Mikael Tariverdiev

Mikael Tariverdiev (Russian: Микаэл Таривердиев, Armenian: Միքայել Թարիվերդիև; 15 August 1931 – 24 July 1996) was a prominent Soviet composer of Armenian descent. He headed the Composers' Guild of the Soviet Cinematographers' Union from its inception.

He was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR to Armenian parents, but lived and worked in Russia. His father, Levon Tariverdiev was from Baku but a native of Nagorno-Karabakh. His mother, Satenik, was Georgian Armenian. He studied at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan for two years and then graduated from the Moscow Gnessin Institute in the class of Aram Khachaturian in 1957.

Tariverdiev is an author of over 100 romances and 4 operas, including the comic opera Graf Cagliostro and monoopera "The Waiting". But he is best known for his music in many popular Soviet movies (more than 130 films, included "Seventeen Moments of Spring" and "The Irony of Fate"—see List of film music by Mikael Tariverdiev).

Mikael Tariverdiev was a recipient of many awards, including the USSR State Prize (1977) and the Prize of the American Music Academy (1975). He was awarded a title People's Artist of Russia in 1986. He won three Nika Awards for Best Composer in the 1990s.

The Best Music prize at the largest Russian National Film Festival Kinotaur is named after Tariverdiev. After the Tariverdiev's death a group of admirers of his music organized the Mikael Tariverdiev Charity Fund and Tariverdiev International Organ Competition.

In November 2015, the London publishing company Antique Beat and UK label Earth Recordings released 'Film Music' a three album set of music by Tariverdiev - the first major release of his work in the West. The release was curated by Vera Tariverdieva, the composer's widow, and Stephen Coates of the UK band The Real Tuesday Weld and came about after Coates heard the composer's music in Moscow in 2011.

The following works of Tariverdiev have been recorded:

• Night Pastimes (film music)
• Quo vadis? (Organ Symphony Chernobyl, 1st Organ Concerto Cassandra, Two Chorale Preludes)
• Moods (6 preludes from the cycle 10 chorale preludes imitating to the old masters, 3rd Organ concerto, 10 preludes from the cycle Moods (organ transcription by Alexey Parchine)
• Remembering Venice (film music)
• Seventeen Moments of Spring (film music)
• I Am The Tree (monologues on Posenyan, Voznesensky, Svetlov, Ashkenazy poetry singing by author)
• Instrumentalnye kinokhity (Film Music Hits)
• Composer's interpretation of Jewish songs
• Prescience of love (20th Century Madrigals)
• Graf Cagliostro (opera comique)
• Mikael Tariverdiev's Avant-Guard (vocal cycles on Japan medieval poetry, Bella Akhmadulina, Leonid Martynov, Semen Kirsanov, Mikhail Malishevsky)
• Nostalgy - Japan duo Hide-Hide performing Mikael Tariverdiev's music on classical Japan instruments - semisen and siakuhkati with orchestra.
• VOX HUMANA. Vocal cycles to the verses by L/Martinov, B. Akhmadulina, Medieval Japanese poets “Watercolors”, E. Vinokurov, M. Tzvetaeva, “Waiting” to the poem of R/Rojdestvenski. Performers: Zara Dolukhanova (soprano), Nina Lebedeva (soprano), Maria Lemesheva (soprano), Nina Svetlanova (piano), Mikael Tariverdiev (piano), Orchestra of Boris Pokrovsky Chamber Music Theater (conductor – Vladimir Agronsky).

Symphonic works

• 1956 Concerto for voice with orchestra
• The orchestra: 3,2,3(B.I-bass-cl); 4,3,3,1; kettledrums, triangle, side drum, cymb., bass drum, tam-tam, piano, harp, voice, strings.
• 1982 Concerto No. 1 for violin with orchestra in three parts.
• The first version for full symphonic orchestra:

The orchestra: 2,2,2,(B); 0; 2(C), 2(C),2,0; kettledrums, cymb., triangle, side drum, tam-tam, tambourine, vibraphone, (xylophone), harpsichord, harp, violin-solo, strings/

• The second version - for chamber orchestra:

The orchestra: 1,0,0,0; 0,0,0,0; kettledrums, vibraphone, (xylophone), harpsichord, violin-solo, strings.

• 1992 Concerto No. 2 for violin-solo with orchestra (in one part)
• The orchestra: 1,1,1,0; triangle, strings (10-12; 8-10; 6-8; 4-6; 2).
• 1993 Concerto in Romantic Style (Концерт в романтическом стиле) for viola and string orchestra (in one part), Op. 102
• The orchestra: viola-solo, strings: (8; 6; 6; 6; 2).

The works for organ

• 1985 Concerto No. 1 for organ “Cassandra” in four parts
• 1988 Symphony for reciter “Chernobyl” in two parts: 1. “Zone”, 2. “Qvo vadis”
• 1988 Concerto No. 2 for organ. Polyphonic notebook in four parts.
• 1989 Concerto No. 3 for organ in four parts: 1.“Reflectiong”, 2.“Moving”, 3.”Choral”, 4.”Walking in C-dur”.
• 1995 Ten chorals for organ (“Imitation of Old Masters”). Dedicated to the Spanish Infanta Helen

Chamber-instrumental works

• 1953 Nine little novels for piano
• 1953 “Fleetingnesses” for piano
• 1953 Sonata for French horn and piano
• 1954 Trio No. 1 for piano, violin and cello
• 1955 Trio No. 2 for piano, violin and cello
• 1986 “Moods” – 24 pieces for piano

Chamber-vocal works

• 1955 Three romances to the verses by A. Isaakjan
  • 1. "A Plucked Rose has no Way Home"
  • 2. "Grave"
  • 3. "I Always Remember..."
• 1956 Three sonnets by Shakespeare
  • 1. "Mossy Marble of Stone Graves"
  • 2. "Oh, How Shall I Praise You"
  • 3. "Jaded by Toils"
• 1956 Three songs to the verses by V. Orlov
  • 1. Familiar song
  • 2. Golden Twilight
  • 3. A song over telephone
• 1957 "Water-coloures" – vocal cycle to the verses by the Medieval Japan poets
  • 1. Struck the road
  • 2. The way to the capital
  • 3. Before the execution
  • 4. In the morning mist
  • 5. Dream
• 1958 Vocal cycle to the verses by V. Mayakovsky
  • 1. Could you..?
  • 2. Something about Petersburg
  • 3. Tricks of cloud
  • 4. Listen!
  • 5. Instead of letter
• 1959 Three songs to the verses by S. Davydova
  • 1. A song about pigeons
  • 2. A road song
  • 3. A song about spring
• 1960 "Garden Ring". Verses by S. Grebennikov and H. Dobronravov
• 1960 "Your Eyes Look Like New Cars Headlights". Verses by S. Kirsanov
• 1960 Three romances to the verses by S. Kirsanov
  • 1. Your pictures
  • 2. Round a white clothed table
  • 3. Come!
• 1961 It so happens. Verses by B. Gaikovich
• 1962 Vocal cycle to the verses by L. Martynov
  • 1. Night was falling
  • 2. Water
  • 3. Leaves
• 1963 Two songs to the verses by N. Dobronravov
  • 1. Don't be sad
  • 2. In the evenings
• 1963 Vocal cycle to the verses by Bella Akhmadulina
  • 1. An old romance
  • 2. I thought you were a doctor for me
  • 3. Fifteen boys
• 1964 Vocal cycle to the verses by E. Vinokurova
  • 1. I was seizing sentiments
  • 2. Windows
  • 3. Your face is fading from my memory
• 1964 "Skirls" – vocal cycle to the verses by M. Malishevsky
  • 1. Sparrow – experimenter
  • 2. Monkey and mirror
  • 3. Self-respect
  • 4. Critics and bubbles
  • 5. Conversation
  • 6. In a Rook like way
  • 7. Nightingale and art counsel
• 1965 "Music". Verses by V. Orlov
• 1966 "You are going away like a train". Verses by E. Evtushenko
• 1967 Seven song-recitatives to the verses by G. Pozhenjan
  • 1. I am such a tree
  • 2. Dolphins
  • 3. It's birds manner to fly away
  • 4. Pine-trees
  • 5. I would like...
  • 6. I took a decision
  • 7. Soon you will be grown up
• 1967 "Farewell to Arms" - vocal cycle to the verses by Hemingway
  • 1. Footfall
  • 2. Way?
  • 3. Along wet earth
  • 4. Killed
  • 5. Did it ever happen to you?
  • 6. How night differs from day?
  • 7. Praise to Christmas
  • 8. We are spending what is not destined for it
  • 9. Love and compassion
  • 10. I rushed to you
  • 11. We carry love within us
  • 12. Ever alive
• 1968 "Little Prince"/ Verses by N. Dobronravov
• 1969 Six vocal novels to the verses by L. Ashkenazi
  • 1. Radio
  • 2. Women
  • 3. Cigarettes
  • 4. I told her exactly this
  • 5. A coul of steam
  • 6. A song about new generation
• 1970 Songs to the verses by A. Voznesensky
  • 1. I want silence
  • 2. Grove
  • 3. Shall I stare at the train?
  • 4. Memory ("They Killed Poem")
  • 5. I am heading from the carriage platform
• 1971 Two romances to the verses by M. Tsvetaeva
  • 1. My darling, what Have I done to you?
  • 2. Attempt of jealousy
• 1971 "I am Writing to You". Verses by M. Lermontov
• 1972 Two songs to the verses by R. Rozhdestvensky
  • 1. Instans
  • 2. A song about remote Motherland
• 1974 Six songs to the verses by Soviet poets
  • 1. I like it (M. Tsvetaeva)
  • 2. No one will be at home (B. Posternak)
  • 3. At the mirror (M. Tsvetaeva)
  • 4. That's what happened to me (E. Evtushenko)
  • 5. I asked an ash-tree (V. Kirchov)
  • 6. Along my street (B. Achmadulina)
• 1974 Vocal cycle to the verses by L. Martynov
  • 1. Night was falling
  • 2. Water
  • 3. Leaves
• 1974 Vocal cycle to the verses by A. Voznesensky
  • 1. I want silence
  • 2. Grove

Shall I stare at the train?

• 1974 Vocal cycle to the verses by M. Tsvetaeva
• 1975 Memory. Verses by D. Samoilov
• 1975 Don`t disappear. Verses by A. Voznesensky
• 1975 Vocal cycle to the verses by S. Kirsanov
  • 1. Your eyes
  • 2. Your pictures
  • 3. At the white clothed table
  • 4. Come
• 1976 We are, comrade, with you – cycle of songs to the verses by M. Svetlov
  • 1. Red Guards from remote times
  • 2. Old Komsomol members song
  • 3. I was not a friend of hers
  • 4. Moscow Military district
  • 5. In the reconnaissance
  • 6. Infantry passing the bogs
  • 7. We are, comrade, with you
  • 8. Grenada
• 1977 "Echo" ("Don`t return to ex-beloved"). Verses by A. Voznesensky
• 1977 A song about circus. Verses by B. Achmadulina
• 1977 Old Komsomol members songs. Verses by M. Svetlov
  • 1. Red Guards from remote times
  • 2. Old Komsomol members song
  • 3. I was not a friend of hers
  • 4. Moscow Military district
  • 5. In the reconnaissance
  • 6. Infantry passing the bogs
  • 7. We are, comrade, with you
  • 8. Grenada
• 1979 "Remember this World". Vocal cycle to the verses by A. Voznesensky
  • 1. Twilight are frequent over the ploughed field
  • 2. Nostalgia for the present
  • 3. Thanks for not dying yesterday
  • 4. Remember this world
• 1980 Eight sonnets by Shakespeare
  • 1. I love
  • 2. Sonnet about a hen
  • 3. I am guilty
  • 4. Alas! My verse is not sparkling new
  • 5. Sonnet about an apple
  • 6. Love is blind and blinds us too
  • 7. To prevent two hearts union
  • 8. Ardent heard at the dawn...
• 1986 Five songs to the verses by M. Tsvetaeva
  • 1. Where has such tenderness come from
  • 2. And again the window
  • 3. Island girl
  • 4. I don`t need you any more
  • 5. Should I forget it?

Music for theatre performance

• 1963 “Purpose” (Sovremennic)
• 1966 “Farewell to Arms” (Lenin's Komsomol theatre)
• 1966 “The Hero of our Time” (Theatre on the Taganka)
• 1968 “Farewell” (Mossoviet theatre)
• 1968 “Climbing the Fudzijama” (Sovremennic)

• 1957 “Our Fathers` Youth”
• 1958 “Save the Drowning Man”
• 1959 “Ten Steps to the East”
• 1961 “A Man Following the Sun”
• 1961 “My Junior Brother”
• 1962 “Goodbye! Boys”
• 1962 “Welcome, or no Trespassing”
• 1963 “Huge Ore”
• 1964 “To love”
• 1965 Farewell”
• 1966 “Wake up Mukhin”
• 1966 “The Last Swindler”
• 1967 “Save the Drowning Man”
• 1968 “King-deer”
• 1968 “A Passenger from the Equator”
• 1970 “Fixed-post Spy's Fate”
• 1972 “Seventeen Moments of Spring” (12 series)
• 1974 “Star Minute”
• 1974 “Twist of Fate” or “Refreshing Bath”
• 1975 “Olga Sergeevna” (8 series)
• 1976 “Disappeared Expedition” (2 series)
• 1978 “Out-of-date Comedy”
• 1980 “Adam Merries Eve” (2 series)
• 1989 “Endhouse Mysteries”
• 1990 “Monster”
• 1990 “Homonovus”
• 1991 “And the Wind Returns”
• 1993 “Russian Ragtime”
• 1995 “Summer People” (“Dachniki”)

The works for musical theatre

• 1945 “On the Beach” - ballet in one act. Libretto by Shengelaja.
• 1945 “Interrogation” - ballet in one act. Libretto by G. Gelovani.
• 1965 “Who are you?” (opera for young people). Libretto by M. Churova on the motives of V. Aksenov's novel “Mandarines from Morocco”. Verses by A. Voznesensky, E. Vinokurov, E. Evtushenko, G. Pozhinjan, R. Rozhdestvesky, S. Kirsanov, M. L`vovsky.

The orchestra: piano 1, harpsichord (piano 2), ionika, elektroorga celesta, vibraphone, xylophone, elektro guitar 1, elektro guitar 2, batteria, double-basses.

• 1973 “Poem about happiness” – ballet in two acts. Libretto by V. Zakharov.
• 1981 “Count Kaliostro” – opera-buff. Libretto by N. Kemarsky to the motives of the same name novel by A. Tolstoy. Verses by A. Kemarsky and R. Sef.

The orchestra: 1,1,1,1; 2,1,1,0, vibraphone, xylophone, side drum, bass drum, whip, triangle, cymb., harp, harpsichord, strings.

• 1985 “Gernika” – ballet in two acts to the motives P. Picasso's picture.

The orchestra: 1,1,1,1; 1,1,1,1; bells, xylophone, vibraphone, triangle, tambourine, tam-tam, bass drum, cymb., harp, piano, strings.

• 1986 “Waiting” – mono-opera.

(There are two versions of the opera: for lyric soprano and for mezzo-soprano). The orchestra: 1,1,0,1; 0,0,0,0; vibraphone, (xylophone), bells, triangle, tam-tam, kettle drums, harp, voice, strings.

• 1986 “Girl and Death” – ballet in two acts to the motives of M. Gorky's tale.

The orchestra: 2,2,2,2; 4(F), 3(B),3,1; kettle drums, chime-bells, xylophone, vibraphone, triangle, tambourine, side drum, castanets, cymb., tam-tam, harp, piano, strings.

• 1992 “Figarienok's Marriage” – opera-grotesque to the motives of Bomarsher's work.

• «Я просто живу» (I Am Simply Living), autobiography, Moscow, Zebra, 2007