Kancheli Giya A., *10 August 1935 Tbilisi, †2 October 2019 Tbilisi, Georgian composer. In 1958, he completed geological studies at the university and in 1963, he graduated from composition with I. Tuskia at the Tbilisi Conservatory. From 1970, he taught instrumentalization and composition at the conservatory, and from 1971, he was a musical director of Shota Rustaveli Theatre in Tbilisi. In 1976, he received a State Award for Symphony No. 4 “In memoriam Michelangelo.” In 1984, he became the chairman of the Union of Composers of Georgia. From 1991, he was in Berlin, and in 1995 he settled permanently in Antwerp, where in 1995–96, he was composer-in-residence of the Koninklijk Filharmonisch Orkest van Vlaanderen. In 2008, he received the Wolf Foundation Prize in the Arts. In 2017, a documentary film dedicated to the composer was made entitled Giya Kancheli. Angels of Sorrow, directed by T. Jorbenadze.
In Kancheli’s compositional achievements, his symphonic works are of the highest rank. Vocal and instrumental forms also occupy an important place (the opera Music for the Living and the vocal-symphonic fresco Light Sorrow). Various traditions, distant in time, influenced the formation of Kancheli’s original musical style. One of the most important was the tradition of Georgian folk music and orthodox church music, especially polyphonic choral singing with its ascetic second-long progressions of the melodic line and long-held sounds. Kancheli did not include quotations of this music in his works but tried to express moods and states of contemplation, sublimity and joy, characteristic of old ritual songs. The tradition of 20th-century Russian symphony had a significant influence on Kancheli’s work, visible both in terms of form and compositional technique, as well as colour scheme. His symphonies, like those of other contemporary Georgian composers, are suite-like works in which elements of polyphony, dance and march intertwine into one whole. The ostinato technique appearing in them proves that they were inspired by Stravinsky’s music. Kancheli’s ostinato forms, as well as the presence of long notes in the bass, can also be explained by the composer’s interest in the music of Bach and Handel, while Kancheli’s fascination with jazz music combined with the colourful old-town folklore of Tbilisi was expressed in the musical Khanuma. In works devoted to Kancheli’s music, researchers point to one very characteristic feature of it, namely its imagery. The composer “paints” soundscapes in which lyrical and contemplative sections are sharply contrasted with fortissimo parts, with great sound saturation. The analogy of composing with the creation of a painting or a film is very strong in Kanczeli’s music. Kanczeli’s aesthetics are distinguished by conveying symbolic content through music, affecting the sphere of emotions. His works are also subject to the rigour of a concise formal structure.
Although Kancheli’s music was already known to audiences outside the Soviet Union, it was only during perestroika that his work gained wide global resonance. Orders to write works were directed to the composer by, among others, Beigler Trust and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (Night Prayers) Holland Festival (Abii ne viderem), Orchester ser Beethovenhalle Bonn (Trauerfarbenes Land), New York Philharmonic (And Farewell Goes Out Sighing…), Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra of Antwerp (Simi) and many other institutions and orchestras. Kanczeli’s compositions have been performed by world-famous instrumentalists, conductors and orchestral groups (including M. Rostropowicz, G. Kremer and Kremerata Baltica, D.R. Davies and Sinfonieorchester Basel, M. Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Kronos Quartet). Many recordings of his works were released by ECM Records.
Kanczeli’s compositional style is distinguished by the expression of deep spirituality, visible in both vocal-instrumental (Evening Prayers) and instrumental works (Night Prayers, Silent Prayer). Musicological literature emphasises the connection of his work with the European version of minimalism, called ‘spiritual minimalism,’ and the New Spirituality trend. In some of Kancheli’s works, he dealt with committed themes (including Light Sorrow, a work dedicated to all children who were victims of wars, and Angels of Sorrow, a composition dedicated to M. Khodorkovsky and all victims of violence and despotism).
Literature: A. Ashby Composer in Interview: Giya Kancheli, “Tempo” No. 211, 2000; N. Zejfas Gija Kanczeli w diałogach s Nataliej Zejfas, Moscow 2005; B. Bajachunow Iskusstwo, bogatoje tałantami, J. Jewdokimowa Wtoraja simfonija Giji Kanczelego, “Sowietskaja Muzyka” 1971 No. 6, 1972 No. 3; A. Terterian Gija Kanczeli. Muzyka riespublik Zakawkazja, Tbilisi 1975; I. Barsowa Muzykalnaja dramaturgija czetwiortoj simfoniji Giji Kanczelego, “Muzykalnyj sowriemiennik”, Moscow 1984; N. Zejfas Gija Kanczeli. Sylwetka kompozytora, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1987 No. 19; I. Moody Giya Kancheli. An Introduction to his Music, “Tempo” No. 173, 1990; N. Zejfas Piesnopienija. O muzykie Giji Kanczelego, Moscow 1991; H.-U. Duffek Spirituality in the Music of Sofia Gubaidulina and Giya Kancheli and K. Droba Spotkania z Giją Kanczelim, in: Duchowość Europy Środkowej i Wschodniej w muzyce końca XX wieku, ed. K. Droba, T. Malecka, K. Szwajgier, Kraków 2004; J.-L. Caron Giya Kancheli (1935–2019). Les méditations musicales d’un sage, Paris 2023.
Instrumental:
Quartet for woodwind instruments, 1961
Concerto for orchestra, 1962
Allegro for string orchestra, piano and timpani, 1963
Largo for string orchestra, piano and timpani, 1963
Symphony No. 1, 1967
Symphony No. 2 “Piesnopienija”, 1970
Symphony No. 3, 1973
Symphony No. 4 “In memoria di Michelangelo”, 1974
Symphony No. 5, 1977
Symphony No. 6, 1980, Polish performance Warsaw Autumn 1986
Symphony No. 7 “Epilogue”, 1986
Mourned by the Wind, a liturgy for orchestra and viola solo, 1989; also a version for orchestra and cello solo, 1996
Life without Christmas, cycle, 1990–92/1995, Polish performance Warsaw Autumn 1995: 1. Morning Prayers for chamber orchestra and tape, 1990; 2. Midday Prayers for boy’s voice, clarinet and chamber orchestra, liturgical text in Latin, 1991; 3. Evening Prayers for female choir and chamber orchestra, 1991; 4. Night Prayers for string quartet and tape, 1992, also version for soprano saxophone, string orchestra and tape, 1994, and for clarinet, string orchestra and tape, 2018
Abii ne viderem for string orchestra, viola flute, piano and bass guitar, 1992; also version for string orchestra, piano, bass guitar and viola solo, 1993
Noch einen Schritt… for orchestra and tape, 1992
Wingless for orchestra, 1993
Trauerfarbenes Land for orchestra, 1994
Magnum ignotum for chamber ensemble and tape, 1994
Nach dem Weinen for cello, 1994
V & V for violin, string orchestra and tape, 1994
Simi for cello and orchestra, 1995
…à la Duduki for brass instruments and orchestra, 1995
Rag-Gidon-Time for violin and piano, 1995; also versions for: string trio, 1999, violin and string orchestra, 2000, 2 violins and string orchestra, 2018, clarinet and piano, 2018
Instead of a Tango for violin, bandoneon, piano and string bass, 1996; also versions for: piano, 1998, piano trio, 2012, orchestra, 2017
Time and Again for violin and piano, 1996; also version for string trio, 1998
Valse Boston for piano and string orchestra, 1996, Polish performance Warsaw Autumn 1997; also version for piano, obbligato violin and string orchestra, 2000
In l’istesso tempo for piano quartet, 1997
Sio for string orchestra, piano and percussion, 1998
Childhood Revisited for oboe, piano, bass guitar and string orchestra, 1998
Rokwa for orchestra, 1999
…al Niente for orchestra, 2000
Ergo for orchestra, 2000
A Little Daneliade for violin, piano, string orchestra and percussion ad libitum, 2000; also a version for piano quintet, 2018
Fingerprints for orchestra, 2002
Warzone for orchestra, 2002
Lonesome for violin and orchestra, 2002
Twilight for 2 violins (or violin and viola) and string orchestra (with synthesiser), 2004
Ex Contrario for 2 violins, string orchestra, keyboard (sampler), bass guitar and CD, 2006; also version for violin, cello, string orchestra, keyboard, bass guitar and CD, 2010
Kápote for accordion, percussion, bass guitar and string orchestra, 2006, Polish performance Warsaw Autumn 2007
Silent Prayer for violin, cello, vibraphone, bass guitar, string orchestra and tape (CD), 2007; also version for violin, viola, vibraphone, bass guitar, string orchestra and tape (CD), 2011
Broken Chant for violin, oboe and orchestra, 2007
Ninna Nanna per Anna for flute and string quartet, 2008; also versions for: flute and string orchestra, 2010, flute and piano, 2018, clarinet and piano, 2018, clarinet and string quartet, 2018
Chiaroscuro for string quartet, 2010
Brücken zu Bach for violin, flute, oboe, vibraphone, piano and string orchestra, 2010; also version for violin, vibraphone, piano and string orchestra, 2010
Chiaroscuro for violin (interchangeably with viola) or viola and chamber orchestra, or for violin and chamber orchestra, 2011 (using material from Chiaroscuro for string quartet)
Ilori for saxophone quartet and orchestra, 2011
Lingering for orchestra, 2012
Woodwind Quintet, 2013
Nu.Mu.Zu for orchestra, 2015
Middelheim for piano trio and string orchestra, 2018 (using the material of String Trio from 2016)
T.S.D. for cello and orchestra, 2018
Vocal-instrumental:
Light Sorrow for 2 boys’ voices, boys’ choir and orchestra, lyrics G. Tabidze, J.W. Goethe, W. Shakespeare, A. Pushkin, 1985, Polish performance Warsaw Autumn 1991
Exil for soprano, flute, viola, violin, viola, cello, string bass, synthesiser and tape, Psalm XXIII, P. Celan, H. Sahl, 1994
Caris mere for soprano and viola, liturgical text in Latin, 1994
Lament for violin, soprano and orchestra, lyrics H. Sahl, 1994
Diplipito for counter-tenor, cello and chamber orchestra, 1997
And Farewell Goes Out Sighing… for counter-tenor, violin and orchestra, 1999
Styx for viola, mixed choir and orchestra to various text in Georgian and English, 1999; also a version for violin, mixed choir and orchestra, 2007
Don’t Grieve for baritone and orchestra, lyrics B. Pasternak, G. Byron, O. Mandelstam, D. Thomas, R.M. Rilke, W. Shakespeare, F. Tyutchev, W.H. Auden, J. Brodsky, also lyrics by the composer and an anonymous text, 2001
Little Imber for solo voice, boys’ choir, male choir and chamber ensemble, to liturgical and old-Georgian texts, 2003
Amao Omi for mixed choir and saxophone quartet, phonetic text, 2005
Lulling the Sun for mixed choir and percussion, text: the word “sun” in 27 languages, 2008
Dixi for mixed choir and orchestra, lyrics by the composer, 2009
Angels of Sorrow for violin, cello, children’s choir and chamber orchestra, lyrics by the composer, 2013
Deda Ena for soprano, children’s choir and chamber orchestra, 2017
Scenic:
Music for the Living, opera, libretto by R. Sturua, 1982–84/1999, staged in Tbilisi 1984
musicals, including Khanuma, libretto by A. Tsagareli, staged in Odessa 1973
music to around 40 theatre plays and over 40 films
