Moscow-based State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia (Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra, sometimes known in English as the Russian State Symphony Orchestra) plays Georgy Sviridov’s “Romance”, from his “The Blizzard, musical illustrations after Pushkin (1975)”, that were originally written for the eponymous 1964 film based on the short story from Alexander Pushkin’s The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin. Conductor: Vladimir Fedoseyev.

Sviridov – “Romance” (State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia). Conductor: Vladimir Fedoseyev.

Sviridov and Romance

Georgy Vasilyevich Sviridov, the composer of Romance
Georgy Vasilyevich Sviridov

Georgy Vasilyevich Sviridov (December 16, 1915 – January 6, 1998) was a Soviet neo-romantic composer. In 1935 he composed a cycle of lyrical romances based on the poetry of Alexander Pushkin (6 June [O.S. 26 May] 1799 – 10 February [O.S. 29 January] 1837), a Russian author of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature) which brought him first critical acclaim.

During his studies in Leningrad Conservatory, 1936-1941, Sviridov experimented with different genres and different types of musical composition. He completed Piano Concerto No. 1 (1936–1939), Symphony No. 1, and the Chamber Symphony for Strings (1940). Later Sviridov would turn to the rich Russian musical heritage, including the folk songs, for inspiration.

Among Sviridov’s most popular orchestral pieces are the Romance and the Waltz from his The Blizzard, musical illustrations after Pushkin (1975), that were originally written for the eponymous 1964 film based on the short story from Pushkin’s The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin.

A short segment from his score for the 1967 film Time, Forward! was selected as the opening theme for the main evening TV news program Vremya (‘time’) and became the staple of Soviet life for several generations.

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M. Özgür Nevres

Published by M. Özgür Nevres

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