Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Rozhdestvensky was the son of conductor Nikolai Anosov Rozhdestvensky and soprano Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya. A pupil at the Gnesin School of Music and the Moscow Conservatory school for children, he entered the Conservatory in 1941 to study conducting with his father and piano with Lev Oborin. While still at the Conservatory, Rozhdestvensky conducted Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker at the Bolshoi Theater. Following his graduation in 1954, he was appointed assistant conductor at the Bolshoi and in 1956 made his first visit to England with the Bolshoi Ballet. In 1961, Rozhdestvensky was named artistic director of the Soviet Radio Symphony Orchestra, remaining there until 1974. Three years later, he became Bolshoi's youngest principal conductor, remaining at that post until 1970. During the Soviet era, Rozhdestvensky programmed music by contemporary foreign composers, most likely alienating the Soviet musical establishment; nevertheless, as chief conductor and director of the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, he was allowed to lead performances of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Benjamin Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as works by Poulenc, Hindemith, Orff, and other composers that were new to Soviet audiences. He also revived the symphonies of Sergey Prokofiev, who was regarded with suspicion in Russia, having lived in America from 1918 to 1936. Only the most eminent and respected Russian musicians were allowed extensive foreign tours, and Rozhdestvensky visited many European countries, the U.S., and Japan. He also appeared several times in Britain, mainly with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and at Covent Garden. In 1971, he conducted the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in three Promenade Concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall. The following year, Rozhdestvensky became music director of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Artistic director of the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra from 1974-1977, he was principal conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1978 to 1981. His next post was principal conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, where he stayed until 1983. In 1982, he founded, and became chief conductor of, the State Symphony Orchestra of the Ministry of Culture in Moscow. In 1987, Rozhdestvensky started teaching conducting at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Sienna. The Stockholm Philharmonic hired him as conductor in 1991, and three years later he was appointed chairman of the Bolshoi's artistic committee. Rozhdestvensky maintained his reputation for adventurous programming in his many recordings and live performances. Known for his balanced and refined interpretations of Romantic and 20th century music, he premiered numerous 20th century works, including Denisov's Symphony for two string orchestras and percussion (dedicated to Rozhdestvensky), Buzko's White Nights, Shchedrin's Carmen Suite, Prokofiev's opera The Gambler, Schnittke's Symphony No. 2 "St. Florian" and Gerhard's Don Quixote. An enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers, Rozhdestvensky also performed works by Kancheli, Mirzoian, Organesian, and Skoryk. Rozhdestvensky's writings include Techniques of Orchestral Direction and Reflections on Music. He was married to Viktoria Postnikova, a pianist.
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Schnittke: Faust Cantata & Concerto Grosso No. 2
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan. 1, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Symphonic Orchestra of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater
Classical - Released by Infinity on May 21, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: Semyon Kotko Suite (Live)
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Dec. 2, 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges Suite, The Gambler Suite
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan. 1, 1970
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: The Tale of the Stone Flower, Op. 118
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan. 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Langgaard: The End of Time
Sacred Oratorios - Released by Chandos on Jan. 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musique russe pour fanfare
Stockholm Concert Band, Alf Nilsson, Solve Kingstedt, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Concertos - Released by Chandos on Mar. 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: Waltz Suite, The Steel Step Suite
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan. 1, 1967
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schoenberg: Pelleas and Melisande, Op. 5
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan. 1, 1973
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: The Tale of the Buffoon (Live)
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Apr. 20, 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nielsen: "Aladdin"
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Guido Paevatalu, Mette Ejsing, Danish National Radio Chamber Choir
Opera - Released by Chandos on Nov. 1, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: Egyptian Nights, On the Dnieper, Pushkiniana
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Leningrad Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jun. 18, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 (Live)
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan. 1, 1970
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tishchenko: Symphony No. 6 (Marina Tsvetayeva - Anna Akhmatova - Boris Ivanovich Tishchenko)
Classical - Released by Northern Flowers on Jan. 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto Nos. 1-3/Violin Concerto
Victoria Postnikova, Wiener Symphoniker, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Kyung Wha Chung, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 & Symphony No. 11
Classical - Released by Ica Classics on Sep. 23, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker by Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Bolshoi Theatre Children's Choir
Classical - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on May 10, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Piano Concerto Op.54; Cello Concerto Op.129
Martha Argerich, Mstislav Rostropovich, Orchestre Symphonique National de Washington, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 1981
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Famous Overtures
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan. 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Langgaard: Music of the Spheres & Four Tone Pictures
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Chandos on Mar. 1, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lumbye: Festival at Tivoli
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Nov. 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo