Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (; – 14 August 2007) was a Russian and Soviet

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 def ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

, and General Secretary 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 1 ...

(1948–1991), who was also known for his political activities. He wrote three symphonies, four piano concertos, two violin concertos, two cello concertos, operas, operettas, ballets, chamber music, incidental music and film music. During the 1930s, Khrennikov was already being hailed as a leading Soviet composer. In 1948,

Andrei Zhdanov Andrei Aleksandrovich Zhdanov ( rus, Андрей Александрович Жданов, p=ɐnˈdrʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪdʑ ˈʐdanəf, a=Ru-Андрей Жданов.ogg, links=yes; – 31 August 1948) was a Soviet politician. He was ...

, the leader of the anti-formalism campaign, nominated Khrennikov as Secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers. He held this influential post until the collapse of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in 1991.

Biography

Early years

Tikhon Khrennikov was the youngest of ten children, born into a family of horse traders in the town of

Yelets Yelets or Elets () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Bystraya Sosna River, which is a tributary of the Don River, Russia, Don. Population: History Yelets is the oldest center of the ...

, Oryol Governorate,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(now in

Lipetsk Oblast Lipetsk Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Lipetsk. As of the Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census, its population was&n ...

in central Russia). He learned guitar and mandolin from members of his family and sang in a local choir in Yelets. There he also played in a local orchestra and learned the piano. As a teenager he moved to

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 ...

. From 1929 to 1932, he studied composition at the Gnessin State Musical College under Mikhail Gnessin and Yefraim Gelman. From 1932 to 1936, he attended the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory () is a higher musical educational institution located in Moscow, Russia. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in musical performance and musical research. Th ...

. There he studied composition under

Vissarion Shebalin Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin (; 29 May 1963) was a USSR, Soviet composer, music pedagogue. Rector of the Moscow Conservatory (1942-1948). People's Artist of the RSFSR (1947). Biography Shebalin was born in Omsk, where his parents were school t ...

and piano under Heinrich Neuhaus. As a student, he wrote and played his ''Piano Concerto No. 1'', and his graduation piece was the ''Symphony No. 1''. His first symphony was conducted by

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British-born American conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra. H ...

.The Economist obituary 1 September 2007 p. 73 He became popular with the series of songs and serenades that he composed for the 1936 production of ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'' at the

Vakhtangov Theatre The Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre () is a drama theatre in Moscow. It was founded in 1913 as the Student Drama Studio, headed by Yevgeny Vakhtangov. The official opening date of the 3rd Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT) is considered to ...

in Moscow. By the 1930s, Khrennikov was already treated as a leading Soviet composer. Typical was his speech during a discussion in February 1936 concerning ''

Pravda ''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, 'Truth') is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most in ...

'' articles " Muddle Instead of Music" and "Balletic Falsity":

The resolution on 23rd April 1932 appealed to the consciousness of the Soviet artist. Soviet artists had not withstood scrutiny. After 23rd April, youth was inspired to study. The problem was, we had to master the skills and techniques of composition. We developed an enthusiasm for modern western composers. The names of Hindemith and Krenek came to be symbols of advanced modern artists. ..After the enthusiasm for western tendencies came an attraction to simplicity, influenced by composing for the theatre, where simple, expressive music was required. We grew, our consciousness also grew, as well as the aspiration to be genuine Soviet composers, representatives of our epoch. Compositions by Hindemith satisfied us no more. Soon after that Prokofiev arrived, declaring Soviet music to be provincial and naming Shostakovich as the most up-to-date composer. Young composers were confused: on the one hand, they wanted to create simpler music that would be easier for the masses to understand; on the other hand, they were confronted with the statements of such musical authorities as Prokofiev. Critics wrote laudatory odes to Shostakovich. ��How did young composers react to ''Lady Macbeth'' 'of Mtsensk'' This opera contains several large melodic fragments which opened some creative perspectives to us. But the entre‘actes and other things aroused complete hostility.

Together with other representatives of Soviet culture ( Nikolay Chelyapov,

Nikolai Myaskovsky Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky (; ; 20 April 18818 August 1950), was a Russian and Soviet composer. He is sometimes referred to as the "Father of the Soviet Symphony". Myaskovsky was awarded the Stalin Prize five times. Early years Myaskovsky ...

, Nikolay Chemberdzhi, Sergei Vasilenko, Victor Bely, Alexander Veprik,

Aram Khachaturian Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet Armenians, Armenian composer and conductor. He is considered one of the leading Music of the Soviet Union#Classical music of the Soviet Union, Soviet composers. Khachaturian was born and rai ...

, Boris Shekhter, M. Starodokamsky, Georgy Khubov, Vano Muradeli, Vladimir Yurovsky and Lev Kulakovsky), Khrennikov signed the statement welcoming "a sentence of the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union, passed on traitors against the motherland, fascist hirelings, such as

Tukhachevsky Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Тухачевский, Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevskiy, p=tʊxɐˈtɕefskʲɪj; – 12 June 1937), nicknamed the Red Napoleon, was a Soviet general who was prominen ...

, Yakir and others". Having "adopted the optimistic, dramatic and unabashedly lyrical style favored by Soviet leaders", Khrennikov shot to fame in 1941, with the "Song of Moscow" (, meaning "Swineherd and Shepherd") from his music score for the popular Soviet film '' They Met in Moscow'', for which he was awarded the Stalin Prize. In 1941, Khrennikov was appointed Music Director of the Central Theatre of the Red Army, a position he would keep for 25 years. In February 1945 Khrennikov was officially posted by the Political Authority (Politupravlenie) of the Red Army from Sverdlovsk, where he and his family had been evacuated, to the First Belorussian Front, and the Army commanded by General (later Marshal) Chuikov. In 1947 he joined the

CPSU The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

and became a deputy of the

Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet () was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, establ ...

.Barnett, Rob (Ed.)
"Khrennikov: Three Symphonies"
''MusicWeb International''. 6 April 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2009

General Secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers

On 10 January 1948, more than 70 composers, musicians and music lecturers were summoned to a three-day conference in the Kremlin, to be lectured by the communist party's chief ideologist

on how to write music. As one of the main speakers, Khrennikov backed the party line, and attacked all three of the greatest composers present,

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 First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

and Khachaturian. Years later, he defended his behaviour by telling a BBC correspondent: "They told me - they forced me - to read out that speech attacking Shostakovich and Prokofiev. What else could I have done? If I had refused, it would have been curtains for me." 200px, Tikhon Khrennikov as a passenger in the film '' The Train Goes East'' (1947) In 1948,

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

appointed Khrennikov General Secretary of the

, a position he would keep until the union was disbanded with the collapse of the

in 1991. In an interview with pianist Jascha Nemtsov on 8 November 2004 in Moscow, Khrennikov asserted that composer

Mieczysław Weinberg Mieczysław Weinberg (December 8, 1919 – February 26, 1996) was a Polish, Soviet, and Russian composer and pianist. Born in Warsaw to parents who worked in the Yiddish theatre in Poland, his early years were surrounded by music. He taught him ...

, when arrested, had been discharged immediately because of Khrennikov's protection. According to Khrennikov the same had happened to Alexander Veprik. Extant evidence demonstrates that Veprik spent four years in a prison camp and

was released in June 1953 because of

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

's death. In 1949, Khrennikov officially attacked the composer Alexander Lokshin, using formulations of one of Stalin's ideologists, Pavel Apostolov. In his speech Khrennikov contrasted Lokshin's "modernist" style with the

bylina A (, ; ), also popularly known as a ''starina'' (), is a type of Russian oral epic poem. deal with all periods of Russian history. narratives are loosely based on historical fact, but greatly embellished with fantasy or hyperbole. or ...

''Stepan Razin's Dream'' by Galina Ustvolskaya, which he considered an ideal example of true national art. Khrennikov's speech aroused great indignation in Mikhail Gnessin, who accused him of duplicity: not daring to criticise Lokshin in a professional environment, Khrennikov attacked him ideologically from his position as a leading Soviet official. After this ideological campaign Lokshin was excluded from academic circles. Tikhon khrennikov

Khrennikov did not prevent Prokofiev's first wife, Lina Codina, from being charged as a "spy" following her arrest by the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...

on 20 February 1948. As head of the Composers' Union, Khrennikov made no attempt to have the sentence against Lina Prokofieva quashed or reduced. The Composers' Union did not help Prokofiev's sons, who were compulsorily evicted from their apartment. After Codina returned from the Gulag, the

did nothing to improve the extremely bad living conditions of her family; it was the prominent singers Irina Arkhipova and Zurab Sotkilava who protected Prokofiev's first family. Afterwards, the family was exposed to regular official humiliations. According to Prokofiev's first son, Sviatoslav, the Union refused Codina permission to go to Paris, even though she had been personally invited by the French culture minister to the opening of Prokofiev's memorial board. Instead, Khrennikov took part at that ceremony with his whole family. The Union also refused Lina Prokofieva permission to go to the opening of the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

. At the same time, Sviatoslav Prokofiev noted the typical logic of the Soviet functionary: sometimes Khrennikov could help if it was not dangerous for his own position and career. The ideological campaigns of 1948–49 against musical formalism were directly connected with the offensive against "

rootless cosmopolitan "Rootless cosmopolitan" ( ) was a pejorative epithet that was mostly applied to intellectuals and Jews with ties to the West during the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. It became especially prevalent during the country's anti-cosmopolitan c ...

s," which formed a part of the state anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union that flourished after the Second World War. The leadership of the Union of Soviet Composers branded certain composers as " Zionist aggressors" or "agents of world imperialism", and made accusations of "ideologically vicious" and "hostile" phenomena in Soviet musical culture. An accusation of Zionism was often used as a weapon against people of different nationalities, faiths and opinions, such as

Nikolai Roslavets Nikolai Andreevich Roslavets (23 August 1944, also Mykola Andriiovych Roslavets) was a modernist composer active in the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. Roslavets was a convinced modernist and cosmopolitan thinker; his music was offic ...

. "Struggle against formalists" was pursued in other countries too. According to

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde music, avant-garde composers in the latter half of the ...

, after Khrennikov's official visit to Budapest in 1948, ''

The Miraculous Mandarin ''The Miraculous Mandarin'' (, ; ) Op. 19, Sz. 73 (BB 82), is a one act pantomime ballet composed by Béla Bartók between 1918 and 1924, and based on the 1916 story by Melchior Lengyel. Premiered on 27 November 1926 conducted by Eugen Szenka ...

'' by

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hunga ...

was removed from the repertoire and paintings by French impressionists and others were removed from display in museums. Khrennikov and other functionaries of the Union of Soviet Composers constantly attacked the heritage of the Russian avant-garde as well as its researchers. For example, the East German musicologist (1934–2008) was persecuted because of his promotion in the West of modern Soviet music of the 1920s. Gojowy was proclaimed to be an "anti-Soviet writer" – until 1989 he was forbidden to visit the Soviet Union and some of his publications that he sent to Soviet colleagues were intercepted by customs. At the same time, Soviet musicologists engaged in developing a Russian avant-garde tradition were officially prohibited from going abroad. Once again, Nicolai Roslavets was an example. Khrennikov was a Member of

Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the Central committee, highest organ of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) between Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Congresses. Elected by the ...

from the 1950s on. From 1962, he was a representative in the

Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Based on the principle of unified power, it was the only branch of government in the S ...

Later years

image:Могила Т. Н. Хренникова. Елец.jpg, 200px, Khrennikov's grave at

In his last years, Khrennikov publicly stated his disapproval of Perestroika, its leaders, and the fall of the Soviet Union:

It was a betrayal by our leaders. I consider Gorbachev and his henchmen, who deliberately organised persecution of Soviet art, to be traitors to the party and the people ...

In another interview given to the same newspaper ''Zavtra'' (meaning "Tomorrow") he described Stalin as a "genius", an "absolutely normal person", tolerant of criticism:

Stalin, in my opinion, knew music better than any of us. ��As in classical Ancient Greece, so too in the Soviet Union music was of the greatest importance to the state. The spiritual influence of the greatest composers and artists in the formation of intelligent and strong-willed people, first of all through radio, was huge.

Khrennikov's memoirs were published in 1994. Months before his death in Moscow on August 14, 2007 at the age of 94, Khrennikov had two requests in his will: to be buried in the city where he was born and have his grave next to his parents. He also requested to have an Orthodox cross erected on the grave. Both wishes were granted.

Compositions

Symphonies

* Symphony No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 4 (1933–35) * Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 9 (1940–42) * Symphony No. 3 in A major, Op. 22 (1973)

Other symphonic works

* "Mik", suite for orchestra, Op. 3 (1934) * Much Ado About Nothing, incidental music, Op. 7 (1935–36) * "Don Quichotte" by Mikhail Bulgakov, suite for orchestra, Op. 10 (1941) * "Love For Love", suite from the ballet, Op. 24b (1976) * "A Hussar Ballad", suite from the ballet, Op. 25b (1978)

Concertos

* Piano Concerto No. 1 in F major, Op. 1 (1932–33) * Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 14 (1958–59) * Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 16 (1964) * Piano Concerto No. 2 in C major, Op. 21 (1972) * Violin Concerto No. 2 in C major, Op. 23 (1975) * Three Pieces for Violin and orchestra, Op. 26b (1978) * Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 28 (1983–84) * Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 30 (1986) * Piano Concerto No. 4, for piano, string orchestra and percussion, Op. 37 (1991)

Operas

* " Into the Storm", four acts, Op. 8 (1936–39) - Libretto by A. Faiko and Nikolai Virta based on N. Virta's novel "Loneliness". * "Brother-in-Law Without Kindred ( Frol Skobeev)", comic opera, Op. 12 (1945–50) - Libretto by S. Tsenin after D. Averkiev's Play "Frol Skobeev". * "Mother", three acts, Op. 13 (1952–57) - Libretto by A. Faiko based on

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...

's novel "Mother". * "One Hundred Devils and Just One Girl", operetta in three acts, Op. 15 (1962–63) - Libretto by E. Shatunovsky. * "A White Night", musical chronicle in three acts, Op. 17 (1966) - Libretto by Y. Shanutovsky, after Tolstoi. * "The Low-Born Son-in-Law" (1967) - second version of "Frol Skobeyev" (1950) * "The Boy Giant", children's opera in three acts, Op. 18 (1968–69) - Libretto by N. Shestakov and N. Satz. * "Much Ado About Hearts", three acts (1972–73) - Libretto by Boris Pokrovsky after Shakespeare's "

". * "Dorothea", two acts, Op. 27 (1982–83) * "Golden Calf", Op. 29 (1984–85), based of the novel by

Ilf and Petrov Ilya Ilf (Ilya Arnoldovich Feinsilberg or , 1897–1937) and Yevgeny Petrov (Yevgeniy Petrovich Katayev or , 1902–1942) were two Soviet prose authors of the 1920s and 1930s. They did much of their writing together, and are almost alway ...

* "The Naked King", comic opera, Op. 31 (1988) * Musical for children "Wonders, oh, wonders!", musical for children (2001) * "At 6 P.M. After the War", musical (2003)

Ballets

* "Our Courtyard" (Happy Childhood), children's ballet in one act, Op. 19 (1970) * "Love For Love", two acts, Op. 24 (1976) * "A Hussar Ballad", three acts, Op. 25 (1978) * "Napoleon Bonaparte", Op. 40 (1994) * "The Captain's Daughter", Op. 41 (1999)

Music for plays

* "Mik" (1934) * "Alexander Shigorin" (1935–36) * "Big Day" (1937) * "Guilty Without a Sin" (1937) * "I'm the Son of Working People" (1938) * "Romantics" (1939) * "Don Quichotte" by Mikhail Bulgakov (1941) * "A Long Time Ago" (1942) * "Birthday" (1944) * "Marine Officer" (1944) * "Wise Things" (1965) * "Rootless Son-in-law" (1966)

Chamber music

* "Birkenstamm", version for violin ensemble (1935) * String Quartet No. 1 (?) * String Quartet No. 2 (?) * Three Pieces for Violin and piano, Op. 26 (1978) * String Quartet No. 3, Op. 33 (1988) * Sonata for Cello and piano, Op. 34 (1989) * Five Pieces for woodwind instruments, Op. 35 (1990)

Piano works

* Five Pieces for piano, Op. 2 (1933) * Three Pieces for piano, Op. 5 (1934–35) * Five Pieces for piano, Op. 38 (1992) * Six Children's Pieces for piano, Op. 42 (2002)

Vocal and choral works

* Three Romances for voice and piano after Pushkin, Op. 6 (1935) * "Birch Tree", song for voice and piano (1935) * Three Lieder for voice and piano, Op. 7b, from the incidental music "Much Ado About Nothing", Op. 7 (1935–36) * "Three Pans", song for voice and piano (1939) * "We Are Masters of the War", song for chorus and piano (1941) * "Song About a Moscow Girl", song for voice and piano (1941) * "Song About Friendship", song for voice and piano (1941) * Five Romances for voice and piano after Robert Burns, Op. 11 (1942) * "Farewell", song for voice and piano (1942) * "There is a Good Town in the North", song for chorus and piano (1942) * "New Year’s", song for voice and piano (1942) * "Everybody for the Motherland", song for chorus and piano (1942) * "Men from Ural are Great Warriors", song for chorus and piano (1942) * "Song of the Soviet Union", song for chorus and piano (1943) * "Luchint’s Song", song for chorus and piano (1943) * "Song of Song", song for voice and piano (1944) * "Waiting Home", song for voice and piano (1944) * "Moscow’s Windows", song for voice and piano (1960) * "Morning Song", song for voice and piano (1960) * "Our Soviet Country", song for chorus and piano (1964) * Three Poems for chorus, Op. 20 (1971) * Three Sonnets by W. Shakespeare for voice and piano, Op. 32 (1988) * Three songs based on the lyrics by Nekrasov for chorus a capella, Op. 36 (1990) * Five Romances after lyrics by Ivan Bunin, Op. 39 (1992) * "Tatyana’s Day", waltz, for voice and piano (2004) - after Mikhail Lomonosov

Film music

* "Struggle Is Still On" (1938) * "Swineheard and Shepherd" (1941) * "Return with Victory" (1941) * " Six O’Clock in the Evening After the War" (1944) * " The Train Goes East" (1947) * " Miners of Donetsk" (1950) * "Cavalier of the Golden Star" (1951) * "At Six PM after the War" (1952) * " True Friends" (1953) * " The Captain's Daughter" (1958) * " Hussar Ballad" (1961) * " Comrade Arseny" (1964) * " No Password Necessary" (1967) * "Mother" (1968) - sound version of the 1926 silent film * "Three" (1969) * " Ruslan and Ludmila" (1972) * "Stars and fans" (1973) * " Talents and Admirers" (1973) * "Afterthought Had Hit You, Congratulations!" (1976) * "Duenna" (1978) * "We Were Chosen by Time" (1978) * "The Antarctic Novel" (1979) * "Money Box" (1980) * "Heart Operation" (1982) * "Love for Love" (1983) * "Two Comrades" (1999)

Recordings (very incomplete list)

* Piano Concertos No. 1–3. Tikhon Khrennikov (piano), USSR State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by

Yevgeny Svetlanov Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, composer, and pianist. Life and work Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting with Alexander Gauk at the Moscow Conservatory Th ...

. * Piano Concerto No. 4, String Quartet No. 1, Cello Sonata, Songs. * Symphonies No. 1–3. USSR State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yevgeny Svetlanov. Recorded 1973, 1978. * Iz-za lesa svestitsya (The half-moon shines) and Spi, Natasha, spi, rodnaya (Sleep, Natasha, sleep, my darling) from Into the Storm (opera) Op. 8; Sam ne znayu pochemu (For some unknown reason) from Mother (Khrennikov opera) Op. 13. Daniil Shtoda (tenor), Philharmonia of Russia, Constantine Orbelian. Delos Records 2005

Interviews

Some of Khrennikov's statements mentioned above are included in the 2004 documentary ''Notes interdites: scènes de la vie musicale en Russie Soviétique'' (English title: ''The Red Baton'') by Bruno Monsaingeon. Khrennikov was interviewed by former BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith for the BBC's 2006 radio show ''Challenging the Silence''. In it Khrennikov denied the suggestion that he was at the heart of the criticism of composers such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich, though he expressed pride that he "was Stalin's Commissar. When I said No! (he shouts), it meant No."

