Anatoly Alexandrov

Internet Edition compiled by Onno van Rijen

Updated 2 April 2006

Born

13/25 May 1888 in Moscow. Died: 16 April 1982 in Moscow.

Education

Initially Alexandrov received a private musical education by his mother, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory. From 1908 Taneyev instructed Alexandrov in counterpoint and composition. In 1910 he was admitted to the Moscow Conservatory where he was taught composition by Sergei Vasilenko and piano by Konstantin Igumnov until 1915 - 1916. In 1916 he graduated with a gold medal which he received for his graduation thesis, a two-act opera "Two Worlds" after Apollon Maikov.

Style

Alexandrov was influenced by Scriabion, Medtner and Rachmaninov. His work typifies the development of Russian music from the turn of the century to the final stage of socialist realism and the dissolution of Soviet cultural policy in the 1980s.

Works

Five Preludes for piano opus 1 (1907 - 1910)
1. Moderato, con agitazione patetica; 2. Languido; 3. Misterioso, con importanza; 4. Impetuoso, protestando; 5. Liberamente, amoroso; 6. Pensieroso, commodo.
The sixth prelude was added in 1927.
Revised in 1960 (The sixth prelude became the first prelude).
CD Hyperion CDA 67328: Hamish Milne (piano)
Three Songs after poems by Hafiz for middle voice opus 2
After three poems by Hafiz, translated by Aleksander Fet.
Two Pieces for piano opus 3 (1913)
1. Nocturne in A mjor; 2. Waltz in A minor.
LP Melodiya D 012201-2: S. Feinberg (piano)
Piano Sonata No. 1 opus 4 (1914)

Four Songs after Balmont and Severyanin for singer and piano opus 5

"A Long-Forgotten Madness", cycle for piano opus 6 (1917)

1. Longing: Languido; 2. Etude: Pas très vite; 3. Impression (Botticelli): Très nerveux (tempo rubato); 4. Epilogue: Poco agitato - Drammatico.
CD Hyperion CDA 67328: Hamish Milne (piano)
String Quartet No. 1 opus 7 (1914)

From the Alexandrian Songs, Book I after M. Kuzmin opus 8 (1915)

Monologue from the Opera "Filliden's Treasure" for high female voice and piano opus 8A

Poem for piano opus 9 (1915)

Four Preludes for piano opus 10 (1913 - 1916)

"Two Worlds", opera after A. Maikov's Tale (1916)

Two Songs after Remy de Gourmont for singer and piano opus 11 (1917)

Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor opus 12 (1918)

Duration: 15 minutes.
LP Melodiya D 012201-2: J. Zak (piano)
Two Songs after poems by Pushkin for singer and piano opus 13 (1918)
1. Grapes; 2. Albumleaf.
Three Songs after poems by V. Alexandrov for singer and piano opus 14 (1919)

Three Songs after poems by E. Baratynski for singer and piano opus 15 (1919)

Romantic Suite from the music to the Play "Ariane and the Bluebeard" for mixed chorus and orchestra opus 16 (1920)

Two Pieces from "Ariane and the Bluebeard" for piano opus 16A (1923)

1. Amethyste; 2. The Enchanted Castle.
Music to the Play "Ariane und der Blaubart" without opusnumber (1920)

Music to the Play "Adrienne Lecouvreur" without opusnumber (1920)

Andante Pathetico for cello and piano opus 17 (1915-1921)

Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor opus 18 (1920)

Movements:
1. Tastando il tempo giusto; flessibile mosso; 2. Interludio: Andante semplice; 3. Sostenuto, sordamente.
Duration: 15 minutes.
CD Hyperion CDA 67328: Hamish Milne (piano)
Piano Sonata No. 4 in C major opus 19 (1922)
1. Agitato mosso, con slancio vigoroso e gran' passione; 2. Andante meditativo; 3. Invocando, un poco sostenuto.
Revised in 1954.
LP Melodiya D 019891-2: Vladimir Bunin (piano)
CD Hyperion CDA 67328: Hamish Milne (piano)
From the Alexandrian Songs, Book II after M. Kuzmin opus 20 (1922)

Visions, five pieces for piano opus 21 (1919 - 1923)

LP Melodiya CM 02105-6: Anatoly Alexandrov (piano)
Piano Sonata No. 5 in G sharp minor opus 22 (1922 - 1923)
Duration: 20 minutes.
Revised in 1938.
"Autumn", three poems after W. Pjast opus 23 (1923)
1. September; 2. October, 3. November.
Four Songs after nach S. Jesenin and V. Chodassevich opus 24 (1923)
1. Autumn; 2. The Birch; 3. The Angler; 4. Memories.
From the Alexandrian Songs, Book III after M. Kuzmin opus 25 (1924)

Piano Sonata No. 6 in C major opus 26 (1925)

Duration: 18 minutes.
Three Pieces for piano opus 27
1. Prelude; 2. Dance; 3. Sketch.
Poems from an Album, songs after Pushkin, Soloviev, Hafis, Brown and Baratynski opus 28 (1912 - 1929)
LP Melodiya CM 03497-8: L. Davydova (soprano), A. Bakhchiev (piano)
Overture on Russian Folksongs opus 29 (1915-1930)
Revised in 1932 and 1948.
Duration: 7 minutes.
"Unspeakable Words", four poems after A. Blok, S. Jesenin, L. Uhland and E. Verhaeren opus 30

Three Etudes for piano opus 31 (1925 - 1931)

1. Veloce; 2. Andante con moto; 3. Sordamente.
CD Hyperion CDA 67328: Hamish Milne (piano)
Classic Suite from the music to the Play "Adrienne Lecouvreur" for small orchestra opus 32 (1928)

Small Suite for piano opus 33 (1929)

1. Lullaby; 2. Etude; 3. Melody; 4. Dance; 5. Fugue; 6. Scherzo.
LP Melodiya D 019891-2: (Nos. 1 & 6) Vladimir Bunin (piano)
From the Alexandrian Songs, Book IV after M. Kuzmin opus 34 (1927 - 1929)

"The Branches of Gold", six songs for high voice to words by A. Globa opus 35 (1928 - 1929)

March of the Pioneers for orchestra (1933)

"The Forty-First", opera after B. Lavrenchov opus 41 (1933)

Libretto by Moritz. Unfinished.
Music to the Play "Don Carlos" without opusnumber (1933)

Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major opus 42 (1932)

Duration: 12 minutes.
Suite from the music to the Play "Don Carlos" opus 43 (1933)

Comic Suite for orchestra opus 44 (1938)

Six Songs after Pushkin opus 45 (1936)

Eight Pieces on songs of Soviet People for piano opus 46

Suite from the music to the Film "Thirteen" opus 47 (1936)

"The Thirteen" for soloist and orchestra (1936)

Music to the Film "Thirteen" without opusnumber (1936)

Music to the Film "Lenin im October" without opusnumber (1937)

Four Tales for piano opus 48 (1939)

1. Andante; 2. What the Sea told during the Storm; 3. What the Sea told at the Morning after the Storm; 4. To the Memory of A.M. Dianow.
Ballade for piano opus 49 (1939)

Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major opus 50 (1939-1944)

Duration: 29 minutes.
LP Melodiya D 019891-2: Vladimir Bunin (piano)
"Bela", opera in four acts after Lermontov opus 51 (1941)
Libretto: J. Stremin. First performance in 1946 in Moscow.
Suite No. 1 from the Opera "Bela" opus 51A (1949)

Fantasy-Suite on themes from the Opera "Bela" opus 51B (1954)

Suite No. 2 from the Opera "Bela" opus 51C (1971)

Gorki-Motifs for violin and piano opus 52 (1942)

"Three Cups", suite in three parts after N. Tichnov for baritone and orchestra opus 53 (1942)

String Quartet No. 2 in C sharp minor opus 54 (1942)

Duration: 35 minutes.
String Quartet No. 3 opus 55 (1942)
Duration: 22 minutes.
Eight Poems opus 58 (1944)
Nos. 1-4 and 6-8 for high voice; No. 5 for baritone.
No. 1 to words by N. Nekrasov; Nos. 2-5 to words by A. Fet; No. 6 and 7 to words by Y. Tyutchev and No. 8 to words by Petrarca, translated in Russian by V. Ivanov.
Theatre-Echoes, suite for piano opus 60 (1945)
LP Melodiya CM 02105-6: (No. 1) Anatoly Alexandrov (piano)
Piano Sonata No. 9 in C minor opus 61 (1945)
Duration: 10 minutes.
Twelve Songs after Soviet poets opus 63 (1947)

"Za Rodinu" after Matusovski, Issakovski and Tichnonov opus 64 (1947)

Four Miniature Pictures for piano opus 66

1. Encounter (1945); 2. Aquarelle (1907); 3. Serenade (1921); 4. The End of the Fairy-Tale (1937).
LP Melodiya D 019891-2: (No. 2) Vladimir Bunin (piano)
Pushkin-Songs opus 68 (1949)

"Loyalty", vocal suite to lyrics by S. Severtsev for high voice opus 71 (1950)

Duration: 8 minutes.
Piano Sonata No. 10 in F major opus 72 (1951)
LP Melodiya D 012201-2: I. Mikhnovsky (piano)
Theatralic Dance-Suite for orchestra opus 74 (1951)

Four Pieces for piano opus 75 (1951)

1. Prelude; 2. Melody; 3. Etude; 4. Ballade.
LP Melodiya CM 02105-6: (Nos. 2 & 4) Anatoly Alexandrov (piano)
Petit Suite for piano opus 78 (1952)
LP Melodiya CM 02105-6: Anatoly Alexandrov (piano)
"The Cold Wintry Sun", five romances to lyrics by Y. Baratynsky (1953)
No. 1 for middle voice after A. Pushkin.
No. 2 for high voice and No. 4 for bass after F. Tyutchev.
No. 3 and No. 5 for high voice after A. Fet.
String Quartet No. 4 in C major opus 80 (1953)
Duration: 19 minutes.
LP Melodiya D 012745-6: Borodin Quartet
Piano Sonata No. 11 "Sonata Fantasia" in C major opus 81 (1955)
Duration: 11 minutes.
LP Melodiya D 012201-2: L. Josiovich (piano)
"Bara, the Wild", opera in three acts after B. Nemcova (1957)
Libretto: S. Sewerzew.
"Dithyramb" for double-bass and piano opus 84 (1959)
LP Melodiya D 12717-8: R. Azarkhin (double-bass)
Memory of the Heart, symphonic poem (1960)

Piano Sonata No. 12 opus 87 (1962)

Romantic Episodes, ten pieces for piano opus 88 (1962)

LP Melodiya CM 02105-6: (Nos. 3 & 6) Anatoly Alexandrov (piano)
CD Hyperion CDA 67328: (Nos. 6 & 10) Hamish Milne (piano)
Elegy and Waltz for piano opus 89 (1964)
LP Melodiya CM 02105-6: (No. 1) Anatoly Alexandrov (piano)
CD Hyperion CDA 67328: Hamish Milne (piano)
Piano Sonata No. 13 "Fairy-Tale Sonata" in F sharp minor opus 90 (1964)
Duration: 15 minutes.
LP Melodiya D 019891-2: Vladimir Bunin (piano)
Symphony No. 1 in C major opus 92 (1965)
Movements:
I: Andante - Allegro moderato; II Andante mesto; III: Alla marcia - Festivo; IV: Andante pensieroso - Allegretto idilico.
Duration: 45 minutes.
LP Melodiya C10 11887-8: USSR Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, Igor Blazhkov (cond)
"Pages from my Diary" Book I, ten pieces for piano opus 94 (1967)
Duration: 30 minutes.
LP Melodiya C10 06959-60: Vladimir Bunin (piano)
"Pages from my Diary" Book II, ten pieces for piano opus 95 (1967)
Duration: 30 minutes.
LP Melodiya CM 02105-6: (Nos. 1, 2 & 3) Anatoly Alexandrov (piano)
LP Melodiya C10 06959-60: Vladimir Bunin (piano)
Four Romances opus 96
After words by A. Fet, L. Gumilyov, A. Bely and Muhammad Bahar.
Orchestral Suite on Russian Folksongs (1970)

Piano Sonata No. 14 in E major opus 97 (1971)

Three Fugues for piano opus 100 (1971)

LP Melodiya CM 03705-6: Vladimir Bunin (piano)
Concerto-Symphony for piano and orchestra opus 102 (1974-1975)
Movements:
I: Lugubra; II: Andante semplice; III: Allegro energico.
Duration: 45 minutes.
LP Melodiya C10 15161-2: USSR Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra, E. Chivzhel (cond), V. Bunin (piano)
"Lefty", opera in two acts after Leshkov opus 103 (1974)
Libretto by R. Sats-Karpova and V. Viktorov.
LP Melodiya 33 C50 09969: Moscow State Children's Theatre Orchestra, Gershkevich (cond)
Symphony No. 2 (1978)

Five Pieces for piano opus 110

Visions for piano opus 111

CD Hyperion CDA 67328: Hamish Milne (piano)
Cello Sonata in G major opus 112 (1981 - 1982)

Other Works:

Music to the Play "Baccantes" without opusnumber
Music to the Play "Romeo und Julia" without opusnumber
Music to the Play "Notre Dame de Paris" without opusnumber
Songs, songs for children and arrangements of folksongs
Music to Plays, Films and Radio-Programmes

Thanks to Terrence Clive Hopton from the United Kingdom for additional information

Please send your comments and additions

Return to Onno van Rijen's Soviet Composer's Page

Return to Onno van Rijen's Home Page