Lost conductors. In the House of Music "lost" the leaders of the orchestras

Contribution to music

Spiritual music

For soloists, choir and orchestra

Other works

Filmography

Alexander Vasilievich Alexandrov(real name - Koptelov or Koptelev; April 1 (13), 1883, p. Plakhino, Ryazan province, Russian Empire - July 8, 1946, Berlin, Germany) - Soviet Russian composer, choral conductor, choirmaster, teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1937). Laureate of two Stalin Prizes of the first degree (1942, 1946). Major General (1943).

Biography

Alexander Alexandrov was born on April 1 (13), 1883 (according to other sources - March 20 (April 1), 1883) in the village of Plakhino (now Zakharovsky district, Ryazan region, Russia) into a peasant family.

In 1890-1892 he studied at the Zemstvo school, sang in the school choir.

In 1891 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he sang in the choir of the Kazan Cathedral. In 1898 he graduated from the singing course of the Kazan parochial singing school in St. Petersburg.

Since 1897, he was a student of the regency (conducting) classes of the Court Singing Chapel (now the Glinka Choir School), after which in 1900 he received the title of regent. After some time, he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory (composition class of A. K. Glazunov and A. K. Lyadov), but in 1902, due to illness and difficult financial situation, he was forced to interrupt his studies and leave for Bologoye, where he worked as regent of the cathedral choir , as well as a teacher of choral art at the railway and technical schools.

Since 1906 - in Tver, he worked as a regent of the bishop's choir, led choirs in a number of educational institutions. At that time he wrote a symphony and a symphonic poem "Death and Life".

In 1909 he continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory, which he graduated in 1913 with a big silver medal in composition from S. N. Vasilenko, and in 1916 - in singing from U. Mazetti.

Since 1913 - again in Tver, where with an orchestra, soloists and a choir he staged the opera The Queen of Spades (1913), performed excerpts from the operas Eugene Onegin (1914) (both by P. I. Tchaikovsky), Faust by Sh Gounod, "Life for the Tsar" by M. I. Glinka and "Mermaid" by A. S. Dargomyzhsky. In these productions, he was both a director, and a conductor, and a choirmaster, and sometimes a singer. In one of the home musical performances he sang the part Lensky("Eugene Onegin"), in "The Queen of Spades" he performed the part Chekalinsky. In Tver, he organized and headed a music school (later transformed into a music school).

From 1918 to 1922 - regent of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In 1919-1930, he was a teacher of composition and choral singing at the A.N. Scriabin Musical College (now the Academic Music School at the Moscow Conservatory), at the same time, from 1919 - assistant leader of the 2nd group of the First State Choir, in 1921-1923 (in 1926-1930 - conductor) - State Choir Choir (now the State Academic Choir of Russia named after A. A. Yurlov), choirmaster of the Chamber Theater (1922-1928), consultant of the State Opera Theater named after the People's Artist of the Republic K. S. Stanislavsky and the Musical Theater named after the People's Artist of the Republic V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko (now the Moscow Academic Musical Theater named after K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko) (1928-1930) (all in Moscow).

Since 1918 - a teacher (solfeggio, polyphony, conducting and choral skills), in 1926-1929 - led a choral class at the instructor-pedagogical faculty, in 1932-1934 - head of the choral department, since 1940 - dean of the conductor-choir faculty, since 1942 - Dean of the joint conductor-choir and music-pedagogical faculties of the Moscow Conservatory (since 1922 - professor). Among his numerous students are K. B. Ptitsa, V. G. Sokolov, D. B. Kabalevsky, K. P. Kondrashin and others.

The initiator (together with V. M. Blazhevich) of the creation in 1928 of the military bandmaster class, which became the basis of the military faculty of the Moscow Conservatory (1935, since 2006 - the Military Institute (military conductors) of the Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation), in 1929-1936 - deputy dean of the military faculty.

Since 1928 - organizer (together with F. N. Danilovich and P. I. Ilyin) and music director, since 1935 - head, artistic director and chief conductor of the Red Army Song Ensemble of the Central House of the Red Army. M. Frunze (now the A.V. Aleksandrov Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army), with whom he traveled throughout the Soviet Union and a number of foreign countries (Czechoslovakia, Mongolia, Finland, Poland), won in 1937 the "Grand Prix" at the World exhibition in Paris.

At the same time, since 1936 - the artistic director of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Central House of Culture, since 1937 - the initiator of the creation and artistic director of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Moscow City Palace of Pioneers and Octobrists (now the Song and Dance Ensemble named after V. S. Loktev).

During the war, he created the famous songs “Holy War”, “On the Campaign! Hiking!”, “Invincible and legendary”, etc.

In 1943, based on his "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party", he created a majestic melody, which since 1944 officially became the anthem of the USSR. The words were written by G. A. El-Registan and S. V. Mikhalkov, partially edited by I. Stalin himself. The same melody has been the Anthem of Russia since 2000.

Member of the Union of Composers of the USSR.

Alexander Vasilievich died of a heart attack on July 8, 1946 (according to other sources - July 9) in Berlin, during the European tour of the Red Banner Ensemble. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery (plot No. 3, photo of the grave).

Family

Wife - Ksenia Morozova, chorister of the cathedral choir in Bologoye.

Son - Alexandrov Boris Alexandrovich (1905-1994) - composer, conductor, teacher, People's Artist of the USSR (1958), laureate of the Lenin (1978) and Stalin Prizes (1950), Hero of Socialist Labor (1975), major general (1973), head, artistic director and chief conductor of the Red Banner Ensemble (1946-1986).
Son - Alexandrov Vladimir Alexandrovich (1910-1978) - composer, conductor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1949), Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1960), leader and conductor of the orchestra of the Red Banner Ensemble (1942-1968).
Son - Alexandrov Alexander Alexandrovich (1912-1942) - composer, conductor, head of the orchestra of the Red Banner Ensemble (1938-1942).

Grandchildren - Yuri Alexandrovich and Oleg Borisovich, also worked in the Ensemble, Evgeny Vladimirovich, director and curator of the Museum of the Red Banner Ensemble and the Alexandrov family.

Son - Alexandrov Yuri Alexandrovich (born 1939) from his common-law wife Lyudmila Lavrova, a ballerina.

Awards and titles

Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1933)
People's Artist of the USSR (1937)
Stalin Prize of the first degree (1942) - for the "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" and Red Army songs
Stalin Prize of the first degree (1946) - for concert and performing activities
Order of Lenin (1943) - in connection with the 60th and 40th anniversary of creative activity.
Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1939)
Order of the Red Star (1935)
Order of the White Lion III degree (Czechoslovakia, 1946)
Medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Doctor of Arts (1940).

Contribution to music

A. V. Alexandrov, combining in his ensemble the traditions of Russian domestic, chamber, opera, church and soldier singing, brought the domestic choral art to the international professional stage. The male polyphonic choir with soloists, the mixed orchestra consisting of symphonic and folk instruments, and the ensemble's ballet are recognized and remain among the best in the world. Following the model of the Alexandrov group, a number of military musical and choreographic ensembles have been created and are operating in Russia and abroad. He wrote music for 81 original songs, made masterful arrangements of dozens of songs of the peoples of different countries, over 70 arrangements of Russian folk and revolutionary songs.

The most famous works of 1911-1946

Songs

Anthem of the five-year plan
Armored train
Transbaikal (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Hit from the sky, planes (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Anthem of the Bolshevik Party (lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach, 1938)
Rifle
Cantata about Stalin (lyrics by M. Inyushkin)
On a hike! On a hike!
Let's remember, comrades (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Holy War (lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach, 1941)
Punch on punch
For the great Soviet land (lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach, 1941)
Song about the Soviet Union (lyrics by M. Golodny, 1942)
Holy Banner of Lenin (lyrics by O. Kolychev, 1942)
Glory to the Soviet Union
25 years of the Red Army (Indestructible and legendary) (lyrics by O. Kolychev)
Song about the Motherland
Glory to our Soviet country
Bloom, Soviet country (lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach, 1943)
Our Guard (lyrics by A. Argo, 1944)
Song of Victory (lyrics by A. Shilov, 1945)
Life has become better (lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach, 1936)
Echelon (Combat Red Guard) (word by O. Kolychev)
Song about the military commissar (lyrics by O. Kolychev)
Blue night (lyrics by S. Alymov, 1933)
Volga Burlatskaya (lyrics by O. Kolychev, 1933)
Song about Stalin (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Fighting song of the partisans
Song of the Red Navy (Sea Song) (lyrics by N. Labkovsky, 1943)
Battle near Lake Khasan (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Far Eastern ditties
On the Caspian gray sea (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Ravens flew into Tsaritsyn (Death of a partisan) (lyrics by O. Kolychev)
About the Papanites (Glory to the Brave) (lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach)
Eagle Tribe (lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach)
partisan
Song of the 5th Division (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Song of the 11th Army
Song of the 2nd Amur Division (lyrics by S. Alymov, 1929)
Song of the 32nd Division (lyrics by S. Alymov)
Song of the Red Guard Division (lyrics by A. Meyer, 1941)
Song about Lazo (lyrics by B. Zernit, 1938)
native side
Song about Marshal Rokossovsky
Solemn Victory Cantata
Chastushki about a ditty (lyrics by A. Irkutov, 1931)
Song about Donbass (Miner's)
Heroic flying (lyrics by S. Alymov, 1934)
The death of "Chelyuskin"
Transbaikal ditties (lyrics by S. Alymov, 1935)
Song about Klim Voroshilov (lyrics by O. Kolychev and A. Shilov, 1938)
March of artillerymen (lyrics by A. Shilov and I. Shuvalov, 1941)
Dance marching (lyrics by D. Sedykh, 1944)

Spiritual music

"Christ is risen", poem for choir, orchestra, organ and soloists (1918)
Concert "Have mercy on me, God" (1926)
6 hymns of the Liturgy
2 hymns of Passion Week "The Prudent Thief"
8 hymns of the All-Night Vigil
"Magnificence" of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
"Praise the Name of the Lord"

operas

"Mermaid", opera, after A. Pushkin (thesis, 1913)
The Death of Ivan the Terrible, opera in three acts based on the play by A. Tolstoy (1913, not completed)

For soloists, choir and orchestra

"Poem about Ukraine" (lyrics by O. Kolychev)

for orchestra

Symphonic poem "Death and Life" (1911)
"Symphony fis-moll" in 3 movements (1912)

Other works

Sonata for violin and piano (1st edition - 1913, 2nd edition - 1924)
Concerto for choir in four parts (1917)
Song compositions (montages) - "22nd Krasnodar Division" (1928), "First Cavalry" (1929), "Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army" (1929), "Red Fleet in Songs" (1929), "Song of Magnitogorsk" (1930), "7th Red Banner Division" (1931), "Perekop" (1932), "Ways of Victory" (1933), "Song of Tsaritsyn" (1933)
Musical arrangements of revolutionary and soldier songs, folk songs, songs of different nations, works of opera and chamber classics: “Oh, you, the steppe is wide”, “Meadow duck”, “Spend the night, Dunyushka”, “Down the mother along the Volga”, “Along the valleys and on the hills”, “Deaf, unknown taiga”, “Chapaev-hero walked in the Urals”, “Because of the forest”, “Oh, you are Kalinushka”, “Gay on the road”, “Deaf, unknown taiga”, “Zucchini "(American soldier song), "Listen, worker", "Our steam locomotive", "There, far beyond the river", "Cold waves are splashing", "Varangian", "Night", "In the field there was a birch tree", "Not autumn a little rain”, “You rise, the sun is red”, “Don’t make noise, mother, green oak tree”, “Oh, in the meadow, in the moonlight”, “Kalinka”, “Suliko”, “Susidko”, “I would take the bandura” , "Marseillaise", "Marching", "Tipperary", "Choir of Soldiers" by Ch. Gounod, "Ode to Joy" by L. Beethoven, "Hush, Hush" by G. Verdi, "Echo" by O. Lasso and others.
Music to the cartoon "Little Red Riding Hood" (1937)

Filmography

1942 - Concert to the front (concert film) - Head of the Red Banner Song and Dance Ensemble

Memory

The name of A. V. Aleksandrov was given to the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army.
The name of A. V. Alexandrov is the school in the village of Plakhino, Ryazan region.
The name of A. V. Alexandrov is the state concert hall "Alexandrovsky" (Moscow).
In 2003, a bust and a museum were opened in the musician's homeland in the village of Plakhino.
A commemorative sign of A. V. Alexandrov is installed on the "Avenue of Stars" in Moscow.
In 1971, the Ministry of Culture of the USSR and the Union of Composers of the USSR established the Gold and 3 Silver medals named after A. V. Alexandrov for success in creating military-patriotic music, and in 2005 the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation - the medal "Major General Alexander Alexandrov".
In a number of conservatories in Russia scholarships named after A.V. Aleksandrov have been established.
A memorial plaque was installed on the house in which A. V. Aleksandrov lived.
On April 13, 2013, on the day of the 130th anniversary of Alexandrov's birth, a monument was unveiled to him in Moscow, in the square in front of the house number 20 in Zemledelchesky Lane, where the ensemble is located today (sculptor A. Taratynov, architect M. Korsi).
In 2014, in Ryazan, in the park on the street of the Soviet Army, a monument to A.V. Aleksandrov was opened. The square itself now bears his name.

Alexandrov Alexander Vasilievich(1883-1946), an outstanding Soviet Russian composer, choral conductor, choirmaster, teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1937), twice winner of the Stalin Prize of the first degree (1942, 1946), doctor of art history (1940), professor at the Moscow Conservatory (1922), major general. (1943). The author of the music of the Anthem of the USSR, and the Anthem of the Russian Federation set to the same melody.

Alexandrov Boris Alexandrovich(1905-1989), Soviet Russian composer, choral conductor, choirmaster, teacher. Hero of Socialist Labor (1975). Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1978) and the Stalin Prize of the first degree (1950). People's Artist of the USSR (1958). Major General (1973).

The Song and Dance Ensemble of the Soviet Army is known in many countries of the world. Once it was a small group, which eventually turned into the largest theatrical and concert institution. All these years it was led by the father and son Alexandrovs.

Alexandrov Sr. was born in the village of Plakhino, Zakharovsky district, Ryazan province, in the family of an artisan. Both father and grandfather were distinguished by great musical abilities, and sister Anna even sang in amateur performances. She noticed the phenomenal musical talent of her brother. The father took his son to St. Petersburg to his acquaintance, the regent of the Kazan Cathedral, V. Fateev, who helped Sasha pass the exam in the court choir. Alexandrov ended up in a professional boys' choir, with which famous Russian composers M. Balakirev and N. Rimsky-Korsakov worked. During his studies in the choir, he learned to play the piano and the violin.

In 1900, on the advice of Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studies in two departments at once: he studies composition with N. Rimsky-Korsakov and choral conducting with A. Lyadov. After studying in St. Petersburg for two years, Alexandrov was forced to interrupt his studies for health reasons. He was also concerned about material matters, so he goes to the city of Bologoye, where he begins to work as a choir director at the local cathedral. Having improved his health, Aleksandrov is trying to recover at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, but after the dismissal of Rimsky-Korsakov, his students move to the Moscow Conservatory.

Alexandrov also moved to Moscow, continued his studies and graduated from the conservatory in two departments at once - composition and vocal. His graduation work - the opera "Mermaid" - was awarded the Big Silver Medal.

After graduating from the conservatory, Alexandrov leaves for Tver, where he begins working at a music school, which was opened in the city by the Russian Theater Society. But, realizing that for professional growth it is necessary to work in large cities, he soon returns to Moscow. In 1918, he began working as a conductor-repetiteur in the choir of the Bolshoi Theater and at the same time taught at the Moscow Conservatory.

In the children's choir of the theater, Alexandrov's son Boris began his professional career. After graduating from school, he enters the Moscow Conservatory in the composition class, led by R. Glier.

In 1923, Alexandrov Sr. became a professor and sought to open a special military conducting class at the conservatory. Over time, the class grows into a military conducting faculty - the only educational institution of this type.

At the same time, A. Alexandrov organized amateur choirs of the Red Army. Soon he became the head of the ensemble at the Central House of the Red Army in Moscow, but then he decided to create an independent army song and dance ensemble. He managed to do this, however, the dance group appeared later, but for now there were only eight vocalists in it.

On October 10, 1928, Commissar of Defense K. Voroshilov visited the concert of the new ensemble. He supported Alexandrov's petition and ordered the recruitment of talented fighters from various garrisons into the ensemble.

A. Alexandrov toured parts of the Moscow and Leningrad districts, where he recruited several dozen people. Rehearsals and study began. Despite natural abilities, many choristers had to master the technique of academic singing, harmony and solfeggio.

The ensemble dedicated its first program to the First Cavalry Army. The program consisted of folk songs and dances. The audience enthusiastically accepted the performances of the ensemble both in the capital and in other cities where he went on tour. Alexandrov arranged such trips several times a year. It is difficult to say where he just did not visit - in Ukraine and Central Asia, in the Arctic and in the Transcaucasus.

