Valery Gavrilin was born in 1939 in Vologda. When he was 3, his father died as a volunteer during the Siege of Leningrad. His mother was imprisoned when he was 10 and Gavrilin was sent to an orphanage in the village of Kovyrino near Vologda. At the age of 11, Gavrilin entered a school of music where I.M. Belozemtsev, a teacher at Leningrad Conservatory, happened to hear him and from the age of 12 to 16, Gavrilin went to the children's school in Leningrad to study clarinet, piano and composition. In 1964 he graduated from the Conservatory with two specialities: composition (under professor Orest Evlakhov) and musicology (under professor F.A. Rubtsov). Shortly thereafter, Gavrilin published the vocal cycle that would make his name, the Russian Notebook. He continued at the Conservatory as a teacher.
In television and film he often collaborated with director Aleksandr Arkadevich Belinskiy.
Valery Gavrilin died in 1999 at the age of 59 in St. Petersburg, following two severe heart attacks.
The 70th Anniversary of Gavrilin's birth was marked by a Gavrilin Festival in October 2009, which included concerts in his memory in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Vologda, and Cherepovec, and which included a performance by the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev.
The art of Gavrilin is one of the most vivid and striking features of contemporary Russian culture. After having composed "The Russian Music Book" he entered into music of the 1960s in the period of the so-called "neo-folklore wave" which was a kind of parallel to the art of such Russian "country-writers" in the genre prose as Vasili Belov, Viktor Astafiyev, and Vasily Shukshin. The truthful picture of the contemporary life of people, their mood, expectation, hopes and sorrows is presented in Gavrilin's music.
Both the esthetics and the style in Gavrilin's art are the vivid example of the neo-romantic. Fist of all it can be seen in the composer's inclination towards the genre of song mostly favored by romantics, in the ethical and fine development of song forms. To reveal the tragic content the composer uses the developed and symphonized song form which is sometimes close in the manner of intonation to "crying" and "lamentations". They are traditional genres of a Russian village song.
In Gavrilin's instrumental music an appreciable place is given to a programme miniature, to character and genre pieces forming his suites, orchestra suits and variety entertainments. Having been staged in the Naples theatre "San-Carlo" and in the Bolshoy in Moscow by V.Vasiliev, Gavrilin's ballet Anyuta became widely known.
Being vocal by nature, Gavrilin's talent has its own unique intonation. Just like his beloved romantics he worships melody. The soul of his music is in a fresh primordial melodiousness. Its pure national character is also expressed in the composer's inclination to the "natural" and "native" harmonies.
Ballets
Anyuta (i.e. "Annie"), ballet in 2 acts, libretto by film director Aleksandr Belinskiy after Anton Chekhov (Анюта 1982)
House on the road, ballet in 1 act, libretto by Aleksandr Belinskiy after the poem by Tvardovsky (Дом у дороги 1984)
Lieutenant Romashov. after Aleksandr Kuprin (1985)
Balzamin's Marriage. after Alexander Ostrovsky (Женитьба Бальзаминова 1989)
Opera
The sailor and the rowan tree. (Моряк и рябина 1968)
Family Album (Семейный альбом 1969)
Miracle play of the Three Youths. (Пещное действо 1970) (based on the miracle play of the fiery furnace story in the Russian Orthodox Church)
Symphonic works
The Cockroach, symphonic suite (Тараканище 1963)
C-dur Overture for symphony orchestra (1964)
Adagio for Strings (1964)
Wedding, symphonic suite number 1 (Свадебная 1967)
Theatre Divertissment, symphonic suite number 2 (1969)
The Russian, symphonic suite number 3 (Русская 1970)
The French, symphonic suite number 4 (Французская 1973)
Portraits, symphonic suite number 5 (Портреты 1979))
The Memory of Batiushkov, waltz for symphony orchestra (Памяти Батюшкова 1981)
Anyuta, symphonic suite number 6 (Анюта 1982)
House on the Road, symphonic suite number 7 (Дом у дороги 1984)
Chamber-vocal works
About Love, cycle for voice and piano to the texts of Vadim Shefner (О любви 1958)
Satires, cycle for voice and piano to the texts of Arvīds Grigulis (Сатиры 1959)
German Notebook No.1, cycle for voice and piano after Russian translations of Heinrich Heine (1961)
Russian Notebook, cycle for voice and piano to folk texts (1964, Glinka State Prize of the RSFSR in 1965)
The Seasons. cycle for voice and piano. "Winter" "Spring" "Summer" to folk texts and "Autumn" to the poem of Sergei Yesenin (Времена года 1969)
The Drunken Week, cycle for voice and piano to words of the people. (Пьяная неделя 1970?)
German Notebook No.2, cycle for voice and piano after Heinrich Heine (Немецкая тетрадь № 2 1972)
Evening, cycle for 2 voices and piano. Part 1 "little album", lyrics: folk, Albina Shulgina and Gavrilin (Вечерок 1 «Альбомчик» 1973). Part 2 "Dances, writing, conclusion", the words of Semen Nadson, Ivan Bunin, Anna Akhmatova, Albina Shulgina and Gavrilin (Вечерок 2 «Танцы, письма, окончание» 1975)
German book number 3, cycle for a quartet of voices and piano after Heinrich Heine (1976) unfinished.
Marina, on the words of Marina Tsvetaeva (Марина 1967)
Three Songs of Ophelia. Shakespeare as translated by Boris Pasternak (1971) for a production of Hamlet at the Young People's Theatre of Leningrad directed by Zinovy Korogodsky.
"The city sleeps". Text by Albina Shulgina (Город спит 1978)
"Forgive me". Text by Alexander Volodin (Простите меня)
Poem number 426 for the soloist, instrumental ensemble, computer 328-RS and tape.
The vocal-symphonic works
Buffoons, Action for the soloist, male chorus, ballet and orchestra. Words by Vadim Korostilev. (Скоморохи 1967)
Military letters, vocal-symphonic poem for soloists, children's and mixed choirs and symphony orchestra. Words by Albina Shulgina (Военные письма 1972)
Earth, vocal-symphonic cycle for the free composition of the choir, soloist and symphony orchestra. Words by Albina Shulgina (Земля 1974)
A toast "The Apotheosis", cantata for mixed chorus and orchestra, words by Vladimir Maksimov) (Здравица «Апофеоз» 1977)
Spell, cantata for female choir and orchestra. Words by Albina Shulgina (Заклинание 1977)
Wedding, Action for soloist, mixed chorus, ballet and symphony orchestra. Texts: folk, A. Shulgina and V. Gavrilin. (Свадьба 1978-1982)
Perezvony (After reading Vasily Shukshin), a choral symphony of-action for soloists, mixed chorus, oboe, percussion and narrator. Texts: folk, A. Shulgina and V. Gavrilin. (1978–1982) (Перезвоны 1982)
Shepherd and Shepherdess, acted for soloists, large chorus, a mixed instrumental ensemble. After Viktor Astafyev (Пастух и пастушка 1983) - unfinished.
Choral Works (a capella)
People of the world (on words of Sergei Vasiliev) (Люди мира на слова С. Васильева 1962)
We talked about art, cantata for mixed chorus a cappella in their own words (Мы говорили об искусстве 1963)
In Memoriam of the Fallen, a choral cycle (Памяти павших 1963)
Don captain. concert rondo for mixed chorus, words of R. Barannikova (Дон капитан 1969)
Pripevki, for mixed chorus, folk lyrics (Припевки 1972)
Instrumental chamber works
Three string quartets (1960, 1962, 1964)
Adagio in polyphonic style (1964)
A Poem for violin and piano (1963)
Sonata for violin and piano (1964)
Sonata for piano (1964)
Compositions for piano 2-hands (three books)
"Sketches" (cycle of the 18 pieces of software) for piano 4 hands («Зарисовки» 1970s)
Music for Theatre,:
How Kopaci got married. Musical comedy in 1 Act of the play by L Tabi. (Так женился Копачи - пьесе Л.Таби).
36 suites of Incidental Theatre music: "How Kopachi got married Kopaci" «Так женился Копачи», "marching march", «Походный марш» "Armored Train 14-69" «Бронепоезд 14-69» "After the execution request" «После казни прошу» "After 100 years in the Birch grove" «Через 100 лет в Березовой роще» "Two winters and three summers," «Две зимы и три лета» "Crime and Punishment " «Преступлени и наказание» "Not to part with his beloved" «С любимыми не расставайтесь» "Steps of the Commander" «Шаги командора» "His people - numbered" «Свои люди — сочтемся» "Above the bright water" «Над светлой водой» "Three sacks of wheat" «Три мешка сорной пшеницы» "Prunus" «Черемуха» and others (1959–1977)
Film music
1966 - On the wild shore (На диком береге director Anatoli Granik)
1968 - Source (Источник director Anatoli Granik)
1968 - On the wedding day (В день свадьбы director Vadim Mikhailov)
1970 - Vasily Merkur'ev (Василий Меркурьев Telefilm, dir. Bychkov)
1969 - Anna's Happiness (Счастье Анны dir. Yuri Rogov)
1971 - The month of August (Месяц август dir. Vadim Mikhailov)
1972 - Theatrical History (Театральные истории dir. Aleksandr Belinskiy)
1979 - The Knight of Knyazh (Рыцарь из Княж-города dir. Vadim Mikhailov)
1980 - Pier (Пристань dir. V. Sorokin)
1981 - A Village History (Деревенская история dir. Vitali Kanevsky)
1982 - Anyuta(Анюта dir. Alexander Belinsky, choreographer Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev)
1986 - Hurt (Обида prod. Arkady Sirenko)
1987 - Funny story (Байка dir. Georgi Burkov, Herman Lavrov)
1989 - Balzamin's Marriage (Женитьба Бальзаминова dir. Aleksandr Belinskiy)
1993 - Provincial benefice (Провинциальный бенефис dir. Aleksandr Belinskiy)
Discography
A House on the Road. With Sviridov, Oratorio Pathetique. Vladimir Fedoseyev. reissued Relief.
Songs of Valery Gavrilin: The Russian Notebook. Ophelia’s Songs. The Seasons. Mila Shkirtil (mezzo-soprano). Yuri Serov (piano). Northern Flowers, NF/PMA 9955
Gavrilin First German Notebook. Sergei Leiferkus (baritone). Irina Golovnyova (piano). Recorded in 1981. Sound-producer Gerhard Tses. Released with recordings of songs by Vladimir Shcherbachov, Veniamin Basner, Yuri Falik. Compozitor, St. Petersburg.
Gavrilin Sketches (18 pieces) for piano 4 hands. Riga Piano duo Nora Novik & Raffi Kharajanyan. Compozitor, St. Petersburg,2000.
Video
Anyuta. Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev with the Bolshoi Ballet 1982. DVD VAI 2007
