Tarnopolski Vladimir Grigoryevich, *30 April 1955 Dnipro, Russian composer. In 1973–78, he studied composition under N. Sidielnikova, instrumentation under E. Denisov and theory under Y. Kholopov at the Moscow Conservatory, where he completed his postgraduate studies in 1980 and was a professor of composition in 1992–2022. He has also lectured master courses in European countries and in the USA. He is one of the founders of the Association for Contemporary Music (1989), referring to the association active in the 1920s, and an organiser of the Russian section of MTMW (1993) and the Moscow Forum Festival (since 1994). In 1993, he also founded the ensemble “Studio for New Music,” which has performed works by contemporary Russian composers, and the Centre for Contemporary Music at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1991, he received the D. Shostakovich Prize and the P. Hindemith Prize. The composer has lived in Munich since 2022 and is a visiting professor at the local Hochschule fùr Musik und Theater.
Tarnopolski’s first compositional success was the performance of the Cello Concerto in 1982 under the direction of G. Rozhdestvensky (to whom the piece is dedicated). A characteristic feature of Tarnopolski’s work is the use of musical quotes, parody, and grotesque, typical of postmodernism, e.g. Dmitri Shostakovich’s Music in Memory is a collage of over 110 musical quotes, while Tri gracii (to a libretto compiled from C.M. Weber’s autobiography) is a parody of traditional opera. In his latest operatic works, Tarnopolski presents original themes. In the opera Wenn die Zeit… after A. Chekhov, the action of which takes place on three time planes – past, present and future – he draws attention to the universality of human fate, while in the theme of Jenseits der Schatten, he refers to the story of the cave described by Plato in the dialogue The Republic.
Literature: V. Tsenova The „Culturology” of V. Tarnopolski, in: Underground Music from the Former USSR, ed. V. Tsenowa, transl. from Russian by R. Kohanovskaya, Amsterdam 1997; S. Stahr Wenn die Zeit über die Ufer tritt, “Münchener Biennale” 1999; S.I. Sawienko W. Tarnopolski: woschożdienije k zriełosti, in: Muzyka Rossii, collective work, Moscow 2004; A. Trietjakowa W. Tarnopolskij. Koncepty zwuka i słowa. Na primierie proizwiedienij rubieża XX i XX ww., London 2012.
Instrumental:
Symphonic Prologue, 1978
Cello Concerto, 1980
Symphony, 1982
Jesus, Your Deep Wounds, choral prelude for string trio, percussion and ensemble, 1987
Eindruck-Ausdruck for piano, 1989; 2nd version for piano and large ensemble, 1992; 3rd version for piano, flute, clarinet and string trio, 1996
Echoes of the Passing Day for clarinet trio, cello and piano, 1990, Polish premiere at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 2004
Per archi (in memoriam Luigi Nono) for percussion quartet, 1990
Cassandra for large ensemble, 1991
O, Pärt – Op Art for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano, 1992
Welt voll Irrsinn for large ensemble, lyrics by K. Schwitters, 1993, Polish premiere at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1995
The Breath of the Exhausted Time for orchestra, 1994
…Le vent des mots qu’il n’a pas dits for cello and orchestra, 1996, premiere at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1996
Feux follets for orchestra, 2003
Foucault’s Pendulum for orchestra, 2004
Eastanbul for large instrumental ensemble, 2008
Last and Lost for chamber ensemble, 2010
Redshift for orchestra and electronic media, 2013
Tabula Russia for orchestra, 2015
Blue Shift for orchestra, 2017
Perpetuum Moebius for flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano, 2017
Be@thoven – Invocation for orchestra, piece inspired by Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major by L. van Beethoven, 2017
Study of Breath for cello solo, 2018
Over Drive for instrumental ensemble, 2020
One Hundred Days of Solitude for viola solo, 2020, also, version for violin solo
Last Sunset for soprano saxophone, NASAs recording of the sound of Earth and electronics, 2021
Antique Music Box from Kartvelia for flute and piano, 2022
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist: 2022. Variationen über einen Choral von Bach for instrumental ensemble, 2022
Out of Step. Out of Time for piano, 2023
Vocal-instrumental:
Upon Reading Mussorgsky’s Draft Notebooks for choir, voices solo, reciter and chamber orchestra, 1978
Music in Memory of Dmitry Shostakovich, collage for a reciter and chamber orchestra, lyrics A. Akhmatova, M. Matussovsky, A. Mezhirov, J. Patterson, 1983
Psalmus poenitentialis, concerto for choir, violin solo, organ and percussion, text Psalm 31, 1986
Brooklyn Bridge, or My Discovery of America, cantata for soprano, tenor and orchestra, lyrics V. Mayakovsky, 1988; 2nd version for large ensemble
Landschaft nach der Schlacht for baritone, male choir ad libitum and large ensemble, lyrics R.M. Rilke, 1995
Szenen aus dem wirklichen Leben for soprano, flute, horn and piano, lyrics E. Jandl, 1995
Chevengur for soprano and chamber ensemble, lyrics A. Platonov, 2001
Study of a Girl Reading Pavese for soprano and instrumental ensemble, lyrics C. Pavese, 2015
Scattered Words for soprano and piano, lyrics B. Pasternak, 2016
Scenic:
Tri gracii [Three Graces], opera-parody, libretto based on an autobiography of C.M. Weber, 1987, concert premiere in Leningrad 1988
Ah, ces russes… ou l’Elexir Magic, music farce, libretto I. Maslennikova, 1993, staged in Evian 1993
Ins Theater, ballet for 3 voice groups (children, women, men), orchestra and dancers, text E. Jandl, 1998, staged in Amsterdam 1998
Wenn die Zeit über die Ufer tritt, opera, libretto R.G. Mohnnau after A. Chekhov, 1999, staged in Munich 1999
Cinderella, scenic cantata for 6 reciters, children’s choir, children’s orchestra and chamber orchestra, libretto D. Sturrock after R. Dahl, 2003, staged in London 2003
Jenseits der Schatten, multimedia opera, libretto R.G. Mohnnau after Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, F. Nietzsche and others, staged in Bonn 2006
