Alexander Levine (

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

: Александр Левин; born 17 November 1955), is a Russian-born British composer. He writes

choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

, chamber and orchestral music, publishing through

Edition Peters Edition Peters is a classical music publisher founded in Leipzig, Germany in 1800. History The company came into being on 1 December 1800 when the Viennese composer Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754–1812) and the local organist Ambrosius Kühn ...

Background

Alexander Levine was born in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

in 1955. As a child he attended the

Gnessin State Musical College The Gnessin State College of Music () and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music () comprise a music school in Moscow.Moisenko, Rena. (1949) ''Realist Music: 25 Soviet Composers,'' London: Meridian Book, Ltd. History Originally known as the Gnessi ...

(Gnessin School of Music) and then studied at the Gnessin Academy (1976-1980). In 1992 he relocated to the U.K. where he lives and works at present. After winning the Wingate Foundation scholarship he studied on the Advanced Postgraduate Composition Course at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

(

Master of Music The Master of Music (MM or MMus) is, as an academic title, the first graduate degree in music awarded by universities and conservatories. The MM combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually performance in singing or i ...

in Composition, 1995). He started his UK career working on a number of theatre projects. In 1994 he received a commission to write music for a theatre production of “War and Peace” staged at the GSMD (Director Peter Clough). The music was performed live by symphony orchestra.

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

observed in its review: "It is not often you go to the theatre and get an orchestra thrown in: not providing cues for numbers but underscoring dialogue with a grand swell, like a soundtrack for the big screen" ( Kate Bassett,

, October 29, 1994) Other theatre works of that period: “The Beggar's Opera” and “Love's Labour's Lost” (Director

Di Trevis Diane Ellen "Di" Trevis (born 8 November 1947) is an English theatre director and actress. Early life and education Trevis was born in Birmingham and educated at Sussex University. Career After eight years as an actress, which included appear ...

) Further collaborations include various artists from a wide range of genres:

Maria Friedman Maria Friedman ( Freedman; born 19 March 1960) is a British actress and director, best known for her work in musical theatre. She is an eight-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee, winning three. Her first win was for her 1994 one-woman show, ' ...

Christian Forshaw Christian Forshaw is an English saxophone player and composer. Christian Forshaw was born in Knaresborough, Yorkshire and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 1995 with distinction. He then began working with some of the world ...

, Stanzeleit/Jacobson Duo,

Darragh Morgan Darragh Morgan (Belfast, 1974) is an Irish violinist. He established himself as a soloist of new music with recitals at Sonorities Festival, as well as in Prague, Malta, Nicosia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the ...

, Mary Dullea, Fidelio Trio, Konstantin Boyarsky, Andrew McNeill, Bozidar Vukovic, Tippett Quartet,

Orlando Consort The Orlando Consort was a British vocal consort which is best known for performing Renaissance choral music one voice to a part. The Consort was founded in 1988 as part of the activities of the Early Music Network of Great Britain, a forerunner of t ...

BBC Singers The BBC Singers is a professional British chamber choir, employed by the BBC. Its origins can be traced to 1924. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time profes ...

, 21st Century Choir,

Tenebrae Tenebrae (—Latin for 'darkness') is a religious service of Western Christianity held during the three days preceding Easter Day, and characterized by a gradual extinguishing of candles, and the ''strepitus'' or "loud noise" in the total darkn ...

Mariinsky Opera The Mariinsky Theatre (, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces ...

Choir, Russia State Orchestra “Novaia Rossia”, Bel Canto Chorus, Voces8, Paul Phoenix & Apollo5.

Selected works from Edition Peters catalogue

Prayers for Mankind. A Symphony of Prayers of Father Alexander Men’ * US Premiere: October 12, 2012, Milwaukee, Bel Canto Chorus, director Richard Hynson * Recording:

, director

Nigel Short Nigel David Short (born 1 June 1965) is an English Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, columnist, coach and commentator who has been the FIDE Director for Chess Development since September 2022. Short earned the title of grandmaster at the ...

Signum Records Signum Records, also known as Signum Classics, is a classical musical record label in the UK founded in 1997. The label began with a project to make the first recording of the complete works of Thomas Tallis. The artists for the Tallis recordi ...

. London, 2010. * Publisher:

The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom * World Premiere: St. Petersburg, 2009,

Choir, conductor Andrey Petrenko. * UK premiere: March 7, 2013, London.

Choir, director

. * Australian Premiere: Aug. 2014,

St George's Cathedral, Perth St George's Cathedral is the principal Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican church in the city of Perth, Western Australia, and the cathedra, mother-church of the Anglican Diocese of Perth. It is located on St Georges Terrace, Perth, St Georg ...

, St George's Cathedral Consort, Director

Joseph Nolan (organist) Joseph Nolan (born 3 May 1974) is an English-born Australian organist and conductor. Education Joseph Nolan received a scholarship for the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied organ with Professor Richard Popplewell. Duri ...

* Recording: Tenebrae Choir, director

, London, 2013. * Publisher:

Canti Augustini * World Premiere: December 21, 2013, St. Petersburg,

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre (, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces ...

by Voces8 * Publisher:

Oh, You Wide Steppe * Recording: Paul Phoenix & Apollo5, Edition Peters Sounds * Publisher:

Natasha's Waltz * Recording: State Symphony Orchestra “Novaya Rossiya”, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor

Yuri Bashmet Yuri Abramovich Bashmet (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 Abram Borisovich Bashmet and Maya Zinovyeva Bashmet (née Kri ...

. * Publisher:

The True Light * Publisher:

Thy Will Be Done * World Premiere: 2014, by

Suzi Digby Susan Elizabeth Digby, Baroness Eatwell Order of the British Empire, OBE (née Watts; born 1 July 1958), known as Suzi Digby, is a British choral conductor and music educator. Early life Born in Japan as Susan Elizabeth Watts, she attended F ...

and the

Voce Chamber Choir Voce is a London-based chamber choir founded in 2003 by Harry Briggs and Suzi Digby. Description and history Based in Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair, the choir is made up of around thirty singers in their 20s and 30s and covers a wide-ranging and ...

* Publisher:

Tibi Solus * Publisher:

I Am All Along on the Road * Commissioned by

the King’s Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the ...

, UK premiere May 6, 2019,

Wigmore Hall The Wigmore Hall is a concert hall at 36 Wigmore Street, in west London. It was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt and opened in 1901 as the Bechstein Hall; it is considered to have particularly good building acoustics, acoustics. It specialis ...

* Publisher:

Our Father (Thy Will Be Done) * Commissioned by VOCES 8, World Premiere February 8, 2020, St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Moscow. * Publisher:

Discography

''Oh, You Wide Steppe'', arr. Paul Phoenix & Apollo5, "Journey", Edition Peters Sounds, 2015, EPS002 ''The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom'' Tenebrae, conductor Nigel Short, Signum Classics, 2013, SIGCD316 ''Prayers for Mankind (A Symphony of Prayers)'' Tenebrae, conductor Nigel Short, Signum Classics, 2010, SIGCD212 ''Kolokolá'' The BBC Singers, cond. James Morgan, Albany Records, 2005, TROY 736 ''Faces (prelude & fugue for saxophone quartet)'' Quartz Saxophone Quartet, Black Box, 2000, BBM1024

References

External links

*
Alexander Levine on Edition Peters

Alexander Levine on Hyperion

Alexander Levine: "Prayers for Mankind"

A. Levine: "Prayers for Mankind" on Gramophone

Alexander Levine: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

A. Levine: “The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom” on Gramophone
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levine, Alexander 1955 births Living people British male classical composers 21st-century British classical composers Russian Orthodox Christians from Russia 21st-century British male musicians