Ivanovs, Janis

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Ivanovs, Janis

Ivanovs, Janis, Latvian composer and teacher; b. Preili, Oct. 9, 1906; d. Riga, March 27, 1983. He studied composition with Wihtol, piano with Dauge, and conducting with Schneevoigt at the Riga Cons., graduating in 1931. He then worked at the Latvian Radio. In 1944 he was appointed to the composition faculty at the Riga Cons. An exceptionally fecund composer, he wrote 20 syms., several of a programmatic nature descriptive of the Latvian countryside, including No. 1, Symphonie-Poème (1933), No. 2, Atlantida (1941), No. 6, Latgales (Latvian; 1949), No. 12, Sinfonia energica (1967), and No. 13, Symphonia humana (1969). His symphonic poems also reflect nature scenes; e.g., Varaviksne (Rainbow; 1938) and Padebešu Kalns (Mountain under the Sky; 1939). He further wrote 3 string quartets (1933, 1946, 1961), Cello Concerto (1938), Violin Concerto (1951), Piano Concerto (1959), choruses, songs, piano pieces, and film music.

Bibliography

N. Grünfeld, J. I (Moscow, 1959); V. Berzina, Dzives simfonija Jana I. (Riga, 1964).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire