Vladislav Aleksandrovich Uspensky

Internet Edition compiled by Onno van Rijen

Updated 23 January 2005

Born

7 September 1937 in Omsk. Died in 2004.

Education

Uspensky sang in church chorus and got the first lessons in music from his first teacher, his mother. The indomitable wish to create was directed in the right way by a recognized master of music Dmitri Kabalevskiy, "god father" of the young musician. During his study in the musical college of the Moscow conservatoire Vladislav Uspensky broadened his understanding of music of the 20th century under the guidance of an originally thinking pedagogue S. Frid. Years of study at the Leningrad conservatoire were years of penetration into the richest spiritual and academic traditions of the city; years of merging in the creative environment of the 60's generation. The young composer associated those years with Mstislav Rostropovich, Eugeniy Mravinskiy, Michail Waiman, Boris Gutnikov, Iosif Brodsky, Michail Shemyakin and Yakov Gordin. An experienced master, B. Arapov, entrusted to him the secrets of mastery composition.

Meeting with Dmitri Shostakovich, who was his preceptor in postgraduate from 1962 till 1965, was decisive in many respects for his life and artistic career. It extended the borders of his world vision; determined the still increasing level of mastery, and finally widened his understanding of human and artistic nature. "Don't forget to write ... My fervent wish to carry on the association with you..."

Uspensky caught the best traits of his teacher, not only as an author and pedagogue but also as an individual. True devotion to his profession, accuracy in words and deeds, "civic-mindedness is not an easy talent" (R. Rozhdestvensky), particular fineness of personal relations - all these traits acquired from the great master penetrated the flesh and blood of Uspensky's nature, and have been his unshakeable Creed. "Vladislav Uspensky is a Saint-Petersburg composer, the People's Artist of Russia. In 1962 he graduated from the Leningrad conservatory composition class of professor B. Arapov and in 1965 completed the post-graduate course under professor Dmitri Shostakovich.

Style

Vladislav Uspensky masters the widest palette of musical genres: from song to opera, from instrumental miniatures to large symphonic works, from children's incedental music, film music to Divine Liturgy...

The theatric originality inherent in the talent of Uspenskiy penetrated the sphere of symphonic genres (timbre personification, colorful portrait-characters) and variety songs (monoperformance "Expectation" on verses of R. Rozhdestvenskiy). Vocal-variety and symphonic genres are united in the poetic style of the ballet "Cranes flying"; technique and principles of film production (montage, rapid change of tempos) have penetrated the opera " Intervention and the songs of the latter gave rise later to the flashing musical "Scandal in Bohemian".

The spiritual moral source in the music of Uspensky deserves special attention. Vladislav Uspensky thoroughly understands the ethical meaning of music creations. High ethical passion is a characteristic of the many deeds - human and creative - of Vladislav Uspensky: devoted service to his art, his pupils and colleagues. Special soul magnetism (a trait also inherited from Dmitri Shostakovich), a sense of close link with his contemporaries and predecessors, and a feeling of spiritual debt - is the moral leitmotif of the composer's work. It is not mere chance that the key word in the title of many of his works is "Dedication" in the meaning of "Consecration" ("Consecration" as touching the sacraments of love, faith, friendship): "Dedication", an elegiac symphony in memory of his mother.

The musical language of Vladislav Uspensky is marked by a striving to combine the traditions of national Russian music with modern rhythms and colors.

Works

Prelude for piano (1961)
Duration: 12'.
Three Concert Pieces for cello and piano (1961)
Duration: 12'.
Concertino for trombone and orchestra (1963)
Duration: 13'.
Concertino for trombone and piano (1963)
LP Melodiya D 16863-4: D. Piguzov (trombone), G. Rumyantseva (piano)
Concerto for two pianos and orchestra (1965)
Duration: 16'. In three movements.
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suite, ballet in one act (1965)
Duration: 50'. Libretto by Y. Slonimsky after the short story by R. Bradbury.
Music for violin and small symphony orchestra (1966)
Duration: 11'.
CD Saint Petersburg Conservatoire Alumni Association CAA 002: Leningrad Early and Contemporary Music Orchestra, Eduard Serov (conductor), Boris Gutnikov (violin)
Lyric Symphony (1966)

Music for string and percussion instruments (1967)

Duration: 13'.
LP Supraphon 1110 2280: Prague Symphony Orchestra, P. Vronsky (cond)
"The War against Salamanders", opera in three acts (1967)
Duration: 90'. Libretto by I. Taimanova and V. Uspensky after the novel by C. Capek
"In Memory of a Hero", ballet in one act (1969)
Duration: 15'. Libretto by L. Chernyshov.
"Intervention", opera in three acts (1970)
Duration: 100'. Libretto by Y. Dimitrin after the play by L. Slavin.
Musical Moods (1973)
Duration: 16'.
"A Road to the Day (Rescue)", ballet in two acts (1974)
Duration: 110'. Libretto by G. Thomas.
"The Kind of Hare and Other Forest Dwellers", ballet in two acts (1976)
Duration: 70'. Libretto by V. Khinsert.
Music for string, voice, harp, piano and percussion in five movements (1976)
Duration: 17'.
CD Saint Petersburg Conservatoire Alumni Association CAA 002: Leningrad Early and Contemporary Music Orchestra, Eduard Serov (conductor), Nina Romanova (mezzo-soprano), Vera Bocharova (harp), Grigori Korchmar (piano), Vladimir Peskin (percussion)
Symphonic Frescoes in five movements for orchestra (1977)
Duration: 20'.
"For You to the Sea", ballet in two acts (1978)
Duration: 90'. Libretto by V. Khinsert.
Nocturnes for singer and orchestra (1980)
Duration: 13'.
"Dialogues", piece for piano and light music symphony orchestra (1980)
Duration: 9'.
Symphony "To the Light" (1980)

Recitative and Dialogue for flute and piano (1981)

Duration: 9'.
"The Spring of Hopes", poem for full symphony orchestra (1981)
Duration: 11'.
"Robot", ballet in two acts (1982)
Duration: 100'. Libretto by V. Khinsert.
"Delusion", concerto for piano and light music symphony orchestra (1982)
Duration: 12'.
CD Saint Petersburg Conservatoire Alumni Association CAA 002: Solovyov-Sedoy Symphony Orchestra, Stanislav Gorkovenko (conductor), Mikhail Aptekman (piano)
Romantic Poem for orchestra (1982)
Duration: 13'.
"Cranes Flying", ballet in two acts (1984)
Duration: 80'. Libretto by V. Volsky.
CD Saint Petersburg Conservatoire Alumni Association CAA 002: (Final) Maly Opera and Ballet Theater Symphony Orchestra, Valentin Kozhin (conductor)
"Sherlock Holms and the Queen of Bohemia", musical in two acts (1989)
Duration: 90'. Libretto by N. Denisov after the short story by K. Doyle.
"Temperaments" for violin, trombone and piano (1989)
Duration: 11'.
"The Mushroom's Alarm", ballet for children in two acts (1990)
Duration: 60'. Libretto by V. Dauvalder.
"Vigils" for chorus a cappella (1990)

Vespers for chorus a cappella (1990)

Duration: 45'.
"Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom" for chorus a cappella (1991)
Duration: 40'.
Sonata Fantasia for organ (1992)
Duration: 9'.
"While the Soul leaves the Body", requiem for chorus a cappella (1991-1992)
Duration: 35'.
Concerto for alto, chorus and symphony orchestra (1993)
Duration: 17'.
"My Carmen", musical after main themes of the opera Carmen (1995)

Concerto for trombone and symphony orchestra (1995)

Duration: 20'.

Furthermore Uspenski composed:

"Dedication", elegiac symphony for large symphony orchestra
CD Saint Petersburg Conservatoire Alumni Association CAA 002: Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Ravil Martynov (conductor)
Film Music

Incidental Music

Songs

Thanks to Pier Giorgio Leone from Italy for additional information.

For more information visit Alim Shakhmametyev's Uspensky Page

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