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.
© TiVo
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Glazunov: Tsar Iudeyskiy (The King of the Jews), Op. 95
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Symphonic Cappella
Sacred Oratorios - Released by Chandos on Jun 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mussorgsky: The Nursery - Schnittke: In Memoriam (Live)
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Irina Muratova
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan 1, 2017
24-Bit 176.4 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique & Le Corsaire
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Jan 1, 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Howells: Stabat Mater
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, London Symphony Orchestra, Neill Archer, London Symphony Chorus
Masses, Passions, Requiems - Released by Chandos on Oct 1, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Violin Concertos, Op. 77 - Shostakovich: Violin Concertos, Op. 129
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, The Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Philharmonic Society
Classical - Released by Denon on Jan 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Howells: Missa Sabrinensis
Masses, Passions, Requiems - Released by Chandos on Mar 1, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schnittke: Orchestral Works
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Mar 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Börtz: Sinfonia No. 1, Sinfonia No. 7, Parados & Strindberg Suite for Orchestra
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Jun 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 'Pastorale'
Classical - Released by Pipeline Music on Jun 7, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 - Janáček: Taras Bulba (Live)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by Ica Classics on Jan 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grieg: Orchestral Works
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Solveig Kringelborn
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Oct 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Carlo Maria Giulini, Lorin Maazel, Neeme Järvi, Oliver Knussen, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russian Avant-Garde Music (Live)
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Jan 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russia Symphonic Poem
Classical - Released by Digital Music Group, Inc. on Nov 9, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Strauss: Waltzes, Polka-Galop, Symphonic Miniature
All - Union Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by World Classical Music Digital on Feb 15, 1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Violinkonzert Brahms
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, David Oïstrakh, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on May 30, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Violin Concerto Brahms
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, David Oïstrakh, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on May 30, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms, Beethoven & Liszt: Piano Works (Live)
Van Cliburn, All Union Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by Russian Compact Disc on Oct 21, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concierto para Violín Brahms
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, David Oïstrakh, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on May 30, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, Marche Slave
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, London Symphony Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by LSO Live on Jan 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns: The Carnival of the Animals, R. 125 - Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 (Remastered 2023)
Nikolay Litvinov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra, karl Eliasberg, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by Russian Compact Disc on Sep 30, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo