Rodion Shchedrin

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Rodion Shchedrin with his wife, Maya Plisetskaya, in 2009

Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin (Russian: Родио́н Константи́нович Щедри́н, Scientific transliteration: Rodion Konstantinovič Ščedrin, Russian pronunciation: [rə̥dʲɪˌon kə̥nstɐnˌtʲinə̥vʲɪ̥ʨ ɕːɪ̥dˈrʲin]; born December 16, 1932) is a Russian composer and pianist. Winner of the Lenin (1984), USSR State Prize (1972) and the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1992). A member of the Interregional Deputy Group (1989-1991).

Contents

[edit] Biography

He was born in Moscow into a musical family—his father was a composer and teacher of music theory. He studied at the Moscow Choral School and Moscow Conservatory (graduating in 1955) under Yuri Shaporin (composition) and Yakob Flier (piano). Since 1958, he has been married to the great ballerina Maya Plisetskaya.

Shchedrin's early music is tonal, colourfully orchestrated and often includes snatches of folk music, while some later pieces use aleatoric and serial techniques. In the west the music of Shchedrin has won popularity mainly through the work of Mstislav Rostropovich who has made several successful recordings.

Among his works are the ballets The Little Hump-backed Horse (1955), Carmen Suite (1967), based on the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet (the project had been turned down by both Shostakovich and Khachaturian), Anna Karenina (1971, on the novel by Leo Tolstoy), and Lady with a Lapdog (1985); the operas Not Only Love (1961), and Dead Souls (1976, after Nikolai Gogol's novel); piano concertos, symphonies, chamber and piano music and other works. He composed 24 Preludes and Fugues after he heard those of Shostakovich. Also remarkable is his Polyphonic Notebook.


He has written five concertos for orchestra: the first, variously translated as Naughty Limericks or Mischievous Folk Ditties (neither of which completely get the gist of the Russian which refers to a chastushka (часту́шка), an irreverent, satirical kind of folk song) is by far the best known, and was the work which first established him on the international stage.[1] The second of the Concertos for Orchestra was subtitled Zvony (The Chimes), and was premiered by the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein as one of the many commissions in honor of the orchestra's 125th anniversary. The third Concerto for Orchestra is based on old music of Russian provincial circuses. Concerto 4, Khorovody (round dances), was written in 1989, and Concerto 5, Four Russian Songs, was written in 1998.

As well as a distinguished compositional career (for which he was made a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts in 1989 and received the Russian State Prize from President Boris Yeltsin in 1992), Shchedrin is himself a virtuoso pianist and organist, taking the piano part in person for the premieres of the first three of his six piano concertos. At a remarkable concert on 5 May 1974 Shchedrin performed the feat of appearing as soloist in all three of his then-completed piano concertos, one after the other. The concert, with the USSR Symphony Orchestra under Evgeny Svetlanov was recorded and released on LP, then CD. Following the collapse of the Soviet regime, Shchedrin has taken advantage of the new opportunities for international travel and musical collaboration, and now largely divides his time between Munich and Moscow.

On June 11–14, 2008 Shchedrin Days took place in Armenia with the participation of Shchedrin and Maya Plisetskaya as honorary guest.

Invited by Walter Fink, he was the 19th composer featured in the annual Komponistenporträt of the Rheingau Musik Festival in 2009. He and his wife attended the concerts which included his Russian liturgy The Sealed Angel for choir and flute, performed in Eberbach Abbey. His chamber music included Ancient Melodies of Russian Folk Songs (2007) with the cellist Raphael Wallfish and himself at the piano, and Meine Zeit, mein Raubtier with tenor Kenneth Tarver and pianist Roland Pontinen who performed it also at the Verbier Festival.

The premiere of a German version of his opera Lolita was performed as the opening night of the Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden in a production of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden[2]

