DESYATNIKOV Leonid

Leonid Arkadievich DESYATNIKOV a world famous composer, Honored Master of Arts of the Russian Federation (2005), a member of the Union of Cinematographers, was born on October 16, 1955 in Kharkov (Ukraine). After graduating from Special school for gifted children by the Kharkov Institute of Art he entered the Composer's faculty of the Leningrad State Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1973. He is a student of Professor Boris Arapov (composition) and Professor Boris Tishchenko (instrumentation) — both internationally acclaimed famous Soviet composers.

As an exam paper for the 4th year session, he wrote his first opera “Poor Lisa” for his own libretto on Karamzin. In 1980, the opera (of course, in a later revision) was staged by Y. Borisov at the Moscow Boris Pokrovsky Chamber Music Theatre. In 1978 Desyatnikov graduated from the Conservatory and in 1979 was admitted to the Union of Composers.

In 1990 Desyatnikov met the film director Alexander Zeldovich and wrote music for his movie "Sunset" by Isaac Babel. The soundtrack came out very successful and integral: the composer managed to cross local Jewish tunes with the tragic power of David's psalms. Then there were other films — “Lost in Siberia” (1991), “Evenings near Moscow” (1994), “Sickle and Hammer” (1994), “Giselle Mania” (1995), “The one who is more tender” (1996), “Moscow” (2000), “His wife's diary” (2000, received the award “Nika” as “Best Feature Film of the Year”), “Oligarch” (2002), “Cosmos as a premonition” (2005) and others.

In 90th he worked in close cooperation with Gidon Kremer as a composer (“Wie der Alte Leiermann...”; chamber version of “Sketches for Sunset”) and arranger of works by Astor Piazzola, among them the tango-opera “Maria de Buenos Aires” nominated for “GRAMMY” award.

Desyatnikov is one of the most performed contemporary Russian composers. His music is often performed at major music festivals: Lockenhaus (Austria, 1996, 1998), Gstaad (Switzerland, 1997), Svyatoslav Richter's December Evenings (1997). The symphonic work Sketches for the Sunset was performed by major German orchestras: Deutsches Simphonie Orchester Berlin and the Gewandhaus Symphonic Orchestra (Leipzig). His friendship and decade long cooperation with Alexey Ratmansky, one of the best choreographers of the epoch, led to performances of his ballet named Opera (commissioned by La Scala Theatre) in La Scala and also in New York by ABT. Other ballets to his music, Russian Seasons, Odessa (to the music of the Sketches for Sunset) and Bukovina’s songs (to the music of 24 Preludes for piano written on the music material of Ukrainian songs) are being successfully performed in USA.

Leonid Desyatnikov's always tended towards theatre. That includes incidental music to N. Gogol’s plays interest towards theatrical genres (operas, among which are the operas “No one wants to sing or bravo-bravissimo, pioneer Anissimov”, “Vitamin of Growth”, staged at the Children's Musical Theatre “Zazerkalye”, “Rosenthal's Children” — at the Bolshoi Theatre), also his cooperation led to his one-season duty as an artistic director of the Bolshoi Theatre. However, this high official position did not go well with creative nature of the composer and soon he is back to his composer’s study – his very own control room from where he weighs and measures the modern world in order to reflect it in his music.

Find the following works by Leonid Desyatnikov in our catalogue:

Hommage à Astor Piazzolla Two transcriptions for violin, double bass, piano and bandoneon	The Secret Land Vocal works	Poor Liza Champer опера	Bouquet For mixed choir a cappella	Du cote de chez Swan For two pianos
Variations on Obtaining of a Dwelling For cello and piano	The Gift Cantata for tenor, male choir and instrumental ensemble	Wie Der Alte Leiermann... For Violine und Klavier	Wie der Alte Liermann For violin and string orchestra	Wie der alte Leiermann… For viola and piano
Dichterliebe und Leben Vocal cycle for tenor and piano	Nachklänge aus dem Theater Pieces for piano	Songs by the Soviet Composers and Other Fragments from the Music to the film “Moscow”	Tracing Astor For violin, viola, violoncello and piano	The Leaden Echo For voice(s) and instruments
Death of Absalom and Tango From the music to the film “Sunset” For violin and piano	Morning Meditation About the God's Majesty For choir a cappella	Fragments of Target Film music Transcription for chamber orchestra	Sketches to Sunset Quintet for flute, clarinet, violin, double bass and piano	Vitamin of Growing Classical opera for children Piano score
	Songs of Bukovina 24 Preludes for Piano	Nachklänge aus dem Theater Suite Transc. for accordion, clarinet, violoncello and piano