Recognition

200px, Khrennikov awarded Presidential Prize in the field of Literature and Arts in 2003 Tikhon Khrennikov Postal stationery envelope Russia 2013 No 242

Tikhon Khrennikov Postal stationery envelope Russia 2013 No 242

;Prizes * Stalin Prizes: :second class (1942) - for the music to ''The Swineherdess and the Shepherd'' (1941) :second class (1946) - for the music to '' Six P.M.'' (1944) :second class (1952) - for the music to ''Donetsk Coal Miners'' (1950) *

USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize () was one of the Soviet Union’s highest civilian honours, awarded from its establishment in September 1966 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It recognised outstanding contributions in the fields of science, mathem ...

(1967) - for a series of instrumental concertos (Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra) *

Lenin Prize The Lenin Prize (, ) was one of the most prestigious awards of the Soviet Union for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was originally created on June 23, 1925, and awarded until 1934. During ...

(1974) - for the 2nd Piano Concerto with orchestra * Glinka State Prize of the RSFSR (1979) - for the 2nd Concerto for Violin and Orchestra * Prize of the President of the Russian Federation (2003) ;Titles *

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...

(1963) * People's Artist of the RSFSR (1954) * Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1950) ;Awards *

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...

(1973) * Four

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

(1963, 1971, 1973, 1983) *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

, twice (1966, 1988) * Order of Honour (1998) * Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1946) * Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" (1946) * Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1946) * Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" (1947) * Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1965) *

Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on April 25, 1975, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the thi ...

(1975) * Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1985) *

Medal "Veteran of Labour" The Medal "Veteran of Labour" () was a civilian labour award of the Soviet Union established on January 18, 1974, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to honour workers for many years of hard work in the national economy ...

(1995) * Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1995) *

Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" The Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" () is a commemorative medal of the Russian Federation created to denote the 850th anniversary of the city of Moscow. It was established on 26 February 1997 by Presidential Decree � ...

(1997) * Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2005) ;International awards and titles * Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture (Poland) * Medal "Friendship of Peoples" (Mongolia) * Silver Medal of the World Peace Council (1959) *

Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius The Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an award conferred by the Republic of Bulgaria. History It has had three incarnations : * first on 18 May 1909 by the Kingdom of Bulgaria (named Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-apostles), ...

, 1st class (Bulgaria, 1968) * Corresponding Member of the German Academy of Arts (GDR East Germany, 1970) * Medal "25 Years of People's Power" (1970) * Academician of the Academy Tiberiyskoy (Italy, 1976) * Prize of the

International Music Council The International Music Council (IMC) was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. The original request of the foundation of the IMC was under the Director of the UNESCO. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

(1977) * Member of "Legion of Gold" (Italy, 1981) * Medal of Georgi Dimitrov (1882-1982) (Bulgaria, 1982) * Order of the Friendship of Peoples (GDR, 1983) * Academician of the Academy of Santa Cecilia (Italy, 1984) * Order of Merit culture (Romania, 1985) * Medal of Richard Strauss (GDR, 1985) * Officer of the

Order of Arts and Letters The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...

(France, 1994) * UNESCO Mozart Medal (2003)

Quotations

References

External links

Official Site of Tikhon Khrennikov
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khrennikov, Tikhon 1913 births 2007 deaths People from Yelets People from Yeletsky Uyezd Members of the Central Auditing Commission of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Members of the Central Auditing Commission of the 23rd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Members of the Central Auditing Commission of the 24th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Candidates of the Central Committee of the 25th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Candidates of the Central Committee of the 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Candidates of the Central Committee of the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Sixth convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Seventh convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Eighth convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Ninth convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Tenth convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Eleventh convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Members of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, 1951–1955 Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, 1955–1959 Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, 1959–1963 Russian film score composers Russian male classical composers Russian male composers Russian music critics Russian music educators Russian opera composers Russian pianists Soviet film score composers Soviet male classical composers Soviet male composers Soviet music educators Soviet opera composers Soviet pianists Soviet classical composers 20th-century Russian male musicians Pupils of Nikolai Myaskovsky Pupils of Vissarion Shebalin Academicians of the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Russia Moscow Conservatory alumni Academic staff of Moscow Conservatory Heroes of Socialist Labour People's Artists of the USSR People's Artists of the RSFSR Honored Artists of the RSFSR Recipients of the Stalin Prize Recipients of the USSR State Prize Recipients of the Lenin Prize Glinka State Prize of the RSFSR winners Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Recipients of the Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture