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 Olegovna Firsova (Russian: Еле́на Оле́говна Фи́рсова; also Yelena or Jelena Firssowa; born March 21, 1950) is a well-known Russian composer. She now lives in the UK.
Contents
Life of a Composer
Elena Firsova was born in Leningrad, which was then part of the Soviet Union. Her parents, Oleg Firsov and Viktoria Lichko, were physicists. She began her music studies in Moscow. She learned from important composers and teachers like Edison Denisov.
In 1979, Elena faced some difficulties. She was among a group of composers known as the "Khrennikov's Seven". This happened because they took part in music festivals in the West without official permission.
Elena 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.
Elena's Music
Elena Firsova has written over one hundred musical pieces. These include many different types of music. For example, she wrote a chamber opera called The Nightingale and the Rose. This opera is based on stories by Oscar Wilde and Christina Rossetti. It was first performed in London in 1994.
She also wrote an orchestral work named Augury. This piece includes words by the poet William Blake. It was first played at the BBC Proms festival in 1992. Another important work is her Requiem. This piece uses a poem by Anna Akhmatova and is for a singer, choir, and orchestra. It was first performed in Berlin in 2003.
Elena's favorite type of music to write is a chamber cantata. This is a piece for a solo singer and a small group of instruments or an orchestra. Many of these pieces use poems by her favorite poet, Osip Mandelstam. Some of these works include Earthly Life, Tristia, and Silentium. She has also set poems by other famous poets like Alexander Pushkin and Boris Pasternak.
Many music festivals, orchestras, and groups have asked Elena to write music for them. These include the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Brodsky Quartet. Her music is published by well-known companies like Boosey & Hawkes.
Main Works
Elena Firsova has composed a wide variety of music. Here are some examples from her many works.
Concertos
Concertos are pieces usually for a solo instrument and an orchestra.
- Cello Concerto No. 1 (1973)
- Chamber Concerto No. 1 for flute and strings (1978)
- Chamber Concerto No. 5 (Cello Concerto No. 3, 1996)
Ensemble Music
Ensemble music is written for a small group of musicians.
- Odyssey for 7 players (1990)
- Petrarch's Sonnets for voice and ensemble (1976)
- Stygian Song for soprano and chamber ensemble (1989)
Quartets
Quartets are often written for four instruments, like a string quartet (two violins, viola, cello).
- Amoroso, String Quartet No. 4 (1989)
- Misterioso, String Quartet No. 3 (1980)
- Silentium for voice and string quartet (1991)
Cantatas
Cantatas are vocal pieces with instrumental accompaniment, often telling a story.
- The Stone, cantata for voice and symphony orchestra (1983)
- Earthly Life, chamber cantata for soprano and ensemble (1984)
Orchestral Works
These are pieces written for a large orchestra.
- Augury for chorus and orchestra (William Blake 1988)
- Nostalgia for orchestra (1989)
- Requiem for soprano, chorus and orchestra (Anna Akhmatova, 2001)
Operas
Operas are plays set to music, where characters sing their lines.
- A Feast in Time of Plague, chamber opera after Alexander Pushkin (1973)
- The Nightingale and the Rose, chamber opera after Oscar Wilde (1991)
Vocal Music
These pieces are mainly for singers, sometimes with an instrument like a piano.
- 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 Music
These are pieces written for a single instrument.
- Suite for viola solo (1967)
- Sonata for clarinet solo (1976)
- For Slava for solo cello (2007)
Discography
Elena Firsova's music has been released on many recordings. You can find her works on albums like:
- Misterioso, String Quartet No.3 Op.24 on "Lydian Quartet in Moscow"
- Amoroso, String Quartet No.4 Op.40 on "Music for String Quartet" by the Chilingirian Quartet
- La Malinconia, String Quartet No.10 Op.84 on a recording by the Brodsky Quartet
- The Mandelstam Cantatas which includes Forest Walks, Earthly Life, and Before the Thunderstorm
- For Alissa Op. 102, performed by her daughter Alissa Firsova, on the album "RUSSIAN ÉMIGRÉS"
See also
In Spanish: Yelena Fírsova para niños
