Yevgeny Mravinsky: The Noble Conductor

The last of a long line of distinguished Russian aristocrats, Yevgeny Mravinsky emerges from the 20th Century musical scene as a noble conductor and exceptional treasure of Soviet culture. His friendship of some forty years with Dmitri Shostakovich led to the opening of that composer's music to the Soviet public in spite of the State's condemnation of Shostakovich's work in the influential newspaper Pravda. His associations with many other prominent musicians were instrumental in bringing their works into the Soviet consciousness. In these pages, the family history, major formative life events, and the many musical accomplishments of Mravinsky are chronicled, revealing an introverted musician who put all his feelings into his interpretation of the scores he conducted. It was Mravinsky who was largely responsible for introducing the Soviet people in the 20th Century to the music of Debussy, Scriabin, and Stravinsky. Along with those of Feodor Chalyapin, George Balanchine, Nikolai Cherkasov, and Yuri Grigorovich, Mravinsky's life reveals much about the psychology and credo of the artist in the Soviet State. Enriched with rare photographs of Mravinsky in his various milieus, and a helpful chronology and bibliography, this study will be of great significance to students of Russian history, music history, and the creative process.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Chronology Chapter 2 1. The Mrovinksys Chapter 3 2. "Zhenya" Chapter 4 3. The Conservatoire Chapter 5 4. "A Future Conductor of World Class" Chapter 6 5. The Leningrad Philharmonic Chapter 7 6. The Year 1937 Chapter 8 7. The Chief Conductor Chapter 9 8. Evacuation Chapter 10 9. The Great War Chapter 11 10. The Great Victory Chapter 12 11. The Year 1953 Chapter 13 12. Inna Chapter 14 13. The Unfortunate Thirteenth Chapter 15 14. The Years of Crisis Chapter 16 15. The Patriarch Chapter 17 16. The Last Concerts Part 18 Appendix A: Andrey Zolotov Interview of Yevgeny Mravinsky Part 19 Appendix B: Selected Discography Part 20 Bibliography Part 21 Index Part 22 About the Author

About the Author :
Gregor Tassie has written numerous articles on music and performance in magazines such as The Gramophone, Musical Opinion, and Classical Record Collector, has worked on research projects for the BBC and documentary films, and has contributed notes for CD programs. Mr. Tassie presently teaches in Glasgow.

Review :
This biography is highly recommended for all conductors, students of conducting, musicologists, and for the collections of academic and public libraries with larger music sections. It is a must read for music historians. ...[a] fascinating new biography, which fleshes out our knowledge of one of the most mysterious icons of 20th-century music. ...extensive use of first-hand research and impressive marshalling of Russian-language sources, including material from the conductor's own diaries... ...an extraordinary story of this musical obsessive... Tassie, who has worked in the music world for many years, offers a biography of Russian conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky (1903-1988) that reveals his connection to many prominent musicians. His most notable friendship was with Dmitri Shostakovich, whose music Mravinsky promoted at a time when Shostakovich was being criticized by the Soviet government. In addition to providing insight into the Soviet music world, the book follows Mravinsky's life and musical career throughout the twentieth century, as conductor with the Leningrad Philharmonic. The book also contains an interview with Andrey Zolotov, a chronology, and a selected discography.