# Edison Denisov



## joen_cph

*Edison Denisov (1929-1996)*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Denisov

Apparently Denisov didn´t have a thread already, so it´s time for it ....

Overall, his work is more varied and less gloomy or uniform, than one´s first impression of it may be, if sampling some of the well-known pieces. But in the 70s - 80s, IMO, he apparently did repeat himself a bit too much at times.

More to follow later ...


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## joen_cph

"_Birds Singing_" (1969)






was a relatively early compostion using electronics, an instrument called ANS, and I recently found an article about it:


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## joen_cph

The _Sonata for Flute and Piano_ (1960)






superficially speaking (and maybe I´m wrong ...), seem to suggest a more French and pastoral mood than many of the later works.

Denisov wrote a bunch of flute works, maybe inspired by his interest in French culture generally, maybe-maybe also very vaguely Messiaen (_Le Merle Noir_) or Boulez (_Sonatine_). Though of course there were foregoing Soviet/Russian flute sonatas as well. This performance is a little more dramatic and faster than the one I already know, which is on the Vista Vera label.

There is a lengthy article on the piece on the web, but it doesn´t really trace influences, I think, though it talks about poly-stylism:
http://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&rct=j...wP7JQidrmYxBTGJlQ&sig2=TtIeH06SXYaem6PsEQH1Eg


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## joen_cph

_The Sun of the Incas_ (1964), to poems of Gabriela Mistral,






is one of his most important works and has been generally recognized as a very early, quite surprising example of influence from Boulez´s _Le Marteau sans Maitre_ in Soviet/Russian music. Stravinsky liked it, official Soviet taste less so:
https://books.google.dk/books?id=DH...v=onepage&q=denisov sun incas article&f=false

It is a quite light and refreshing piece.


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## schigolch

I love Boris Vian's _L'Écume des jours_ (The Foam of Days), a novel published in 1947, after the Second World War, that tried to capture the mood of the times, using the absurd as a kind of cornerstone.

Denisov, a big fan himself of Vian and French literature, wrote an opera in 1981 based on this material, to his own libretto. It was premiered in 1986, at Paris, and since then it have been offered in Perm (sung in Russian), and Stuttgart (sung in German). It's a beautiful and complex opera, and with Denisov's usual passion to quote from others' music in his works.


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## Orfeo

His Symphony (1987) is excellent. And his piano music, small in output, is quite impressive.


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## joen_cph

A couple of interviews with Denisov:

- with Bruce Duffie http://www.bruceduffie.com/denisov.html

- with Roman Yakub http://www.ex-tempore.org/denisov.html

- Music should create light (In Danish, 1991) http://dvm.nu/periodical/dmt/dmt_1991-1992/dmt_1991-1992_03/musik-skal-give-lys/
(Google translate an option for understanding it. But: "_What I don´t like about Schnittke´s music is that there is no light. There are only greyish colours and an unpleasant view of the world. The musical aesthetics that is close to mine, is that of Glinka, Schubert and Mozart. I like clarity of thought, I don´t like "heavy" music. That is probably why I don´t like music by Richard Strauss. I like music, where you feel the clarity of thought, the clarity of the composition. It is probably no coincidence, that the most important opera for me is "The Magic Flute_"" (etc.).

- a survey of some further interviews: https://books.google.dk/books?id=DH...#v=onepage&q=edison denisov gesprächs&f=false

Shostakovich letters to Denisov (1950-59):
- https://books.google.dk/books?id=DH...q=edison denisov shostakovich letters&f=false


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## Kjetil Heggelund

Ah! Denisov has his own thread  I'm on the lookout for his works featuring guitar, especially his guitarconcerto. Anyone heard it or know if there is a recording? There seems to be few recordings of his music or am I wrong?


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## Kjetil Heggelund

I finally found it!
http://classical-music-online.net/en/production/40097


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## Kjetil Heggelund

Alright for Denisov! I understand you had a "Denisov-moment"! He is my hero


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## Guest

Here is his Guitar Sonata--rather distant sound, but one can still discern it.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

I decided to bump this thread that I knew was there. I found it on page 14 in the composer guestbook. Denisov deserves to be less neglected! It could be that he repeated himself but who doesn't? If I (yet again) say I'll play his guitar sonata on my next solo recital, then I really have to...right? The last mvt. is a monster


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