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Jevgeni Mravinski

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Jevgeni Mravinski, in English Yevgeny Mravinsky, was a Soviet Russian conductor, pianist and professor at the Leningrad conservatoire. He was born in 1903 in Saint Petersburg. His aunt was the soprano Yevgeniya Mravina. In 1918 he was already working behind the scenes at the Mariinsky Theatre. He first studied biology, but in 1924 went to the conservatoire. His first appearance as a conductor was in 1929.

Music and breakthrough

In 1938 he won the All-Union conducting competition in Moscow and became chief conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, a post he held until his death in 1988. Under him the orchestra became internationally famous, especially with Russian music. His name is closely linked with Dmitri Shostakovich. He conducted the world premiere of the Fifth Symphony and later also of the Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Twelfth, and of the First Violin Concerto and the First Cello Concerto. He also premiered Prokofiev's Sixth Symphony. For Deutsche Grammophon he recorded Tchaikovsky's symphonies.

Influence

On the podium he was austere, with simple, clear gestures, often without a baton. One critic compared his Tchaikovsky to a wild horse that is only just held in check by the will of its master. In a piece Mravinsky sought the atmosphere the composer had intended. Through his premieres he helped determine how Shostakovich was heard in the twentieth century.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a recording of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony under Mravinsky and notice the tight, tense sound of the strings and the contrast between quiet and loud passages.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists