Grigory Frid
Encyclopedia
Grigory Samuilovich Frid also Grigori Fried is a Russia
n composer
of music written in many different genres, including chamber opera.
Born in Petrograd, now St. Petersburg, Frid studied in the Moscow Conservatory
with Heinrich Litinsky and Vissarion Shebalin
. He was a soldier in the Second World War. The style of his early music may be explained as conventional, written in the tradition of so-called "Socialist realism
". At the age of 55 he suddenly changed his style radically, turning to the twelve-tone and other more contemporary techniques of music composition.
He is a prolific composer. The most notable works are his two chamber operas, both to his own libretti. The Diary of Anne Frank
is a monodrama
in 21 scenes for soprano and chamber orchestra, lasting about one hour. It was composed in 1968 and given a first performance with piano accompaniment at the All-Union House of Composers in Moscow on either 17 or 18 May 1972. The Letters of Van Gogh is a mono-opera in two parts for baritone and chamber ensemble, based on the letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo. The opera was composed in 1975 and given its premiere in concert form at the same venue, on 29 November 1976.
He wrote three symphonies (1939, 1955, 1964), a series of instrumental concertos including a Concerto for viola, piano and string orchestra (1981), music for theatre and cinema including stage music for Phèdre
by Jean Racine
(1985), vocal and chamber music including a cycle Poetry (1973) for voice and chamber ensemble to poems by Federico García Lorca
, a Piano Quintet (1981), a Fantasia for cello and piano (1982), Fedra (Phèdre
, 1985) - a piano quintet with solo viola, and Five Songs to poems by Luís de Camões
(1985).
He is known as a music propagandist and organiser of a series of lectures-concerts for young people at the "Moscow House of Composers" that were popular in 1970s. He is also an artist, having a series of exhibitions of his paintings, and he has written of a few books of memoires, two of which first were published in Moscow in 1987 and 1991.
Orchestral
Concertante
Chamber music
Piano
Vocal
Choral
Film scores
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of music written in many different genres, including chamber opera.
Born in Petrograd, now St. Petersburg, Frid studied in the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
with Heinrich Litinsky and Vissarion Shebalin
Vissarion Shebalin
Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin was a Soviet composer.-Biography:Shebalin was born in Omsk, where his parents were school teachers. He studied in the musical college in Omsk. He was 20 years old when, following the advice of his professor, he went to Moscow to show his first compositions to...
. He was a soldier in the Second World War. The style of his early music may be explained as conventional, written in the tradition of so-called "Socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
". At the age of 55 he suddenly changed his style radically, turning to the twelve-tone and other more contemporary techniques of music composition.
He is a prolific composer. The most notable works are his two chamber operas, both to his own libretti. The Diary of Anne Frank
The Diary of Anne Frank (opera)
The Diary of Anne Frank is a monodrama in 21 scenes for soprano and chamber orchestra. The music and libretto are by Grigory Frid, after the eponymous diary....
is a monodrama
Monodrama
A monodrama is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character.- Monodrama in opera :...
in 21 scenes for soprano and chamber orchestra, lasting about one hour. It was composed in 1968 and given a first performance with piano accompaniment at the All-Union House of Composers in Moscow on either 17 or 18 May 1972. The Letters of Van Gogh is a mono-opera in two parts for baritone and chamber ensemble, based on the letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo. The opera was composed in 1975 and given its premiere in concert form at the same venue, on 29 November 1976.
He wrote three symphonies (1939, 1955, 1964), a series of instrumental concertos including a Concerto for viola, piano and string orchestra (1981), music for theatre and cinema including stage music for Phèdre
Phèdre
Phèdre is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677.-Composition and premiere:...
by Jean Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
(1985), vocal and chamber music including a cycle Poetry (1973) for voice and chamber ensemble to poems by Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
, a Piano Quintet (1981), a Fantasia for cello and piano (1982), Fedra (Phèdre
Phèdre
Phèdre is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677.-Composition and premiere:...
, 1985) - a piano quintet with solo viola, and Five Songs to poems by Luís de Camões
Luís de Camões
Luís Vaz de Camões is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. He wrote a considerable amount of lyrical poetry and drama but is best remembered for his epic work Os Lusíadas...
(1985).
He is known as a music propagandist and organiser of a series of lectures-concerts for young people at the "Moscow House of Composers" that were popular in 1970s. He is also an artist, having a series of exhibitions of his paintings, and he has written of a few books of memoires, two of which first were published in Moscow in 1987 and 1991.
Selected works
Stage- The Diary of Anne Frank (Дневник Анны Франк), Monologue-Opera in 2 acts for soprano and chamber orchestra, Op. 60 (1969); version II (1999) for soprano and chamber ensemble; libretto by the composer
- Van Gogh's Letters (Письма Ван-Гога), Monologue-Opera in 2 acts for baritone and chamber ensemble, Op. 69 (1975); libretto by the composer based on letters from Vincent van GoghVincent van GoghVincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
to his brother TheoTheo van Gogh (art dealer)Theodorus "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch art dealer. He was the younger brother of Vincent van Gogh, and Theo's unfailing financial and emotional support allowed his brother to devote himself entirely to painting...
