Nabokov, Nicolas [Nikolay]

Nikodemowicz, Andrzej

(bLwów [now L'viv], 2 Jan 1925). Polish composer and pianist. Born and educated in Ukraine, he first studied the piano with Nadia Bilenka-Lavrowsky and then Roman Sawycky. In 1944 he entered the L'viv Conservatory, graduating in 1950 from the composition class of Adam Soltys and in 1954 from the piano class of Tadeusz Majerski. He initially supported himself as a church organist (1939–40 and 1947–50), but in 1951 he joined the faculty of the L'viv Conservatory firstly as lecturer (1951–67) before being appointed assistant professor (1967–73) to teach composition, theory and the piano. During this period he was active as a pianist and as resident composer and pianist of the Polish Theatre in L'viv. In 1973 he was dismissed from the conservatory for his firm religious beliefs; he then made his living from private teaching. In 1980 he emigrated with his family from L'viv to Lublin, Poland, where he became professor at the Lublin Catholic University and the University of Maria Curie-Sklodowska. In 1989 he was appointed chairman of the Lublin branch of the Polish Composers' Union. In 1981 he received the Brother Albert Prize for his creative work in composition. His works have been performed not only in Poland and Ukraine but also in England, Germany, Greece, Mexico and the Vatican. He is an extremely prolific composer and although he has written in most genres, he has concentrated on chamber and sacred vocal compositions. His music is imbued with a highly stylized sonoristic theatricality, very typical of the Polish and Ukrainian school of the late 1960s, but this is often pierced with an acute sense of spiritual wonder, laconism and even asceticism of expression. The Glass Mountain (1969) is structured around the interaction of music, words, elements of pantomime and puppet theatre. The work is a setting of poems by Bronislawa Ostrowska which concern human conceit, humility, love, punishment and forgiveness, themes of continual interest to Nikodemowicz.

WORKS

Stage: The Glass Mountain (fable-pantomime, B. Ostrowska), nar, inst ens, 1969

Orch: Expressions, 20 miniatures, pf, orch, 1960; Chbr Conc., 1968; Conc., vn, orch, 1973, 2nd version pf, orch, 1994; Sym., 1974–5; Canzona, fl, ww, 1992; 7 Meditations, fl, str, 1997

Vocal-orch: De nativitate (anon. 17th-century), S, chorus, orch, 1958; Planctus Christi morientis (Philippus de Grevia), Bar, chorus, orch, 1960; Musica concertante, S, orch, 1963; Rhythmus de virgine (Petrus Damiani), S, pf, hp, perc, str, 1967; 2 rubaiyatas (O. Khayyam), Bar, orch, 1976; Magnificat (Pol. trans. F. Karpinski), 4-part female chorus, 1977–8, rev. 3- or 4-part female chorus, orch, 1987; Hear My Cry, O God (Bible: Psalms), A, chbr orch, 1981; Sequentia paschalis (anon. 11th-century, trans. J. Gamska-Lempicka), chorus, orch, 1984; Laudate Dominum (Bible: Psalms, Pol. trans. M. Skwarnicki), S, Mez, Bar, chorus, orch, 1985–7; Loreto Litany III, S, male chorus, orch, 1989; Loreto Litany IV, chorus, str, 1990; Loreto Litany II, S, ww, 1992; In matutinum (Hilarius), S, Bar, chorus, orch, 1993; Via crucis (Skwarnicki), solo vv, chorus, chbr orch, 1997; 4 Polish Folksongs, S, orch, 1998

Other vocal: 3 Fairytales about the Night and the Moon (J. Porazinska), S, pf, 1966; Lamentation, S, 2 cl, bn, vc, 1971, 2nd version S, fl/pic, vc, 2 pf, 1978, 3rd version S, org; Il Canto Solingo, S, tape, 1979; Loreto Litany II, S, 1983–4, 2nd version S, org, 1985; Lullaby (trad. text), S, pf, 1988; 4 Polish Folksongs, Mez, pf, 1988; Lumps of Incense II, 6 miniatures, S, A, 1989; Triptych (Bible: Psalms xvi, xviii, lxxxviii, Pol. trans. J. Kochanowski), S, org, 1990; Lumps of Incense III, S, A, Bar, ens, 2nd version T, ens, 1991; 4 Songs (G. Herbert), S, tpt, org, 1992; numerous choruses

Chbr and solo inst: 3 Poems, vn, pf, 1955–6; 6 Small Etudes, pf, 1958; Sonata no.3, pf, 1958; Variations, C, pf, 1958; Expressions, 6 cycles of 11 miniatures, pf, 1959–60; 3 Etudes, pf, 1963–4; 3 Cradle Songs, ob, pf, 1964; 5 Dialogues, fl, bn, 1964; 3 Nocturnes, tpt, pf, 1964; Impression, pf, 1965; Improvisation, 2 vn, pf, 1966; Sonorita, pf, 1966; Sonorita, vn, 1966; Musica concertante per tre, fl, va, pf, 1966–7; Composizione sonoristica, pf trio, 1971; Sonorita, vc, 1971; Sonorita in 3 Stanzas, pf, 1972; Suite, ens, 1973; Capriccio, vn, 1976; Etude-Toccata, pf, 1984; 4 Meditations, pf, 1986; 5 Lullabies, vn, pf, 1991; Variations on Ave maris stella, org, 1991–2; Concertino on Themes from Clementi's Sonatina in C Major, pf/2 xyl, 8 ww, 1967, 1993; 2 Toccatas, org, 1993; Polish Suite, org, 1995; Variations on Christ has Awaken, org, 1996; Variations on Glory, O God, org, 1996

WRITINGS

‘Zapomniany kompozytor Lwowski’ [A L'viv Composer Remembered: Tadeusz Majerski], Ruch Muzyczny, xxxiii/12 (1989)

‘Muzyka Soltysow w Krakowie’ [Music of Soltys in Kraków], Ruch Muzyczny, xxxiv/13 (1990)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

T. Kaczynski: ‘Lwowianin w Lublinie’ [A L'vivian in Lublin], Ruch Muzyczny, xxxviii/13 (1994)

S. Pavlyshyn: ‘Kompozytor–eksperymentator’ [Composer–Experimenter], Muzyka (1996), no.3

VIRKO BALEY

Nikolai, David Traugott.

See Nicolai, David Traugott.

Nikolaus von Krakau.

See Mikołaj z Krakowa.

Nikolayev, Aleksey Aleksandrovich

(b Moscow, 24 April 1931). Russian composer and writer on music. He graduated from the history faculty of Moscow University (1953) and then from the Moscow Conservatory, where he did postgraduate work under Shebalin and was appointed to teach composition in 1959. Secretary of the governing body of the RSFSR Composers' Union, he holds the title Honoured Art Worker of the RSFSR. His music is distinguished by vivid character, emotional candour and warmth; his themes are remarkable for their simplicity and lyrical charm. The fresh and individual harmony is intimately linked with the Russian tradition, though the expressive quality of Nikolayev's work is distinctly contemporary.

WORKS

(selective list)

Stage: Zolotoy klyuchik [The Golden Key] (ballet, Nikolayev, after A. Tolstoy), 1952; Gore – ne beda [Grief – not Misfortune] (op, Nikolayev, after S. Ya. Marshak), 1956–61, Moscow Conservatory, 1962; Lastochka [The Swallow] (operetta, P. Gayni), 1960–61; Lunoglazka [Mooneye] (ballet, R. Borisova), 1960–61; Tsenoyu zhizni [At the Cost of Life] (op, S. Tsenin, after A. Salïnsky), 1962–4, Moscow, 1965; Togda v Sevil'ye [That Time in Seville] (operetta, G. Granovsk, after S. Alyoshin), 1972–3, collab. A. Kremer; Razgrom [Devastation] (op, M. Zakharov, after A. Fadeyev), 1975; Pir vo vremya chumï/Graf Nulin [A Feast in the Time of Plague/Count Nulin] (op, 2), 1980–82; Mïslitel' [The Thinker] (op, Nikolayev, after A.P. Chekhov), 1984; Posledniye dni [The Last Days] (op, A. Kuznetsov, Nikolayev, after M. Bulgakov), 1986; Peshchenoye deystvo [The Fiery Furnace] (musical drama, Nikolayev, after Bible: Daniel, S. Polotsky, Russ. chronicles), 1992

Choral: Mastera [Masters] (orat, A. Voznesensky), 1968; Gibel' kazach'yego voiska [The Destruction of the Cossack Army] (orat, P. Vasil'yev), 1973; Rodnoy ochag [The Native Hearth] (orat, T. Tabidze), 1983; Dom u dorogi [The House by the Road] (orat, A. Tvardovsky), 1975–85; Pesenka o vremeni [A Little Song about Time] (orat, N. Zabolotsky), 1986; Venok Alyab'yevu [A Wreath for Alab'yev] (orat, Russ. poets), 1992

Orch: Liricheskaya syuita na mordovskiye temï [Lyrical Suite on Mordvinian Themes], 1957; Prazdnichnaya syuita [Festive Suite], 1958; Sud'ba cheloveka [The Fate of a Man], sym. poem, after M. Sholokhov, 1959; 5 syms., 1960, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1971; Conc., pf, chbr orch, 1986; Fl Conc., 1992; Pf Conc., 1993; Triple Conc., vn, vc, pf, orch, 1993; Vn Conc, 1995; Ob Conc., 1996

Chbr inst: Pf Sonata, 1959; Sonata, vn, pf, 1959, arr. vc, pf, 1979; Pf Trio, 1979; Str Qt no.1, 1980; Str Qt no.2, 1985–91; Qt, fl, vn, vc, pf, 1995; Qt, vn, va, vc, pf, 1995; Trio, fl, vc, pf, 1995; Str Qt no.3, 1997

Vocal: song cycles after Ye. Baratïnsky, F. García-Lorca, A. Gidas, M. Karem, M. Lermontov, N. Tryapkin, M. Tsvetayeva, F. Tyutchev, P. Vyazemsky, A. Zhigulin; folksong arrs.

WRITINGS

Opera S. Balasanyana ‘Leyli i Medzhnun’ [S. Balasanian's opera ‘Leyli and Medzhnun’] (Moscow, 1959)

‘Pamyati V. Shebalina’ [In memory of V. Shebalin], Muzïkal'naya zhizn' (1963), no.14, p.20

‘Vozvrashcheniye Semyona Kotko’ [The return of Semyon Kotko], Pravda (12 April 1970)

‘Pyatnadtsataya simfoniya D. Shostakovicha’ [Shostakovich's 15th symphony], Vechernyaya Moskva (1971), no.8, p.3

BIBLIOGRAPHY

T. Fyodorova: ‘Smekh v opere “Gore – ne beda”’ [Laughter in the opera ‘Gore – ne beda’], SovM (1960), no.5, pp.41–5

K. Kondrashin: ‘Simfonii A. Nikolayeva’, SovM (1961), no.3, pp.34–6

D. Blagoy: ‘Stanovleniye talanta’ [The formation of talent], SovM (1962), no.3, pp.48–54

E. Dobrïnina: ‘Rozhdeniye novoy operï’ [The birth of a new opera], SovM (1966), no.2, pp.41–7

M. Rakhmanova: ‘Ob odnoy russkoy simfonii’ [About one Russian symphony], SovM (1970), no.1, pp.20–23

GALINA GRIGOR'YEVA