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Rodion Shchedrin

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In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Konstantinovich and the family name is Shchedrin.

Rodion Shchedrin
Родион Щедрин
Shchedrin in 2009
Born(1932-12-16)16 December 1932
Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR
Died29 August 2025(2025-08-29) (aged 92)
Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Occupation(s)Composer, pianist and music pedagogue
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1958; died 2015)​
Awards

Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin (Russian: Родион Константинович Щедрин, IPA: [rədʲɪˈon kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪˈdrʲin]; 16 December 1932 – 29 August 2025) was a Soviet and Russian composer, pianist and music pedagogue. He wrote music of many genres, including operas such as Lolita, ballets including Carmen Suite, orchestral works, chamber music, vocal music such as The Sealed Angel and film scores including Anna Karenina. His works have been performed and commissioned internationally, especially in the United States and Western Europe. Shchedrin was regarded as one of leading composers of the late Soviet era and a leader of Russian new music during the following decades.[1]

Life and career

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Shchedrin was born in Moscow on 16 December 1932, into a musical family — his father was a composer and teacher of music theory,[2] and his grandfather was an Orthodox priest. He was exposed to spiritual independence and critical awareness early.[3] He studied at the Moscow Choral School and Moscow Conservatory, composition with Yuri Shaporin and piano with Yakov Flier, graduating in 1955.[2]

Maya Plisetskaya as Carmen, 1974

Shchedrin's early music is tonal and colourfully orchestrated and often includes snatches of folk music, while some later pieces use aleatoric and serial techniques.[4] He was an excellent pianist and organist, playing the solo part of his First Piano Concerto in 1954 while still a student, conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky.[1] The work uses elements from Russian folklore with both empathy and ironic distance.[3] He decided early to focus on composition.[1] Among his early works is the ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse, premiered in 1955. He was married to ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, who became prima ballerina at the Bolshoi Theatre, from 1958[5] until her death in 2015.[2] His ballets, often composed with her in mind, include Carmen Suite (1967), Anna Karenina (1971, based on Tolstoy's novel), and Lady with a Lapdog (1985, after Chekhov's short story).[3][5] The couple dominated the cultural scene of the Soviet Union, but both were watched by the KGB.[5]

Shchedrin composed his First Symphony in 1958, with "movements in the wrong order" and a tone of "wildness and aggression". The Second Symphony, composed from 1962 to 1965, has a form of 25 preludes that overlap, and a double fugue and canon. In 1963, he created his first Concerto for Orchestra, works in a single movement in which monothematic events are combined with other motifs and variation. The first, subtitled Naughty Limericks (Osorniye chastushki), was successful with audiences and critics. George Balanchine created a choreography to it.[3] Shchedrin composed a set of 24 Preludes and Fugues between 1964 and 1970 after he heard those of Dmitri Shostakovich, inspired by those of J. S. Bach. He wrote the Polyphonic Notebook of 25 Preludes for piano in 1972, both as homages to music.[3]

Shchedrin taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1965 and 1969.[1] In his Second Piano Concerto, Shchedrin's experimented with twelve-tone techniques and included jazz. He toured with the Leningrad Philharmonic in Europe in 1967, presenting it with Yevgeny Mravinsky.[3] In 1968 Leonard Bernstein commissioned a Second Concerto for Orchestra, subtitled Zvony (The Chimes) for the 125th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic. The music uses old Russian bell sounds but is far from nostalgic.[3]

Shchedrin became president of the Union of Russian Composers in 1973, succeeding Shostakovich.[5] Shchedrin's third Concerto for Orchestra is based on music of Russian provincial circuses. It was premiered in 1989 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lorin Maazel.[1] The fourth, Khorovody (Round Dances), was written in 1989, and the fifth, Four Russian Songs, was composed in 1998. He used the "phenomenon of notated aleatorics" in his Third Piano Concerto, in 33 variations with a theme at the end. He premiered it on 5 May 1974, playing his earlier concertos the same night, which caused a sensation.[3] The performance with the USSR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yevgeny Svetlanov was recorded and released on LP and later on CD. Shchedrin wrote his Fourth Piano Concerto in 1991, commissioned by Steinway for the centenary of the company's founding. It is subtitled "sharp keys", and the composer used only sharp keys as his "kind of musical minimalism" but with "timbral effects and thematic variety", as the musicologist Sigrid Neef noted.[3]