Orchestral
- Overture No. 1 (1936)
- Symphony No. 1 (1939)
- Piece (Пьеса) (1939)
- Northern Lights (Северное сияние), Suite (1946)
- 3 Marches (Три марша) (1947)
- Nature's Calendar (Календарь природы) after Mikhail PrishvinMikhail PrishvinMikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin was a Russian/Soviet writer.Mikhail Prishvin was born in the family mansion of Krutschevo, near the city of Yelets in what is now Lipetsk Oblast into the family of a merchant. In 1893-1897, he studied at a polytechnic school in Riga and was once arrested for his...
(1947); also a version for violin and piano - Overture No. 2 (1950)
- All Year Round (Круглый год) after Samuil MarshakSamuil MarshakSamuil Yakovlevich Marshak was a Russian and Soviet writer, translator and children's poet. Among his Russian translations are William Shakespeare's sonnets, poems by William Blake and Robert Burns, and Rudyard Kipling's stories. Maxim Gorky proclaimed Marshak to be "the founder of [Russia's ]...
(1951); also for piano - Sinfonietta (Симфониетта) (1951)
- Merry Suite (Веселая сюита) (1954)
- Symphony No. 2 "Lyric" (Лирическая) (1955)
- Rhapsody on Slovak and Moravian Themes (Рапсодия на словацкие и моравские темы) (1956)
- Festive Overture (Праздничная увертюра) (1957)
- On the Shores of Cheptsa (На берегах Чепцы), Poem in Memory of Vladimir KorolenkoVladimir KorolenkoVladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko was a Ukrainian-Russian short story writer, journalist, human rights activist and humanitarian. His short stories were known for their harsh description of nature based on his experience of exile in Siberia...
(1959) - Заре навстречу (1960)
- Overture No. 3 (1961)
- 2 Inventions (Две инвенции) for string orchestra, Op. 46a (1962); original for piano
- Symphony No. 3 for string orchestra and timpani, Op. 50 (1964)
- Overture, Op. 56 (1967)
Concertante
- Fantasia Concertante (Концертная фантазия) for violin and orchestra (1955)
- Concerto for viola and chamber orchestra, Op. 52 (1967)
- Concerto for trombone and orchestra (1968)
- Concerto for viola, piano and string orchestra, Op. 73 (1981)
- Romance (Романс) for cello, piano and chamber ensemble (1981); also for solo cello, 4 cellos and piano; music from the film Lenin in ParisLenin in ParisLenin in Paris is a Soviet film directed by Sergei Yutkevich in 1981 on Mosfilm.-Synopsis:Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin spent four years in Paris , and this historical docudrama explores those years with a certain amount of humor...
Chamber music
- Prelude and Fugue (Прелюдия и фуга) for string quartet (1940)
- String Quartet No. 1 (1936)
- Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (1946)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1947)
- Nature's Calendar (Календарь природы), Cycle of 10 pieces after Mikhail PrishvinMikhail PrishvinMikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin was a Russian/Soviet writer.Mikhail Prishvin was born in the family mansion of Krutschevo, near the city of Yelets in what is now Lipetsk Oblast into the family of a merchant. In 1893-1897, he studied at a polytechnic school in Riga and was once arrested for his...
for violin and piano (1947, 1948) (1947); original for orchestra - Sonatina for oboe and piano (1949)
- String Quartet No. 3 (1949)
- Sonata No. 1 for cello and piano (1951)
- Aria (Ария) for cello and piano (1952)
- Sonatina for flute and piano (1952)
- Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano (1957)
- String Quartet No. 4 (1958)
- Aria and Intermezzo (Ария и интермеццо) for cello and piano (1962)
- Concert Fantasy on Themes of Three Folk Songs of Western Ukraine (Концертная фантазия на темы трех песен народов Западной Украины) for trumpet and piano (1963)
- 8 Pieces (Восемь пьес) for cello and piano (1963)
- Romance (Романс) for flute and piano (1963)
- Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (1964)
- Sonata No. 1 for clarinet and piano (1966)
- Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano (1968)
- Divertimento (Дивертисмент) for violin and piano (1969)
- Sonata for oboe and piano (1971)
- Sonata No. 2 for clarinet and piano (1971)
- Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 62 No. 1 (1971)
- 6 Pieces (Шесть пьес) for string quartet, Op. 64 (1972)
- Sonata for 3 clarinets (1974)
- String Quartet No. 5 (1977)
- Piano Quintet, Op. 72 (1981)
- Romance (Романс) for solo cello, 4 cellos and piano (1981); also for cello, piano and chamber ensemble; music from the film Lenin in ParisLenin in ParisLenin in Paris is a Soviet film directed by Sergei Yutkevich in 1981 on Mosfilm.-Synopsis:Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin spent four years in Paris , and this historical docudrama explores those years with a certain amount of humor...
- Fantasia (Фантазия) for cello and piano (1982)
- Sonata No. 3 for clarinet and piano (1982)
- Phèdre (Федра; Phaedra) for viola solo, 2 violins, cello and piano, Op. 78 (1985)
- Sonata No. 2 for viola and piano (1985); second version of Phèdre
Piano
- Toccata (Токката) (1935)
- Variations (Вариации) (1937)
- All Year Round (Круглый год), 12 Pieces after Samuil MarshakSamuil MarshakSamuil Yakovlevich Marshak was a Russian and Soviet writer, translator and children's poet. Among his Russian translations are William Shakespeare's sonnets, poems by William Blake and Robert Burns, and Rudyard Kipling's stories. Maxim Gorky proclaimed Marshak to be "the founder of [Russia's ]...
(1951); also for orchestra - Children's Album (Детский альбом) (1961)
- Inventions (Инвенции), Op. 46 (1962); also for orchestra
- Hungarian Album (Венгерский альбом), 14 Pieces (1966)
- Sonatina (1971)
- Sonata No. 1 (1973)
- Sonata No. 2 (1974)
- Sonata for 2 pianos (1985)
- A Day in the Country
- Youthful Adventures
- Russian Tales
Vocal
- 6 Songs for voice and piano (1949); words by Alexander Pushkin
- 7 Songs on Words of Armenian Poets (Семь романсов на cлова армянских поэтов) (1949)
- 5 Sonnets by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
(Пять сонетов У. Шекспира) for voice and piano (1959) - 4 Songs for voice and piano (1961); words by Samuil MarshakSamuil MarshakSamuil Yakovlevich Marshak was a Russian and Soviet writer, translator and children's poet. Among his Russian translations are William Shakespeare's sonnets, poems by William Blake and Robert Burns, and Rudyard Kipling's stories. Maxim Gorky proclaimed Marshak to be "the founder of [Russia's ]...
- Prison Diary (Тюремный дневник), Song Cycle for voice and piano (1962); words by Ho Chi MinhHo Chi MinhHồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
- Before the Storm (Перед бурей), Song Cycle for voice and piano (1958)
- Poetry (Поэзия), Cycle for 2 voices, clarinet, cello, piano and percussion (1973); words by Federico García LorcaFederico García LorcaFederico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
- 5 Songs for voice and piano (1985); words from Winter (Зима) by Luís de CamõesLuís de CamõesLuís Vaz de Camões is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. He wrote a considerable amount of lyrical poetry and drama but is best remembered for his epic work Os Lusíadas...
Choral
- Rainbow (Радуга), Cycle for chorus and chamber orchestra (1963); words by Samuil Zalmanovich Galkin
Film scores
- Smoke in the Forest (Дым в лесу) (1955); directed by Yevgeny Karelov and Yuri Chylyukin
- Circus Festival, documentary film (1958)
- Timur and His Command, also Timur and His Team (Тимур и его команда) (1976); directed by Alexander Blank and Sergei Linkov
- Marshal revolyutsii (Маршал революции) (1978); directed by Sergei Linkov
- Krik gagary (Крик гагары) (1980); directed by Sergei Linkov
- Lenin in ParisLenin in ParisLenin in Paris is a Soviet film directed by Sergei Yutkevich in 1981 on Mosfilm.-Synopsis:Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin spent four years in Paris , and this historical docudrama explores those years with a certain amount of humor...
(1981); directed by Sergei YutkevichSergei YutkevichSergei Iosifovich Yutkevich was an award-winning Soviet film director and screenwriter.-Life and career:He began work as a teen doing puppet shows. Later he helped found the Factory of the Eccentric Actor , which was primarily concerned with circus and music hall acts. He entered films in the... - Bereg yevo zhizni (Берег его жизни) (1984); directed by Yury SolominYury SolominYury Mefodievich Solomin is a Soviet/Russian actor who has directed the Maly Theatre in Moscow since 1988.Solomin studied at the Malyi theatre school and joined its troupe in 1957...
- The Best Years (Лучшие годы) (1984); directed by Sergei Linkov
Discography
- The Diary of Anne Frank (Das Tagebuch Der Anne Frank), Monologue-Opera; World Premiere Recording; Sandra Schwarzhaupt (soprano); Hans Erik Deckert (director); Emsland Ensemble; Profil PH04044
See also
- Encompass Opera Theatre's production of The Diary of Anne Frank in New York and Cleveland
- Berliner Kammeroper: Briefe des Van Gogh, 2005
External links
- Grigory Frid pages at Sikorski: biography, worklist, performance schedule
- Fragments of Frid's memoirs
- Interview
- Interview by Opera Theatre Company with Grigory Frid, September 2010 in Russian with English subtitles