamentally anti-romantic and extremely modernist style, the paradox is that, breaking the academic canons, the structure of his compositions remained true to classical principles and subsequently became a restraining force of modernist all-denying skepticism. From the very beginning of his career, Prokofiev performed and toured a lot. In 1918, he went on an international tour, including visiting the USSR, and finally returned to his homeland in 1936.
The country has changed and Prokofiev's "free" creativity has been forced to give way to the realities of the new demands. Prokofiev's talent flourished with renewed vigor - he writes operas, ballets, music for films - sharp, strong-willed, extremely accurate music with new images and ideas, laid the foundation for Soviet classical music and opera. In 1948, three tragic events occurred almost simultaneously: on suspicion of espionage, his first Spanish wife was arrested and exiled to camps; the Decree of the Poliburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was issued in which Prokofiev, Shostakovich and others were attacked and accused of "formalism" and the dangers of their music; there was a sharp deterioration in the composer's health, he retired to the country and practically did not leave it, but continued to compose.
Some of the brightest works of the Soviet period were the operas "War and Peace", "The Tale of a Real Man"; the ballets "Romeo and Juliet", "Cinderella", which have become a new standard of world ballet music; oratorio "On guard of the world"; music for the films "Alexander Nevsky" and "Ivan the Terrible"; symphonies No. 5,6,7; piano work.
Prokofiev's work is striking in its versatility and breadth of themes, the originality of his musical thinking, freshness and originality made up an entire era in the world musical culture of the 20th century and had a powerful impact on many Soviet and foreign composers.
Quote by S.S. Prokofiev:
"Can an artist stand aloof from life?.. I am of the conviction that a composer, like a poet, sculptor, painter, is called upon to serve man and the people... First of all, he must be a citizen in his art, sing of human life and lead man to a brighter future...
"I am a manifestation of life, which gives me the strength to resist all non-spiritual"
Quote about S.S. Prokofiev: "... all facets of his music are beautiful. But there is one completely unusual thing here. Apparently, we all have some kind of failures, doubts, just a bad mood. And in such moments , even if I don’t play and don’t listen to Prokofiev, but just think about him, I get an incredible boost of energy, I feel a great desire to live, to act” E. Kissin
An interesting fact: Prokofiev was very fond of chess, and enriched the game with his ideas and achievements, among which he invented "nine" chess - a 24x24 board with nine sets of pieces placed on it.
10. Dmitry Dmitrievich SHOSTAKOVICH (1906 - 1975)
Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich is one of the most significant and performed composers in the world, his influence on modern classical music is immeasurable. His creations are true expressions of the inner human drama and the annals of the difficult events of the 20th century, where the deeply personal is intertwined with the tragedy of man and mankind, with the fate of his native country.
Born in St. Petersburg, he received his first musical lessons from his mother, graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, upon entering which its rector Alexander Glazunov compared him with Mozart - he impressed everyone with his excellent musical memory, keen ear and composer's gift. Already in the early 1920s, by the end of the conservatory, Shostakovich had a baggage of his own works and became one of the best composers in the country. World fame came to Shostakovich after winning the 1st International Chopin Competition in 1927.
Until a certain period, namely before the production of the opera "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District", Shostakovich worked as a freelance artist - "avant-garde", experimenting with styles and genres. The harsh denunciation of this opera in 1936 and the repressions of 1937 laid the foundation for the subsequent constant internal struggle of Shostakovich for the desire to express his views by his own means in the face of the state's imposition of trends in art. In his life, politics and creativity are very closely intertwined, he was praised by the authorities and persecuted by them, held high positions and was removed from them, was awarded and was on the verge of arrest himself and his relatives.
A soft, intelligent, delicate person, he found his form of expression of creative principles in symphonies, where he could tell the truth about time as openly as possible. Of all the vast works of Shostakovich in all genres, it is the symphonies (15 works) that occupy the central place, the most dramatic are symphonies 5,7,8,10,15, which became the pinnacle of Soviet symphonic music. A completely different Shostakovich opens up in chamber music.
Despite the fact that Shostakovich himself was a "home" composer and practically did not travel abroad, his music, humanistic in essence and truly artistic in form, quickly and widely spread throughout the world, performed by the best conductors. The magnitude of Shostakovich's talent is so immense that the full comprehension of this unique phenomenon of world art is yet to come.
Quote by D.D. Shostakovich: "Real music is capable of expressing only humane feelings, only advanced humane ideas."
