Alexander Mikhailovich Raskatov (

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

: Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Раска́тов; born 9 March 1953, in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

) is a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Life

Alexander Raskatovs father was a leading journalist of the magazine ''

Krokodil ''Krokodil'' ( rus, Крокодил, p=krəkɐˈdʲil, a= Ru-крокодил.ogg, ) was a satirical magazine published in the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1922 as the satirical supplement to the '' Workers' Gazette'' (called simply «При� ...

'', his mother was a medical doctor and war hero of World War II. Raskatov studied composition under

Albert Leman Albert Semionovich Leman (surname sometimes spelt Lehman in English) (, Volsk, – 3 December 1998, Moscow) was a Soviet composer of classical music. Albert Leman received his music education in the Leningrad Conservatory under Mikhail Gnessin a ...

and

Tikhon Khrennikov Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (russian: Тихон Николаевич Хренников; – 14 August 2007) was a Russian and Soviet composer, pianist, and General Secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers (1948–1991), who was also known ...

at the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...

. In 1990 he was composer in residence at

Stetson University Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...

and 1998 in

Lockenhaus Lockenhaus ( hu, Léka; hr, Livka) is a town in the district of Oberpullendorf in the Austrian state of Burgenland. The town is well known for the annual Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival founded by violinist Gidon Kremer. History The town wa ...

. Raskatov was a member of the

Union of Soviet Composers The Union of Russian Composers (formerly the Union of Soviet Composers, Order of Lenin Union of Composers of USSR () (1932- ), and Union of Soviet Composers of the USSR) is a state-created organization for musicians and musicologists created in 193 ...

; after the collapse of the Soviet Union he is a member of the Composers' Union of Russia. In the early nineties he moved to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, then to France in 2004. Raskatov is a member of the Russian Authors' Agency (RAO).

Musical style

Raskatov’s music, especially his sound development, is influenced by Modest Mussorgski and

Anton Webern Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern (3 December 188315 September 1945), better known as Anton Webern (), was an Austrian composer and conductor whose music was among the most radical of its milieu in its sheer concision, even aphorism, and stea ...

. His vocal works are often based on texts of Russian poets like

Alexander Blok Alexander Alexandrovich Blok ( rus, Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Бло́к, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈblok, a=Ru-Alyeksandr Alyeksandrovich Blok.oga; 7 August 1921) was a Russian lyrical poet, writer, publ ...

Joseph Brodsky Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (; russian: link=no, Иосиф Александрович Бродский ; 24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996) was a Russian and American poet and essayist. Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), USSR in 1940, ...

. His viola concerto 'Path-Put-Chemin-Weg' was commissioned on the occasion of the 50th birthdays of Yuri Bashmet and Valeri Gergiev and premiered in Le Chatelet in January 2003. A documentary on the concerto was recorded by the Dutch National Television (NTR) and can be viewed via the link Irina Schnittke,

Alfred Schnittke Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (russian: Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке, link=no, Alfred Garriyevich Shnitke; 24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer of Jewish-German descent. Among the most performed and re ...

’s widow, entrusted him with the reconstruction of Schnittke’s ''Ninth Symphony'' of 1998, which he finished in 2007. In June 2010 his opera ''A Dog's Heart'' received its world premiere at the

Dutch National Opera The Dutch National Opera (DNO; formerly De Nederlandse Opera, now De Nationale Opera in Dutch) is a Dutch opera company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its present home base is the Dutch National Opera & Ballet housed in the Stopera building, a m ...

, Amsterdam, in a co-production with the

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...

, where it was seen in November 2010. The production, by

Simon McBurney Simon Montagu McBurney (born 25 August 1957) is an English actor, playwright, and theatrical director. He is the founder and artistic director of the Théâtre de Complicité, London. He has had roles in the films '' The Manchurian Candidate'' ...

, has also been staged at the

Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

in Milan (in March 2013 starring Paulo Szot), and the

Opéra National de Lyon The Opéra National de Lyon, marketed as Opéra de Lyon during the last decade, is an opera company in Lyon, based and performing mostly at the Opéra Nouvel, an 1831 theater that was modernized and architecturally transformed in 1993. The inaugu ...

(in January 2014).Raskatov performances
on

Operabase Operabase is an online database of opera performances, opera houses and companies, and performers themselves as well as their agents. Found at operabase.com, it was created in 1996 by English software engineer and opera lover Mike Gibb.Edward Sc ...

. Accessed 18 December 2014. One of his most recent musical pieces, entitled 'A White Nights Dream', was premiered at the Royal Festival Hall (London, UK; cond. Vladimir Jurowski) in September 2011. This led to the commission of another work, ''Green Mass'', which was premiered by Jurowski and the LPO along with the

Choir of Clare College, Cambridge The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, is a mixed-voice choir whose primary function is to lead services in the chapel of Clare College, Cambridge. Since its founding in 1972, the choir has gained an international reputation as one of the lead ...

in 2016.

Selected works

;Opera * ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' is a beast fable, in the form of satirical allegorical novella, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to crea ...

,'' Opera in 2 acts (nine scenes with an epilogue), libretto in English by Ian Burton after a novella by George Orwell * ''The Pit and the Pendulum'' (Колодец и маятник), Opera in 5 episodes (1989–1991); libretto in Russian by Alexei Parin after the story by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

* ''A Dog's Heart'' (Собачье сердце), Opera in 2 acts (18 scenes with an epilogue) (2008–2009); libretto in Russian by Cesare Mazzonis after the

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...

;Orchestral * ''Xenia'' for chamber orchestra (1991) * ''Steady Time'', 3 Orchestral Interludes (2007) ; Wind ensemble * ''Paradise Lost?'' (1999) * ''Pro–kofiev et Contra–kofiev'' (1999) ;Concertante * ''Night Hymns'', Chamber Concerto for piano and 11 instruments (1982–1984) * Concerto for oboe and 15 strings (1987) * ''6 Psalmodies'' for viola, harp and 15 strings (1990) * ''Commentary on a Vision'' for solo percussion and orchestra (1991) * ''Miserere'' for viola, cello and orchestra (1992) * ''Farewell from the Birds of Passage'' for alto saxophone, percussion and string orchestra (1994) * ''Primal Song'' (Urlied) for viola and 15 strings (1995) * ''Blissful Music'' for cello and chamber orchestra (1997) * ''Swinging the Dream Pendulum'' for violin, string orchestra, piano, celesta and harpsichord (1998) * ''Ritual II'' for 4 saxophones, percussion, piano and string orchestra (1998–1999) * ''5 Minuten aus dem Leben von W.A.M. (not a "not-turno")'' for violin solo, string orchestra and percussion (2001) * Concerto ''"Path"'' (Путь; Chemin; Weg) for viola and orchestra (2002) * ''Gens extorris'' for piano and string orchestra (2005) * ''Bel Canto'' for viola, string orchestra and temple gong (2008) * ''In Excelsis'', Concerto for violin and orchestra (2008) * ''Night Butterflies'', Concerto for piano and orchestra (2013) ;Chamber music * ''Byline'' for cello and piano (1974) * ''Little Triptych'' for oboe solo (1975) * ''Canti'' for viola solo (1978) * ''Dramatic Games'', Sonata for cello (1979) * ''4 Bagatelles'' for 2 violins and bassoon (1980) * ''Invitation to a Concert'' for 2 percussionists (1981) * ''Remembrance of an Alpine Rose'' for 6 percussionists, a musical box (or barrel organ) and tape (1982) * ''Muta III'' for 3 flutes (1986) * ''Sentimental Sequences'' for chamber ensemble (1986) * ''2 Pieces'' for double bass and piano (1986) * ''Sonata for Yuri Bashmet'' for viola and piano (1988) * ''Glosses'' for bassoon solo (1989) * ''Dolce far niente'' for cello and piano (1991) * ''Kyrie eleison'' for cello solo (1992) * ''Madrigal in Metal'' for five percussionists (1993) * ''Eco perpetuo'' for basson, bass clarinet, percussion, harp, piano, cello and double bass (1993) * ''"... I Will See a Rose at the End of the Path ..."'' for string quartet (1994) * ''Xcos'' for cello and accordion (1994) * ''Litania'' for chamber ensemble (1994) * ''Path'' for 2 cellos and harpsichord (1994) * ''Before Thy Throne'' for violin and percussion (1999) * ''Ode to Valentine's Day'' for 8 cellos and a bottle of champagne (2004) * ''Time of Falling Flowers'' for 6 instrumentalists (2006) * ''Cosmogony According to Chagall'' for chamber ensemble ;Keyboard * ''Two Pieces'' for piano (1980) * ''Piano Sonata'' (1981) * ''Consolation'' for piano (1989) * ''Punctuation Marks'' for harpsichord (1989) * ''Misteria brevis'' for piano and percussion (1 performer) (1992) * ''Credo in Byzantinum'' for harpsichord or piano (1995) * ''Recordare'' for piano (2006) ;Vocal * ''Courtly Songs'' for soprano and chamber ensemble (1976) * ''Starry World'' for tenor and piano (1977) * ''Circle of Singing'' (Part I) for mezzo-soprano, cello, piano, harpsichord and celesta (1984); words by

Vasily Zhukovsky Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (russian: Василий Андреевич Жуковский, Vasiliy Andreyevich Zhukovskiy; – ) was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19 ...

and

Evgeny Baratynsky Yevgeny Abramovich Baratynsky (russian: Евге́ний Абра́мович Бараты́нский, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ɐˈbraməvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈtɨnskʲɪj, a=Yevgyeniy Abramovich Baratynskiy.ru.vorb.oga; 11 July 1844) was lauded by Alexan ...

* ''Elegies'' for high voice and piano (1984) * ''Book of Spring'' for tenor and chamber ensemble (1985); words by

* ''Stabat mater'', Five Fragments by

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poe ...

for counter-tenor and string trio (1988) * ''Gra-ka-kha-ta'' for tenor and four percussionists (1988); text by

Velimir Khlebnikov Viktor Vladimirovich Khlebnikov, better known by the pen name Velimir Khlebnikov ( rus, Велими́р Хле́бников, p=vʲɪlʲɪˈmʲir ˈxlʲɛbnʲɪkəf; – 28 June 1922) was a Russian poet and playwright, a central part of th ...

* ''Let There Be Night'', Five Fragments by

for counter-tenor (or mezzo-soprano) and string trio (1989) * ''"66"'' for soprano and twelve instruments on a Sonnet by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

(1990) * ''Txetru – Urtext'' for soprano and percussion (1 performer), clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, cello and double bass (1992) * ''Seven Stages of "Hallelujah"'' for soprano with percussion and piano (1993) * ''Pas de deux'' for soprano with bells and saxophone (1994); words by

Antonin Artaud Antoine Marie Joseph Paul Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud (; 4 September 1896 – 4 March 1948), was a French writer, poet, dramatist, visual artist, essayist, actor and theatre director. He is widely recognized as a major figure of the E ...

* ''Sonnenuntergangslieder'' (Songs of Sunset) for mezzo-soprano, viola and piano (1995); words by

Friedrich Hölderlin Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin (, ; ; 20 March 1770 – 7 June 1843) was a German poet and philosopher. Described by Norbert von Hellingrath as "the most German of Germans", Hölderlin was a key figure of German Romanticism. Part ...

* ''Gebet (Kaddish)'' (Prayer) for soprano and string quartet (1996) * ''Resurrexi'' for soprano, mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble (1996–1997) * ''Quasi Hamlet'' for soprano, flute, accordion, percussion and double bass (1997) * ''Ritual'' for voice and percussion (1 performer) (1997); words by

* ''Praise'' for 4 male voices and church bells (1998) * ''Circle of Singing'' (Part II) for baritone and piano (2000); texts by

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

and F. Tyuchev * ''Voices of a Frozen Land'' for 7 singers, wind ensemble and percussion (2001) * ''In nomine'' for 8 singers, wind ensemble and percussion (2001) * ''"... and meadows merge into the sky ..."'' for soprano and string quartet (2004); words by Gennadi Aigi,

and

* ''Nunc dimittis "In Memoriam Alfred Schnittke"'' for mezzo-soprano, male voices and orchestra (2007); words by

and Starets Siluan * ''Green Mass'', a work for soloists, choir and orchestra (2016); additional texts by various poets ;Arrangements and reconstructions *

Modest Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...

– ''Songs and Dances of Death'' for bass and orchestra (1877); arranged 2007; words by Arseni Golenishchev-Kutuzov *

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, p ...

– Sonata for cello, wind ensemble and double bass (1999); arrangement of the ''Sonata No.2 in C major'' for cello and piano, Op.119 (1949) (2007) *

– Symphony No. 9 (1997/98), reconstruction (2007) *

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throug ...

– String Quartet No.7 in F minor, Op.108 (1960); arrangement for string orchestra (2001)

References

*http://www.chaskor.ru/article/blizko_k_potustoronnemu__12828 *https://web.archive.org/web/20100516115715/http://raonet.rao.ru/catalogue/copyright.aspx
Composer's page on SikorskiComposer's page on Edition Peters

External links

* NTR Podium
Video documentary
on the viola concerto, uploaded 10 July 2011. * YouTube video
A Dog's Heart
posted by De Nationale Opera, 7 June 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Raskatov, Alexander 1953 births Living people Russian male classical composers Russian opera composers Male opera composers Moscow Conservatory alumni 21st-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers Musicians from Moscow 20th-century Russian male musicians 21st-century Russian male musicians