Yevgeny Svetlanov facts for kids
Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov was a famous Soviet and Russian musician. He was a talented conductor, composer, and pianist. He was born on September 6, 1928, and passed away on May 3, 2002.
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Svetlanov's Life and Musical Journey
Yevgeny Svetlanov was born in Moscow, Russia. He studied music, especially conducting, at the Moscow Conservatory. His teacher was a well-known conductor named Aleksandr Gauk.
Early Career and Major Roles
Svetlanov started conducting at the famous Bolshoi Theatre in 1955. He became the main conductor there in 1962. This was a very important role.
In 1965, he became the main conductor for the USSR State Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra is now called the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. He led this orchestra for many years.
Later, in 1979, he also became a special guest conductor for the London Symphony Orchestra. He also led other orchestras around the world. From 1992 to 2000, he was the music director for the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague. From 1997 to 1999, he led the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
A Change in Leadership
In 2000, Svetlanov left his role with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. The reason given was that he was spending a lot of time conducting in other countries.
His Musical Style
Svetlanov was especially known for performing Russian music. He conducted a wide range of Russian pieces, from older composers like Mikhail Glinka to more modern ones. He was also one of the few Russian conductors to perform all the symphonies by the famous composer Gustav Mahler.
Svetlanov as a Composer and Pianist
Besides conducting, Svetlanov also wrote his own music. He composed many different types of pieces.
His Compositions
Some of his works include:
- A String Quartet (1948)
- Daugava, a Symphonic Poem (1952)
- Siberian Fantasy for Orchestra (1953)
- Images d'Espagne, a Rhapsody for orchestra (1954)
- A Symphony (1956)
- Festive Poem (1966)
- Russian Variations for harp and orchestra (1975)
- A Piano Concerto in C minor (1976)
- Poem for Violin and Orchestra (1975), written to honor violinist David Oistrakh.
His Piano Skills
Svetlanov was also a very good pianist. He made some notable recordings playing the piano. These include:
- Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Trio No. 2
- Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata
- A collection of piano music by Nikolai Medtner
His Recorded Music
Many of Svetlanov's recordings as a conductor and pianist have been released. Warner Music France has a special collection called "Édition officielle Evgeny Svetlanov." This collection includes many CDs. One of the largest sets is a 16-CD box of all the symphonies by Nikolai Myaskovsky. Svetlanov really loved Myaskovsky's music.
Svetlanov's Legacy
Yevgeny Svetlanov's name lives on in several ways:
- The first Airbus A330 plane for Aeroflot (a Russian airline) was named after him.
- An asteroid, 4135 Svetlanov, was named in his honor.
- The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation now carries his name.
- An international competition for conductors is also named after him.