[edit] Poets and Musicians about Rodion Shchedrin

  • "Once Giya Kancheli, a composer dressed in a velvety dark blue double-breasted jacket and with similarly velvety eyes, after a premiere to which he came from Germany, said the following words to me about Rodion Shchedrin: “This is a significant composer, possibly, the greatest composer alive in the world”. Being used to the jealous babble of my colleagues, I was staggered. Shchedrin is the big Russian letter “shch” (Щ) in Russian music. This letter does not exist in any other alphabet – either in English, or in German. His relentless new music is powerful, poignant and always cringing from pain or from laughter. The great Shostakovich, Schoenberg, Schnittke and Stockhausen had worked in the realities of the 20th century. Shchedrin practically transported himself along with all of us physically into the 21st century. What an immense talent one must have in order to create treasures out of the trash and horror of our lives! Go, Shchedrin, go!” Andrei Voznesensky
  • “His ingenuous sensation of orchestral color has manifested itself not only in the immensely popular First Piano Concerto, “Naughty Rhymes” and “Carmen Suite.” Professional musicians call him the king of contemporary orchestra, having in mind the utmost expressivity of sound that is present in his music, along with an utmost concentration and economy of means. His compositions have been played by the best performers of the world, such as Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Mariss Jansons, Olli Mustonen and Maxim Vengerov. I especially esteem his rejection of compromises, even during the times which were especially difficult for Russian music. He has always been an innovator in music and was not afraid to demonstrate publicly his utmost support for any deviations from the ‘official Soviet course in music.’” Mstislav Rostropovich
  • “During this season I hope to acquaint as wide an audience as possible with the new production at the Mariinsky Theater of ‘Dead Souls.’ This is Rodion Shchedrin’s great opera and, incidentally, I am not the only person who ranks this work along with Prokofiev’s “War and Peace” and Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.” From the first minute we see ourselves in Gogol’s characters, how we live, how frightful we are, and how we have become so. It is astounding, but now, in 2011, this opera is perceived much more acutely than it was in the late 1970s, when it was premiered. Gogol possessed a fascinating sense of sight and hearing. Only he could view and depict Russia in such a well-aimed manner. Many people who attended the performance of the opera were struck how topical the plot was today. The themes of the betrayers of Christ, as well as the line that “there only one honest person in the company, the prosecutor, but even he, honestly speaking, is a pig” sounded as timely in the present day as they did back then. The audiences laughed in those moments, but in reality it was themselves they laughed at. And then they pondered on the fact that almost two centuries have passed since the time of the novel’s setting, whereas so little has changed since then”. Valery Gergiev “One Must Have the Wish to Learn the Culture of Others,” “Argumenty i fakty,” 2011, 20 April. Interview with N. Zyatkov.
  • “Shchedrin is a master of orchestration, combinations of sound, orchestral colors and sudden effects. Upon first encounter the musical material seems to be deceivingly simple. However, the skilful refinement of his language leads us into the depths of the music which is filled with luminescence, irony, humor, cheerfulness and genuine comicalness…” Lorin Maazel
  • “His music is lasting, and its popularity will only increase with the times. Great personalities always set the tone of their times. The new is not always palatable for contemporaries, and this has been a usual occurrence. For me Rodion is a token figure. He is a great composer. The time of his total recognition is still in the future. I am certain that his music will be performed all the time and everywhere. The main thing is that his creative output has always been tied with Russian folklore. He is a national, Russian composer. I love his music a lot, and I respect him as a pianist and as my great friend”. Sergei Dorensky
  • “I can say that my auditory sense was unusually enraptured with his ‘Carmen Suite.’ For me this is an absolutely delightful work, since here the peculiar transfer of the music into modernity does not distort the material which is familiar to everybody. On the other hand, the music kisses the music. They exist in a gentle union which is not at all offensive to the ear”. Bella Akhmadulina
  • “A combination of brilliant wit and a profound sense of drama, delicate thought and powerful construction, a brave, at times even a bold type of experiment and the constancy of the Russian national tradition, multiply enhanced by the greatest compositional technique – this has always fascinated and continues to fascinate me in Rodion Shchedrin’s musical output.” ''Mikhail Pletnyov
  • “Rodion Shchedrin has bestowed upon the New York Philharmonic a masterpiece which shall be added to the number of musical works composed lately that have greatly enriched the repertoire of classical music. The opera’s plot is magnificent. There is an abundance of theatrical material in it. It features a parable, both passionate sensuous love side by side with the platonic kind, the frightful sin of murder and retribution for it, Tatar captivity and torture, the delirium tremens of main character who is pursued by the phantom of a monk flogged by him to death, an admirable Gypsy girl and a cruel prince. Shchedrin weaves together all the threads of this plot into an absorbing musical fabric”… It is joyful to witness a composer who writes real music and not simply an assortment of sounds which attract the attention to their creator simply because he is celebrated and famous… How many times I had the occasion of witnessing how certain haughty composers with their rhetorical pretensions to creating their so-called ‘music of the future’ disappeared without a trace, notwithstanding the titanic efforts of their frantic followers. It is joyful to perceive that fortune bestowed upon me a rather long life and the opportunity of being a participant of the occurred event”. Lorin Maazel
  • “‘Pugachev’s Execution’ is one my favorite works by Shchedrin. His language, as is usually the case with Rodion, is truthful and vivid. The clear-cut architectonics of the episodes, the free technique of the letter, the skilful intertwinement of the voices – all of this makes the music of “Pugachev” perfect. Here there is nothing extraneous, here every note, every nuance, each stroke is carried out with the utmost precision and effectiveness. For me each performance of the poem “Pugachev’s Execution” presents an event experienced personally. Rodion’s exactingness is well-known, and he has not altered his principles with the years: an interpreter must carry out what is written in the score literally and with the utmost precision. The mastery and perfection of the work are the result of all the nuances, the details, the precise adherence to the composer’s instructions. The general outline, naturally, is extremely important, but the artistic whole is unthinkable without the presence of all the composite parts in the interpretation. And here there is nothing which is either of primary or of secondary importance: everything is important, and each minutest detail determines a high finite result. During the numerous years of our acquaintance, I think I can already allow myself to say that I penetrated into the essence of his creative language. By now I simply feel his music, and I do not need any special words to describe it. The world premiere of the opera “Boyarynia Morozova,” which was entrusted to me, has been a priceless gift of fate. It presented another step in my professional life. It was a moment of absolute creative happiness which I hope I shared with my wonderful chorus.” Boris Tevlin

[edit] Scenic Works

[edit] Operas

With Mstislav Rostropovich before the premiere of "Lolita". (1994)
  • Not Love Alone, opera in three acts with epilogue (1961).

First performance on 25 December 1961 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Theatre Chorus and Orchestra, Y. Svetlanov (cond).

  • Dead Souls, opera in three acts (1976). Libretto by the composer.

First performance on 7 June 1977 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Theatre Chorus and Orchestra, Y. Temirkanov (cond).

First performance: 14 December 1994 in Stockholm by the Royal Opera of Stockholm, Mstislav Rostropovich (cond), Ann-Marget Petterson, John Conklin.

  • The Enchanted Wanderer, opera for the concert stage for mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, mixed chorus and orchestra (2001-2002). Story by Nikolai Leskov. Libretto by the composer. Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic to Lorin Maazel.

First performance on 19 December 2002 in New York by the New York Philharmonic, New York Choral Artists, Lorin Maazel (cond).

  • Boyarina Morozova, choral opera in two parts for four soloists, mixed chorus, trumpet, timpani and percussion (2006). Text from "The Life of the Archpriest Awwakum by himself" and "The Life of Boyarina Morozova". Libretto by the composer.

First performance: 30 October 2006 in the Moscow Conservatory in a performance directed by Boris Tevlin.

[edit] Ballets

  • "The Little Humpbacked Horse", ballet in four acts (1956).

First performance on 4 March 1960 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Theatre, G. Rozhdestvensky (cond).

  • "Carmen Suite", ballet in one act (1967).

First performance on 20 April 1967 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (cond).

  • "Anna Karenina", ballet in three acts after Leo Tolstoy(1971).

First performance on 10 June 1972 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Theatre, Y. Simonov (cond).

  • "The Seagull", ballet in two acts after Anton Chekhov's play (1979).

First performance in 1980 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Theatre, Alexander Lazarev (cond).

  • "The Lady with the Lapdog", ballet in one act after Anton Chekhov (1985).

First performance on 20 November 1985 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Theatre, Alexander Lazarev(cond).

[edit] Musical

"Nina and the Twelve Months" (1988). Musical in two acts on a libretto by T. Futjita after Samuil Marshak's story. First performance on 8 August 1988 in Tokyo.

  • Bulleted list item

[edit] Orchestral works

[edit] Symphonies

  • Symphony No. 1 (1958) in three parts (1958).

First performance on 6 December 1958 in Moscow by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Natan Rakhlin(cond).

  • Symphony No. 2 "Twenty-Five Preludes" (1962-1965).

First performance on 11 April 1965 in Moscow by the USSR Radio & TV Large SO, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (cond).

  • Symphony No. 3. Symphony Concertante "Scenes of Russian Fairy Tales" in five parts (2000).

Commisioned by Bayern Radio to Lorin Maazel and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,. First performance on 22 Juni 2000 in the Munich Philharmonicby the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel (cond).

[edit] Concertos for orchestra

  • Concerto for orchestra No. 1 "Naughty Limericks" (1963).

First performance in September 1963 in Warsaw by the Radio & TV Large SO, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (cond). First performance in Russia on 17 November 1963 in Moscow by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin (cond).

  • Concerto for orchestra No. 2 "The Chimes" (1968). Commissioned by the New York PO for its 125th anniversary.

First performance on 11 January 1968 in New York by the New York PO, Leonard Bernstein (cond).

  • Concerto for orchestra No. 3 "Old Russian Circus Music" (1989).

Commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for its 100th anniversary. First performance on 25 October 1990 in Chicago by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel (cond).

  • Concerto for orchestra No. 4 "Round Dances (Khorovody)" (1989). Commissioned by the Suntory LTD.

First performance on 2 November 1989 in the Suntory Hall of Tokyo by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, N. Totsuka (cond).

  • Concerto for Orchestra No. 5 "Four Russian Songs" for symphony orchestra (1998). Commissioned by the BBC for the Proms Season 1998 to Dmitry Sitkovetsky.

First performance on 7 August 1998 in the Royal Albert Hall of London by the Ulster Orchestra, Dmitry Sitkovetsky (cond)

[edit] Concertos for solo instrument with orchestra

  • Piano Concerto No. 1 in four parts in D major (1954). First performance on 7 November 1954 in Moscow by the Conservatory Student Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (cond), Rodion Shchedrin (piano). Re-orchestrated in 1974. First performance of the re-orchestrated version: 5 May 1974 in Moscow by the USSR SO, Yevgeny Svetlanov(cond), Rodion Shchedrin (piano).
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 in three parts (1966). Dedicated to Maya Plisetskaya. First performance on 5 January 1967 in Moscow by the USSR Radio & TV Large SO, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (cond), Rodion Shchedrin (piano).
  • Piano Concerto No. 3 "Variations and Theme" (1973). First performance on 5 May 1974 in Moscow by the USSR SO, Yevgeny Svetlanov (cond), Rodion Shchedrin (piano).
  • Piano Concerto No. 4 "Sharp Keys" in two parts (1991). First performance on 11 June 1992 in Washington by the Washington National SO, Mstislav Rostropovich (cond), Nikolay Petrov (piano).

[edit] Other

  • The Little Humpbacked Horse, first suite from the ballet for symphony orchestra (1955)

First performance in 1956 in Moscow by the State Cinematographic SO, Aleksandr Gauk (cond).

  • Chamber Suite for twenty violins, harp, accordion and two double basses (1961)

First performance in 1962 in Moscow by a Violin Ensemble of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Y. Reyentovich (cond).

  • Not Love Alone, first symphonic suite from the opera for mezzo-soprano and orchestra (1964)
  • The Little Humpbacked Horse, second suite from the ballet for symphony orchestra (1965)
  • Symphonic Fanfares, festive overture for symphony orchestra (1967)

First performance on 6 November 1967 in Moscow by the USSR Radio & TV Large SO, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (cond).

  • Not Love Alone, second version for chamber orchestra (1971).

First performance on 20 January 1972 by the Moscow Chamber Opera Theater, conducted by Vladimir Delman.

  • Anna Karenina, romantic music for symphony orchestra (1972).

First performance on 24 October 1972 in Moscow by the USSR Radio & TV Large SO, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (cond).

  • Solemn Overture (1982). Symphonic Salute on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the USSR.

First performance in December 1982 in Moscow by the USSR Symphonic Academy Orchestra, Yevgeny Svetlanov (cond).

  • The Seagull, suite from the ballet for symphony orchestra (1984).

First performance on 14 January 1986 in New York by the New York National Orchestra, A. Kassuto (cond).

  • Music for the Town of Kothen for chamber orchestra (1984).

First performance on 17 February 1985 in Berlin by the Berlin Chamber Orchestra.

  • Self-Portrait, variations for symphony orchestra (1984).

First performance on 15 May 1984 in Moscow by the USSR State SO, D. Kakhidze (cond).

  • Music for strings, two oboes, two horns and celesta (1985).

First performance in April 1987 in Leningrad by the Leningrad State Philharmonic Academic SO, F. Glushchenko (cond).

  • The Geometry of Sound for chamber orchestra (1987).

First performance in May 1987 in Cologne by Soloists of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Alexander Lazarev (cond).

  • Stikhira for the Millennium of Christianisation of Russia for symphony orchestra (1988). Dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich.

First performance in march 1988 in Washington by the Washington National SO, Mstislav Rostropovich (cond).

First performance on 9 October 1990 in Tokyo by the Tokyo SO, H. Iwaki (cond).

  • Chrystal Gusli for symphony orchestra (1994). Dedicated to Toru Takemitsu.

First performance on 21 November 1994 in Moscow by the Moscow State SO, I. Golovchin (cond).

  • Russian Photographies", music for string orchestra (1994). Dedicated to Vladimir Spivakov and the "Moscow Virtuosi".

First performance on 29 Juli 1995 in Gstaad by the Moscow Virtuosi, V. Spivakov (cond).

  • Shepherd's Pipes of Vologda for oboe, english horn, horn and strings (1995). Hommage to Bartok. Commissioned by the Hungarian Radio.

First performance on 1 October 1995 in the Marble Hall of Budapest by the Concentus Hungaricus Chamber Orchestra, Laszlo Kovacs (cond), Bela Kollar (oboe), Gergely Hamar (englisch horn), Zoltan Varga (horn)

  • Glorification (Velicanie) for string orchestra (1995). Commissioned by the World Economic Forum..

First performance on 6 Februar 1996 in Davos at the World Economic Forum by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Constantine Orbelian (cond).

  • Two Tangos by Albeniz" for orchestra (1996).

First performance on 9 August 1997 in the Peabody Auditorium of Daytona by the London SO, M. Rostropovich (cond)

  • "Slava, Slava" for orchestra (1997) "A festive ringing of bells". Dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich for his 70th birthday.

First performance: 27 March 1997 in Paris by the Orchestra National de France, Seiji Ozawa (cond).

  • Preludium to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 for orchestra (1999). Commissioned by the Nuernberg Symphony Orchestra.

First performance on 5 Januar 2000 in the Meistersingerhalle of Nuernberg by the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Jac van Steen (cond)

First performance on 28 September 2001 in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons (cond)

First performance on 8 November 2002 in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons (cond)

  • Vivat!, St. Petersburg Ouverture (2008).

First Performance: 12 December 2008 in St. Petersburg by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mariss Jansons.

First Performance: 18 December 2008 in Munchen by the Orchester des Bayerische Rundfunks, conducted by Mariss Jansons.

  • Symphonic Diptych (2009).

First Performance: 20 April 2009 in Moscow by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

  • Lithauanian Saga (2009).

First Performance: 13 May 2009 in Vilnius by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

[edit] Chamber ensemble

  • Muzïkal'noye prinosheniye (A Musical Offering) for 3 flutes, 3 bassoons, 3 trombones, and organ (1983)

[edit] Chamber music

  • Drei heitere Stücke (Three funny pieces) for piano trio (1997)
    • Gespräche (Conversations)
    • Spielen wir eine Oper von Rossini (Let's Play an Opera by Rossini)
    • Humoreske
  • Menuhin Sonata for violin and piano (1999)
  • Ancient Melodies of Russian Folk Songs for cello and piano (2007)

[edit] Vocal music

  • Meine Zeit, mein Raubtier, vocal cycle after Osip Mandelstam for recitation, tenor and piano (2002)

[edit] Solo piano

  • Piano Pieces (1952–1961)
    • Poem
    • Four Pieces from the ballet "The Humpbacked Horse"
    • Humoresque
    • Imitating Albéniz
    • Troika
    • Two Polyphonic Pieces (Two Part Invention and Basso Ostinato)
  • Piano Sonata (1962)
  • Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues (1964–1970)
  • Polyphonic Notebook, twenty-five preludes (1972)
  • Piano Sonata No. 2 (1997)
  • Diary, seven pieces (2002)
  • Sonatine Concertante (2005)
  • A la Pizzicato (2005)

[edit] Solo Violin

  • In the Style of Albéniz op. 52 (1973)
  • Echo Sonata, op. 69 (1984)
  • Balalajka (1998)
  • Duets (2000)

[edit] Honours and awards

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Russian Wikipedia.
  1. in the nomination "The best essay in contemporary academic music" for the Concerto cantabile (1997)
  2. in the nomination "The best work of contemporary composer of classical music" for the opera "The Enchanted Wanderer" (2009)

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin

[edit] References

  1. ^ Concerto for Orchestra No. 1, "Naughty Limericks" Kennedy Center
  2. ^ Volker Milchs: Oper "Lolita" - Deutschlandpremiere bei den 115. Maifestspielen in Wiesbaden Wiesbadener Tagblatt 1 May 2011 (German)
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