Liudmila Kovnatskaya

Liudmila Grigorievna Kovnatskaya (born 5 February 1941) is a Russian musicologist. She is a professor at the St Petersburg State Conservatoire named after N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1987), and the Chief Researcher at the Russian Institute оf Fine Arts History in St Petersburg. She is considered an Honoured Art Worker of Russian Federation.

She graduated in 1965 from two departments at the Leningrad State Conservatoire named after N. Rimsky-Korsakov: the department of History of Music and Piano Performing Faculty, and the department of Organ Playing, having studied under Prof Isai Braudo. It was at the Conservatoire that she finished a postgraduate course in the department of History of Western Music, under the supervision of Prof Dr Mikhail Druskin. In 1970 Liudmila Kovnatskaya presented a candidate dissertation on Benjamin Britten’s oeuvre. In 1987 she completed a doctoral dissertation on English music of 20th century, at the Moscow research institute of Arts of Academy of Science, USSR.

Since 1987 Prof Kovnatskaya is a member of Russian Composers’ Union, and she was a member of the General Council for Cultural Affairs of St Petersburg from 1987 until 1993. In 2002 she became a member of the Council (Directorium) of the IMS. In the same year, she became a member of the editorial board of the journal “Tempo” (Cambridge).

In 2001 Prof Kovnatskaya became a materials consultant on Russian music for "The Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians" (London: McMillan, 2001). She was also a guest lecturer at the University of Manchester (1991), the Aldeburgh Festival (UK), and the Ural Conservatoire in Yekaterinburg.

Liudmila Kovnatskaya is the author of a monograph about Benjamin Britten (Moscow, 1974), in the book “English Music in the 20th Century: Sources and periods of development” (Moscow, 1986). Thanks to her research and organization activity in Russia, various festivals and concerts were organized, which were dedicated to English classic music, including Britten. Among them were “Ars Britannica” (1988–1990), the festival in honour of “The 80th anniversary of B. Britten” (1993), “The World of Ralph Vaughan Williams” (1996), the festival of Britten’s music on his 85th anniversary (1998), the jubilee concert in honour of Britten and Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians (2003), the concert “World of Opera: Benjamin Britten”, and others.

Prof Kovnatskaya’s research fields include History of Russian Music; she has written, edited and compiled books and articles on D. Shostakovich. Among her non-published manuscripts one can find a monumental work entitled “Ideological control of Musical avant-garde of 1920s: Leningrad Association of Contemporary Music in reports and other materials” (Soros Foundation Funding).

Shostakovich, Schoenberg, Britten, Purcell, Tippet, Arensky, Balakirev, English music, Russian-English connections, M. S. Druskin, A. Schweitzer and the Soviet musical epoch – all these subjects were established by Prof Kovnatskaya due to her intensive and rigorous nature as a researcher, editor and author of books, proceedings, collections and many-volume editions.

A separate field of her research and publishing activity is the ‘offering to the Teacher’, who was a famous musicologist and Professor of Leningrad Conservatoire Mikhail Druskin. In 2009, thanks to Prof Kovnatskaya, a two-volume collection was published, entitled “Memory to Mikhail Semenovich Druskin”, which united articles, recollections, biographical materials and correspondence. All who knew M. Druskin as a musician, musicologist and teacher took part in the creation of this 1000 page book. Furthermore, in addition to this, Liudmila Kovnatskaya led the task of re-publishing works by Druskin and, as a result, realized an extensive project: a 7-volume Collected Works. At present, the first volume, “Clavir music”, and the fourth volume, “Igor Stravinsky”, are published.

• Research “Ideological control of Musical avant-garde of 1920s (Leningrad Association of Contemporary Music in reports and other materials” – 1997-1999. A Grant-holder of the George Soros Foundation (“The Open Society” Institute) –– manuscript
• English music in the 20th century. Sources and periods of development. Moscow: Sovietsky Kompozitor, 1986. 216 pp.
• Benjamin Britten. Moscow: Sovietsky Kompozitor, 1974. 392 pp.

• Druskin M. S. Collected Works: in 7 vls. Ed. by L. G. Kovnatskaya. Vol. 4: Igor Stravinsky. Eds: L. G. Kovnatskaya, V. P. Varunts, O. B. Manulkina, N. A. Braginskaya, L. O. Ader. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 2009. 584 pp.
• Memory to Mikhail Semenovich Druskin: in 2 vol. Vol. 1: Articles. Memoires. Eds.: L. G. Kovnatskaya, A. K. Koenigsberg, L. V. Miheeva. Materials preparation: L. O. Ader; O. N. Tchumikova. St Petersburg State Conservatoire named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. St Petersburg: Allegro, 2009. 584 pp.: Vol. 2: From correspondence. 428 pp.
• Russian-British musical connections. Eds: L. G. Kovnatskaya, M. P. Mischenko, O. N. Tchumikova. St Petersburg, 2009. 354 pp.
• Druskin M. S. Collected Works: in 7 vls. Ed. by L. G. Kovnatskaya. Vol. 1: Clavier music of Stain, England, Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany in 16th – 18th centuries. Ed.-compl. L. G. Kovnatskaya. Ed. Board: I. V. Rozanov and oth. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 2007. 752 pp.
• Dmitry Shostakovich: Studies and materials. Vol. 2. Eds. O. Digonskaya and L. Kovnatskaya. Moscow: DSCH, 2007.
• D. D. Shostakovich. Letters to I. I. Sollertinsky. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 2006. 372 pp.
• Dmitry Shostakovich: Studies and materials. Vol. 1. Moscow: DSCH, 2005. 208 pp.
• Cantus Planus – 2002. Russian version. Vol. 1. Ed. A. Vovk. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 2004. 372 pp.
• Albert Schweitzer. I. S. Bach / Transl. in Russian by Ya. S. Druskin, Ed. by M. S. Druskin. 2nd ed., enlarged. Moscow: Klassika – XXI, 2002. 816 pp.
• M. Druskin. History of Foreign Music. Second half of 19th century. Vol. 4. 7th ed. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 2002. 630 pp. (editorial member together with V. V. Smirnov, A. K. Koenigsberg and N. I. Degtyareva).
• Arnold Schoenberg. Letters / Transl. in Russian by V. G. Schnitke; ed. by M. S. Druskin. St Petersburg: Kompozitor; Pro Arte, 2000. 920 pp. – Literary award and medal named by A. Belyaev.
• D. D. Shostakovich: Between the moment and Eternity. Documents. Articles. Publications. St Petersburg, 2000. 920 pp. – A book of a year.
• Scientific advisor for Russian music materials for The Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London, McMillan, 2001
• P. A. Arensky. Musical dictionary for exiles. Letters. (From the personal archive of M. L. Rostropovitch). St Petersburg: Severnij olen, 1999. 104 pp.
• D. D. Shostakovich: Collections to the 90th anniversary. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 1996. 400 pp.
• Memory to N. S. Rabinovitch. Essays, memoiresm, documents. Washington (DC), USA, H.Frager & Co., 1996. 247 pp.
• Igor Komarov. Articles and essays. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 1992.
• Genrikh Orlov. A tree of Music. Washington (DC), H. Frager & Co; St.-Petersburg, Sovietsky Kompozitor, 1992 – 410 pp.; 2nd ed. – 2005.
• Traditions of musicology. A collection of research articles. By 125-year celebration of Leningrad Conservatoire). Leningrad: Sovietsky Kompozitor, 1989. 208 pp.
• History and Modernity. Collection of articles to 75th anniversary of M. S. Druskin (ed. by L. Kovnatskaya together with M. D. Sabinina and A. I. Klimovitsky. Leningrad: Sovietsky Kompozitor, 1981. 288 pp.

• Opera under the arch of church (triptych by Benjamin Britten). In: Life of religion in Music. Collection of articles. St Petersburg: Sudarinya, 2006. 199-208.
• LASM – what was it? In: Vremen svyazujuschaya nit. Collection to anniversary of E. S. Barutcheva. St Petersburg, 2004. 139-47.
• Finnish suite by Shostakovich: from the manuscript history. In: Collection of articles of Sibelius Academy. Helsinki, 2004. in English and Finnish.
• Dialogues about Shostakovich: From the History of Russian Studies about Shostakovich. In: A Shostakovich Casebook. Ed. by Malcolm Hamrick Brown. Bloomington and Indianapolice: Indiana University Press, 2004. 238-53.
• An Episode in the Life of a Book: An Interview with Henry Orlov. In: A Shostakovich Casebook. Ed. By Malcolm Hamrick Brown. Bloomington and Indianapolice: Indiana University Press. 2004. 97–126
• I. S. Bach in life of brothers Druskins (in collaboration with M. Mischenko). In: Albert Schweitzer. I. S. Bach. Moscow: Klassika – XXI, 2002. 657-83.
• Bach’s story in Petersburg musical context of 20th century. In: Petersburgskaya konservatorija v mirovom muzykalnom prozesse. 1862–2002. International conference proceeding of the session dedicated to 140-years Anniversary of the Conservatoire (17–19 September 2002). St Petersburg, St Petersburg State Conservatoire, 2002. 107-10.
• Music of Britain. In: Istorija zarubezhnoj muzyki. Vol. 6: The beginning of 20th century – first half of 20th century. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 2001. 581-626.
• Prokofiev and Britten (about historical parallels, influences and reminiscence). In: Otrazhenija muzykalnogo teatra. Book 2. Collection of articles and materials to an anniversary of L. G. Danko. St Petersburg: Kanon, 2001. 50-69.
• Shostakovich and Bogdanov-Berezovsky (1920s). In: D. D. Shostakovich: Between the moment and Eternity. Documents. Articles. Publications. St Petersburg, 2000. 16-59.
• An episode from the book life. An interview with Genrikh Orlov. In: D. D. Shostakovich: Between the moment and Eternity. Documents. Articles. Publications. St Petersburg, 2000. 717-738.
• Shostakovich and Britten: Some Parallels. In: Shostakovich in Context. Oxford University Press, 2000. 175–89
• Last opera by Britten (introduction to a masterpiece). In: Muzykalnij teatr 19-20 vekov: voprosi evolutsii. Rostov-na-Dony: Gefest, 1999. 163-80.
• “The Cherubic Hymn”: about an unknown author’s draft by M. A. Balakirev. In: Balakirevu posvyaschaetsya. Collection of articles to 160-year anniversary of the composer (1836–1996). St Petersburg: Kanon, 1998. 113-39.
• Benjamin Britten – A song cycle "The Poet's Echo" on poems by Pushkin (English ‘echo’ of Russian poet). In: Muzykalnoe prinoshenie to 75-year anniversary of E. A. Ruchevskaya. St Petersburg: Kanon, 1998. 194-220.
• Works by M. S. Druskin. In: Issledovanija. Publizistika. To 20th anniversary of Musical critic department. A collection of articles. St Petersburg: St Petersburg State Conservatoire named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, 1997. 332-7.
• Shostakovich in LASM protocols. In: D. D. Shostakovich. Collection of articles to 90 year anniversary. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 1996. 48-67.
• Shostakovich and Britten: Some parallels. In: D. D. Shostakovich. Collection of articles to 90 year anniversary. St Petersburg: Kompozitor, 1996. 306-32.
• Note on a Theme from "Peter Grimes ". In: On Mahler and Britten. Essays in Honour of Donald Mitchell on His Seventieth Birthday. London: The Boydell Press, 1995. 172–85
• About I. A. Braudo. In: Leningradskaya konservatorija v vospominanijakh. Vol. 2. Leningrad: Muzyka, 1998. 97-101.
• Composers of England. In: Musyka of 20 veka. Moscow: Muzyka, 1987. 269-93.
• Michael Tippet and his opera King Priam. In: Ocherki po istorii zarubezhnoj muzyki 20 veka. Leningrad: Muzyka, 1983. 40-58.
• Folk elements of vocal melodies by Britten. In: Problemy muzykalnoj nauki. Collection of articles. Vol. 1. Moscow: Sovetsky kompozitor, 1972. 298-325.
• Britten and traditions of English folk music genres. In: Iz istorii muzyki 20 veka. Moscow: Muzyka, 1971. 208-225.

• “What they write you from USSR? Me – a little”. A Correspondence of S. Prokofiev and M. Druskin (publication, introduction, comments and conclusion). In: Muzykalnaya akademija. 2000. No. 2. 203-16.
• Shostakovich and the LASM // Tempo. 1998. № 206. pp. 2–6
• He also was ‘a survivor from Warsaw’. In: Muzykalnaya akademija. 1998. No. 3-4. 273-5.
• Sergey Banevitch. “Arias from unwritten operas”. In: Zhurnal lubitelej iskusstv. 1997. No. 8-9. 38-40.
• “Not a cherry tree in sight!” (Gerard McBurney). In: Muzykalnaya akademija. 1997. No. 4. 220-1.
• "Peter Grimes" at the Kirov opera and ballet theater. In: Melos. En Musiktidskrift. 1997. № 19/20. 64–71
• Sprawoznania: Irina Nikolska: Ot Szymanovskogo do Lutoclavskogo i Piendierieckogo. Ocherki razvitiya simfonicheskoy muziki v Polsze XX wieka. Moscow, 1990, Sowietskij Kompozitor. In: Muzyka. Warzsaw. 1997. No. 1. 129–133.
• Philharmonic and LASM. In: Pro Musica. 1996. No. 6. 10.
• Alexander Knaifel. “Chapter Eight”. Canticum Canticorum. In: Muzykalnoe obozrenie. 1995. No. 7-8. 18.
• “To return Stravinsky to motherland, to return him for motherland..” (A shorthand record and materials of discussion of Druskin’s book about Stravinsky). In: Muzykalnaya akademija. 1995. No. 4-5. 195-229.
• Eight chapter. This is sincere and earnestly religious music, sermon, that is called to overcome wandering attention (“Chapter Eight” by Alexander Knaifel. A world premiere). In: Pro Musica. 1995. No. 1. 7.
• A life in letters ("Letters from A Life": to 80 year anniversary of B. Britten). In: Muzykalnaya akademija. 1993. No. 4. 214–21.
• Russian Funeral through Russian ears: aural impressions and some questions. In: International Journal of Musicology. [Frankfurt am Main] 1993. Vol. 2. 321–32.
• (About Boris Filanovsky). In: Muzykalnaya akademija. 1993. No. 1. 44.
• Warning to those who is alive (“War Requiem” by Britten). In: Muzykalnaya zhizn’. 1984. No. 9. 15-6.
• Michael Tippett. (75-year anniversary of a British composer). In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1980. No. 11. 123-29.
• To 250-years of “the Beggar’s opera”. In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1978. No. 5. 105-9.
• Coryphaeus of English music. To 100-year anniversary of Gustav Holst. In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1975. No. 1. 134-5.
• Revival of the masterpiece. “Dido and Aeneas” by Purcell. In: Muzykalnaya zhizn’. 1974. No. 14. 18-9.
• An outstanding master. To 60 year anniversary by B. Britten. In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1973. No. 11. 117-23.
• Roy Harris (USA). In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1973. No. 10. 134-5.
• About new English musical revival. In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1973. No. 7. 118-25.
• Lillian Libman. "And Music at the Close…": Stravinsky's Last Years. In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1973. No. 5. 122–9.
• From the history of English ethnography. In: Sovietskaya muzyka. 1971. No. 7. 137-40.
• English ballad. In: Muzykalnaya zhizn’. 1969. No. 19. 21-2.
• Benjamin Britten. In: Muzykalnaya zhizn’. 1968. No. 10. 15-6.