Yury Kasparov
Encyclopedia
Yuri Sergeyevich Kasparov (born 8 June 1955, Moscow, —his name is variously transliterated) is a Russian composer
, music teacher and a professor at the Moscow Conservatory
where he had studied for his doctorate under Edison Denisov
. Under the patronage of Denisov, he founded the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble in 1990 and is its Artistic Director. He is the chairman of the Russian section of the International Society for Contemporary Music
.
with a degree in Engineering. He graduated with a second degree in Music from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (usually called simply the Moscow Conservatory) in 1984 and went on to complete his post-graduate studies there in 1991. Between 1985 and 1989, he worked for the Russian State Central Studio of Documentary Films as editor-in-chief for music.
Ensemble Modern
, Radio France
and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
have all commissioned works from Kasparov and his music has featured in the Tokyo Summer Festival
, the Warsaw Autumn
festival and Radio France's Festival Présences. His music has been recorded by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
, the National Radio Orchestra of Romania
, and Ensemble Contrechamps of Switzerland, and has featured on CDs released on the Olympia and Harmonia Mundi
labels.
In 2007, Kasparov was awarded Honored Art Worker of Russia by order of the Russian President; in 2008, he was awarded Chevalier dans L’ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture of France.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, music teacher and a professor at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
where he had studied for his doctorate under Edison Denisov
Edison Denisov
Edison Vasilievich Denisov was a Russian composer of so called "Underground" — "Anti-Collectivist", "alternative" or "nonconformist" division in the Soviet music.-Biography:...
. Under the patronage of Denisov, he founded the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble in 1990 and is its Artistic Director. He is the chairman of the Russian section of the International Society for Contemporary Music
International Society for Contemporary Music
The International Society for Contemporary Music is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music.ISCM was established in 1922, in Salzburg. Its core activity is the World Music Days Festival, held every year at a different location. The festival includes cutting edge productions...
.
Life
In 1978, Kasparov graduated from the Moscow Power Engineering InstituteMoscow Power Engineering Institute
Moscow Power Engineering Institute is one of the largest and leading technical universities in the world in the area of power engineering, electronics and IT...
with a degree in Engineering. He graduated with a second degree in Music from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (usually called simply the Moscow Conservatory) in 1984 and went on to complete his post-graduate studies there in 1991. Between 1985 and 1989, he worked for the Russian State Central Studio of Documentary Films as editor-in-chief for music.
Music
Kasparov has argued "that the whole tradition of Russian music is too dependent on extra-musical symbolism and association (whether religious, political or nationalistic) and that Russian music of time would benefit from becoming 'purer', more concerned with itself for its own sake, as in Kasparov's opinion, Western music is. This, Kasparov argues, would lead to Soviet musicians being less isolated."Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries....
, Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
The Stavanger Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra from Stavanger, Norway. The SSO gives concerts primarily in the Stavanger Konserthus...
have all commissioned works from Kasparov and his music has featured in the Tokyo Summer Festival
Tokyo Summer Festival
The annual Tokyo Summer Festival, organized by the Arion-Edo Foundation in cooperation with Asahi Shimbun, has been thought up in 1985 by Kyoko Edo , Maki Ishii and Tashi Funayama , who joined hands to plan a truly international music festival in Tokyo at a time when there was no such event in Japan...
, the Warsaw Autumn
Warsaw Autumn
Warsaw Autumn is the largest international Polish festival of contemporary music. Indeed, for many years, it was the only festival of its type in Central and Eastern Europe. It was founded in 1956 by two composers, Tadeusz Baird and Kazimierz Serocki, and officially established by the Head Board...
festival and Radio France's Festival Présences. His music has been recorded by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
, the National Radio Orchestra of Romania
National Radio Orchestra of Romania
National Radio Orchestra of Romania is the Romanian National symphony orchestra.- History :* National Radio Orchestra was founded in 1928 by the composer and conductor Mihail Jora and is the principal ensemble of the Musical ensembles of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Society.- Chief conductors...
, and Ensemble Contrechamps of Switzerland, and has featured on CDs released on the Olympia and Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi is an independent music record label founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz in Arles . The Latin phrase means "world harmony"....
labels.
Awards
In 1985, his Symphony No. 1, Guernica, was awarded first prize in the All-Union competition in Moscow and in 1989, Ave Maria was awarded first prize in the Guido d'Arezzo competition. In 1996, Effet de nuit was awarded Grand Prix in the Henri Dutilleux competition.In 2007, Kasparov was awarded Honored Art Worker of Russia by order of the Russian President; in 2008, he was awarded Chevalier dans L’ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture of France.
List of Compositions
This list of works is a reformatted translation of the Russian Wikipedia list.Works for orchestra
- Symphony No. 1 Guernica (1984). First performance - June 1984 ; Moscow
- Symphony No. 2 Kreutzer-Sinfonie (1987). First performance - January 1987 ; Yaroslavl
- Symphony No. 3 L'Ecclésiaste, (1999). First performance - March 2000 ; Tours (France)
- Symphony No. 4 Notre Dame (2008). First performance - November 2008 ; Moscow
- Logos, Concerto for orchestra (1993)
- Genesis, micro-symphony (1989). First performance - January 1994 ; Cardiff (Wales)
- Lincos, sequence for orchestra (1988). First performance - April 1990 ; Norrköping (Sweden)
- The World, such as it is, symphonic picture (1997)
- Concerto for oboe and orchestra (1988). First performance - December 1991 ; Moscow
- Concerto for bassoon and orchestra (1996). First performance - October 1996 ; Stavanger (Norway)
- Concerto for flute and orchestra C'est la vie (2003). First performance - November 2003 ; Moscow
- Concerto for cello and orchestra (1998). First performance - November 2000 ; Moscow
- Castles in the air (2003) for 24 flutes. First performance - March 2005 ; Paris
- Concerto for organ and orchestra Obélisque (2005). First performance - November 2006 ; Moscow
Works for chamber string orchestra with soloists
- DSCH-Meditation (1999) for organ and 20 strings
- Con moto morto (2000) fantasy for 4 buckets, 12 strings, organ and small mechanical monkey. First performance - November 2006 ; Rostov-on-Don (Russia)
- Le cauchemar nocturne de l'agent Fix (2005), musical joke for chamber string orchestra based on Jules VerneJules VerneJules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
's novel Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours. First performance - June 2005 ; Paris
Works for ensembles of soloists
- Diffusion for three ensembles and off-stage tuba (1988). First performance - May 1989 ; Chelyabinsk
- Chamber symphony no. 1 Silencium (1989) for 14 performers. First performance - April 1990, Moscow
- Chamber symphony No. 2 Touching (1995) for 16 performers
- Chamber symphony No. 3 Light and Shade - Setting off (1999) for 7 performers. First performance - October 1999 ; Bakeu (Romania)
- Chamber symphony No. 4 Le monde disparaissant (2010) for 8 performers. First performance – May 2010, Paris (France)
- Chamber symphony No. 5 Five pictures of invisibility (2010) for 6 performers. First performance – June 2010, Feldkirch (Austria)
- Devil's Trills, variations on a theme of Tartini (1990) for 16 performers. First performance - December 1990 ; Moscow
- Over Eternal Peace (1992), chamber concerto for the bassoon and 14 performers. First performance - November 1992 ; Zurich (Switzerland)
- Seven Illusory Images of Memory (1995) for 16 performers. First performance - May 1995 ; Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
- Beyond the Time, variation on a theme Of Denisov (1998) for 14 performers. First performance - May 1998 ; Bielefeld (Germany)
- Twelve Samples of Interrelations between bassoon, eight double-basses and eight kettle-drums (1996). First performance - November 1996 ; Moscow
- Les Symboles de Picasso (2003), five miniatures for 12 performers. First performance - June 2004 ; Paris
- Contro lamento (2004) for 16 performers. First performance - November 2004 ; Moscow
- Hommage à Honegger (2005) for 9 performers. First performance - September 2005 ; Warsaw
Vocal works
- Nevermore (1992), mono-opera for baritone and 17 performers based on Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's poem The RavenThe Raven"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
. First (concert) performance - November 1995 ; Moscow. Soloist - V. Savenko. First staged - June 2006 ; Moscow - Stabat Mater (1991) for soprano and string quartet. First performance - July 1992 ; Kulundborg (Denmark)
- Ave Maria (1989) for 12 voices, violin, organs and vibraphone. First performance - November 1991 ; Moscow
- A Dream (1996) for soprano and organ (based on the poem by Edgar Allan Poe). First performance - July 1997 ; Loccum (Germany)
- Effet de Nuit (1996) for bass-baritone, clarinet, horn, piano, vibraphone and cello (based on the poem by Paul Verlaine). First performance - September 1996 ; Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (France)
- Trois Fables de Jean de La Fontaine (1997) for bass-baritone, oboe, clarinet, trombone, percussion, violin, viola and cello. First performance - November 2002 ; Tours (France)
- “Magic violin” (2001) for mezzo-soprano and tape to [N]. [(Nased on the poem by Nikolai Gumilev). First performance - April 2001 ; Genoa (Italy)
- Promenade Sentimentale (2008) for two vocal ensembles on poem by Paul Verlaine. First performance – June 2009, Paris (France)
Quintets
- “Crossthoughts” (1998) for bassoon and cello quartet. First performance - June 1998 ; Avignon (France)
Quartets
- Landscape Fading Into Infinity (1991) for clarinet, violin, cello and piano. First performance - September 1992 ; Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
- Invention (1989) for string quartet. First performance - October 1989 ; Leningrad
- Epitaph in Memory of Alban Berg (1988) for oboe, violin, harp and percussion. First performance - June 1988 ; Moscow
- Chorale (1997) for 4 double basses
- Ghost of Music (2002) for clarinet, bassoon, organ and percussion. First performance - September 2002 ; Moscow
- Woman in White (2007) for string quartet and two short phonograms. First performance – November 2007, Moscow
- Monody (2008) for cello quartet. First performance – November 2008, Moscow
Trio
- Goat Song (1991) for bassoon, double-bass and percussion. First performance - May 1994 ; Valencia (Spain)
- Game of Gale (1995) for tenor-saxophone, marimba and piano
- Sketch of a picture with collage (1990) for violin, trumpet and piano. First performance - June 1992 ; Korshom (Finland)
- Schoenberg's Space (1993) for violin, cello piano. First performance - November 1993 ; Hamburg (Germany)
- Nocturne (1991) for clarinet, violin and piano. First performance - September 1991 ; Cologne (Germany)
- Scrappy Reflections(1997) for cello, piano and percussion. First performance - November 1997 ; Moscow
Duets
- Variations (1990) for clarinet and piano. First performance - July 1992 ; Chester (England)
- Chaconne (1992) for bassoon, cello and live-electronics. First performance - February 1993 ; Paris (France)
- Briefly about a serious matter (1994) for trombone and organ. First performance - September 1994 ; Moscow
- Gas-Bag (1997) for soprano-saxophone and alto-saxophone. First performance - March 1999 ; Rouen (France)
- Concertando con forza tanta (1999) for cello and piano. First performance - October 1999 ; Lviv (Ukraine)
- Dialogue with commentaries (2005) for double bass and piano
- Untransparent Emptiness (2008) for flute and cello. First performance – November 2009, Moscow
- Prelude, Toccata and Fugue (2008) for two pianos. First performance – September 2008, Moscow
- Ballad (2009) for bassoon and piano. First performance – July 2009, Birmingham (UK).
- Dramatic lullaby(2010) for piano and organ . First performance - February 2010 ; Paris
Solo
- Sonata-Infernale (1989) for solo bassoon. First performance - August 1992 ; Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
- Postludio (1990) for solo harp. First performance - April 1994 ; Gent (Belgium)
- Cantus firmus (1990) for solo violin. First performance - June 1990 ; Latina (Italy)
- Credo (1990) for solo organ. First performance - October 1992 ; Moscow
- Reminiscence (1993) for piano and recorded piano. First performance - May 1997 ; Boswil (Switzerland)
- La Bonne Humeur de Monsieur Degeyter (2000), musical joke for solo organ. First performance - September 2000 ; Roquevaire (France)
- La Leçon de la Démocratie (2002), musical joke for solo organ. First performance - October 2002 ; Paris
- Quintessence (2003) for solo piano. First performance - November 2003 ; Cagliari (Sardinia)
- Lontano (2005) documentary music for organ and tape. First performance - January 2006 ; Paris
Film music
- Yielded revolutions (1987), Flayer (1990), Killer (1990), Backcountry (1991), Strange side (1991), It its will obtain (1992), Your fingers smell of incense (1993), I am eternally to return (1993) and others
Discography
- «Devil’s Trills», variations on Tartini’s theme: Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 1991, MK 417036)
- «Nocturne» for clarinet, violin and piano: Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Olympia, 1991, OCD 282)
- «Epitaph in Memory of Alban Berg» for oboe, harp, violin and percussion: Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Olympia, 1991, OCD 283)
- «Sonata - Infernale» for bassoon solo: Valeri Popov (Olympia, 1992, OCD 295)
- «Goat Song» for bassoon, double-bass and percussion: Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Olympia, 1993, OCD 297)
- «Over Eternal Peace», chamber concerto for bassoon and 14 performers: Valeri Popov, Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Zvuk agency, 1998, ZV 80-98146)
- «La Bonne Humeur de Monsieur Degeyter», musical joke for organ solo: Hervé Désarbre (Mandala and Harmonia Mundi, 2001, MAN 4896)
Five profile CDs
- «Landscape fading into infinity» for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, «Nevermore!», overture to the opera-monodrama for 16 performers, «Credo» for organ solo, «Cantus firmus» for violin solo, «Variations» for clarinet and piano, «Postlude» for harp solo, «Silencium», chamber symphony No 1 for 14 performers: Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Le Chant du Monde and Harmonia Mundi, 1992, LDC 288 060 CM 210)
- «Lincos», sequence for symphony orchestra, «Ave Maria» for 12 voices, violin, organ and vibraphone, «Genesis», micro-symphony for symphony orchestra, «Stabat mater» for soprano and string quartet, Concerto for oboe and symphony orchestra, «Invention» for string quartet: State USSR Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography, New Moscow choir, Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Olympia, 1992, OCD 296)
- «Devil’s Trills», variations on Tartini’s theme, «A Dream» for soprano and organ on poem by Edgar Allan Poe, «Light and Shade – Setting off», chamber symphony No 3 for 7 performers, «12 Samples of Interrelations between bassoon, 8 double-basses and 8 kettle-drums», «Reminiscence» for piano and “piano”, «Seven Illusory Images of Memory» for 16 performers: Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Le Chant du Monde and Harmonia Mundi, 2000, LDC 2781120 HM 57)
- «Nutcracker», variations and paraphrases on the themes by P. I. Tchaikovsky: State Russian Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography (Le Chant du Monde and Harmonia Mundi, 2005, LDC 2781146 HM 57)
- «Sonata - Infernale» for bassoon solo, «Goat Song» for bassoon, double-bass and percussion «Chaconne» for bassoon, cello and live-electronics: Valeri Popov, Moscow contemporary music ensemble (Vista Vera, 2009, WCD-00200)
External links
See also
- Valery Popov (musician)
- Association for Contemporary Music