Vyacheslav Petrovich Artyomov (; born 29 June 1940) is a Russian composer.

Early life and education

Vyacheslav Artyomov was born on 29 June 1940 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 ...

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 ...

. He initially pursued studies in physics while also receiving formal musical training. He attended the musical college affiliated with 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 ...

, where he studied

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

with

Nikolai Sidelnikov Nikolai Nikolayevich Sidelnikov (; June 5, 1930, Tver – June 20, 1992) was a Russian Soviet composer. Sidelnikov studied with E. O. Messner and Yuri Shaporin at the Moscow Conservatory. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory where he was a p ...

and piano with Tovi Logovinsky. Artyomov became a member 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 ...

and the

Association for Contemporary Music Association for Contemporary Music (ACM) (, ''ASM - Assotsiatsiya Sovremennoy Muzyki'') was an alternative organization of Russian composers interested in avant-garde music. It was founded by Nikolai Roslavets in 1923. ACM ran concert series and p ...

(ACM). He also worked as an editor at the Moscow publishing house Musyka and graduated in 1968.

Career

In 1975, he joined the improvisation group "Astreya" alongside the composers

Sofia Gubaidulina Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina (24 October 1931 – 13 March 2025) was a Soviet and Russian composer of Modernism (music), modernist Holy minimalism, sacred music. She was highly prolific, producing numerous Chamber music, chamber, Orchestra, orch ...

and

Viktor Suslin Viktor Yevseyevich Suslin (; 13 June 1942 – 10 July 2012) was a Russian composer. An associate of Sofia Gubaidulina's, together with her and Vyacheslav Artyomov he formed the improvisatory ensemble 'Astraea' in 1975. He emigrated to Germany ...

. In 1979, he was

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

as one of

Khrennikov's Seven Khrennikov's Seven () was a group of seven Russian Soviet composers denounced in 1979 at the Sixth Congress of the Composers' Union by its leader Tikhon Khrennikov for the unapproved participation in some festivals of Soviet music in the West. Khren ...

at the Sixth Congress for unapproved participation in several Soviet music festivals in the

Western world The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...

. His music has been performed by conductors and musicians including Rostropovich, Rozhdestvensky, Fedoseyev, Spivakov,

Pletnyov Pletnyov (; masculine) or Pletnyova (; feminine) is a Russian surname. An alternative spelling is Pletnev. It may refer to the following people: *Andrei Pletnyov (born 1971), Russian football player and referee *Anna Pletnyova (born 1977), Russian s ...

, Currentzis,

Virko Baley Viroslav Petrovych Baley (born October 21, 1938, known by the diminutive Virko) is a Ukrainian- American composer, conductor, and pianist. He was born in Radekhiv in Poland (now in Ukraine), the only child of Petro (Peter) and Lydia Baley. ...

Bunin Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin ( or ; rus, Ива́н Алексе́евич Бу́нин, p=ɪˈvan ɐlʲɪkˈsʲejɪvʲɪdʑ ˈbunʲɪn, a=Ivan Alyeksyeyevich Bunin.ru.vorb.oga; – 8 November 1953)Isakadze, Grindenko,

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...

Rudin ''Rudin'' (, ) is the first novel by Russian realist writer Ivan Turgenev. Turgenev started to work on it in 1855, and it was first published in the literary magazine "Sovremennik" in 1856; several changes were made by Turgenev in subsequent edi ...

, Yanchenko, and

Ashkenazy Ashkenazy is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the name include: * Ben Ashkenazy (born 1968/69), American billionaire real estate developer * Dimitri Ashkenazy (born 1969), clarinetist * Severyn Ashkenazy (born 1936), American hotelier and ph ...

. He has participated in European musical performances since the 1970s, including the Festival of the Premiers (Moscow, 1994) and the Artyomov Festival (Amsterdam, 1997).

Musical style and themes

Artyomov's compositions reflect his interest in

archaic Archaic may refer to: * Archaic Period (several meanings), archaeological term used to refer to a very early period differing by location *Archaic humans, people before ''homo sapiens'' * ''Archaic'' (comics), a comic-book series created by write ...

("Incantations", "Totem") and

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

("Requiem", "Ave Maria"), as well as Eastern meditation ("Awakening", "A Symphony of Elegies", "Moonlight Dreams"). As a young composer, he developed an interest in

Russian folklore The Russian folklore, i.e., the folklore of Russian people, takes its roots in the pagan beliefs of ancient Slavs and now is represented in the Russian fairy tales. Epic Russian bylinas are also an important part of Slavic paganism. The oldest ...

, traditional music of the East, works of

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 ...

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of ...

Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

, and the Polish

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

. Works such as Arthur Honegger's '' Symphonie Liturgique'', Luciano Berio's ''

Sinfonia Sinfonia (; plural ''sinfonie'') is the Italian word for symphony, from the Latin ''symphonia'', in turn derived from Ancient Greek συμφωνία ''symphōnia'' (agreement or concord of sound), from the prefix σύν (together) and Φωνή (s ...

'', and those of

Edgard Varèse Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse (; also spelled Edgar; December 22, 1883 – November 6, 1965) was a French and American composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States. Varèse's music emphasizes timbre and rhythm; h ...

made an impression on him. Artyomov considers music and

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the ...

to be the two fundamental sciences, suggesting that astrophysics broadens our knowledge of the universe, while music reveals the depth, exposes, the strength of the human spirit, and its connection to the soul of the world. He believes music is "a mediator between God and man" and "a concentrate of spiritual energy, which should awaken man's ethical understanding and purify his soul" (''Foundation of the Philosophy of Music''). Artyomov is a full member of the

Russian Academy of Natural Sciences The Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (Russian language, Russian: Российская академия естественных наук) is a Russian non-governmental organization founded on August 31 1990 in Moscow in the former Soviet Uni ...

, and president of the Foundation for Spiritual Creation.

Recognition

Artyomov's works were nominated for the State Prizes in Russia, and he is a recipient of the

Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at ...

(2010). Stephen A. Whealton wrote that "In the age of

minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

and abstraction, Artyomov stands apart– his music is created to serve a greater purpose, much in the same way as the later works of

Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin, scientific transliteration: ''Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin''; also transliterated variously as Skriabin, Skryabin, and (in French) Scriabine. The composer himselused the French spelling "Scriabine" which was a ...

and the music of

." (''Way to Olympus'' CD by Mobile Fidelity, 1989). A series of ten CDs with recordings of works by Artyomov was released by Divine Art to mark the composer's 80th anniversary. This series has been reviewed in ''

Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

'', ''

American Record Guide The ''American Record Guide'' (''ARG'') is a classical music magazine. It has reviewed classical music recordings since 1935. History and profile The magazine was founded by Peter Hugh Reed in May 1935 as the ''American Music Lover''. It chan ...

Pizzicato Pizzicato (, ; translated as 'pinched', and sometimes roughly as 'plucked') is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of instrument: * On bowe ...

Musical Opinion ''Musical Opinion'', often abbreviated to ''MO'', is a European classical music magazine edited and produced in the UK. It is currently among the oldest such periodicals to be still publishing in the UK, having been continuously in publication ...

, Fanfare'', and ''The Classical Reviewer''. Rostropovich, who commissioned and performed three of Artyomov's symphonies, stated that Artyomov "brings glory to our country and Russian art."

Works

''Symphony of the Way'' (tetralogy)

* Way to Olympus, a symphony (1978, rev. 1984) * On the Threshold of a Bright World, a symphony (1990, rev. 2002, 2013) * Gentle Emanation, a symphony (1991, rev. 2008) * The Morning Star Arises, a symphony (1993) *Source: The ''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians''

''The Star of Exodus'' (trilogy)

* In Memoriam, a symphony with violin solo (1968, 1984) * In Spe, a symphony with violin and cello solos (1995–2014) * In Gloriam, a symphony with two piano solos, choir and soloists (2020) * Requiem (1985 – 1988) * Gurian Hymn (1986) * A Symphony of Elegies (1977) * A Garland of Recitations, (1975 – 1981) * Tristia I (1983) * Pietà (1992, 1996) * Tristia II (1997, 1998, rev. 2011) *Source: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians''

Latin Hymns

* Miserere mei (2003) * Ave Maria (1989) * Salve Regina (2003) * Ave Maris Stella (2003) * Variations: Nestling Antsali (1974) * Scenes (1971) * Capriccio on the ’75 New Year's Eve (1975) * Totem (1976) * Star Wind (1981) * Hymns of Sudden Wafts (1983) * Incantations (1981) * Moonlight Dreams (1982) * Maltese Hymn Ave, Crux Alba (1994, 2012)

Discography

*CDBMR011129 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Requiem Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra – Boheme *CDBMR002124 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: – Ave – Boheme *CDBMR010127 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Awakening, Concert of the 13, Morning Songs & A Garland of Recitations – Boheme *OCD514 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Invocations

Lydia Davydova Lydia Anatolyevna Davydova (Russian: Лидия Анатольевна Давыдова) (19 January 1932 – 2 March 2011) was a Russian soprano, harpsichordist and a chamber music performer. As a singer her repertoire encompassed on one extreme ...

/Mark Pekarsky/Percussion Ensemble – Olympia *OCD516 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Way Various – Olympia *OCD 515 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Elegies – Olympia *MFCD 903 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Gurian Hymn, Incantation, Way to Olympus – Mobile Fidelity *MFCD 918 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Songs, Hymns and Dreams – Mobile Fidelity *74321 56261 2 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Lamentations, Gurian Hymn, Tristia I, Way to Olympus – BMG *SLR0027 – Astreya (Artyomov, Gubaidulina, Suslin)- Solyd Records *dda 25143 — Vyacheslav Artyomov: Gentle Emanation, Tristia II — T.Currentzis, V.Ponkin, Ph.Kopachevsky, RNO — Divine Art *dda 25144 — Vyacheslav Artyomov: On the Threshold of a Bright World, Ave atque vale, Ave, crux alba — V.Ashkenazy, R. Sharayevsky, NFOR — Divine Art *dda 25164 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Sola Fide-suites 3 & 4, Tempo Costante – D.Kitayenko, M.Annamamedov, Academic SO of MSF, MCO Musica Viva, Kaunas SC – Divine Art *dda 25171 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Way to Olympus, Gurian Hymn, Preludes to Sonnets, Concert of the 13 – T.Minbayev, D.Kitayenko, G.Rozhdestvensky, A.Batagov, Y.Smirnov, T.Grindenko, Y.Adjemova, P.Meschaninov, USSR State SO, Academic SO of MSF – Divine Art *dda 25172 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: A Symphony of Elegies, Awakening, Incantations – S.Sondeckis, T.Grindenko, O.Krysa, L.Davydova, M.Pekarsky Percussion Ensemble, Lithuanian CO – Divine Art *dda 25173 – Vyacheslav Artyomov: Requiem – Soloists, Sveshnikov Boys' Chorus, Victor Popov, Kaunas State Chorus, Piatris Bingialis, Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Dmitri Kitaenko – Divine Art *dda 25174 Vyacheslav Artyomov: A Sonata of Meditations, A Garland of Recitations, Totem – Virko Baley, M. Pekarsky Percussion Ensemble, Academic SO of MSF – Divine Art *dda 25175 Vyacheslav Artyomov: In Memoriam, Lamentations, Pietà, Tristia I – D. Kitayenko, T. Mynbayev, M. Annamamedov, O. Krysa, A. Rudin, S. Bunin, O. Yanchenko, Academic SO of MSF, USSR State SO, CO Musica Viva – Divine Art *dda 25176 Vyacheslav Artyomov: Star Wind, Variations: Nestling Antsali, Moonlight Dreams, Romantic Capriccio, Mattinate (Morning Songs), Scenes – M.Annamamedov, N.Lee, A.Korneyev, V.Artyomov, Chamber Ensembles – Divine Art *dda 25184 Vyacheslav Artyomov: In Spe, Latin Hymns – V.Uriupin, I.Pochekin, A.Buzlov, N.Pavlova, RNO, Yurlov Capella – Divine Art

Last recordings

*Vyacheslav Artyomov: Gentle Emanation, Tristia II RNO, T.Currentzis, V.Pon'kin, Ph.Kopachevsky – by FSC (2010) *Vyacheslav Artyomov: On the Threshold of a Bright World, Ave Atque Vale, Ave, Crux Alba NFOR, V. Ashkenazy, R. Sharayevsky – by FSC (2013) *Vyacheslav Artyomov: In Spe, Latin Hymns – I. Pochekin, A. Buzlov, N. Pavlova, Yurlov Coral Capella, RNO, V. Uriupin – by FSC (2018)

Bibliography

*Artëmov, Vjačeslav; V. Mud'jugina (2004): Vjačeslav Artëmov. Muzyka, Moskau. . ooklet, Russian and English*

References

External links

"Vyacheslav Artyomov"
chat.ru
"Temenos presents: Vyacheslav Artyomov"
temenos.info (in Russian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Artyomov, Vyacheslav 1940 births Living people Composers from Moscow Russian male classical composers Soviet male composers Moscow Conservatory alumni 21st-century Russian classical composers Soviet classical composers 20th-century Russian male musicians 21st-century Russian male musicians