Andrei Volkonsky

Biography

A descendant of Volkonsky, Russian aristocratic princely family in exile, he was born in Geneva in 1933. As a child he played his improvisations to Sergei Rachmaninov. Then he studied piano at Geneva Conservatory with Johnny Aubert and with the legendary Dinu Lipatti. The Volkonsky family resettled in Moscow in 1947. From 1950 to 1954 he studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Yuri Shaporin, but was expelled for breaking some minor disciplinary rules. In 1956 Volkonsky began the career of a harpsichord and organ player. He pioneered performing renaissance and baroque music, which had hitherto not been played in the USSR. In 1965 he founded an ensemble of early music, called ‘Madrigal’.

He was among the first Soviet composers who began experimenting with twelve-tone and serial techniques. An early work in this style was his piano suite "Musica Stricta" (1956). His works greatly influenced his colleagues. Composing such music at that time was an act of courage: it was a protest against the suppression of freedom, and specifically against the requirement that the composers in Soviet Russia followed the narrowly prescribed doctrines of the Socialist Realism. It is not surprising that his music, attempting at a real renewal and enrichment of the musical language in Russia, was banned from performance. Volkonsky said that he had been fighting for 25 years to establish and preserve his artistic individuality in Moscow before requesting an exit visa in December 1972.

But he was not allowed to leave the country immediately. Five months of suspense and unemployment followed, during which he hounded the passport office and sold most of his belongings, including scores and books, to support himself.

Andrei Volkonsky emigrated to the West in 1973. He first returned to Geneva, where he was born, and later settled in Aix-en-Provence (in the South of France). He was married (1954–1960) to the poet Helvi Jürisson (b. 05.10.1928). They had a son, prince Peeter Volkonski (Piotr Andreevitch Volkonsky) (b.12.09.1954), an acclaimed Estonian actor and rock-musician.

Selected works

Piano Sonata in B♭ Major (1949)

Rus, cantata on text by Nikolai Gogol (1952)

The Face of Peace, cantata on text by Paul Éluard (1952)

Concerto for Orchestra (1953)

Capriccio for orchestra (1954)

Piano Quintet (1954)

String Quartet (1955)

Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 8 (1955–56)

Musica Stricta for piano (1956)

Fantasia for Piano (1955)

Two Japanese Songs for chorus, electric sound and percussion (1957)

Music for 12 Instruments (1957)

Serenade to an Insect for chamber orchestra (1959)

Mirror Suite for soprano and 5 players: Flute, Violin, Guitar, Organ and Percussion on text by Federico García Lorca (1960)

Lamentations of Schchaza for soprano, Cor Anglais, Violin, Marimba, Vibrafono, and Cembalo on text by Schchaza (1961)

Jeu à Trois for flute, violin and harpsichord (1962)

Concerto Itinérant for soprano, violin percussion and 26 instruments, text from the Rubayiat of Omar Khayyám (1967)

Replica for small orchestra (1969)

Les mailles du Temps for 3 instrumental groups (1970)

Maqam for tar and harpsichord (1974)

Lied for 4 voices (1974)

Immobile for piano and orchestra (1978)

7 Sacred Songs for three male voices (solo or choir) (arrangement of Russian-orthodoxe liturgical songs) (1984)

Was noch lebt for mezzo soprano and string trio on text by Johannes Bobrowski (1985)

Psalm 148 for three voices (solo or choir), organ and timpani (1989)

Carrefour for ensemble (1992)

Film music

Novye pokhozhdeniya Kota v Sapogakh (1958)/Новые похождения кота в сапогах (as A. Volkonsky)

Marya-iskusnitsa (1960)/Марья-искусница/Maria, the Wonderful Weaver/The Magic Weaver (USA)

Priklyucheniya Krosha (1961)/Приключения Кроша/Adventures of Krosh

3+2 (1962)/Three Plus Two/Tri plyus dva

Voyna pod kryshami (1967)/Война под крышами/The War Under the Roofs

Dead Season (1968)

Mogila Lva (1971)/Могила льва/The Lion's Grave

Pereprava (1987)/Переправа

Recordings

CTH 2502: ANDRE VOLKONSKY

Suite de los espejos/Spiegel-Suite/Mirror Suite/La Suite de miroirs Federico Garcia Lorca (1959)

1. Symbol 1:15 2. Der grofte Spiegel 0:15 3. Reflex 1:18 4. Strahlen 0:19 5. Widerhall 1:01 6. Shinto - Weg der Gotter 1:16 7. Die Augen 6:12 8. Initium 0:50 9. Schlaflied fur den schlafrigen Spiegel 5:16

Les Plaintes de Shchaza/Die Klagen der Shchaza/Laments of Shchaza (1960)

10. Lento ma non troppo 2:19 11. Presto 2:05 12. Lento rubato 6:38 13. Aussi vite que possible 5:07

Concert itinerant/Das wandernde Konzert/Wandering Concerto 30:33 (Omar Hayyam) (1964–67)

14.

(1-9) Lydia Davydova (Sopran), Andre Volkonsky (Orgel) und Solisten des Symphony Orchestra of Leningrad Philharmonic, Leitung: Igor Blazhkov. Aufnahme: 1967 (10-13) Lydia Davydova (Sopran), Andre Volkonsky (Cembalo) und Solisten des Symphony Orchestra of Leningrad Philharmonic, Leitung: Igor Blazhkov. Aufnahme: 1965 (14) Tatiana Marushchak (Sopran), Grigory Sandomirsky (Violine), Natalia Pshenichnikova (Flote), Mark Pekarsky Percussion Ensemble, Collegium Musicum Chamber Orchestra, Leitung: Timur Mynbaev Live-Aufnahme beim, Alternativa?" Festival Moskau im Oktober 1989

Bella, CD, ADD, 1965-1989