Sergei Vasilenko
{{short description|Soviet Russian composer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sergei Vasilenko
| image = Василенко Сергей Никифорович.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name = Sergei Nikiforovich Vasilenko
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1872|03|30}}
| birth_place = Moscow
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1956|03|11|1872|03|30}}
| death_place = Moscow
| nationality =
| other_names =
| occupation = Composer, conductor
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| education =
| alma_mater = Imperial Moscow University (1896)
}}
Sergei Nikiforovich Vasilenko ({{langx|ru|Серге́й Никифорович Василенко}}, Sergey Nikiforovich Vasilenko; {{OldStyleDateDY|30 March|1872|18 March}} – 11 March 1956) was a Russian and Soviet composer, conductor and music teacher whose compositions showed a strong tendency towards mysticism.{{Cite journal|last=Artamonova|first=Elena|title=Unknown Sergey Vasilenko And His Viola Compositions: Recent Discoveries In Russian Archives|url=https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/7604/1/JAVS%20Vasilenko%20article%20(2).pdf|journal=Journal OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETY|volume=28|issue=1|pages=33–47}}
Vasilenko was born in Moscow and originally studied law at Moscow State University, but then changed direction and studied at the Moscow Conservatory from 1896 to 1901 as a pupil of Sergei Taneyev and Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov.{{Cite web|title=Сергей Василенко (II)|url=https://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/composer/sov/36721/bio/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Кино-Театр.РУ}} From 1903 to 1904 he was the conductor of a private opera house in Moscow.{{Cite web|title=персоналии - Василенко Сергей Никифорович|url=http://www.mosconsv.ru/ru/person.aspx?id=33781|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.mosconsv.ru|language=ru}} For several years he was the organiser and conductor of the Historic Concerts of the Russian Musical Society. He then became a Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, where his students included Aram Khachaturian, Nikolai Roslavets, Nikolai Rakov and Aarre Merikanto.{{Cite web|title=Сергей Никифорович Василенко (Sergei Vasilenko) {{!}} Belcanto.ru|url=https://www.belcanto.ru/vasilenko.html|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.belcanto.ru}}
Vasilenko was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour as well as the title People's Artist of the RSFSR. In 1947, he was awarded the Stalin Prize.{{Cite journal|last=Рогаль-Левицкий|first=Дмитрий|date=1947|title=Творческий путь С. Н. Василенко|url=https://mus.academy/storage/magazine/articles/pdfs/compressed/Y9BLvdAlL2fPZm8eeZD9ACIfvOr4xQGKSGdIfNi9.pdf|journal=Музыкальная Академия|volume=2|pages=7–19}} He died in Moscow in 1956.
Selected works
=Opera=
- Skazaniye o grade velikom Kitezhe i tikhom ozere Svetoyare (Tale of the Great City of Kitezh and the Quiet Lake Svetoyar) (1902; originally a cantata, Op. 5){{Cite journal|last=Е. А.|first=Артамонова|date=2015|title=Композитор Сергей Василенко и его вклад в Русскую музыкальную культуру|url=http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/26441/1/26441.EA.pdf|journal=Художественное Образование и Наука|pages=96–103}}
- Sïn solntsa (The Son of the Sun), Op. 63 (1929)
- Khristofor Kolumb (Christopher Columbus), Op. 80 (1933)
- Buran (The Snow Storm), Op. 98 (1939){{Cite web|title=Сергей Никифорович Василенко - Персоны - Санкт-Петербургская академическая филармония имени Д.Д. Шостаковича|url=https://www.philharmonia.spb.ru/persons/biography/178019/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.philharmonia.spb.ru}}
- Velikiy kanal (The Grand Canal), Op. 101 (1939)
- Suvorov, Op. 102 (1942)
=Ballet=
- In the Rays of the Sun, Op. 17 (1925–26)
- Noya, Op. 42 (1923)
- Joseph the Handsome, Op. 50 (1925)
- Lola, Op. 52 (1926)
- The Gypsies, Op. 90 (1936; after Alexander Pushkin)
- The Frog Princess, Op. 103 (1941)
- Mirandolina
=Choral=
