Kancheli, Giya (Alexandrovich)
Kancheli, Giya (Alexandrovich)
Kancheli, Giya (Alexandrovich), notable Georgian composer; b. Tbilisi, Aug. 10, 1935. He received training in piano in childhood at the music school, and later was a student of I. Tuskiya at the Cons. (1959–63) in Tbilisi. In 1971 he became director of music at the Rustaveli Theater in Tbilisi, for which he composed much incidental music. From 1984 to 1989 he held the position of 1st secretary of the Union of Georgian Composers. In 1991 he emigrated to the West, and held a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst grant in Berlin. He served as composer-in-residence of the Royal Flemish Phil, in Antwerp in 1995-96, and as co-composer-in-residence of the Lucerne Festival in 1999. Kancheli has created an electic compositional style that utilizes music from various eras.
Works
dramatic:Music for the Living, opera (1982-84; Tbilisi, April 28, 1984); incidental music to numerous plays; many film scores. orch.:Concerto for Orchestra (1962; Tbilisi, Feb. 2, 1963); Largo and Allegro for Strings, Piano, and Timpani (Tbilisi, May 7, 1963); 7 syms.: No. 1 (1967; Tbilisi, May 12, 1968), No. 2, Chants (Tbilisi, Oct. 31, 1970), No. 3 (Tbilisi, Oct. 11, 1973), No. 4, In Memoria di Michelangelo (1974; Tbilisi, Jan. 13, 1975), No. 5 (1977; Tbilisi, Feb. 27, 1978), No. 6 (Tbilisi, April 7, 1980; rev. version, Leipzig, Oct. 22, 1981), and No. 7, Epilogue (Prague, Dec. 11, 1986; rev. version, Berlin, March 24, 1992); Mourned by the Wind for Viola and Orch. (1989; Berlin, Sept. 9, 1990; also for Cello and Orch., 1996); Abu ne vidèrent for Strings, Alto Flute, Piano, and Bass Guitar (Amsterdam, June 10, 1992; also for Strings, Viola, Piano, and Bass Guitar, 1993; New Haven, March 14, 1995); Noch einen Schritt …(1992; Donaueschingen, Oct. 15, 1993); Wingless (Saarbrücken, May 23, 1993); Lament (Music of mourning in memory of Luigi Nono) for Violin, Woman’s Voice, and Orch. (1994; Hamburg, June 26, 1995); V & V for Violin, Strings, and Tape (1994; Gstaad, Aug. 8, 1995); Trauerfarbenes Land (Bonn, Dec. 9, 1994); Simi for Cello and Orch. (1995; Brussels, Feb. 14, 1996); …à la Duduki (1995; Mannheim, March 18, 1996); Valse Boston for Piano and Strings (Stuttgart, Dec. 20, 1996); Diplipito for Cello, Countertenor, and Chamber Orch. (Lisbon, May 11, 1997); Piece for Oboe and Strings (1998; Amsterdam, Feb. 6, 1999); Piece for Strings (Dresden, Dec. 22, 1998); Rokwa (1999). chamber:Magnum ignotum for Flute/Alto Flute, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, Double Bass, and Tape (Witten, April 23, 1994); Having Wept for Cello (Paris, Sept. 16, 1994); Rag-Gidon-Time for Violin and Piano (Morristown, N.J., Nov. 5, 1995); Instead of a Tango for Violin, Bandoneon, Piano, and Double Bass (Prague, April 1996); Time…and Again for Violin and Piano (London, April 7, 1997); Piano Quartet (1997; Seattle, June 1998). vocal:Light Sorrow for 2 Boy Sopranos, Boy’s Chorus, and Orch. (Leipzig, May 9, 1985); Exile for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (Ferrara, July 7, 1994); Caris Mere for Soprano and Viola (Ferrara, July 7, 1994); And Farewell Goes Out Sighing …for Countertenor, Violin, and Orch. (N.Y., Nov. 18, 1999); Styx for Chorus, Viola, and Orch. (1999). other:Life Without Christmas, cycle of 4 pieces: Morning Prayers for Chamber Orch. and Tape (London, July 8, 1990), Midday Prayers for 19 Players, Boy Soprano, and Clarinet (Salzau, Aug. 8, 1991), Evening Prayers for Chamber Orch. and 8 Alto Voices (1991; Stuttgart, Jan. 31, 1992), and Night Prayers for String Quartet and Tape (Vienna, March 14, 1992; also for Soprano Saxophone, Strings, and Tape, 1994; Stuttgart, Sept. 28, 1995).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire