Zara Levina facts for kids
Zara Aleksandrovna Levina (born February 5, 1906, in Simferopol – died June 27, 1976, in Moscow) was a talented Soviet pianist and composer. She created many beautiful pieces of music, especially for the piano and voice.
About Zara Levina
Zara Levina came from a Jewish family. She started her musical journey by studying piano at the Odessa Conservatory. She was so good that she finished with a gold medal! Later, in 1932, she graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. There, she studied both piano and how to compose music.
Her Musical Style
When she was young, Zara Levina greatly admired famous composers. These included Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Prokofiev, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Robert Schumann. You can hear the influence of these great musicians in her own works.
She mostly wrote music for choirs, like romantic songs called romances. She also wrote many songs especially for children. Besides these, she composed other vocal music. She also created two piano concertos and several pieces just for solo piano.
Famous Recordings
Some of Zara Levina's music has been recorded, so people can listen to it today. Both of her piano concertos have been recorded. Her first violin sonata, written in 1928, was even recorded by the famous violinist David Oistrakh.
Her Family
Zara Levina was married to another composer named Nikolai Chemberdzhi. Her grandson, Alexander Melnikov, is also a well-known pianist. Her granddaughter, Katia Tchemberdzhi, is a pianist and composer too. Music truly ran in her family!
Recordings
You can find Zara Levina's music on these recordings:
- 2017 Zara Levina: The Piano Concertos, Capriccio C5269
- This recording features the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, conducted by Ariane Matiakh. Maria Lettberg plays the piano.
- 2019 Zara Levina: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2; Violin Sonata; Poeme; Canzonetta; Hebrew Rhapsody, Capriccio C5356
- On this recording, Maria Lettberg plays the piano. Yury Revich plays the violin, Gernot Adrion plays the viola, and Ringela Riemke plays the cello. Katia Tchemberdji also plays the piano.
See also
In Spanish: Zara Levina para niños
