Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1915 in Petrograd, Russia

Death

:

September 22, 2012

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Grigory Samuilovich Frid was a Russian composer of classical music, born on May 22, 1915, in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), Russia. He was the son of a physician and a pianist, and his family was of Jewish descent. Frid began his musical education at the age of six, studying piano with his mother. He later studied composition with Nikolai Myaskovsky at the Leningrad Conservatory, graduating in 1939. Frid's early works were influenced by the Russian composers of the time, such as Shostakovich and Prokofiev. However, his music also showed a strong individuality and a unique voice. His first major work, the Symphony No. 1, was composed in 1946 and premiered in 1947. The symphony was well-received and established Frid as a promising young composer. In the 1950s, Frid's music began to attract attention outside of Russia. His String Quartet No. 2, composed in 1954, won first prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Liège, Belgium. This success led to performances of his music in Europe and the United States. Frid's music is characterized by its emotional intensity and its use of traditional forms and techniques. He often used folk melodies and rhythms in his compositions, giving his music a distinctly Russian flavor. His works are also notable for their use of dissonance and unconventional harmonies. One of Frid's most famous works is the oratorio The Diary of Anne Frank, composed in 1968. The work is based on the diary of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who died in a concentration camp during World War II. The oratorio is a powerful and moving tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, and it has been performed all over the world. Frid's other notable works include the opera The Letter to the General, the ballet The Legend of Love, and the Symphony No. 2. He also composed a number of chamber works, including several string quartets and sonatas for various instruments. Frid's music was often controversial in the Soviet Union, where the government had strict control over the arts. His works were sometimes criticized for their modernist tendencies and their lack of adherence to socialist realism. However, Frid continued to compose and to gain recognition outside of Russia. In 1985, Frid emigrated from the Soviet Union to Israel, where he lived until his death in 2012. He continued to compose throughout his life, and his later works show a continued development of his unique style. Grigory Frid was a composer of great talent and originality. His music is characterized by its emotional intensity, its use of traditional forms and techniques, and its distinctly Russian flavor. His works, particularly The Diary of Anne Frank, are powerful and moving tributes to the victims of war and oppression. Frid's legacy as a composer continues to be celebrated and appreciated by musicians and audiences around the world.

More....