Lev Knipper

Internet Edition compiled by Onno van Rijen

Updated 23 September 2007

Born

21 November /3 December 1898 in Tblisi. Died: 30 July 1974 in Moscow.

Education

Knipper taught himself to play the piano when still a child with the aid of a musical handbook.
Returning from the Far East after five years' serice in the Army Knipper entered the Gnessin School of Music in Moscow. Here he studied under Gliere, Gnessin and Rogal-Levitzkov.

Education

Knipper was influenced by western avant-garde styles in the 1920s. From the 1930s Knipper modified his style in line with socialist realism. He devoted his time to folk music research notating folk songs of Turkmenia, Kirgizia and other regions.

Works

"Skazki gipsovovo bozhka", suite in six parts opus 1 (1924-1927)

Romance in five Verses, five movements after Maikov for tenor and large orchestra opus 2

Four Pieces for piano opus 3A (1924)

"She Knows All About Spring" after Blok for singer and orchestra opus 3B

"Satanella", ballet in one act after Mayya opus 4 (1924)

Three Songs after Verlaine, Majakowski und Tagore for singer and piano opus 5 (1924)

Five Songs after Blok for singer and piano opus 6 (1924)

Three Songs after Jesenin und Zvetaeva opus 7B

"Legend of a Plaster God", poem for orchestra

Revolutionary Episodes for orchestra opus 9 (1925)

Two Songs after Blok for singer and orchestra opus 10

Three Pieces for orchestra opus 12 (1925-1926)

"Bliki", six sketches for flute and clarinet opus 12A

Symphony No. 1 opus 13 (1927)

"Candide", opera-ballet after Voltaire opus 15 (1926-1927)

Suite from the Opera-Ballet "Candide" opus 15A (1926-1927)

Music to the Play "Candide" for piano opus 16 (1926-1927)

1. March "Buenos Aires"; 2. Bulgarian March, 3. Portugesian Dance; 4. Menuet
Lyric Suite for chamberorchestra opus 18 (1928)

Suite in four movements for orchestra opus 19 (1929)

"The Small Negro", ballet opus 24 (1929)

Composed with L. Polovinkin and L. Sokovnin
"Northern Wind", opera after Kirschon's "City of the Winds" opus 25 (1929-1930)

"Cities and Years", opera after Fedin (1931)

Miniatures for Children, four pieces for various ensembles opus 24 (1931)

Tatzhikian Suite for orchestra opus 28 (1931)

"Vanch", Tatzhikian suite for orchestra opus 29 (1931)

"Stalinabad" suite for orchestra (1931)

Symphony No. 2 "Lyric" opus 30 (1928-1932)

"Memories", suite for violin and orchestra opus 31 (1932)

Symphony No. 3 "The Far-East Army" after Geseyev for soloists, male chorus, military brass band and orchestra opus 32 (1932-1933)

Sinfonietta after Charles de Costers "Till Eulenspiegel" opus 33 (1932)

"Vakhio Bolo", overture for orchestra (1933)

Tatzhikian Dances for orchestra (1933)

Four Studies for large orchestra opus 34 (1933)

1. Improvisation; 2. March; 3. Aria; 4. Finale
Three Russian Folk Songs for solo voice and small orchestra opus 35 (1933)

Symphony No. 4 "Poem for the Komsomol Fighters" in D major after Guseyev for soloists, chorus and orchestra opus 41 (1933-1934)

LP Melodiya D 14501-2: Radio Chorus & Orchestra, L. Knipper (cond), Y. Elnikov & A. Polyakov (soloists)
CD Melodiya MCD 202: Moscow SO, Russian Academic Chamber Chorus, V. Dudarova (cond)
CD Olympia OCD 202: Moscow SO, Russian Academic Chamber Chorus, V. Dudarova (cond)
Five Tatzhikian Songs for piano (1933)

Symphony No. 5 "Lyric Poem" opus 42 (1933-1934)

"Till Eulenspiegel", four balletetudes for orchestra opus 43 (1934)

Sinfonietta No. 1 for string orchestra (1934)

Tatzhikian Suite No. 1 for orchestra (1934)

Eight Love Songs after Pushkin for singer and chamber orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and strings opus 45 (1935)

Tatzhikian Suite No. 2 for orchestra (1935)

Dance Suite No. 1 for orchestra (1935)

Five Pieces after Tatzhikian Themes for piano (1935)

"Maria", opera after Pavlenko and Kovalenko (1936-1938)

Symphony No. 6 in E major "The Red Cavalry" (1936-1938)

Symphony No. 7 D-Dur "Military" (1938)

Turkmenian Suite No. 1 for orchestra (1939)

"On the Mountain Pass", symphonic poem (1940)

Turkmenian Sketches for orchestra (1940)

Turkmenian Suite No. 2 for orchestra (1940)

"The Roads of Turkmenia", suite for orchestra (1940)

Symphonic Suite (1940)

Fantasy on two Balkarian Themes for orchestra (1941)

Two Preludes On Iranian Themes for small orchestra (1942)

"Maku", three songs on Kurd Themes for small orchestra (1942)

"Poem for Horses" for mixed chorus and orchestra (1942)

String Quartet No. 1 (1942)

Mountain Serenade for string orchestra (1942)

Revised in 1945
"Song about the Calvary" for orchestra (1942)

"The Actress", opera after a libretto by the composer (1942)

Symphony No. 8 (1943)

"Youth", overture for orchestra (1943)

Violin Concerto No. 1 (1942-1944)

Sinfonietta No. 2 for string orchestra (1944)

"Twenty-Five Years Red Army" for orchestra (1944)

Symphony No. 9 (1945)

Symphony No. 10 (1946)

"Kurumkan" on Buriatic-Mongolian Themes for orchestra (1946)

Twelve Pieces for oboe and piano (1946)

Symphony No. 11 (1946)

Twelve Preludes for clarinet and piano (1946)

Symphony No. 12 (1947)

Sonatina for harp (1947)

"Spring", cantata after Sedich (1947)

Symphony No. 13 (1947)

LP Melodiya D 3030-1: Radio Orchestra, L. Knipper (cond)
"Soldier Songs" for orchestra (1946-1948)

"On the Baikal", opera after Zidinshapov and Feinberg (1946-1948)

Buriatic Suite No. 1 for orchestra (1948)

Kolchoz Songs for orchestra (1948)

"The Roots of Life", opera after Alexandrov and Maschistov (1948-1949)

"The Source of Happiness", ballet after Valamate-Sade (1949)

Tatzhikian Suite No. 3 for orchestra (1951)

Six Russian Songs for orchestra (1952)

Sinfonietta No. 1 for string orchestra (1953)

CD Melodiya MCD 163: Moscow Conservatoire Chamber Orchestra, M. Terjan (cond)
Symphony No. 14 (1954)

Four Improvisationa on Albanian Themes for orchestra (1954)

LP Melodiya D 2824-5: Radio Orchestra, K. Knipper (cond)
"Unbreakable Friendship", cantata after Fere (1954)

"The Act of a Hero", cantata after Krassovsky (1955)

"A Home in Stalingrad" for orchestra (1955)

Buriatic Suite No. 2 (1956)

"Frontovomu drugu" for orchestra (1958)

Khirgizian Suite for orchestra (1958)

"The Heart of the Taiga", opera (revision of "The Roots of Life") (1958)

"Murat", opera (1959)

"Tales about the New Land", symphonic poem (1958-1960)

"Letters to a Girl Friend", symphonic poem (1961)

LP Melodiya D 9497-8: Radio Orchestra, L. Knipper (cond)
Sinfonietta No. 2 for viola and cellos (1961)

Symphony No. 15 for string orchestra (1962)

Piano Trio No. 1 (1962)

Cello Concerto No. 1 (1962)

"The Beautiful Angara", opera-ballet (1962)

Composed with Jampilov
Concerto Monologue for cello, seven brass instruments and timpani (1962)
CD Brilliant Classics 92771 (10 CD-set): USSR State SO, G. Rozhdestvensky (cond), M. Rostropovich (cello)
CD EMI Classics 7243 572298-2 (2 CD-set): USSR State SO, G. Rozhdestvensky (cond), M. Rostropovich (cello)
CD EMI 572016-2 (13 CD-set): USSR State SO, G. Rozhdestvensky (cond), M. Rostropovich (cello)
"Greetings to the Astronauts" for orchestra (1963)

Small Concerto for violin and stringorchestra (1963)

Duration: 11 minutes.
Movements:
1. Allegro Moderato
2. Andante
3. Allegro Molto

LP Melodiya D 02187-8: String Group of Radio Orchestra, G. Rozhdestvensky (cond), A. Futer (violin)
CD Russian Revelation Rare Repertoire RV10104: String Group of Radio Orchestra, G. Rozhdestvensky (cond), A. Futer (violin)

"Saga" for cello, chorus and orchestra (1963)

Concerto for string quartet and orchestra (1963)

"The Little Prince", opera (1964)

Concerto-Scherzo for violin and piano (1964)

LP Melodiya D 016509-29656: V. Pikaizen (violin), S. Chernyakovskaya (piano)
String Quartet No. 2 (1965)

Piano Trio No. 2 (1965)

Violin Concerto No. 2 (1965)

Symphony No. 16 (1966)

Clarinet Concerto (1966)

Oboe Concerto (1967)

Concerto for trumpet and bassoon (1967)

Violin Concerto No. 3 (1967)

Concerto for bassoon and stringorchestra (1969)

Symphony No. 17 ("Lenin") for soloists and orchestra (1970)

Symphony No. 18 for female voices and orchestra (1971)

Concerto-Poem for cello and chamberorchestra (1971)

CD Melodiya MCD 163: Moscow Conservatoire Chamber Orchestra, M. Terjan (cond), N. Sjachovskaja (cello)
Symphony No. 19 (1971)

Cello Concerto No. 2 (1972)

Sinfonietta No. 3 for stringorchestra (1972)

Dances for orchestra (1948-1973)

Symphony No. 20 for violin, cello and orchestra (1972-1973)

"Radif" for string quartet and string orchestra in Iranian Style (1973)

LP Melodiya D 07651-14766: Moscow Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, Terian (cond), Borodin Quartet
String Quartet No. 3 (1973)

Three Songs after Blok for singer and small orchestra

Childrensuite for orchestra

And furthermore:
Choruses
Film Music
Music to Plays
Pieces for piano
Songs

Please send your comments

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

Return to Onno van Rijen's Home Page