Alexsander
Shaverzashvili

Alexsander Shaverzashvili

(1919 – 2003)

Alexsander Shaverzashvili – Georgian Composer, Teacher and Art History Candidate (1951), Honored Worker of Art of Georgia (1961), Honored Worker of Art of Abkhazia (1979), People’s Artist of Georgia.

Date of birth – July 8, 1919

Place of birth – Tbilisi, Georgia

Date of death – May 20, 2003

Place of death – Tbilisi, Georgia

He is buried in Didube Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures – Tbilisi

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

1943 – Graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatory named after Vano Sarajishvili, majoring in composition (Andria Balanchivadze’s class);

1947 – Graduated from Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatory;

1946 – 1955 – music editor of “Georgian Film” film studio, composer of film chronicle;

1946 – 1955 – Teacher of Zakaria Paliashvili Musical Gymnasium (Decade of Talents) (composition, orchestra course, theoretical disciplines);

Since 1949 – Teacher at the III Music School named after Meliton Balanchivadze;

1958 – 1959 – Head of the Georgian Philharmonic Chamber Department;

Since 1952 – Tbilisi State Conservatory named after Vano Sarajishvili – teacher – docent (1960), professor (1971); (1968, professor, 1971, vice–rector);

1968 – 1979 – Head of the composition department of Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatory;

1943 – Vice–rector of Tbilisi State Conservatory named after Vano Sarajishvili;

1951 – Candidate of art history – thesis topic – “Symphonic poems “Zviadauri” (Shalva Mshvelidze) and “Gandegili” (Grigol Kiladze) and their role in the development of Georgian symphony”

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

1946 – Member of the Union of Composers of the Soviet Union

Union of Composers of Georgia, member

1958 – Order of Honor

1961 – Honored Art Worker of Georgia

1979 – Honored Art Worker of the Abkhazian SSR

1982 – People’s Artist of Georgia

1999 – Order of Honor

for his great personal contribution to the development of Georgian musical art, for his fruitful creative, pedagogical and public work

Alexsander Shaverzashvili

(1919 – 2003)

SELECTED WORKS

MUSIC FOR THE THEATER

1944 – “Mzia” – Opera in 3 Acts – (libretto – A. Shaverzashvili)

1954 – “Marine” – Opera in 3 Acts – (libretto – M. Baratashvili)

1964 – “Oedipus the King” – Opera-Oratorio in One Act – (libretto – A. Shaverzashvili)

1966 – “Towards a new shore” – Opera in 4 Acts – (libretto – P. Gruzinski)

1973 – “Fiery Years” – Opera in 2 Acts – (libretto – P. Gruzinski)

1958 – “Maneuvers” – Operetta

1959 – “Parade” – Operetta in 3 Acts – (libretto – C. Geleishvili)

1967 – “Nino” – Operetta in 3 Acts – (libretto – G. Nakhutsrishvili)

1944 – “Elguja” – Ballet in 3 Acts – (libretto – A. Shaverzashvili)

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1945 – Symphony N 1

1962 – Symphony N 2

1976 – Symphony N 3 “Chamber” – Dedicated to D. Shostakovich

1987 – Symphony N 4

1994 – Symphony No. 5 – for Chamber Orchestra

1976 – “Celebratory Overture” – for Symphony Orchestra

1944 – “Elguja” – Symphonic Poem

1948 – “Kajeti” – Symphonic Poem – Based on the Poem by Sh. Rustaveli “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”

1981 – “Small land” – Symphonic Poem

1954 – “Waltz” – Symphonic Picture

1958 – “Mtkvari” – Symphonic Picture

1940 – Concerto for Piano and Symphonic Orchestra

1964 – Concerto for Violin and Symphonic Orchestra

1979 – Concerto for Trombone and Symphonic Orchestra

CHAMBER-INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

1945 – String Quartet No. 1

1976 – String Quartet N 2

1988 – String Quartet N 3

1967 – “Fantasia on Czech Themes” – for String Quartet

1971 – Suite for String Quartet

1973 – “Miniatures” – for String Quartet – “Fugetta”, “Sad Song”, “Dance-Scherzo”

1952 – Piano Trio N 1

1968 – Piano Trio N 2

1979 – Piano Trio N 3

1983 – Piano Trio N 4

1986 – Piano Trio N 5

1987 – Piano Trio N 6

1990 – Piano Trio N 7

1993 – Piano Trio N 8 “Liturgical”

1955 – Piano Quintet

1950 – Sonata for Violin and Piano

1960 – 24 Preludes for Piano

1964 – Fantasy for Cello and Piano

1965 – Prelude and Fugue for Organ

1970 – Sonata for Cello and Piano

1975 – Sonata for Piano

1975 – 20 Georgian Folk Melodies for Piano

1978 – 13 Children’s Pieces for Piano

1979 – Sonata-Fantasia for Flute and Piano

VOCAL-INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

1950 – “Hymn to the Hotherland” – Cantata for Soprano, Mixed Choir and Symphony Orchestra – (text – A. Mirtskhulava)

1960 – “Songs of my Homeland” – Cantata for Soloists, Mixed Choir and Symphony Orchestra – (text – A. Mirtskhulava, I. Grishashvili)

1977 – “Two frescoes” – Cantata for Tenor and Symphony Orchestra

1977 – “Mysterious Sound” – Vocal-Symphonic Cycle for Soprano, Bass and Symphony Orchestra

1981 – Concerto for Soprano and Symphony Orchestra

AUTHOR OF MANY ROMANCES, SONGS, INSTRUMENTAL PLAYS

FILM AND THEATER MUSIC

MUSIC FOR THE THEATER – THE AUTHOR OF MUSIC FOR MORE THAN 40 PLAYS. BETWEEN THEM:

“Veragoba and Love”, “Violet and Вawn”, ” Forest’s Friends”, “The Lame Miner”…

FILMOGRAPHY

DOCUMENTARY

1947 – “In memory of Academician Simon Janashia” – director – Irakli Kandelaki

1948 – “Alexandre Kazbegi” – director – Shalva Martashvili

Alexsander Shaverzashvili

(1919 – 2003)

Alexsander Shaverzashvili’s name is linked to significant features of modern Georgian professional music. Dodo Gogua, the musicologist pointed out “His work, in actuality, represented the tendencies distinctive feature of the current stylistic evolution in the main tendencies of Georgian professional music of the 1940s-50s and post-60s,” noted musicologist Dodo Gogua, “which gave the composer’s searches a constantly updated, but internally lawful process.” The composer’s musical legacy is distinguished by a wide range of genres. His creations were both – large and small sized works. On the stage of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater, his operas “Marine” (1954) and “Towards the New Coast” (1966) were successful. Alexsander Shaverzashvili created five symphonies, as well as operettas, oratorios, cantatas, symphonic poems, symphonic pictures, vocal-symphonic, vocal cycles, romances, and other works. The genre of instrumental concert can be chosen from Alexsander Shaverzashvili’s various works. Famous musicians performed his piano (1940) and violin concertos. His concerto for trombone (1979) is a one-of-a-kind example of Georgian professional music, and so is his concerto for voice (soprano) and orchestra (1981).

The piano trio N1 was the first to brought the composer widespread recognition (1952). “My attention was attracted to the trio of Alexsander Shaverzashvili (performed by A. Jocheles, N. Barshay, A. Ferkelman), the music of the trio is passionate, emotional, dynamic, cheerful, mature, and cheerful,” Dmitry Shostakovich pointed out about the composer’s work.

Throughout Alexsander Shaverzashvili’s creative career, he used an original solution to express an idea in many of his works. The composer’s discoveries in terms of shape, structure, and characterization methods were fascinating. His approach to combining national foundations and sure sign of European 20th-century composing art was significant. This kind of tendency in composer’s works, reveals itself in various ways. The opera-oratorio “King Oedipus” (1964) is an example, which at first glance, evokes the same-named, same-genre work by Igor Stravinsky.

When we come to know opera-oratory, it’s genetic roots – the entrails of Georgian folk music and Georgian classical opera – are becoming clear. Alexsander Shaverzashvili’s Symphony No. 3 – “Chamber” (1976), which was inspired by Dimitri Shostakovich’s death and is dedicated to his memory – is a clear example of unique understanding of national and world classical music reconciliation. Shostakovich’s artistic world, compositional thinking, structural solution, and thematic-intonation processing techniques all influenced the composition. At the same time, the “Chamber Symphony” is fascinating because, it transforms the way of thinking of Georgian soil.

This is not accidentally that Shaverzashvili’s the chamber-instrumental works reflect composer’s creative beliefs as well as significant compositional findings. String quartets (N 1 – 1945, N 2 – 1963, N 3 – 1976), piano quintet (1955), sonata for violin (1950), sonata for cello (1970), and other works, reflect the composer’s artistic world tha was guided by his lyrical, intellectual beginnings. String quartets (N 1 – 1945, N 2 – 1963, N 3 – 1976), piano quintet (1955), sonata for violin (1950), sonata for cello (1970), and other works, reflect the composer’s artistic world was guided by his lyrical, intellectual beginnings.

Alexsander Shaverzashvili’s creative life revealed that his composing genre was assosiated – in trio piano music (he is the author of 8 piano trios). This fact manifests and provides the best opportunity for him to express his artistic interests, the principles of composition, in a consistent way. On the other hand, Alexsander Shaverzashvili’s name is directly linked to the stages of development of the piano trio genre in Georgian professional music.

If the piano trio N 1 paved the way for Alexsander Shaverzashvili’s career, the piano trio N 8 (“liturgical,” dedicated to the memory of Sulkhan Tsintsadze, 1993) served as a kind of reconciliation of the author’s work. This work, along with the symphony written at the same period (N5, 1994), completes the composer’s creative adventure.

Musicologist
Tamar Tsulukidze
English Language Translator
Tamar Kharadze