Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

Russia

Birth

:

December 30, 1904 in St. Petersburg, Russia

Death

:

February 14, 1987 in Moscow, Russia

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky was a prominent Soviet composer, pianist, and music educator. He was born on December 30, 1904, in St. Petersburg, Russia, to a family of mathematicians. His father, Boris Kabalevsky, was a professor of mathematics at the University of St. Petersburg, and his mother, Lidiya Karlovna, was a mathematician and a teacher. Kabalevsky showed an early interest in music and began taking piano lessons at the age of six. He was a gifted student and quickly progressed in his studies. In 1918, his family moved to Moscow, where he continued his music education at the Moscow Conservatory. He studied piano with Alexander Goldenweiser and composition with Nikolai Myaskovsky. In 1925, Kabalevsky graduated from the Moscow Conservatory with honors and began his career as a composer. He quickly gained recognition for his works, which were characterized by their accessibility, lyricism, and rhythmic vitality. His early compositions, such as the Piano Sonata No. 1 (1927) and the First Symphony (1932), were influenced by the neoclassical style of Stravinsky and Prokofiev. In the 1930s, Kabalevsky became involved in the Soviet cultural establishment and was appointed to various positions in the music industry. He served as the head of the Composers' Union from 1948 to 1949 and was a member of the Supreme Soviet from 1950 to 1962. He also worked as a music educator and wrote several textbooks on music theory and composition. Despite his involvement in the Soviet cultural establishment, Kabalevsky's music was not overtly political. His works were often inspired by folk melodies and themes, and he was known for his ability to write music that was both accessible and artistically satisfying. His most famous works include the Piano Concerto No. 3 (1952), the opera Colas Breugnon (1936), and the suite The Comedians (1940). The Piano Concerto No. 3 is one of Kabalevsky's most popular works and is considered a masterpiece of Soviet-era music. It was written for the pianist Emil Gilels and premiered in Moscow in 1952. The concerto is characterized by its energetic rhythms, lyrical melodies, and virtuosic piano writing. It has been performed by many of the world's leading pianists and remains a staple of the piano concerto repertoire. Colas Breugnon is an opera based on the novel by Romain Rolland. It tells the story of a jovial and irreverent woodcarver who lives in a small French town in the 16th century. The opera premiered in Leningrad in 1936 and was an immediate success. It is known for its lively and colorful orchestration, memorable melodies, and humorous characters. The Comedians is a suite of music written for a play by the Russian playwright Nikolai Gogol. It consists of ten short pieces, each of which depicts a different character from the play. The suite is characterized by its lively rhythms, colorful orchestration, and witty musical humor. It has become one of Kabalevsky's most popular works and is often performed by orchestras around the world. In addition to his compositions, Kabalevsky was also a dedicated music educator. He believed that music education was essential for the development of young people and worked tirelessly to promote music education in the Soviet Union. He wrote several textbooks on music theory and composition, including Music for Children (1935) and Music Education in the Soviet Union (1963). Kabalevsky's contributions to music education were recognized both in the Soviet Union and abroad.

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