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Gia Kancheli ( ka, გია ყანჩელი; 10 August 1935 – 2 October 2019) was a
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
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 ...
. He was born in
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
, Georgia but resided in
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. After the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
in 1991, Kancheli lived first in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, and from 1995 in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
, where he became composer-in-residence for the
Royal Flemish Philharmonic The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is the symphony orchestra of Flanders (Belgium), based in the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The orchestra is led by chief conductor Elim Chan and honorary conductor Philippe Herreweghe. The organisation, which is ...
. He died in his home city of Tbilisi, aged 84.


Work

In his symphonies, Kancheli's musical language typically consists of slow scraps of minor-mode melody against long, subdued, anguished string discords.
Rodion Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin ( rus, Родион Константинович Щедрин, , rədʲɪˈon kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪˈdrʲin; born 16 December 1932) is a Soviet and Russian composer and pianist, winner of USSR State ...
referred to Kancheli as "an
ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
with the temperament of a
maximalist In the arts, maximalism, a reaction against minimalism, is an aesthetic of excess. The philosophy can be summarized as "more is more", contrasting with the minimalist motto "less is more". Literature The term ''maximalism'' is sometimes associ ...
; a restrained
Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9 ...
". Kancheli wrote seven symphonies, and what he termed a
liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
for
viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
and
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, called ''Mourned by the Wind''. His Fourth Symphony received its American premiere, with the
Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...
under
Yuri Temirkanov Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov (russian: Ю́рий Хату́евич Темирка́нов; kbd, Темыркъан Хьэту и къуэ Юрий; born December 10, 1938) is a Russian conductor of Circassian ( Kabardian) origin. Early life ...
, in January 1978, not long before the cultural freeze in the United States against
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
culture.
Glasnost ''Glasnost'' (; russian: link=no, гласность, ) has several general and specific meanings – a policy of maximum openness in the activities of state institutions and freedom of information, the inadmissibility of hushing up problems, ...
allowed Kancheli to regain exposure, and he began to receive frequent commissions, as well as performances within Europe and North America. Championed internationally by
Lera Auerbach Lera Auerbach (russian: Лера Авербах, born Valeria Lvovna Averbakh, russian: Валерия Львовна Авербах; October 21, 1973) is a Soviet-born American classical composer and concert pianist.
,
Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist, He is currently the music director and chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic. Biography Davies studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard Sch ...
,
Jansug Kakhidze Jansug Ivanes dze Kakhidze ( ka, ჯანსუღ კახიძე; 26 May 1935 — 7 March 2002) was a Georgian musician, composer, singer and conductor nicknamed "the Georgian Karajan". Kakhidze was music director of the Georgian State ...
,
Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer ( lv, Gidons Krēmers; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica. Life and career Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holoc ...
,
Yuri Bashmet Yuri Abramovich Bashmet (russian: link=no, Юрий Абрамович Башмет; born 24 January 1953) is a Russian conductor, violinist, and violist. Biography Yuri Bashmet was born on 24 January 1953 in Rostov-on-Don in the family of A ...
,
Kim Kashkashian Kim Kashkashian (born August 31, 1952) is an American violist. She is recognized as one of the world's top violists. She has spent her career in the US and Europe and collaborated with many major contemporary composers. In 2013 she won a Grammy ...
,
Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was wel ...
, and the
Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...
, Kancheli saw world premieres of his works in Seattle, as well as with the
New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...
under
Kurt Masur Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Or ...
. He continued to receive regular commissions. Recordings of his recent works are regularly released, notably on the ECM label. His work ''Styx'' is written for solo viola, chorus and orchestra. It is a farewell to his friends
Avet Terterian Alfred Roubenovich "Avet" Terterian (also Terteryan) ( hy, Ալֆրեդ "Ավետ" Տերտերյան, July 29, 1929 – December 11, 1994) was an Armenian composer, awarded the Konrad Adenauer Prize. Terterian composed eight (completed) sympho ...
and
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 ...
, whose names are sung by the choir at certain points. For two decades, he served as the music director of the
Rustaveli Theatre Rustaveli National Theatre ( ka, შოთა რუსთაველის სახელობის აკადემიური თეატრი ) is the largest and one of the oldest theaters of Georgia, located in its capital Tbilisi on ...
in Tbilisi. He composed an opera ''Music for the Living'', in collaboration with Rustaveli director
Robert Sturua Robert Sturua ( ka, რობერტ სტურუა; born 31 July 1938, Tbilisi) is a Georgian theater director, who gained international acclaim for his original interpretation of the works of Brecht, Shakespeare, and Chekhov. He was based ...
, and in December 1999, the opera was restaged for the Deutsches National Theater in
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
. He wrote music for films such as
Georgiy Daneliya Georgiy Nikolayevich Daneliya ( ka, გიორგი ნიკოლოზის ძე დანელია; russian: Георгий Николаевич Данелия; 25 August 1930 – 4 April 2019), also known as Giya Daneliya ( ka, გ ...
's science fiction film ''
Kin-dza-dza! ''Kin-dza-dza!'' (russian: link=no, italics=yes, Кин-дза-дза!) is a 1986 Soviet film released by the Mosfilm studio and directed by Georgiy Daneliya, with a story by Georgiy Daneliya and Revaz Gabriadze. Plot The story begins in 1980s M ...
'' (1986) and its 2013 animated remake.


Filmography

* 1964 – ''Children of the Sea'' * 1965 – ''Gold'' (Animated film) * 1967 – ''Melancholy Romance'' * 1968 – '' Extraordinary Exhibition'' * 1968 – ''
Don't Grieve ''Don't Grieve'' (russian: Не горюй!; ka, არ იდარდო!) is a 1969 Soviet comedy film directed by Georgiy Daneliya. Film is loosely based on the novel "My uncle Benjamen" by French writer Claude Tillier. Plot In the end of ...
'' * 1970 – ''Competition'' * 1970 – '' Feola'' (short) * 1970 – '' The Jug'' (short) * 1971 – ''Neighbour'' * 1972 – ''
When Almonds Blossomed When may refer to: * When?, one of the Five Ws, questions used in journalism * WHEN (AM), an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in Syracuse, New York * WHEN-TV, the former call letters of TV station WTVH in Syracuse, New York Music * When (b ...
'' * 1972 – ''White Stones'' (short) * 1972 – ''Gladiator'' (short) * 1973 – '' Record'' * 1974 – ''
The Eccentrics ''The Eccentrics'' ( ka, შერეკილები, ''Sherekilebi''; russian: Чудаки, ''Chudaki'') is a 1973 Soviet satire-comedy film directed by Eldar Shengelaia Eldar Shengelaia ( ka, ელდარ შენგელაია; r ...
'' (with
Jansug Kakhidze Jansug Ivanes dze Kakhidze ( ka, ჯანსუღ კახიძე; 26 May 1935 — 7 March 2002) was a Georgian musician, composer, singer and conductor nicknamed "the Georgian Karajan". Kakhidze was music director of the Georgian State ...
) * 1974 – ''Captains'' * 1974 – ''Night Visit'' (with
Revaz Lagidze Revaz may refer to: *A Georgian masculine given name; see რევაზ for the etymology *Revaz Chelebadze, Soviet football player * Revaz Dogonadze, Georgian scientist *Revaz Dzodzuashvili Revaz Mikheilis dze Dzodzuashvili ( ka, რევა ...
) * 1974 – '' Magic Egg'' (animated film) * 1975 – ''Caucasian Prisoner'' * 1975 – ''Caucasian Romance'' * 1977 – ''
Stepmother of Samanishvili A stepmother, stepmum or stepmom is a non-biological female parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepmother-in-law is a stepmother of one's spouse. Children from her spouse's previous unions are known as her stepchildren. Culture Ste ...
'' (with
Jansug Kakhidze Jansug Ivanes dze Kakhidze ( ka, ჯანსუღ კახიძე; 26 May 1935 — 7 March 2002) was a Georgian musician, composer, singer and conductor nicknamed "the Georgian Karajan". Kakhidze was music director of the Georgian State ...
) * 1977 – ''
Mimino ''Mimino'' (russian: Мимино, ka, მიმინო, hy, Միմինո) is a 1977 comedy film by Soviet director Georgiy Daneliya produced by Mosfilm and Gruziya-film, starring Vakhtang Kikabidze and Frunzik Mkrtchyan. Anatoliy Petritsk ...
'' * 1977 – ''Cinema'' * 1978 – '' Some Interviews on Personal Matters'' * 1978 – ''
Khanuma Khanuma (russian: Ханума xanuma ) is a shrewd matchmaker in the eponymous 1978 Soviet Russian Georgian-themed television film directed by Georgy Tovstonogov. It is a screen version of the same name classic Georgian vaudeville by Avksenty ...
'' * 1978 – ''Caucasian Story'' * 1979 – ''Dumas in Caucasia'' * 1979 – '' Ground of Ancestors'' * 1980 – '' Earth, This Is Your Son'' * 1983 – '' Blue Mountains'' * 1984 – '' Day Is Longer Than Night'' * 1986 – ''
Kin-dza-dza! ''Kin-dza-dza!'' (russian: link=no, italics=yes, Кин-дза-дза!) is a 1986 Soviet film released by the Mosfilm studio and directed by Georgiy Daneliya, with a story by Georgiy Daneliya and Revaz Gabriadze. Plot The story begins in 1980s M ...
'' * 1987 – ''King Lear'' * 1988 – ''
Life of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy tran ...
'' * 1990 – ''Oh, This Horrible TV'' * 1990 – ''
Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...
'' * 1998 – '' Silver Heads'' * 2004 – ''National Bomb'' * 2009 – ''Happiness'' * 2010 – ''Felicita'' * 2010 – ''After the Mountains'' * 2011 – ''The Tree of Life'' * 2012 – ''
Ku! Kin-dza-dza Ku! Kin-dza-dza ( rus. Ку! Кин-дза-дза) is a 2013 Russian animated science fiction film by Georgy Danelia. It is an animated remake of Danelia's 1986 live-action film ''Kin-dza-dza!''. Although it preserves much of the original movie ...
'' (animated film)


Played in films

* 2001 – Giya Kancheli (Documentary) * 2011 – Giya Kancheli. Life in sounds (Documentary) * 2012 –
Mimino ''Mimino'' (russian: Мимино, ka, მიმინო, hy, Միմինո) is a 1977 comedy film by Soviet director Georgiy Daneliya produced by Mosfilm and Gruziya-film, starring Vakhtang Kikabidze and Frunzik Mkrtchyan. Anatoliy Petritsk ...
- Secret Soviet movie (Documentary) * 2012 –
Georgiy Daneliya Georgiy Nikolayevich Daneliya ( ka, გიორგი ნიკოლოზის ძე დანელია; russian: Георгий Николаевич Данелия; 25 August 1930 – 4 April 2019), also known as Giya Daneliya ( ka, გ ...
(Documentary) * 2014 –
Goodbye to Language ''Goodbye to Language'' (french: Adieu au Langage) is a 2014 French-Swiss 3D experimental narrative essay film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It stars Héloïse Godet, Kamel Abdeli, Richard Chevallier, Zoé Bruneau, Jessica Erickson ...
* 2016 –
Voyage of Time ''Voyage of Time'' is a 2016 American documentary film written and directed by Terrence Malick. The film is said to be an examination of the birth and death of the known universe. Malick had been working on the film for over forty years and it ha ...


Selected works


Early works

*Concerto for Orchestra (1961) *Woodwind Quintet (1961) *''Largo and Allegro'' (1963) *Symphony No. 1 (1967)


Orchestral

* Symphony No. 2 ''"Songs"'' (1970) * Symphony No. 3 (1973) * Symphony No. 4 ''"To the Memory of Michelangelo"'' (1974) * Symphony No. 5 ''"To the Memory of My Parents"'' (1977) * Symphony No. 6 (1978–1980) * Symphony No. 7 ''"Epilogue"'' (1986) *''Mourned by the Wind'' (''Vom Winde beweint''), liturgy for viola (or cello) and orchestra (1989) *''Evening Prayers'' (Abendgebete) from "Life Without Christmas" (1991) *''Abii ne viderem'' ("I turned away so as not to see") for alto flute / viola, piano and string orchestra (1992–1994) *''Another Step... (Noch Einen Schritt...)'' (1992) *''Wingless'' (1993) *''Magnum Ignotum'' (1994) *''Trauerfarbenes Land'' (1994) *''Lament, Music of Mourning in Memory of Luigi Nono'' (1994) *''Simi, "Joyless Thoughts"'', for cello and orchestra (1995) *''...à la Duduki'' (1995) *''V & V '' (1995) *''Valse Boston'' (1996) *''
Diplipito The ''naqareh'', ''naqqāra'', ''nagara'' or ''nagada'' is a Middle Eastern drum with a rounded back and a hide head, usually played in pairs. It is thus a membranophone of the kettle drum variety. The term ''naqqāra'' (), also ''naqqarat'', ...
'' (1997) *''Childhood Revisited (Besuch In Der Kindheit)'' (1998) *''Sio'' (1998) *''Rokwa'' (1999) *''And Farewell Goes Out Sighing...'' (1999) *''A Little Daneliade'' (2000) *''...al Niente'' (2000) *''Ergo'' (2000) *''Don’t Grieve'' (2001) *''Fingerprints'' (2002) *''Lonesome – 2 great Slava from 2 GKs'' (2002) *''Warzone'' (2002) *''Twilight'' (2004) *''Ex Contrario'' (2006) *''Kapote'' (2006) *''Silent Prayer'' (2007) *''Broken Chant'' (2007) *''Ilori '' (2010) *''Lingering'' for large orchestra (2012) * ''Nu.Mu.Zu'' (''I don't know'', 2015), premiered by the
National Orchestra of Belgium The Belgian National Orchestra ( nl, Nationaal Orkest van België, french: Orchestre National de Belgique) is a Belgian orchestra, based in Brussels. Its principal concert venue is the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts ( Bozar). The orchestra also g ...
*''Letters to Friends'' (2016)


Chamber music

*''Morning Prayers'' for chamber orchestra and tape (1990; 1st work from the 1990–95 four-part cycle ''A Life without Christmas'') *''Midday Prayers'' for soprano, clarinet and chamber orchestra (1990; 2nd work from the cycle ''A Life without Christmas'') *''Night Prayers'' for string quartet (1992–1995; 4th work from the cycle ''A Life without Christmas'') *'' Caris Mere'' (''After the wind'') for soprano and viola (1994) *''Magnum Ignotum'' for wind ensemble and tape (1994) *''Valse Boston'' for piano and strings (1996) *''Instead of a Tango'' for violin,
bandoneon The bandoneon (or bandonion, es, bandoneón) is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical instrument in most tango ensembles. As with other members of the concertina family, the bandoneon is held bet ...
, piano and double bass (1996) *''Time... and Again'' (1996) *''In L'Istesso Tempo'' for piano quartet (1997) *''Sio'' for strings, piano and percussion (1998) *''Ninna Nanna'' for flute and string quartet (2008), commissioned by the National Flute Association *''Chiaroscuro'' for string quartet (2011) *Woodwind Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon (2013)


Choral/opera

*''Music for the living'', opera in two acts (1982–1984) *''Light Sorrow'', music for orchestra, boys' choir and two boy sopranos (for the 40th anniversary of the victory over fascism) (1984) *''Evening Prayers'', for eight alto voices and chamber orchestra (1991; 3rd work from the 1990–95 four-part cycle ''A Life without Christmas'') *''Psalm 23'', for soprano and chamber orchestra (1993) *''Lament'', concerto for violin, soprano and orchestra (1994) *''Diplipito'', for cello, counter-tenor and chamber orchestra (1997) *''And Farewell Goes Out Sighing...'' for violin, countertenor and orchestra (1999) *''Styx'', for viola, mixed choir and orchestra (1999) *''
Little Imber (Kancheli) Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
'', for solo voice, children's and men's choirs and small ensemble (2003) *'' Amao Omi'', for SATB choir and saxophone quartet (2005) *''Lulling the Sun'', for six-part mixed choir and percussion (2008) *"Dixi", for mixed choir and orchestra (2009)


References


Sources

* Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', 985 pages,


External links


List of works





Kancheli at Schirmer


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060303003422/http://www.azimute.org/music/kancheli_nostalgia.html ''Giya Kancheli and the Aesthetics of Nostalgia'', by Dylan Trigg
Kancheli at ECM Records
*
Lulling the Sun
performed by the Shchedryk Children's Choir, Kiev (Marianna Sablina, director); via Deutsche Welle Radio, 26 September 2010


Interviews


Giya Kancheli interview
27 February 1995 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kancheli, Giya 1935 births 2019 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century male musicians 21st-century classical composers 21st-century male musicians Burials at Didube Pantheon Classical composers from Georgia (country) Male film score composers Male opera composers Musicians from Tbilisi Opera composers from Georgia (country) Soviet classical composers Soviet film score composers Soviet male classical composers Soviet opera composers Tbilisi State Conservatoire alumni Wolf Prize in Arts laureates