The history of the Russian music contains many bitter pages related to the forgotten geniuses whose art was forbidden and whose names were obliterated. Alexander Lokshin...
The history of the Russian music contains many bitter pages related to the forgotten geniuses whose art was forbidden and whose names were obliterated.
Alexander Lokshin (1920–1987) finds himself exactly among those unfortunate. His music was most appraised by such figures as R Barshai, Maria Yudina and by Dmitry Shostakovich himself. N. Myaskovsky who was his teacher considered him to be his most gifted pupil and supported him in every possible way. Thanks to Myaskovsky Lokshin was invited to teach in the Moscow Conservatory. However three years later during the notorious ‘anti-cosmopolite campaign’ he was expelled from his post. The accusations also included the propaganda of the ‘foreign to the communist spirit’ music by Mahler, Berg, Stravinsky, ets.
Since then all his attempts of finding job within the Soviet musical education system were doomed and he dedicated himself solely to the creation of music.
His catalogue being now in the possession of the Compositor (SPb) publishing house through the son of the great composer includes 35 opuses, among those 11 symphonies, chamber works, mono-opera Faust , music for the cinema.
Among his interpreters one can find such names as, G. Rozhdestvensky, E. Mravinsky, A. Janssons, but it was R. Barshai who dedicated the most effort to the propaganda of his music. In his autobiography novel ‘Nota. The life of the Rudolf Barshai’ R. Barshai admitted that the sheer possibility of performing music by Lokshin alone can justify his emigration from the Soviet Union.
Today works by A. Lokshin are being reborn after many years of oblivion, causing much interest.
Compozitor (SPb) Publishing house offers the following works by Lokshin.
1. [1939] ‘Les Fleurs du Mal’, symphonic poem after Baudelaire's
2. [1942] ‘Wait for me’ symphonic poem for mezzo soprano and grands symphonic orchestra after K. Simonov’s verses
3. [1952] «Hungarian fantasy» for violin and grand symphonic orchestra. Performed by J. Sitkovetsky and K. Sanderling, Moscow. 1952
3а. [1952] «Hungarian fantasy» — author’s transcription for violin and piano.
4. [1953] Variations for piano
5. [1955] Quintet for clarinet and string quartet
6. [1957] Symphony № 1 («Requiem») for the grand symphonic orchestra and mixed choir on the latin text ‘Dies Irae’
7. [1960] «In the jungle», suite for the grand symphonic orchestra
8. [1962] «Tarakanische» (‘Cockroach the terrible’) — comic oratoria for the grand symphonic orchestra and mixed choir on the verses by K. Chukovsky
9. [1963] Symphony № 2 («Greek epigrammae») for the grand symphonic orchestra and mixed choir
10. [1966] Symphony № 3 for baritone, grand symphonic orchestra and mixed choir on the verses by Kipling
11. [1968] Symphony № 4 for the grand symphonic orchestra
12. [1968] «At the Top of my Voice», vocal-symphonic poem for basso and the grand symphonic orchestra on the verse by Mayakovsky
13. [1969] Symphony № 5 («Shakespeare Sonnets») for baritone, string orchestra and harp
14. [1971] Symphony № 6 for baritone, grand symphonic orchestra and mixed choir on the verses by A. Blok — listen
15. [1972] Symphony № 7 for contralto and chamber orchestra on the verses by medieval Japanese poets — listen
16. [1973] «Margarita’s songs» for soprano and the grand symphonic orchestra (on the verses from Goethe’s Faust ) — listen
17. [1973] Symphony № 8 for tenor and the grand symphonic orchestra on the verses by A Pushkin (Western Slavic songs) — listen
18. [1975] Symphony № 9 for baritone and chamber orchestra on the verses by L. Martynovа
19. [1976] Symphony № 10 for contralto for the grand symphonic orchestra and mixed choir and organ on the verses by Zabolotsky — listen
20. [1976] Symphony № 11 for soprano and chamber orchestra on the verses by L Camoens
21. [1977] Cantata «Mater dolorosa» for mezzo grand symphonic orchestra and mixed choir on the verses by A. Akhmatova and Russian Orthodox prayers
22. [1978] Quintet for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello (to the memory of D. Shostakovich)
23. [1980] Three scenes from Faust, mono-opera for soprano and the grand symphonic orchestra on the verses by Goethe translated by B. Pasternak
24. [1981] Quintet From the lyrics by François Villon for tenor and string quartet on the verses by François Villon translated by I. Erenburg
25. [1981] «The Art of Poetry» for soprano and chamber orchestra on the verses by Zabolotsky
25а. [1981] «The Art of Poetry» for soprano and chamber orchestra on the verses by Zabolotsky (author’s transcription for voice and piano)
26. [1982] Prelude and Thema con variazioni for piano
27. [1983] 1st Symphonietta for tenor and chamber orchestra on the verses by I. Severianin
28. [1983] «Three verses by F. Sollogub» for soprano and piano
29. [1983] Variations for basso and orchestra on the early verses by N. Tikhonov
30. [1984] String quartet
31. [1985] 2nd Symphonietta for soprano and extended chamber orchestra on the verses by R. Sollogub
32. [1960-е годы] «Kazakhstan lakes». For grand symphonic orchestra
33. [1960-е годы] «Piano pieces for children» (Dance, Waltz, Autumn rain, Old tale, Tarantella, In the Spring, Nocturne, Adagio)
34. [1947] «Children Suite» for two piano
35. [1951] «Concert Waltz» for grand symphonic orchestra.
