View source for Edison Denisov

{{Short description|Russian composer (1929-1996)}}
[[File:Edison Denisov 1975 ©DmitriSmirnov.jpg|thumb|Edison Denisov in Sortavala, summer 1975. Photo by Dmitri Smirnov.]]

'''Edison Vasilievich Denisov''' ({{langx|ru|Эдисо́н Васи́льевич Дени́сов}}, 6 April 1929 – 24 November 1996) was a Russian composer in the so-called "[[Underground music|Underground]]",  "alternative" or "nonconformist"  division of [[Soviet music]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema|author=Peter Rollberg|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2009|place=US|isbn=978-0-8108-6072-8|pages=169–171}}</ref>

==Biography==
[[File:Kuznetsova Street 30, Tomsk.jpg|right|thumb|The house in Tomsk where Denisov was born; the memorial plaque is visible.]]
Denisov was born in [[Tomsk]], [[Siberia]]. He studied mathematics before deciding to spend his life composing. This decision was enthusiastically supported by [[Dmitri Shostakovich]], who gave him lessons in composition.

In 1951–56 Denisov studied at the [[Moscow Conservatory]]: composition with [[Vissarion Shebalin]], orchestration with [[Nikolai Rakov]], analysis with Viktor Tsukkerman and piano with [[Vladimir Belov (Pianist)|Vladimir Belov]]. In 1956–59 he composed the opera ''Ivan-Soldat'' (Soldier Ivan) in three acts based on Russian folk fairy tales.

He began his own study of scores that were difficult to obtain in the USSR at that time, including music by composers ranging from [[Gustav Mahler|Mahler]] and [[Claude Debussy|Debussy]] to [[Pierre Boulez|Boulez]] and [[Karlheinz Stockhausen|Stockhausen]]. He wrote a series of articles giving a detailed analysis of different aspects of contemporary compositional techniques and at same time actively experimented as a composer, trying to find his own way.

After graduating from the Moscow Conservatory, he taught orchestration and later composition there. His pupils included the composers [[Dmitry Nikolayevich Smirnov (composer)|Dmitri Smirnov]], [[Elena Firsova]], [[Dilorom Saidaminova]], [[Vladimir Tarnopolsky]], [[Sergey Pavlenko]], [[Ivan Glebovich Sokolov|Ivan Sokolov]], [[Yuri Kasparov]]. He supported and encouraged [[Dmitri Capyrin]] and [[Alexander Shchetynsky]] who have never been his pupils. {{See LMST|Edison|Denisov}}

In 1979, at the Sixth Congress of the [[Union of Soviet Composers]], he was blacklisted as one of "[[Khrennikov's Seven]]" for unapproved participation in a number of festivals of Soviet music in the West.

Denisov became a leader of the [[Association for Contemporary Music]] reestablished in Moscow in 1990. Later he moved to [[France]], where after an accident and long illness he died in a [[Saint-Mandé]] hospital in 1996.

==Music==
Denisov's cycle for soprano and chamber ensemble ''Le soleil des Incas'' (1964), setting poems by [[Gabriela Mistral]] and dedicated to [[Pierre Boulez]], brought him international recognition following a series of successful performances of the work in [[Darmstadt]] and Paris (1965). [[Igor Stravinsky]] liked the piece, discovering the "remarkable talent" of its composer. However, it was harshly criticised by the [[Union of Soviet Composers]] for its "western influences", "erudition instead of creativity", and "total composer's arbitrary" ([[Tikhon Khrennikov]]). After that, performances of his works were frequently banned in the Soviet Union.

Later he wrote a flute concerto for [[Aurèle Nicolet]], a violin concerto for [[Gidon Kremer]], works for the oboist [[Heinz Holliger]], clarinettist [[Eduard Brunner]] and a [[Sonata (music)|sonata]] for [[alto saxophone]] and piano for [[Jean-Marie Londeix]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite thesis |title=The saxophone music of Thierry Escaich |url=https://iro.uiowa.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/9983777116402771 |publisher=University of Iowa |date=2018 |degree=Doctor of Musical Arts |doi=10.17077/etd.0nyo-qdwy |language=en |first=John |last=Cummins|url-access=subscription }}</ref> that became highly popular among saxophone players.

His sombre but striking Requiem, setting a multi-lingual text (English, French, German, and Latin) based on works by the {{ill|Francisco Tanzer|de}}, was given its first performance in [[Hamburg]] in 1980.

Among his major works are the operas ''[[L'écume des jours (opera)|L'écume des jours]]'' after [[Boris Vian]] (1981), ''Quatre Filles'' after [[Pablo Picasso]] (1986) and ballet ''Confession'' after [[Alfred de Musset]].

==Honours and awards==
* [[People's Artist of the Russian Federation]]
* [[Honoured Artist of the RSFSR]]
* Chevalier of the [[Legion of Honour]]
* Commander of the [[Order of Arts and Letters]]


==Selected works==

'''Chamber'''

*1958 Sonata for Two Violins
*1958 Three concert pieces for violin and piano
*1960 Sonata for Flute and Piano
*1961 String quartet no. 2 
*1963 Concerto for flute, oboe, piano and percussion
*1963 Violin sonata
*1968 ''Ode'' (in Memory of [[Che Guevara]]) for clarinet, piano and percussion
*1968 ''Musique Romantique'' (''Романтическая музыка—Romantic Music'') for oboe, harp and string trio
*1969 String trio
*1969 Wind quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn
*1969 ''Silhouettes'' for flute, two pianos and percussion
*1969 ''Chant des Oiseaux'' (''Пение птиц'') for prepared piano (or harpsichord) and tape
*1969 ''DSCH'' for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano
*1969 ''The Singing of the Birds'' for the [[ANS synthesizer|ANS photoelectronic synthesizer]]<ref name=SK-ANS>{{cite web|last1=Kreichi|first1=Stanislav|title=The ANS Synthesizer: Composing on a Photoelectronic Instrument|url=http://www.theremin.ru/archive/ans.htm|access-date=13 October 2014|date=Nov 10, 1997}}</ref>
*1970 Sonata for alto saxophone and piano
*1971 Piano Trio
*1972 Sonatina for violin
*1972 Sonata for clarinet solo
*1974 ''Signes en blanc'' (''Знаки на белом—The Signs on White'') for piano
*1975 ''Choral Varié'' for trombone and piano
*1983 ''Five Etudes'' for Solo Bassoon
*1984 Variations on Bach chorale "Es ist genung" for viola and piano (or chamber orchestra)
*1985 ''Three Pictures after [[Paul Klee]]'' for viola, oboe, horn, piano, vibraphone and double bass
*1987 Clarinet Quintet
*1987 Piano quintet
*1991 Four pieces for string quartet
*1991 Octet for winds
*1991 Quintet for saxophone quartet and piano
*1993 Sonata for clarinet and piano
*1994 Sonata for alto saxophone and cello
*1995 Trio for flute, bassoon and piano
*1995 Des ténèbres à la lumière (From Dusk to Light) for accordion
*1996 Sonata for two flutes (May)
*1996 ''Femme et oiseaux'' (''The Woman and the Birds'') homage to [[Joan Miró]] for piano, string quartet and woodwind quartet
*1996 ''Avant le coucher du soleil'' for alto flute and vibraphone

'''Concertos '''

*1972 Cello Concerto
*1975 Piano Concerto
*1975 Flute Concerto
*1977 Violin Concerto
*1977 ''Concerto Piccolo'' for saxophone and six percussionists
*1978 Concerto for flute, oboe, and orchestra
*1982 Variations for cello and orchestra on [[Haydn]]'s Canon ''Tod ist ein langer Schlaf''
*1982 Chamber music for viola, harpsichord, and strings
*1982  Concerto for bassoon, cello and orchestra
*1984 Concerto for 2 violas, harpsichord, and strings
*1985 ''Happy ending'' for 2 violins, cello, double bass and string orchestra
*1986 Viola Concerto
*1986 Oboe Concerto
*1989 Clarinet Concerto
*1991 Guitar Concerto
*1993 Concerto for flute, vibraphone, harpsichord and string orchestra
*1996 Concerto for flute, clarinet and orchestra

'''Symphonic '''

*1958 Little suite
*1970 ''Peinture'' (''Живопись—Painting'') for orchestra
*1982 Chamber Symphony No. 1
*1983 Epitaph for chamber orchestra
*1985 Suite from the Ballet ''Confession''
*1986 Waltz by Franz Schubert
*1987 Symphony No. 1
*1994 Chamber Symphony No. 2
*1996 Symphony No. 2

'''Choral/Vocal'''

*1964 ''Le soleil des Incas'' (''Солнце инков''—''The Sun of Incas''), text by [[Gabriela Mistral]] for soprano, flute, oboe, horn, trumpet, two pianos, percussion, violin and cello
*1964 ''Italian Songs'', text by [[Alexander Blok]] for soprano, flute, horn, violin and harpsichord
*1966 ''Les pleurs'' (''Плачи—Lamentations''), text of Russian folksongs for soprano, piano and three percussionists
*1966 '' Five stories of Mr. Keuner '' (B. Brecht) for tenor and small ensemble
*1968 ''Autumn'' (''Осень'') after [[Velemir Khlebnikov]] for thirteen solo voices 
*1970 Two Songs after poems by [[Ivan Bunin]] for soprano and piano
*1973 ''La vie en rouge'' (''Жизнь в красном цвете''—''The Life in Red''), text by [[Boris Vian]] for solo voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion
*1980 ''Requiem'' after liturgian texts and poems by Francisco Tanzer for soprano, tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra
*1981 ''Song of Autumn'' for soprano and orchestra
*1986 ''Aux plus haut des cieux'' for soprano and chamber orchestra
*1988 ''Legends of the subterranean waters'' for chorus
*1988 ''Peaceful Light'' for chorus
*1989 ''Four Poems'' after G. de [[Nerval]] for voice, flute and piano
*1991 ''Kyrie'' for choir and orchestra after fragment from Mozart K.323
*1992 ''History of Life and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christus'' according to St. Matthew for bass, tenor, chorus and orchestra
*1995 ''Choruses for Medea'' for chorus and ensemble
*1995 ''Morning Dream'' after seven poems of [[Rose Ausländer]] for soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra

'''Opera'''

*1956–9 ''Soldier Ivan'' ({{langx|ru|Иван-солдат}}) opera in three acts after motifs from Russian folk fairy tales 
*1981 ''[[L'écume des jours (opera)|L'écume des jours]]'' (''Пена дней—The Foam of Days''), an opera after [[Boris Vian]]
*1986 ''Quatre Filles'' (''Четыре девушки—The Four Girls''), an opera in one act after [[Pablo Picasso]]

'''Ballet'''

*1984 ''Confession'' (''Исповедь''), a ballet in three acts after [[Alfred de Musset]]

'''Arrangements/Completions'''

*1981 Arrangement of Bach Partita BWV 1004, for violin and orchestra
*1985 Arrangements of 5 Paganini Caprices op. 1, for violin and string orchestra
*1993 Completion of [[Debussy]]'s opera ''[[Rodrigue et Chimène]]''
*1995 Completion of [[Franz Schubert|Schubert]]'s opera-oratorio ''Lazarus oder Die Feier der Auferstehung''  (''Лазарь и торжество Воскрешения'') D689
*1996 Three Cadenzas for Mozart's Concerto for flute and harp

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Armengaud J.-P. ''Entretiens avec Denisov, un compositeur sous le régime soviétique.'' P., 1993 {{in lang|fr}}
* {{cite book| author = Kholopov Yu., Tsenova V. | title = Edison Denisov |date = 1995 |publisher= Harwood Academic publ. }} {{in lang|en}} || {{cite book| title = Edison Denisov — The Russian Voice in European New Music |location= Berlin |date = 2002 |publisher= Kuhn }} {{in lang|en}}
* Yuri Kholopov & Valeria Tsenova: ''Edison Denisov — The Russian Voice in European New Music''; Berlin, Kuhn, 2002 {{in lang|en}}
* {{cite book| author = Холопов Ю., Ценова B. | title = Эдисон Денисов |location= М. |date = 1993 |publisher= Композитор }}  {{in lang|ru}}
* Brian Luce:  ''Light from Behind the Iron Curtain:  Anti-Collectivist Style in Edison Denisov's "Quatre Pièces pour Flûte et Piano;"''  UMI, Ann Arbor, 2000 {{in lang|en}}
* Peter Schmelz:  ''Listening, Memory, and the Thaw: Unofficial Music and Society in the Soviet Union, 1956–1974,'' PhD Dissertation, University of California ([[Richard Taruskin]], advisor), 2002 {{in lang|en}}
* Peter Schmelz:  ''Such Freedom, If Only Musical''.  Oxford University Press, 2009 {{in lang|en}}
* Ekaterina Kouprovskaia : ''Edison Denisov'', monographie. Aedam Musicae, 2017  {{in lang|fr}}
* Купровская Е. ''Мой муж Эдисон Денисов''. — М.: Музыка, 2014 {{in lang|ru}}
* Ценова B. ''Неизвестный Денисов''. М., 1997 {{in lang|ru}}
* {{cite book| author = Шульгин Д. И. | title = Признание Эдисона Денисова |location= М. |date = 1998 |publisher= Композитор }}  {{cite book| url = http://dishulgin.narod.ru/denisovsoch.html | title = Признание Эдисона Денисова | edition = 2-е изд  |location= М. |date = 2004 |publisher= ИД «Композитор» }} {{in lang|ru}}
* ''Свет. Добро. Вечность. Памяти Э. Денисова. Статьи. Воспоминания. Материалы''. М. 1999 {{in lang|ru}}

==External links==
* [https://edisondenisov.com Official website dedicated to Edison Denisov (English, Russian & French)]
*
* [http://wikilivres.ru/index.php?title=Edison_Denisov&redirect Edison Denisov at wikilivres.ru (Russian & English)]
*[https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Edison+Denisov%22+-wikipedia Edison Denisov at news.google.com]
*[https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Edison+Denisov%22+-wikipedia Edison Denisov at books.google.com]
*[https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Edison+Denisov%22 Edison Denisov at scholar.google.com]
*[https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Edison+Denisov%22 Edison Denisov at jstor.org]
*[https://www.sikorski.de/463/en/0/a/0/9001978/denisov_edison/werke.html List of works (Sikorski catalogue, English & German)] 
*[http://wikilivres.ru/%D0%9C%D1%83%D0%B7%D1%8B%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%AD._%D0%94%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0 List of works (Russian)] 
* [https://www.sikorski.de/292/de/denissow_edison.html Short biography (Sikorski Publishers, German)] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130211195600/http://www.sikorski.de/292/de/denissow_edison.html |date=2013-02-11 }} 
*[http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/composer_main.asp?composerid=2702 Brief bio at "Boosey & Hawkes"]
*[http://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/d/denissov.html Denissov. Catalogue des oeuvres, discographie, bibliographie (French)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051101105529/http://website.lineone.net/~dmitrismirnov/DenisovLight.html  Composer of Light by Dmitri Smirnov (English)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070329221951/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dmitrismirnov/denfrag1.html Fragments on Denisov by Dmitri Smirnov & Elena Firsova (Russian)]
*[https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_settings.html?ComposerId=3855 The texts of his vocal works at "Recmusic"]
*[http://www.ex-tempore.org/denisov.html Interview with Edison Denisov in Ruza Composers Colony near Moscow, July 1988]
*[http://www.bruceduffie.com/denisov.html Interview with Edison Denisov] by Bruce Duffie, May 16, 1991
*[http://specialradio.net/art/015/ Edison Denisov, the friend of our family] by Natalia Bondy ''(SpecialRadio, June 2016, [http://specialradio.ru/art/id218/ russian text)]''
{{Khrennikov's Seven}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denisov, Edison}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian classical composers]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian male musicians]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Honored Artists of the RSFSR]]
[[Category:Russian male opera composers]]
[[Category:Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin]]
[[Category:Moscow Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:People from Tomsk]]
[[Category:People's Artists of Russia]]
[[Category:Pupils of Vissarion Shebalin]]
[[Category:Russian opera composers]]
[[Category:Soviet male classical composers]]
[[Category:Tomsk State University alumni]]