- Cantata Legend of the Great City of Kitezh and the Quiet Lake Svetoyar, Op, 5 (later turned into an opera that anticipated Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's work on the same subject)
- Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution, Op. 92 (1937)
=[[Incidental music]]=
=Orchestral=
- Three Bloody Battles, Op. 1 (1900)
- Epic Poem, Op. 4 (1900–03)
- Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 10 (1904–06)
- The Garden of Death, symphonic poem after Oscar Wilde, Op. 13 (1907–08)
- Sappho, symphonic poem, Op. 14 (1909)
- Flight of the Witches, symphonic poem, Op. 15 (1908–09)
- Au soleil, symphonic poem, Op. 17
- Fantastic Waltz, Op. 18 (1912)
- Symphony No. 2 in F major, Op. 22
- Suite on lute music of the 14th to 17th centuries, Op. 24 (1914)
- Zodiac, suite on French themes of the 18th century, Op. 27 (1914)
- Exotic Suite, Op. 29 (1915–16)
- Indian Suite, Op. 42bis
- Chinese Suite, No. 1, Op. 60 (1928)
- Turkmenian Suite, Op. 68 (1931)
- Chinese Suite, No. 2, Op. 70 (1931)
- Merry-go-round, 8 Soviet dances, Op. 73 (1932)
- The Soviet East, suite, Op. 75 (1932)
- Red Army Rhapsody, Op. 77 (1932)
- film music for Boris Barnet's Outskirts (1933)
- Slavonic Rhapsody (1937)
=Concertante=
- Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 25 (1910–13)
- Concerto for symphony orchestra and brass band (1928)
- Suite on Russian Folk Themes, balalaika and accordion (1928)
- Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, Op. 113
- Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor, Op. 128
=Chamber=
- String Quartet in A, Op. 3 (c. 1901)
- Sonata in D minor for viola and piano, Op. 46 (1923); version for violin and piano (1955)
- String Quartet in E minor, Op. 58 (c. 1928)
- Quartet on Turkmenian Themes, for flute, oboe (English horn), clarinet, bassoon and percussion ad lib., Op. 65 (1932)
- Piano Trio in A, Op. 74 (1932)
- Japanese Suite for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, xylophone and piano, Op. 66a (1938)
- Chinese Sketches, woodwind, Op. 78 (1938)
- Quartet on American Themes, woodwind, Op. 79 (1938)
=Military band=
- March of the Red Army, Op. 64 (1929)
- Fantasy on Revolutionary Songs of the West, Op. 71 (1931)
=Other=
Recordings
- Sergei Vasilenko: Viola and Piano Music (Complete) - Viola Sonata, Op. 46 / Lullaby / 4 Pieces on Themes of Lute Music of the 16-17th Centuries, Op. 35 / Sleeping River / Oriental Dance, Op. 47 / Suite Zodiakus I.A.S, Op. 27 / 4 Pieces (1953) - Elena Artamonova (viola) and Nicholas Walker (piano). Toccata Classics TOCC0127, released 2011
- "The Russian Connection" - Hexagon Ensemble. Etcetera Records KTC1246, released 2001 - includes Sergei Vasilenko: Quartet on Turkmenian Themes Op.65
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book| title =Imperial Moscow University: 1755-1917: encyclopedic dictionary | agency = A. Andreev, D. Tsygankov |location= Moscow |year= 2010 |publisher= Russian political encyclopedia (ROSSPEN) | pages =114–115 | isbn = 978-5-8243-1429-8| ref =Imperial Moscow University}}
- A. Eaglefield-Hull (ed), A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924)
- Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. (1954)
See also
{{See LMST|Sergei|Vasilenko}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090521191844/http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/vasilen.htm Brief biography and list of works]
- {{IMSLP|id=Vasilenko, Sergeĭ Nikiforovich}}
- {{IMDb name|0890487}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vassilenko, Sergei Nikiforovich}}
Category:Conductors (music) from the Russian Empire
Category:Composers from Moscow
Category:Imperial Moscow University alumni
Category:Moscow Conservatory alumni
Category:Academic staff of Moscow Conservatory
Category:People's Artists of the RSFSR
Category:Recipients of the Stalin Prize
Category:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Category:Composers from the Russian Empire
Category:Pupils of Sergei Taneyev
Category:Soviet conductors (music)
Category:Soviet male composers
Category:Soviet music educators
Category:Soviet opera composers