Elena Firsova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elena Firsova
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|---|---|
| Еле́на Фи́рсова | |
Elena Firsova in 2003
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| Born |
Elena Olegovna Firsova
21 March 1950 |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Elena Firsova is a famous composer from Russia. She was born on March 21, 1950, and now lives in the United Kingdom. She writes many different kinds of music, from operas to pieces for orchestras.
Contents
About Elena Firsova
Elena Firsova was born in Saint Petersburg, which was then called Leningrad. Her parents, Oleg Firsov and Viktoria Lichko, were physicists. Elena loved music and studied it in Moscow with well-known teachers like Edison Denisov.
In 1979, something difficult happened. Elena Firsova and six other composers were criticized by the Union of Soviet Composers. This was because they took part in music festivals in other countries without official permission. They were known as the "Khrennikov's Seven".
Elena Firsova was married to another composer, Dmitri Smirnov. They lived in the United Kingdom. Their children are Philip Firsov, who is an artist, and Alissa Firsova, who is also a composer, pianist, and conductor.
Her Music
Elena Firsova has written over one hundred musical pieces. These include an opera called The Nightingale and the Rose, which is based on stories by Oscar Wilde. She also wrote a large orchestral work called Augury, which was first performed at the BBC Proms festival. This piece includes words from a poem by William Blake. Another important work is her Requiem, which uses a poem by Anna Akhmatova.
Elena especially enjoys writing chamber cantatas. These are pieces for a solo singer and a small group of instruments or an orchestra. Many of these cantatas use poems by her favorite poet, Osip Mandelstam. Some of these are Earthly Life, Tristia, and Silentium. She has also used poems by other famous writers like Alexander Pushkin and Boris Pasternak.
Many music festivals and orchestras have asked Elena Firsova to write new music for them. These include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the BBC Proms. Her music is published by well-known companies like Boosey & Hawkes.
Types of Music
Elena Firsova writes music in many different styles and for various groups of instruments.
Concertos
A concerto is a piece of music where one or more solo instruments play with an orchestra. Elena has written several concertos, including:
- Cello Concerto No. 1 (1973)
- Chamber Concerto No. 1 for flute and strings (1978)
- Piano Concerto No. 1 (1985)
Ensembles
These are pieces for smaller groups of musicians.
- Odyssey for 7 players (1990)
- Petrarch's Sonnets for voice and ensemble (1976)
- Stygian Song for soprano and chamber ensemble (1989)
Quartets
Elena has written many string quartets, which are pieces for four string instruments (usually two violins, a viola, and a cello).
- Amoroso, String Quartet No. 4 (1989)
- Misterioso, String Quartet No. 3 (1980)
- La malinconia, String Quartet No. 10 (1998)
- Silentium for voice and string quartet (1991)
Cantatas
Cantatas are vocal pieces with instrumental accompaniment.
- The Stone, for voice and symphony orchestra (1983)
- Earthly Life, for soprano and ensemble (1984)
Orchestral Works
These are pieces written for a full orchestra.
- Augury for chorus and orchestra (1988)
- Nostalgia for orchestra (1989)
- Requiem for soprano, chorus and orchestra (2001)
Operas
Operas are plays set to music.
- A Feast in Time of Plague, a chamber opera (1973)
- The Nightingale and the Rose, a chamber opera (1991)
Vocal Works
These are pieces mainly for voice, often with piano or other instruments.
- Three Poems of Osip Mandelstam, for voice and piano (1980)
- Shakespeare's Sonnets for voice and organ (1981)
- Winter Songs for soprano and cello (2003)
Solo Works
These are pieces for a single instrument.
- Suite for viola solo (1967)
- Sonata for clarinet solo (1976)
Recordings
You can find Elena Firsova's music on many recordings. Some of her works that have been recorded include:
- Misterioso, String Quartet No.3
- Amoroso, String Quartet No.4
- La Malinconia, String Quartet No.10
- The Mandelstam Cantatas (which include Forest Walks, Earthly Life, Before the Thunderstorm)
- For Alissa for piano solo, played by her daughter Alissa Firsova.
See also
In Spanish: Yelena Fírsova para niños
