Alexander Veprik
Alexander Moiseyevich Veprik, also Weprik, (Russian: ÐлекÑандр МоиÑеевич Веприк; 23 June 1899 in Balta, Ukraine – 13 October 1958 in Moscow) was a Russian (Ukrainian; Soviet) composer and music educator. Veprik is considered one of the greatest composers of the "Jewish school" in Soviet music.
Life
Veprik grew up in Warsaw and studied piano with Karl Wendling at the Leipzig Conservatory. At the onset of World War I, the family returned to Russia. Veprik studied composition with Alexander Zhitomirsky (1881–1937) in the Saint Petersburg Conservatory (1918–1921) and Nikolai Myaskovsky at the Moscow Conservatory (1921–1923).
Veprik was active in the musical life of 1920–1930s. In 1923 he was active in the creation of the Society for Jewish Music, a focal point for Jewish composers in Moscow, and Jewish music flourished as a result of the activities of the Society.[1] He taught at the Moscow Conservatory (1923–1941; professor from 1930; dean from 1938). In 1927 during a business trip in Austria, Germany and France, he met Arnold Schoenberg, Paul Hindemith, Maurice Ravel and Arthur Honegger. His music became well known in Europe and the United States during this time: nearly his entire oeuvre was performed by the Berlin Radio Symphony (1928–1929).[2] In March 1933 Arturo Toscanini conducted Veprik's Dances and Songs of the Ghetto at Carnegie Hall in New York.[3]
Veprik was arrested as a "Jewish nationalist" in 1950, maltreated in prison and then deported to the Gulag. He was released from hard labor and instead had to organize an amateur orchestra among the prisoners.[2] In April 1954, Vepryk's case was reviewed and he was acquitted. In September 1954 he returned sick and weary to Moscow, to a world in which Jewish culture had no place.[4] Veprik composed a few works and wrote Principles of J.S. Bach's Orchestration (Принципы оркеÑтровки И.-С. Баха). He died on 13 October 1958 in Moscow.
Selected works
- Opera
- Toktogul (Токтогул), Opera (1940); libretto by Dzhoomart Bokombaev (1910–1944)
- Toktogul (Токтогул), Opera (1949); second opera with the same title composed jointly with Abdylas Maldybaev
- Orchestral
- Dances and Songs of the Ghetto (ПлÑÑки и пеÑни гетто; Tänze und Lieder des Ghetto), Op. 12 (1927)
- 5 Small Pieces (ПÑть маленьких пьеÑ; Fünf kleine Orchesterstücke) for orchestra, Op. 17 (1930, revised 1957)
- Symphony No. 1 (1931)
- Funeral Song (Ð¢Ñ€Ð°ÑƒÑ€Ð½Ð°Ñ Ð¿ÐµÑнÑ; Trauergesang), Op. 20 No. 2 (1932, revised 1958)
- Song of Jubilation (ПеÑÐ½Ñ Ð»Ð¸ÐºÐ¾Ð²Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ñ; Chant de jubilation) (1935, revised 1958)
- Symphony No. 2 (1938)
- 3 Pieces on Kyrgyz Themes (Три пьеÑÑ‹ на киргизÑкие темы), Suite for orchestra (1941)
- Pastorale (ПаÑтораль) (1946, revised 1958)
- Sinfonietta (Симфониетта) (1948)
- 2 Poems (Две поÑмы) (1956, 1957)
- Improvisation (ИмпровизациÑ) (1958)
- Chamber music
- Songs of the Dead (ПеÑни об умерших; Totenlieder) for viola and piano, Op. 4 (1923)
- Kaddish (Каддиш), Poem for violin, or viola, or flute, or oboe and piano, Op. 6 (1925); original for voice and piano
- Suite (Sonata) for violin and piano, Op. 7 (1925)
- Comodito, abbandono
- Barocco, al rigore di Tempo
- Capriccioso, ma placido
- Chant rigoureux (Строгий напев) for clarinet and piano, Op. 9 (1926); transcription for viola and piano by Vadim Borisovsky
- Rhapsodie (РапÑодиÑ) for viola and piano, Op. 11 (1926)
- 3 Folk Dances (Три народные плÑÑки; Drei Volkstänze) for violin, cello and piano, Op. 13b (1928); original for piano
- 2 Pieces on Folk Themes (Две пьеÑÑ‹ на народные темы) for cello and piano (1934)
- Piano
- Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 3 (1922)
- Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 5 (1924)
- Dance (ПлÑÑка; Danse) (1927)
- 3 Folk Dances (Три народные плÑÑки; Drei Volkstänze) for piano, Op. 13 (1928); also for piano trio, Op. 13b
- Piano Sonata No. 3 (1928)
- Album for Children (ДетÑкий альбом) (1930)
- 7 Pieces on Kyrgyz Themes (Семь Ð¿ÑŒÐµÑ Ð½Ð° киргизÑкие темы) for piano 4-hands
- Vocal
- Kaddish (Каддиш), Poem (Vocalise) for voice (without words) and piano, Op. 6 (1925); also for violin, or viola, or flute, or oboe and piano
- 2 Jewish Folk Songs (Две еврейÑкие народные пеÑни) for voice and piano, Op. 8 (1926)
- Sait gesunterheit (О ты, проÑти, прощай)
- Spaziren zainen mir gegangen (Однажды Ñ Ð¼Ð¸Ð»Ñ‹Ð¼ вдвоём мы гулÑли)
- 2 Jewish Songs (Две еврейÑкие пеÑни; Zwei hebräische Lieder) for voice and piano, Op. 10 (1926)
- Hant zu hant (ДержиÑÑŒ ровнее)
- Eins un zwei (Раз и два)
- Snowflakes (Снежинки); words by Demyan Bedny
- To the Barricades (Ðа баррикадах) (1932); words from Revolutionary Songs of 1905
- ЧангрийÑÐºÐ°Ñ Ð¿ÐµÑÐ½Ñ (1937)
- 2 Ukrainian Songs (Две украинÑкие пеÑни) (1943)
- Choral
- Stalinstan (СталинÑтан) for chorus and piano (1934); words by Izi Kharik
- Suite from the Opera "Toktogul" (Сюита из оперы Токтогул) for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1942, revised 1958)
- The Curse of Fascism (ПроклÑтие фашизму) for chorus and orchestra (1944)
- National Hero (Ðарод-герой), Cantata for chorus and orchestra (1955); words by Alexander Mashistov
- Song of Kotovsky (ПеÑÐ½Ñ Ð¾ КотовÑком) for chorus a cappella (1935); words by Eduard Bagritsky
- Kyrgyz Song (КиргизÑÐºÐ°Ñ Ð¿ÐµÑнÑ) for chorus a cappella (1950)
- Film scores
- The Last Night (ПоÑледнÑÑ Ð½Ð¾Ñ‡ÑŒ) (1936); directed by Yuli Raizman
- Literary
- О методах Ð¿Ñ€ÐµÐ¿Ð¾Ð´Ð°Ð²Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ñ Ð¸Ð½Ñтрументовки на композиторÑком отделении (1929)
- Ðужны ли Ð¿ÐµÑ€ÐµÐ»Ð¾Ð¶ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ñ„Ð¾Ñ€Ñ‚ÐµÐ¿Ð¸Ð°Ð½Ð½Ñ‹Ñ… произведений на оркеÑтр (1930)
- Трактовка инÑтрументов оркеÑтра (1948, published 1961)
- Очерки по вопроÑам оркеÑтровых Ñтилей (published 1961)
Discography
- Jewish Chamber Music – Tabea Zimmermann (viola); Jasha Nemtsov (piano); Hänssler Classic CD 93.008 (2000)
- Rhapsodie, Op. 11
- Songs of the Dead, Op. 4
- Kaddish (Poem), Op. 6
- Chant rigoureux, Op. 9
- Piano Trios: 3 Folk Dances, Op. 13b – Dmitry Sitkovetsky (violin); David Geringas (cello); Jascha Nemtsov (piano); Hänssler Classic CD 98.491 (2004)
- On Wings of Jewish Songs: Music from the New Jewish School – Helene Schneiderman (mezzo-soprano); Jascha Nemtsov (piano); Hänssler Classic CD 93.041 (2005)
- Two Jewish Folk Songs for voice and piano, Op. 8 (1926)
- Two Jewish Songs for voice and piano, Op. 10
- Turban & Nemtsov Play Hebrew Melodies: Suite No. 7 for violin and piano – Ingolf Turban (violin); Jascha Nemtsov (piano); Hänssler Classic CD 93.028 (2006)
Books
- Friedrich Geiger, ed.: Komponisten unter Stalin. Aleksandr Veprik und die "Neue jüdische Schule". Berichte und Studien, 25. Hannah Arendt Institute for the Research on Totalitarianism, Dresden ISBN 9783931648282 Online In German
References
- ↑ Nemtsov, Jascha (1999). Tabea Zimmermann and Jascha Nemtsov play Jewish Chamber Music: Alexander Weprik and the Society for Jewish Music in Moscow (CD booklet). Stuttgart, Germany: Hänssler Classic.
- 1 2 Nemtsov, Jascha (2002): Alexander Weprik Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ↑ Museum of Jewish Heritage Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ↑ Композитор ÐлекÑандр Веприк (Composer Alexander Veprik) (Russian) Retrieved 22 October 2010.
External links
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