Biographical Dictionary of Russian/Soviet Composers

This reference work is certainly a valuable addition to the study of Russia and its music. . . . The dictionary is, of course, a must for academic and large public libraries or any library where research is done. Reference Quarterly This important new biographical dictionary is the most comprehensive single-volume work on Russian and Soviet composers published outside of the Soviet Union to date. Incorporating contributions by a distinguished group of performers, musicologists, and other scholars, including many specialists in Russian music, it provides detailed, up-to-date information on over 2,000 composers, the majority of whom are not represented in other English-language references. Entries vary from brief profiles of lesser-known figures to lengthy articles on major Russian and Soviet composers. Each of the longer essays summarizes current scholarship on the composer, offers new insights, and complements or corrects coverage available in standard music references. Commentary on musical style is presented in most entries, and musical influences are clarified through careful documentation of teacher-student relationships. The biographical section is followed by a selective list of compositions arranged according to media and genre. The accompanying bibliography lists works consulted as well as sources of additional information on the individual composer, and an international discography documents the breadth of the repertory committed to phonodisc, tape, and compact disc. Thorough cross-referencing facilitates the location of materials. Reflecting meticulous research and including first-hand information supplied by living Soviet composers, this work makes a significant contribution to music scholarship. This book is recommended for library reference shelves and courses in Russian music.

Table of Contents:
Preface The Dictionary Appendix I: A Supplemental List of Composers Appendix II: Discography Index

About the Author :
Allan B. Ho is currently an associate professor at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. He received a PhD from the University of Kentucky and is a specialist in the concerto repertory and nineteenth-century music. He has contributed articles to the New Grove Dictionary of American Music (1986) and to several music journals. Dmitry Feofanov, who received his musical education at the Moscow Conservatory, is a concert pianist and teacher. Feofanov has edited two collections of music Rare Masterpieces of Russian Piano Music, 1984, Russian Piano Music, 1988 and has contributed articles to several music journals.

Review :
Editors Ho and Feofanov are both extensively published musicologists, and Feofanov is also a noted pianist, with 31 additional contributors, all listed with credentials, they have produced a scholarly and extensive Russian/Soviet composers biographical dictionary. The work consists of introductory materials including lists of abbreviations (general and bibliographical) and introduction; the alphabetically arranged dictionary; a supplementary list of composers including names and dates with brief discographies and bibliographies; a discography with label names and numbers; an index listing all composers with page numbers; and editor and contributor information. This dictionary features entries for more than 2,000 composers, with worklists, bibliographies, discographies, and comments on style in addition to the biographical information. Russian/Soviet composers in this work include anyone born in Russia and its provinces or in the USSR and its republics. This then includes emigres such as Irving Berlin and others not normally associated with Russia or the Soviet Union. Entry length varies according to importance of composer. More than half of the composers are not listed in any English-language reference sources. The introductory material is extremely helpful in understanding the content and scope of the work plus transliteration and date problems; reading it is necessary for maximum dictionary utilization. A vast network of cross-references and abbreviations complicates use, but not unduly. An extremely rich and excellent reference tool for historians and scholars. [T]his is a necessary source for any library with a music reference collection. Responsibly edited, it includes information of use to scholars (particularly the longer entries) and to general readers seeking ready reference or introductory information. [T]his reference work is certainly a valuable addition to the study of Russia and its music. . . . The dictionary is, of course, a must for academic and large public libraries or any library where research is done.