Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1920

Death

:

1987

Genre

:

Symphony

 

 

Vocal

 

Alexander Lokshin was a Russian composer born on September 19, 1920, in Biysk, Altai Krai, Russia. He was the son of a railway worker and a teacher. Lokshin's parents were both amateur musicians, and they encouraged their son's interest in music from an early age. Lokshin began playing the piano at the age of six and started composing his own music when he was just eight years old. Lokshin's family moved to Moscow when he was ten years old, and he continued his musical studies there. He attended the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied composition with Nikolai Myaskovsky and piano with Konstantin Igumnov. Lokshin graduated from the conservatory in 1941, just as World War II was beginning. During the war, Lokshin served in the Soviet Army as a radio operator. He was wounded in battle and spent several months in a hospital. After the war, Lokshin returned to Moscow and began working as a composer and music teacher. Lokshin's early works were influenced by the music of Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. He wrote several symphonies, chamber works, and vocal pieces during this time. In the 1950s, Lokshin's music began to attract attention outside of Russia. His Symphony No. 2 was performed in Warsaw, Poland, in 1956, and his Symphony No. 3 was premiered in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1958. Lokshin's music was known for its emotional intensity and its use of dissonance and unconventional harmonies. He was also interested in incorporating elements of folk music into his compositions. Lokshin's music was often compared to that of Shostakovich, but he had his own unique voice as a composer. In the 1960s, Lokshin's music fell out of favor with the Soviet authorities. His Symphony No. 4, which was completed in 1963, was banned from performance for several years. Lokshin continued to compose, but his music was rarely performed in public. Despite the lack of official recognition, Lokshin continued to write music until his death in 1987. He completed several major works during this time, including his Symphony No. 5, which was premiered in Moscow in 1976, and his Symphony No. 6, which was completed in 1982. Lokshin's music has been rediscovered in recent years, and there has been a renewed interest in his work. His music is now being performed more frequently, and several recordings of his music have been released. Lokshin's Symphony No. 4, which was banned for many years, has now been recorded and performed in public. Lokshin's music is characterized by its emotional intensity, its use of dissonance and unconventional harmonies, and its incorporation of folk music elements. His music is often compared to that of Shostakovich, but he had his own unique voice as a composer. Lokshin's work is an important part of the Russian classical music tradition, and his contributions to the genre continue to be recognized and celebrated today.

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