In 1934, the ensemble made a concert tour of the great construction projects of the five-year plan, driving from Dneproges to Magnitostroy and from there to Komsomolsk-on-Amur. In 1935, by a special decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the ensemble was awarded the Order of the Red Star, it was given the name of the Red Army Song and Dance Ensemble of the USSR.

In 1937, the Krasnoarmeisky Ensemble went on its first foreign tour - to France. He performed as part of the cultural program at the World's Fair. The success was so overwhelming that it was decided to give a few more concerts. Companies "Polydor" and "Columbia" released records with songs. In addition, a sound film was made about the ensemble's concerts. At the end of the tour, the American impresario offered him a tour of US cities. But at that time Alexandrov was forced to refuse, because he did not have permission from Moscow. From Paris, the artists went to Prague, where they also performed with great success.

Boris Alexandrov's son also devoted his life to army art. After graduating from the conservatory, he enters the newly created Red Army Theater and writes music for performances. In 1928, the premiere of his operetta "Wedding in Malinovka" took place. Inspired by the success, Alexandrov Jr. wrote several operettas that went on the stages of the country's musical theaters. Since 1937, Boris Alexandrovich began to work with his father in his ensemble as an assistant director. Soon, another son of Alexandrov, Vasily, also came to the ensemble, and during the war, the youngest of the brothers, Alexander Alexandrov. Vasily becomes the leader of the orchestra. Thus, a unique family community was formed in the ensemble.

When the Great Patriotic War began, the ensemble moved to the barracks. On October 24, the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda published V. Lebedev-Kumach's poem "Holy War". On the same day A. Alexandrov began to work on the melody. The song "Holy War" was created in a day, and soon the ensemble began to perform it at all concerts. She became a musical symbol of the Great Patriotic War.

During the war, the front-line groups of the ensemble gave more than one and a half thousand concerts. The impressions were reflected in the songs written by Alexander Alexandrov - "Echelon", "Holy War", etc. Later, the composer combined them into cycles. The band's repertoire has also changed. B. Alexandrov recalled that every day began with concerts that were held at recruiting stations, squares and city streets. The soloists of the ensemble were divided into several groups, which simultaneously performed in different places.

In 1943, A. Alexandrov won the competition and became one of the authors who were instructed to write a new anthem of the Soviet Union. He created music to the words of S. Mikhalkov and G. Registan. The anthem was first heard on the radio on the night of January 1, 1944.

In 1945, Aleksandrov Sr. suffered a heart attack, and Boris was entrusted with the leadership of the ensemble. Doctors forbade A. Alexandrov to conduct, but he continued to work and immediately after leaving the hospital he wrote the Victory Cantata.

After his father's death in 1946, Boris Aleksandrov took over as head of the ensemble. By that time it was already a highly professional team with its own creative traditions. Now it included not only a vocal, but also a dance group. Dances were staged by the famous choreographer and teacher P. Virsky. And the songs were written by the most famous composers - M. Blanter, B. Mokrousov, V. Solovyov-Sedoy, A. Novikov. The team also performed songs written by his artistic director - "Song of the Soviet Army", "Long live our state."

At the same time, Boris Alexandrov began to work on the radio. He becomes the head of the Soviet song ensemble created there. In this team, for the first time, he embodied many of his ideas, later realized in the ensemble of the Soviet army.

Over time, B. Alexandrov reformed the repertoire. In addition to folk and modern songs, he began to work on classical works. At the concerts of the ensemble, choirs and mass scenes from operas by Glinka and Tchaikovsky, Weber and Verdi, Mussorgsky and Rachmaninov sounded. Alexandrov believed that only work on the classics of vocal music would allow the ensemble to achieve the required level of performance. But he continued to collect amateur songs of a heroic nature. After appropriate musical processing, some of them were included in the repertoire.

After the war, foreign tours began. First, the ensemble makes a trip to the Soviet zone of Germany, and then to the recently liberated France. In the early fifties, the artists went on tour in London. Then the newspaper "Times" wrote: "We were witnesses of how the Russians occupied London without firing a shot." In 1967, the Red Banner Ensemble again went to France. There, the artists gave several charity concerts for the UNESCO fund. But B. Alexandrov remembered the performance with Mireille Mathieu more. At the request of the French impresario, she performed with them at one of the concerts.

After some time, the famous American impresario S. Yurok invites the ensemble to a concert tour of US cities. However, the US government refused to issue visas to the musicians, citing the fact that so many foreign military personnel should not be allowed into the country. The artists were offered to perform in civilian clothes, but Alexandrov refused, and only at the end of the fifties the ensemble made a triumphant concert tour of the cities of America. During these concerts, R. Carmen made the film "Behind the Ramp - America".

Under the direction of Boris Alexandrov, the Red Banner Ensemble becomes a school for the training of opera singers; soloists of the Bolshoi Theater N. Andryushchenko, E. Kibkalo, A. Eisen emerged from its walls. Alexandrov strived to ensure that each artist constantly improved his professional skills. Therefore, he steadily expanded the repertoire, creating compositions from songs, updating the interpretations of the works already in the repertoire.

The ensemble continues intensive touring activities even now.

How important it is for a specialist to be not only educated, knowledgeable, but also able to organize business and skillfully lead it in the chosen direction. It is no coincidence that lately one has heard more and more often that "we have a lot of talents, but few professionals." How can one not recall the winged Stalinist phrase "Cadres decide everything!".

The Astrakhan Conservatory, at the beginning of its existence, was lucky to have highly qualified teaching staff. One of the most educated teachers (with diplomas from two conservatories - Leningrad and Ural), with many years of experience in leading orchestras (from military brass to philharmonic symphony) and with teaching experience at the orchestra faculties of various musical educational institutions was A.V. Romanko , senior lecturer at the Astrakhan Conservatory, artistic director and chief conductor of the symphony orchestra he created at the Philharmonic on the basis of the orchestral department of the conservatory (this orchestra existed in 1969 - 1971).

Alexander Vasilievich Romanko Born August 29, 1930 in Krasnodar, in the family of a military man. his father, Romanko Vasily Foteevich , was a military conductor, and his mother, Romanko Anna Trofimovna - a housewife. In 1938, an eight-year-old boy immediately entered the second grade of a comprehensive school and at the same time began to study, privately, on the violin. In 1942 Sasha graduated from five classes, but then his studies were interrupted, since from August 1942 to February 1943 Krasnodar was under Nazi occupation. But even after the liberation of the city by the Soviet Army, the teenager did not immediately continue his studies at school. The fact is that his father, older brother and older sister fought, and his mother and sister, who had weakened during the occupation, could not work for health reasons, therefore Alexander (who was 12-13 years old) went to work at a factory, providing his family with ration cards. However, a year later, in 1944, Romanko continued his studies in the sixth grade of high school. In 1946, after graduating from the seven-year plan, Alexander for a whole year he was preparing to enter the music school and in 1947 he became a freshman at the Krasnodar music school, studying here in the trumpet class. At the same time, he studied at an evening general education school, which he graduated in 1950.

In the summer of the same year Romanko was called to serve in the Soviet Army. And since he was sent as a musician to the orchestra of the military unit stationed in Krasnodar, the commanding authorities allowed him, without interrupting his military service, to finish the music school and continue his studies at the conservatory. And since Alexander Romanko at that time he was a military man, he entered the Leningrad Conservatory at the Naval Faculty, which trained conductors for the orchestras of the USSR Naval Forces. In 1956, after graduating from the conservatory, he was sent to Tallinn as a conductor of a military orchestra, where he served until April 1957, and then retired to the reserve (with the rank of senior lieutenant).

Returning to my homeland A.V. Romanko began teaching trumpet and horn classes at the Krasnodar Musical College, as well as an orchestral class, on the basis of which he organized a brass band. In addition, in September 1958 he was offered to work part-time as a conductor of the symphony orchestra of the Krasnodar Regional House of Education Workers and as a conductor of the opera studio in the House of Scientists.

In July 1961 A.V. Romanko received an offer from the Directorate of the Altai Philharmonic to go on a tour of Kuzbass as a conductor of a symphony orchestra, and at the end of the trip to take the vacant position of a full-time conductor of the same philharmonic ensemble. By accepting the offer Alexander Vasilievich started working in Barnaul, but already in the winter of 1962 he caught a bad cold and fell seriously ill. Doctors recommended that he urgently move south. And since at that time the newspaper "Soviet Culture" announced a competition for the position of conductor of the city symphony orchestra, created on the basis of the orchestral department of the Astrakhan Music College (with the provision of living space), A.V. Romanko sent documents to the competition. Having received a telegram: "Come," he immediately left for Astrakhan. By the way, in addition to working with the orchestra, the director of the Astrakhan Music College VC. Nechaev offered Romanko teach, part-time, at the school in the orchestra department.

