Shvarz I. Concert suite from the film “Melodies of the White Night”. Score

Isaak Shvarts was born in 1923. Не originates rom the town Romni in Ukraine. It was in 1951, when he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatoire, where his preceptors were professors Bonu Arapov and Orest Yevlakhov. 

Shvarts is the author of the Symphony, ballets «Wonderland» (staged by L. Yakobson in the Mariinsky Theatre), «On the Eve» after I. S. Turgenev's novel (staged by К. Boyarsky in the Petersburg Maly Opera and Ballet Theatre). Among his compositions there are three suites for symphony orchestra, two string quartets, violin sonata, cantata «Aleditation of he Motherland» for basso and choir to the verses by А. Chepurov, Ballad «Soldier and Blizzard» for soloist, choir and orchestra to the verses by М. Svetlov and other chamber-instrumental opuses. 

The poetry of such masters as А. S. Pushkin, F. I. Tyutchev, Heinrich Heine, Ya. Polonsky, А. Fet, I. Bunin.  

The special place is taken by the poet Bulat Okudzhava. More than thirty romances and songs are created to his verses. The year of 2000 was really remarkable for Isaak Shvarts, for he was awarded the most honourable Tsarskoselsky Prize in Art «For unique collectiuon of romances to the verses by the Russian poets of the 19^th–20^ieth centuries». 

The same time Isaak Shvarts created the large-scaled symphonic composition — Concerto for orchestra «Yellow Stars» to the memory of the Holocaust victims. This canvas was recorded to CD by the National Russian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Spivakov.

The composer works much in the cinematograph Не realized more than 100 cinema sound-tracks having enjoyed great popularity all over the world.

The film “Melodies of the White Night” shot by the producer Sergei Solovyov represented Shvarts' music as the main personages' psychological tonometer. As the principal character in this film story became the city St Petersburg itself, the Shvarts' music resounds as the symbol of passion to St Petersburg — Leningrad fascinating one by its incomparable white nights. 

The score of the Concert Suite is published for the first time.