# RIP Conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky has died at the age of 87 years



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

https://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=3028704
"The musician died after a long illness, Interfax reported, citing a medical source.

Gennady Rozhdestvensky was born on May 4, 1931 in Moscow in the family of conductor Nikolai Anosov and singer Natalia Rozhdestvenskaya. He studied at the Gnessin Music School with pianist Elena Gnessina, graduated from the Central Music School in the piano class. At the Moscow Conservatory he also studied piano playing with Lev Oborin and in the class of opera and symphony conducting under the guidance of his father, Professor Anosov.

As a conductor, Rozhdestvensky made his debut while still studying at the Conservatory, in 1951. Under his management, the Bolshoi Theater performed the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Rozhdestvensky (Google translated his name as 'Christmas') is known as a popularizer of the works of contemporary classics, practically not performed in the Soviet Union: Poulenc, Orf and Hindemith. The first in the USSR performances of some works by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Britten were held under his direction.

The musician made a significant contribution to the promotion of Alfred Schnittke's music - for a long time the conductor remained the only performer of his works. The premiere of Schnittke's First Symphony was also held under the management of Rozhdestvensky in 1974.

The conductor was the author of several musical works. The most famous of them is the oratorio "The reserved word to the Russian people" with the words of Alexei Remizov.

For over 50 years, Rozhdestvensky directed national and foreign music groups, in the 2000-2001 season he was the artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater. Since 2012, the conductor has headed the Chamber Music Theater named after Boris Pokrovsky."


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

RIP maestro. We have several CD's of his versions of Russian symphonies by the likes of Glazunov and Shostakovich. I'll give one of these a spin tonight.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

RIP. One of the greatest Russian conductors, along with Koussevitzky, Kondrashin and Svetlanov.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

chill782002 said:


> RIP. One of the greatest Russian conductors, along with Koussevitzky, Kondrashin and Svetlanov.


Saw him at London Proms when I was a lad. Conducted Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. RIP


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

One of the greats - there were many in his generation (perhaps helped by having such a culturally diverse world back then). I have many of his records and I look at his sets of Sibelius and Prokofiev symphonies, for example, as containing many priceless performances.


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

RIP. I'm giving a spin to one of his Janacek discs.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

RIP. 
No doubt we´ll hear more about in local press in many places, Rozhdestvensky being so active as a conductor throughout the world, also here in Denmark. He was indeed one of the great musical figures since WW II.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I was introduced to Glazunov through his recordings. Also, I never cared for Tchaikovsky until I heard his recording of the 6th symphony. I have to admit, his name was a bear to spell correctly in Amazon searches.


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

Schnittke's greatest champion and collaborator, something Schnittke himself said.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Sorry to hear this. He was one of my favorites.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

One of the last from that generation and one of the best. His Sleeping Beauty released by the Beeb is still the best of all. He had an innate, natural, unforced understanding of the Russian Romantics. Sadly, when the recording industry imploded we heard little from him. Yes, today I shall put on his Glazunov cycle.


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## bankstatement (Jun 14, 2018)

RIP. I was just listening to parts of his remarkable recording of Schnittke's Symphony No. 1 yesterday. An incredible and accomplished conductor.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Rohzdestvensky was a conductor of vast accomplishment who touched many hearts. Sends me back to the above recording of Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2:III with the LPO.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> One of the greats - there were many in his generation (perhaps helped by having such a culturally diverse world back then). I have many of his records and I look at his sets of Sibelius and Prokofiev symphonies, for example, as containing many priceless performances.


Agreed. His Sibelius cycle with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra is great and one in the eye for those who say that composer is boring.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I've cross-posted this sad news to the Conductors forum. And today I'll listen to the 6th Symphony from his excellent Prokofiev cycle.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Here is his 1980s Bruckner cycle with a lovely 8th. I liked him.
https://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Symphony-Capella-Gennady-Rozhdestvensky/dp/B002POTTVU.


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## BiscuityBoyle (Feb 5, 2018)

One of the (if not the) last titan(s) of Soviet music, and among the last remaining links to the world of Prokofiev and Shostakovitch, Gilels and Richter, Oistrakh and Rostropovitch...

Two of his recordings that I can't imagine bested are Prokofiev's incredibly powerful third symphony






And the supporting role in this Stravinsky concerto, so spiky and angular and precise


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Very very sad loss indeed.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Very sad - he was one of the best of the present day...had an outstanding career....


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

PeterFromLA said:


> Schnittke's greatest champion and collaborator, something Schnittke himself said.


Until Symphony #9 that was...


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## SONDEK (Sep 29, 2017)

One of the GREATS is gone.
RIP Mr. Rohzdestvensky - and thank you for all the joy and the beauty.
I wonder if Mr. Rohzdestvensky ever knew how popular he is outside of his homeland?
My favourite...


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Portamento said:


> Until Symphony #9 that was...


Wasn't that his last, and unfinished at that?


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## Guest (Jul 9, 2018)

He was a great one.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

BiscuityBoyle said:


> One of the (if not the) last titan(s) of Soviet music, and among the last remaining links to the world of Prokofiev and Shostakovitch, Gilels and Richter, Oistrakh and Rostropovitch...
> 
> Two of his recordings that I can't imagine bested are Prokofiev's incredibly powerful third symphony


His Prokofieff Symphony set is top-notch, and his Prokofieff #3 esp effective - my long time favorite, unrivalled, until I heard the Kondrashin/ CSO live version from '86, which equals, and perhaps surpasses it - wouldn't want to be without either...


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