Working in Astrakhan Romanko in 1963 he entered the Ural Conservatory, in the class of opera and symphony conducting of Professor M.I. Powerman . Organizer of the Ural (Sverdlovsk) Symphony Orchestra, founder of the Ural School of Opera and Symphony Conducting, Mark Izrailevich brought up many famous conductors, among them N. Chunikhin, E. Kolobov, E. Brazhnik, P. Varivoda, M. Shcherbakov etc. And although Romanko worked with Powerman in absentia, a four-year study in his class (1963-1967) allowed the conductor of a military orchestra (as he qualified with a diploma from the Leningrad Conservatory) to deeply master operatic and symphonic conducting and apply the knowledge gained in practice, including in the Astrakhan City Symphony Orchestra (where he worked until October 1965) and the symphony orchestra of the Committee for Radio Broadcasting and Television under the Council of Ministers of Dagestan (then DASSR), which he led in 1965-1969. It was during the Dagestan period, in 1966, A.V. Romanko was awarded the rating of the conductor of the highest category. In his testimonial, signed by the chairman of the TV and radio committee of the DASSR G.Gamzatov , it was said that Romanko – “the conductor of a bright creative personality, high performing culture, knows the classical and modern repertoire well” (from a personal file A.V. Romanko archive of the Astrakhan Conservatory).

At the end of August 1969 Alexander Vasilievich again came to work in Astrakhan - now as a senior lecturer in the department of orchestral instruments of the young conservatory and artistic director of the symphony orchestra created at the regional philharmonic society. And already two or three months after the start of work in Astrakhan Romanko , thanks to his excellent organizational skills and experience as a leader of various groups, he was able to staff the city symphony orchestra with musicians and prepare two programs in a short time. “In December 1969, the first public performance of the orchestra took place. The program included the Coriolan Overture and Beethoven's First Symphony, as well as Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto (soloist S. Lubart ). The concert gathered a large audience (in the concert hall of the Philharmonic - L.V.) and passed at a good professional level,” wrote an authoritative Astrakhan musicologist, candidate of art history, head of the Department of Theory and History of Music of the Astrakhan Conservatory M.A. Etinger in the note "In the New Conservatory" (Musical Life, 1970, No. 5). It should be noted that most of the members of the philharmonic group were first-year students of the orchestral faculty of the conservatory, whose talent and enthusiasm were appreciated by the Astrakhan listeners, who enthusiastically greeted the orchestra, the hallmark of which was “youthful freshness and immediacy” (Rudenko V. A symphony sounds // Volga. - 1970. - August 23).

However, in January 1971, the financing of the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra was terminated and, having lost the leadership of the team (which gave him not only creative satisfaction, but also additional income), the teacher of the conservatory found himself in a difficult financial situation (two small children were growing up in his family, moreover, on wife and mother were dependent). In such a situation, he made a reasonable decision, agreeing to another offer from the Altai Regional Philharmonic to head the symphony orchestra, where he worked before and continued in 1971-1977.

It is known that in 1992-2007 A.V. Romanko was the artistic director and chief conductor of the Nikolaev State Symphony Orchestra and a teacher at the Nikolaev Music College (Ukraine). It must be said that the Nikolaev Symphony Orchestra was revived after a 30-year break, it was Romanko, who attracted the artists of the Philharmonic chamber orchestra, teachers of the music school, as well as qualified teachers of music schools and gifted senior students of the school to work together. In 2007, when a festive evening was held in honor of the 15th anniversary of the orchestra, a detailed article appeared in the Vecherniy Nikolaev newspaper, which stated that “from the first day and all 15 years, the permanent conductor in the orchestra has been Alexander Romanko . This is a person who has two conservatory educations behind him, deep knowledge and extensive work experience ”(N. Khristova. Symphony Orchestra: Renaissance // Evening Nikolaev. - 2007. - June 7).

And no matter how much I would like to finish the essay on Alexandra Vasilyevich Romanko on a major note, but one cannot but say that the Nikolaev Symphony Orchestra was recently disbanded again due to lack of funding. On May 12, 2014, his last concert was held in Nikolaev, called the “Parade of Conductors”. On stage, following the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Nikolay Nikolaychuk (successor A.V. Romanko , who worked under him as a second conductor), the conductors came out one after another Alexander Luuk , Ludmila Kirsanova, Alexander Bogma And Vladimir Alekseev . Soloists, laureates of international competitions came to support the Nikolaev Orchestra Alexander Zheganov (clarinet), Tatyana Kravchenko (piano) Tatyana Orlova (pop vocal) and others. Both orchestra members and soloists performed with such professional and sincere dedication, as if for the last time. And the final words of the musicologist leading the concert Alena Mamedova “Today was the last concert of the Nikolaev Symphony Orchestra. Our orchestra is disbanding. But we do not lose hope for the development of symphonic musical art in Ukraine, especially in the Mykolaiv region,” the touched audience listened while standing…

L.P. Vlasenko

Honored Artist of the Russian Federation,

Professor

Next year, the Ulyanovsk Academic Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Behind the history of the team, in the first place, of course, are people. But some of them are undeservedly forgotten. Blogger Mikhail Pavlov decided to restore justice and remember everyone who has stood at the conductor's stand for 50 years.

Pioneers are like astronauts. We remember those who were the first, and then the eyes become blurred, and people replacing each other at an accelerated pace dissolve into the ether.

Remembering the amazing dynamic time when the brilliant Andrey Boreyko stood at the podium of the Ulyanovsk State Academic Symphony Orchestra, he began to restore the conductors in his memory. And found out amazing things. "Amazing" in a sad way.

The Philharmonic, or, as it is now called, the House of Music, together with the Memorial, as the main site where the orchestra is based, is rather indifferent to its history in terms of popularization on the Web. Perhaps now someone, on whom it depends, will read it, will be indignant at my categorical attitude and shake dusty archival papers, they say, we have all the moves written down ... But most likely they will not shock me.

Yes, and then, I'm talking about the Internet, and here it is, right in front of me, and Google is to help me

The first thing I noticed was that there was not even a trifling three-line article on Wikipedia. Meanwhile, next year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the orchestra. Write, my favorites, it's time! And do not listen to those who say that Wikipedia is bad manners.

Further. It turns out that the founding father and the first chief conductor of the orchestra from 1968 to 1977, Eduard Serov, died last September 2016, but this sad fact was not honored with a single line of our media. Meanwhile, Eduard Afanasyevich Serov, having started as an assistant to Yevgeny Mravinsky himself in the Leningrad Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, subsequently created two orchestras from scratch: in 1968 - our Ulyanovsk Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and in 1987 - the Volgograd Academic Symphony Orchestra, whose permanent leader until his death...

It turned out that on the websites of the Lenin Memorial and the Philharmonic it is absolutely impossible to trace the history of the orchestra's conductors. Some appear under a false name, while others are not mentioned at all.

Immediately after Eduard Serov, who left the orchestra in 1977, for some reason, Nikolai Alekseev appears, although chronologically they are separated by 8 years - he took up the conductor's stand in 1985.

That is, at least a piece of the life of the orchestra, which from 1978 to 1982 was led by Alexander Alekseev, who was the second conductor under Serov, completely fell out of history. Now Alexander Vasilievich Alekseev is the dean of the conducting faculty of the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
However, the Philharmonic on its website, without hesitation, wittily combined the two Alekseevs into one and called him Nikolai for brevity.

There is no information about who led the orchestra from 1982 to 1985.

Historical references are silent about the wonderful Andrei Boreyko, who was the second conductor and a ray of light in the dim times of Nikolai Alekseev. Boreyko was the first, with a light hand in the pretentious Great Hall of the Lenin Memorial, rock music sounded combined with a symphony orchestra in one program.

In the same way, the wonderful conductor and flutist Vladimir Kudrya, who led the orchestra for eight years - from 1996 to 2004, fell out of history. But it was under his leadership that the ensemble became a laureate of the All-Russian competition of symphony and chamber orchestras of Russia in two categories: “Nobility of timbres and an ideal ensemble of orchestral groups” and “For the best choice of concert programs”.

In short, we are still deeply indebted to art.

Well, in order to somehow fill in these black holes, I will try to restore the chronology here and show all (or almost all) involved.

Historical snapshot:
Eduard Serov with Mstislav Rostropovich and Alexander Alekseev

Eduard Serov - chief conductor (1968 - 1977)