Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Ovchinnikov (russian: Вячесла́в Алекса́ндрович Овчи́нников; 29 May 1936 in

Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

– 4 February 2019 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 ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

) was a Soviet and Russian composer.

Biography

He began composing at age 9 and entered 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 ...

at 15. Later he studied with

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 ...

and

Leo Ginzburg Leo Moritsevich Ginzburg (Лео Морицевич Гинзбург) (Warsaw, Vistula Land, Russian Empire April 12, 1901 – Moscow, Soviet Union November 1, 1979) was a Soviet conductor and pianist of Polish Jewish origin. He conducted the Mos ...

. He composed symphonies,

symphonic poem A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. The German term ''T ...

s, as well as works for

chamber orchestra Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numbe ...

, small ensembles and solo instruments. Outside his native country he is best known as a composer of music for such films as ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'', the 1966–67 film directed by

Sergei Bondarchuk Sergei Fyodorovich Bondarchuk (russian: Сергей Фёдорович Бондарчук, ; uk, Сергі́й Федорович Бондарчук, Serhíj Fédorovych Bondarchúk; 25 September 192020 October 1994) was a Soviet and Russian ...

, ''

Ivan's Childhood ''Ivan's Childhood'' (russian: Ива́ново де́тство, ''Ivanovo detstvo''), sometimes released as ''My Name Is Ivan'' in the US, is a 1962 Soviet war drama film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. Co-written by Mikhail Papava, Andrei Konch ...

'' and ''

Andrei Rublev Andrei Rublev ( rus, Андре́й Рублёв, p=ɐnˈdrʲej rʊˈblʲɵf , also transliterated as ''Andrey Rublyov'') was a Muscovite icon painter born in the 1360s who died between 1427 and 1430 in Moscow. He is considered to be one of the ...

'' for

Andrei Tarkovsky Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky ( rus, Андрей Арсеньевич Тарковский, p=ɐnˈdrʲej ɐrˈsʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ tɐrˈkofskʲɪj; 4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Russian filmmaker. Widely considered one of the greates ...

. He has composed for some 40 films in total. Tarkovsky is said to have been so impressed by Ovchinnikov that he stated: "I cannot imagine a better composer for myself than Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov." Ovchinnikov also had a successful career as a touring conductor from the 1970s. He has recorded for

Melodiya Melodiya ( rus, links=no, Мелодия, t=Melody) is a Russian (formerly Soviet) record label. It was the state-owned major record company of the Soviet Union. History Melodiya was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm ...

, the Russian record company. His Symphony No. 2 was released on the Melodiya label. Ovchinnikov was named a

People's Artist of the RSFSR People's Artist of the RSFSR (russian: Народный артист РСФСР, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, choreographers, music performers, and orchest ...

in 1986. For the 60th birthday (1992) of Queen

Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was List of Thai royal consorts, ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, he was commissioned to compose ''The Bouquet for the Queen''. For that work he was awarded the

Order of the White Elephant __NOTOC__ The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก; ) is an order (decoration), orde ...

. He was also a professor at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

from 1990 to 1991.

Compositions

Orchestral

* 1955-57: Symphony No. 1 * 1955-57: Six Symphonic Suites (for full orchestra) * 1956: Symphony No. ''2, Yuri Gagarin'' (symphonic poem, dedicated to

Yuri Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. Tr ...

, rev. 1972–73) * 1964: Symphony No. 3 * 1986: Symphony No. 4 for Chorus and Orchestra * 1991: Symphony No. 5

Opera

* 1974-78: On the Dawn of the Misty Youth

Ballet

* 1962: Sulamith * 1988: Song of Songs * Song of Spring Thaw * Dedication (One act, collaboration with ''V.Kicta''

For piano

* Suite No. 1 (for piano) * Suite No. 2 (for piano, four hands)

Choral music

* 2015: ''Elegy in Memory of Rachmaninoff,'' for Soprano, Chorus, and Orchestra (Written for the 100th Anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff Concert) *''There is Sky Lighted Edge'', for a-capella Chorus (words by A. Block) *''Vocaliz'', for a-capella Chorus *''Little Ballade,'' for a-capella Chorus (words by R. Burns) *''Singing for You,'' for a-capella Chorus *''Be Famed, Native Land,'' for Chorus and Orchestra (words by L.Vasilieva) *''Wind brought from Afar'', for a-capella Chorus (words by A. Block) *''Autumnal'', for Chorus (words by V.Firsov)

Cantata

* ''Song-Ballade about BAM Builders'', for Orchestra, Symphony, and Bass soloist (words by L. Vasilieva)

Oratorio

* ''Seasons'', for Orchestra, Symphony, and SATB soloists (folk lyrics arranged by V.Firsov) * ''Sergei Radonezhsky'', for Orchestra, Symphony, AB soloists (folk lyrics)

Accompaniment Music

* 1973: ''Scene of Action -- Russia'' (in collaboration with D.Gendelev) * ''2001'' (play by S. MIkhailov, premiered at The A. Bryantsev Youth Theater) * ''Full Turn Around'' (based on

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of ...

's analogous story, directed by A. Tarkovsky)

Arrangements

* Select Arrangements of Rachmaninoff's Choral Works

Filmography

* ''

The Steamroller and the Violin ''The Steamroller and the Violin'' (russian: Каток и скрипка, translit. ''Katok i skripka''), is a 1960 featurette directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and from a screenplay written by Andrei Konchalovsky and Andrei Tarkovsky. The film ...

'' (1960) * ''

The Boy and the Dove , image = , caption = , director = Andrey Konchalovsky , producer = , writer = Andrey Konchalovsky , starring = Nikolay Burlyaev , music = Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov , cinematography = Mikhail Kozhin , editing = , released = , studio= ...

'' (1961) * ''

'' (1962) * ''

The First Teacher ''The First Teacher'' (russian: Первый учитель, Pervyy uchitel) is a 1965 drama film directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. It is his first full-length work, based on the book by Chinghiz Aitmatov. Synopsis The action takes place in th ...

'' (1965) * ''

'' (1966–1967) * ''

'' (1966) * ''

A Long Happy Life , image = A Long Happy Life.jpg , caption = , director = Gennady Shpalikov , producer = Vladimir Besprozvanny , writer = Gennady Shpalikov , starring = , music = Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov , ...

'' (1966) * '' A Nest of Gentry'' (1969) * ''

A Soldier Came Back from the Front ''A Soldier Came Back from the Front'' (russian: Пришёл солдат с фронта) is a 1971 Soviet drama film directed by Nikolay Gubenko. Plot The film tells about the soldier Nikolay, who returns from the front and learns that his wi ...

'' (1971) * ''

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

'' (1972 restored version) * '' That Sweet Word: Liberty!'' (1972) * ''

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

'' (1972 restored version) * ''

Zvenigora ''Zvenigora'' (russian: Звeнигopа) is a 1928 Soviet silent film by Ukrainian director Alexander Dovzhenko, first shown on 13 April 1928. This was the fourth film by Dovzhenko, but the first one which was widely reviewed and discussed i ...

'' (1973 restored version) * '' They Fought for Their Country'' (1975) * '' The Steppe'' (1977) * ''

Boris Godunov Borís Fyodorovich Godunóv (; russian: Борис Фёдорович Годунов; 1552 ) ruled the Tsardom of Russia as ''de facto'' regent from c. 1585 to 1598 and then as the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. After the end of his ...

'' (1986)

References

External links

Official Website of Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov (in English)
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ovchinnikov, Vyacheslav 1936 births 2019 deaths 20th-century Russian male musicians Male film score composers Moscow Conservatory alumni People's Artists of the RSFSR Recipients of the Lenin Komsomol Prize Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Russian composers Russian film score composers Russian male composers Soviet film score composers Soviet male composers People from Voronezh