Shchedrin was made a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts in 1989. He worked towards the transformation of the Soviet Union as a member of the Inter-regional Deputies Group, an opposition party inspired by Andrei Sakharov. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Shchedrin took advantage of the new opportunities for international travel and musical collaboration, and largely divided his time between Munich and Moscow.[1] He was also a citizen of Lithuania[6] and Spain.[7] He was regarded as one of the leaders of Russian new music during the following decades.[1]

From 11 to 14 June 2008, Shchedrin Days took place in Armenia with the participation of Shchedrin and Maya Plisetskaya as honorary guest.[8] He was invited to the 2009 Rheingau Musik Festival by Walter Fink, as the 19th composer to be featured in the annual Komponistenporträt.[9] He and his wife attended the concerts which included his Russian liturgy The Sealed Angel for choir and flute, performed in Eberbach Abbey. His chamber music included Ancient Melodies of Russian Folk Songs (2007) with the cellist Raphael Wallfisch and himself at the piano, and Meine Zeit, mein Raubtier ("My age, my wild beast") with tenor Kenneth Tarver and pianist Roland Pöntinen who performed it also at the Verbier Festival.[10] The premiere of a German version of his opera Lolita was performed as the opening night of the Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden in a production of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden in 2011.[11]

Shchedrin died in Munich on 29 August 2025, at the age of 92.[1][4][12]

Compositions

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Main article: List of compositions by Rodion Shchedrin

Shchedrin composed works in many genres; stage works including operas such as Not Love Alone (1961), and Dead Souls (1976, after Nikolai Gogol's novel), ballets and incidental music.[1] He composed orchestral works including symphonies, concertos for orchestra and concertos for solo instruments, especially for piano. His works include chamber music and piano works, vocal music for soloists and choirs, arrangements and film scores.[2][13][14]

Stage works

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Operas

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Ballets

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Orchestral works

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Symphonies

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  • Symphony No. 1 (1958) in three parts (1958)[3]
  • Symphony No. 2 "Twenty-Five Preludes" (1962–1965).[1][3]
  • Symphony No. 3. Symphony Concertante "Scenes of Russian Fairy Tales" in five parts (2000).

Concertos for Orchestra

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  • Concerto for Orchestra No. 1 "Naughty Limericks" (1963)[1][3]
  • Concerto for Orchestra No. 2 "The Chimes" (1968)[1][3]
  • Concerto for Orchestra No. 3 "Old Russian Circus Music" (1989)[3]
  • Concerto for Orchestra No. 4 "Round Dances (Khorovody)" (1989)[3]
  • Concerto for Orchestra No. 5 "Four Russian Songs" (1998)[3]

Concertos for solo instrument with orchestra

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  • Piano
    • Piano Concerto No. 1 in four parts in D major (1954).[1][3]
    • Piano Concerto No. 2 in three parts (1966).[1][3]
    • Piano Concerto No. 3 "Variations and Theme" (1973)[3]
    • Piano Concerto No. 4 "Sharp Keys" in two parts (1991)[3]
    • Piano Concerto No. 5 in three parts (1999)[20]
    • Piano Concerto No. 6 "Concerto Lontano" for piano and string orchestra (2003)[17][21]
  • Trumpet Concerto (1994)[17]
  • Cello Concerto "sotto voce" (1994)[17]
  • Concerto "cantabile" for violin and string orchestra (1997).[19]
  • Double Concerto "Romantic Offering" for piano, cello and orchestra (2010).[1][22]

Other orchestral works

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  • Symphonic Diptych (2009)[17]
  • Lithuanian Saga (2009)[17]

Vocal music

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  • Poetoria, concerto for poet accompanied by a woman's voice, mixed chorus and symphony orchestra (1968), to words by Andrei Voznesensky[3]
  • The Sealed Angel, Russian liturgy for mixed chorus a cappella with shepherd's pipe (1988)[1][3][19]

Chamber and instrumental works

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  • Musical Offering for organ, three flutes, three bassoons and three trombones (1983). Written for the 300th Anniversary of J. S. Bach's birth.[3]

Film scores

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Writings

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  • Shchedrin, Rodion Konstantinovich (2012). Autobiographical Memories. Mainz: Schott. ISBN 978-3-254-08419-4.

Discography

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Awards and honors

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  1. Nomination Concerto cantabile (2001)[17]
  2. Nomination for the opera The Enchanted Wanderer (2009)[17]

Memberships

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Honorary academic

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Dixon, Gavin (29 August 2025). "Rodion Shchedrin, Russian composer of 'Carmen Suite' and leading voice of the late Soviet era, dies at 92". gramophone. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Rodion Shchedrin". Schott. 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Neef, Sigrid (2025). "The Music of Rodion Shchedrin". Translated by Babcock, David. Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kandell, Jonathan (29 August 2025). "Rodion Shchedrin, Composer Who Captured Russia's Soul, Dies at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin, known for Anna Karenina ballet, dies aged 92". The Guardian. AP. 29 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Plisetskaya, Shchedrin settle in Lithuania". United Press International. 21 November 1991. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Real decreto 635–639" (PDF) (in Spanish). 4 May 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Rodion Shchedrin and Maya Plisetzkaya to arrive in Yerevan". Armenpress. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  9. ^ Döring, Gerd (26 January 2019). "Mit leichter Hand". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Meine Zeit, mein Raubtier". Schott Music (in German). Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  11. ^ Milch, Volker (1 May 2011). "Mit leichter Hand". Wiesbadener Tagblatt (in German). Archived from the original on 9 August 2011.
  12. ^ "Умер композитор Родион Щедрин". currenttime.tv (in Russian). 29 August 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Sikorski Rodion Shchedrin" (PDF). Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  14. ^ Rijen, Onno van (5 July 2007). "Rodian Shchedrin". wanadoo.nl. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  15. ^ Vieth, Michael (21 December 2017). "The Enchanted Wanderer in München". Bachtrack. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Boyarina Morozova". Мариинский театр - Официальный сайт. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Rodian Shchedrin / Verzeichnis der bei Schott veröffentlichten Werke" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  18. ^ Ashley, Tim (5 November 2014). "The Left-Hander review – finely played and sung, but it's no masterpiece". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e "Russischer Komponist: "Genie und Weltklassiker": Rodion Schtschedrin gestorben". Die Zeit (in German). 29 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Piano Concerto No. 5, Rodion Shchedrin". LA Phil. 21 October 1999. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  21. ^ "Concerto lontano". Schott Music. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  22. ^ Beyer, Michael; Shchedrin, Rodion Konstantinovich; Argerich, Martha; Maisky, Mischa; Järvi, Neeme; Luzerner Sinfonieorchester; ACCENTUS Music (Firm) (2011). Behind the scenes with Rodion Shchedrin, Martha Argerich and Mischa Maisky. Accentus Music. OCLC 956369981.
  23. ^ a b "Meeting with Rodion Shchedrin". President of Russia. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  24. ^ Anna Karenina kinoglaz.fr
  25. ^ "Shchedrin: Anna Karenina (1975 film)". Internet Archive. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  26. ^ a b c Yusifova, Oksana (29 August 2025). "The great composer and husband of Maya Plisetskaya, Rodion Shchedrin, has died". Baku.ws News Site. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  27. ^ "Lukashenko extends condolences over death of composer Rodion Shchedrin". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 29 August 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  28. ^ "Rodion Shchedrin". Schott Music. 16 December 1932. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  29. ^ a b "Shchedrin". Akademie der Künste (in German). Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  30. ^ "Rodion Shchedrin". GRAMMY.com. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  31. ^ a b c d e "Winners of 2018 Russian Federation National Awards". President of Russia. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  32. ^ Shchedrin order 1st class
  33. ^ Markow, Robert (29 August 2025). "Rodion Shchedrin". Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  34. ^ "Mitglieder". Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste (in German). Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  35. ^ "Rodion Shchedrin". Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2025.

Further reading

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  • Shchedrin, Rodion K. (2008). Rodion Shchedrin (in German). Mainz: Schott. ISBN 978-3-7957-0127-7.
  • Chong, Kai-Yang (2011). Rodion Shchedrin. Antwerpen: Artesis Koninklijk Conservatorium. OCLC 917141666.

Obituaries

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