Sviatoslav Nikolayevich Knushevitsky (also seen as Knushevitzky; 19 February 1963) was a

Soviet 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 ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

n classical cellist. He was particularly noted for his partnership with the violinist

David Oistrakh David Fyodorovich Oistrakh (; – 24 October 1974), was a Soviet classical violinist, violist and conductor. Oistrakh collaborated with major orchestras and musicians from many parts of the world and was the dedicatee of numerous violin ...

and the pianist Lev Oborin in a renowned piano trio from 1940 until his death. After

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 well ...

and

Daniil Shafran Daniil Borisovich Shafran (russian: Даниил Борисович Шафран, January 13, 1923February 7, 1997) was a Soviet Russian cellist. Biography Early years Daniil Shafran was born in Petrograd (later Leningrad, then Saint Petersburg) ...

, he is spoken of as one of the pre-eminent Russian cellists of the 20th century.

Biography

Sviatoslav Knushevitsky was born at Petrovsk, Saratov Oblast, on . He studied 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 ...

with

Semyon Kozolupov Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew, Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated as Shimon. In Greek it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Symeon. Meani ...

, graduating with a gold medal. He joined the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra in 1929, remaining their principal cellist until 1943. In 1933 Knushevitsky won First Prize at the All-Union Music Competition. In 1940 he joined in partnership with the violinist

and the pianist Lev Oborin in a renowned piano trio, often referred to as the Oistrakh Trio, which concertised and recorded a great deal in many countries. He also joined a string quartet with Oistrakh, Pyotr Bondarenko and Mikhail Terian, known as the Beethoven Quartet. His sonata performances with Oistrakh were considered the equal in their day of the later duo of

Sviatoslav Richter Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter, group= ( – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet classical pianist. He is frequently regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time,Great Pianists of the 20th Century and has been praised for the "depth of his int ...

and

. In 1941 Knushevitsky joined the staff of the Moscow Conservatory, becoming a professor in 1950. From 1954 to 1959 he was chair of cello and double bass studies. His pupils there included the cellists

Stefan Popov Stefan Popov (born 3 April 1940) is an internationally recognised Bulgarian cellist. He started playing the cello at the age of 11 and, having won a scholarship, continued his training at the Moscow Conservatory where he studied under Sviatoslav Kn ...

, Mikhail Khomitser and Yevgeny Altman, and the double bassist Rodion Azarkhin. Cello concertos were written for him by: *

Nikolai Myaskovsky Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky or Miaskovsky or Miaskowsky (russian: Никола́й Я́ковлевич Мяско́вский; pl, Mikołaj Miąskowski, syn Jakóbowy; 20 April 18818 August 1950), was a Russian and Soviet composer. He is so ...

( Cello Concerto in C minor, 1944; premiered Moscow, 17 March 1945; the first recording, however, was made by Rostropovich in 1956) *

Aram Khachaturian Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; rus, Арам Ильич Хачатурян, , ɐˈram ɨˈlʲjitɕ xətɕɪtʊˈrʲan, Ru-Aram Ilyich Khachaturian.ogg; hy, Արամ Խաչատրյան, ''Aram Xačʿatryan''; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet and Armeni ...

( Cello Concerto in E minor, 1946; premiered Moscow, 30 October 1946; he had also written his Piano Concerto in D-flat in 1936 for Lev Oborin, and his Violin Concerto in D minor in 1940 for David Oistrakh), and *

Reinhold Glière Reinhold Moritzevich Glière (born Reinhold Ernest Glier, which was later converted for standardization purposes; russian: Рейнгольд Морицевич Глиэр; 23 June 1956), was a Russian Imperial and Soviet composer of German and ...

(Cello Concerto in D minor, Op. 87, 1946). Other composers who wrote for him were Sergei Vasilenko and Alexander Goedicke. His repertoire included mainstream works from concertos and chamber works through to smaller pieces and arrangements, along with contemporary and rarer works such as the

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and early Modernism (music), modern eras, he has been descr ...

Cello Sonata and the Solo Cello Suites of

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Leipzig University Church, as a professor a ...

. Sviatoslav Knushevitsky was an alcoholic, which, along with his frenetic lifestyle, contributed to his early death at the age of 55 in 1963, 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 ...

Family

Sviatoslav Knushevitsky's brother Victor (1906–1974) was a violinist and from 1936 the conductor of a renowned Russian jazz ensemble, the State Jazz Orchestra of the USSR. His wife

Natalia Shpiller Natalia Dmitrevna Shpiller, sometimes spelled Natalia Spiller, Natalya Shpiller, Natalʹja Špiller, or Natalʹia Shpiller,

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

and often sang at the Kremlin. She taught at the Gnessin Institute 1950–1995.

Awards and honors

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the ...

(December 28, 1946) * Stalin Prize, 3rd class (1950) * Medal "For Labour Valour" (July 9, 1954) * Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR (1956)

Recordings

Sviatoslav Knushevitsky's many recordings include: *

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

: Triple Concerto in C; Oborin, Oistrakh, Knushevitsky, with the

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, ...

under Sir Malcolm Sargent * Beethoven: ''Archduke'' Trio *

Borodin Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin ( rus, link=no, Александр Порфирьевич Бородин, Aleksandr Porfir’yevich Borodin , p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr pɐrˈfʲi rʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈdʲin, a=RU-Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin.ogg, ...

: String Sextet in D minor *

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

: Double Concerto, with Oistrakh and the USSR Symphony Orchestra under

Karl Eliasberg Karl Ilitch Eliasberg ( be, Карл Ілліч Эліасберг; russian: Карл Ильич Элиасберг) (10 June 1907, in Minsk – 12 February 1978, in Leningrad) was a Soviet conductor. Eliasberg graduated from the Leningrad Conserv ...

* Chopin: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 8 * Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4, ''Dumky Trio'', Op. 90 and Trio in F minor, Op. 65 *

Khachaturian Khachaturian, Khachaturyan, Khachadurian or Khachatourian ( hy, Խաչատուրյան) is an Armenian surname meaning "cross bearer". People with the name include the following: * Leon Khachatourian (born 1936), Iranian Armenian boxer * Aram Khach ...

: Cello Concerto in E minor (the premiere performance; and a later one conducted by

Alexander Gauk Alexander Vassilievich Gauk (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Га́ук; 30 March 1963) was a Russian/ Soviet conductor and composer. Biography Alexander Gauk was born in Odessa in 1893. He recalled his first experience as ...

) * Myaskovsky: Cello Sonata No. 1 in D, Op. 12 * Popper: Cello Concerto in C *

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 *

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

: Piano Trio in A minor *

Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...

: Piano Trio in C (1897, incomplete; completed 1939 by Maximilian Steinberg; world premiere recording) * Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 *

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

: Octet in F major, D. 803 * Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat * Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat *

Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

: Piano Trio No. 2 in F, Op. 80 *

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 First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...

: Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 * Smetana: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15 *

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most pop ...

Variations on a Rococo Theme The ''Variations on a Rococo Theme'',; in russian: Вариации на тему рококо. Op. 33, for cello and orchestra was the closest Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ever came to writing a full concerto for cello and orchestra. The style was ins ...

, Op. 33 (conducted by Alexander Gauk) * Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 * Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D minor, ''Souvenir de Florence'', Op. 70, with Elizabeth Gilels (violin), Rudolf Barshai and Genrikh Talalyan (violas), and

(cello).

References

Sources

Presto Classical
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knushevitsky, Sviatoslav 1908 births 1963 deaths 20th-century cellists 20th-century classical musicians People from Petrovsk Academic staff of Moscow Conservatory Moscow Conservatory alumni Stalin Prize winners Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Russian classical cellists Russian music educators Soviet classical cellists Soviet music educators Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery