THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Roman Ledenyov

(b. 4 December 1930, Moscow – d. 15 August 2019, Moscow).

Russian composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and choral works that have been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere.

Prof. Ledenyov studied composition with Yevgeny Messner, Vissarion Shebalin and Sergei V. Yevseyev at the Central Music School in Moscow from 1942–48. He then studied composition with Anatoly N. Alexandrov and Nikolai Rakov at the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow from 1948–55 and had postgraduate studies in composition with Anatoly N. Alexandrov there from 1955–58. He later received an honorary doctorate from the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in 1984.

Among his honours were the title People's Artist of Russia (1995) and the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1997, for Symphony in Simple Modes: Russia – Green and Snow White and Concert Variations: Metamorphoses on a Theme by J. S. Bach). His music has been performed throughout Europe, as well as in Israel and Japan.

He was also active in other positions. He served as secretary of the Soyuz Kompozitorov Rossy – Composers Union of Russia from 1970–73 and again served as its secretary from 1985–2006.

He taught music theory at the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory from 1956–64, where he later taught composition from 1979–2006 and was Professor of Composition from 1991–2006.

In addition to the works listed below, he composed several song-cycles, didactic music, film and TV scores, and much music for radio and stage productions.

His primary publisher is Kompozitor, though Editio Musica Budapest and Edition Peters are the publishers in Europe of some music.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Deceased

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

STAGE:

Fairy Tale of the Green Balloons (ballet in 1 act, scenario by Vladimir Lugovskoy), large orchestra, 1964 (a concert suite was arranged)

ORCHESTRAL:

The Scottish Landscape, harp, string orchestra, 1960

Concerto, violin, large orchestra, 1964

Concerto–Poem, viola, small orchestra (4 flutes, bassoon, vibraphone, strings), 1964

Concerto–Nocturne, flute, orchestra (2 harps, guitar, piano, celesta, organ, harpsichord, percussion, c. 15 violins, c. 15 violas), 1964

Fairy Tale of the Green Balloons, large orchestra, 1967 (concert suite from ballet)

Concerto–Elegy, cello, orchestra, 1980

Concerto–Romance, piano, small orchestra (6 winds, 2 French horns, harp, timpani [+ vibraphone], strings), 1981

Concert Recitation, cello, small orchestra (6 winds, 3 French horns, harp, celesta, timpani, percussion, strings), 1990

Symphony in Simple Modes: Russia – Green and Snow White, large orchestra, 1991

Concert Variations: Metamorphoses on a Theme by J. S. Bach, viola, 17 strings, 1993

Something Unclear (concert fantasy), violin, orchestra, 1995

Variations on a Theme by F. Haydn, 1996

Con sordini (Little Requiem), viola, string orchestra, 1998

Konzertstück on a Theme from J. S. Bach's Prelude 'Curtsey', clarinet/violin, viola, piano, 17 strings, 1999

Triptych in Memory of Sviridov, violin, viola, cello, string orchestra, 1999

The Winter's Path (symphonic novel), large orchestra, 2001

Portrait of a Maestro, viola, 17/30 strings, 2002

Unfinished Piece, small orchestra (14 players), 2003

CHAMBER MUSIC:

String Quartet, 1958

Six Pieces for String Quartet and Harp, harp, string quartet, 1966

Ten Sketches, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, 1967

Seven Moods, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, 1967 (also version for string quartet, c. 1970)

Three Nocturnes, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass, 1968

Popevki – Tunes (5 pieces), string quartet, 1969

Four Images, flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, French horn, harp, celesta (+ piano, harpsichord), percussion, 1972

The Elegiac Sextet, 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 1982

Memories (6 pieces), E-flat clarinet, clarinet, F-tenor clarinet, bass clarinet, 1987

Four Chorale Preludes, E-flat clarinet, clarinet, F-tenor clarinet, bass clarinet, 1989

Three Miniatures, string quartet, 1998

Contrasts (in memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich), string quartet, 2000

Two Pieces in Folk Style, bayan, 1999–2003

CHORAL:

Four Sacred Psalms (texts from prayers of the Russian Orthodox Church), mixed chorus, 1991

The Seasons of the Year, 2 mixed choruses, flute, English horn, harp, celesta, percussion, 1991

Six Fragments from the All-Night Vigil (texts from prayers of the Russian Orthodox Church), mixed chorus, 1994

Nocturnes (Eichendorff Diptych) (text by Joseph von Eichendorff [also Russian translation]), mixed chorus, 1996

A Wreath for Sviridov (texts from prayers of the Russian Orthodox Church, Sergei Yesenin, Alexander Blok, Vladimir Kostrov), mixed chorus, 1998

From 'The Book of Prayers' (text by Rainer Maria Rilke [also Russian translation]), mixed chorus, 2000

Hymns of Russia, 9 mixed choruses, 2003

Five Sacred Works (texts from prayers of the Russian Orthodox Church), mixed chorus, piano (+ small bell from the Valdaysky District), string quartet, 2004

Russian Pictures, 10 mixed choruses, 2004

PIANO:

The Colour Cards, 2002

ORGAN:

Mini-Suite, 1968

ARRANGEMENT:

German Songs (folksongs from Germany), soprano, tenor, ensemble, 1996

DISCOGRAPHY

Six Pieces for String Quartet and Harp; Popevki. Lyudmila Snegireva, harp; Alexander Balashov, Andrei Shishlov, violins; Alexander Galkovsky, viola; Alexander Korchagin, cello (Melodiya: S 1006185/86) (LP)

Concerto–Elegy. (Melodiya: S 1017373) (LP)

Fairy Tale of the Green Balloons (concert suite); Concerto–Romance. Roman Ledenyov, piano; Vladimir Fedoseyev/Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra (Melodiya: S 1021703/04) (LP)

Concerto–Poem. Fyodor Druzhinin, viola; Vladimir Yesipov/Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra (Melodiya: 33 D-025045/46) (LP)

String Quartet. Prokofiev String Quartet (Melodiya: 33 D-025117/18) (LP)

Six Pieces for String Quartet and Harp. (Panton: 110342-366) (LP)

Ten Sketches. Classic-Avant-Garde (Quantaphon: 25.926, 1999)

Russian Landscape in the Background from Two Pieces in Folk Style. Friedrich Lips, bayan (Lips/Stereo Austro Mechana: CD 011, 1999)

A Wreath for Sviridov. Boris Tevlin/Chamber Choir of the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory (Chamber Choir of the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, 2000)

The Scottish Landscape. Yuri V. Silantyev/State Symphony Cinema Orchestra (AKB/State/Derzhava, 2001)