Life
Dmitri
KabalevskyKabalevsky was born in Saint Petersburg on December 30, 1904. His father was a mathematician and expected Dmitri to study mathematics. Against his father's will, Dmitri studied at the Moscow Conservatory in 1925 under Miaskovsky, and became a professor in 1932. During World War II, he wrote many patriotic songs, having joined the Communist Party in 1940. He also wrote and played many pieces for silent movies. He died in Moscow on February 14, 1987.
He was awarded a number of state honours for his musical works. Besides being a celebrated composer, he was also a writer and pianist. In the 1950s and 1960s, he became a public figure in the Soviet Union.
One of the most interesting properties of his music, is that he never seems to write a note that isn't needed.
His Works
Among his works were:
- Violin Concerto (op. 48, 1948)
- 24 Little Preludes (op. 38, 1924), based on Russian Folksongs by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
- 4 Piano Concertos (op. 9 1928, op. 23 1935, op. 50 1952 Youth and op. 99 1975 Prague)
- Opera Colas Breugnon (1938)
- 2 Cello Concertos (of which op. 49 is the most well-known)