Lev Markiz
Lev Markiz began his career as a virtuoso violinist, but like many talented soloists, gradually turned toward conducting. In both roles he has enjoyed much success, though he will likely be remembered as a conductor first. He was a friend of both Shostakovich and Schnittke, two composers with whose music he is closely identified. Markiz' choice of repertory, however, extends well beyond the sphere occupied by these two icons, as it takes in the disparate likes of Mozart, Bloch, Mendelssohn, Elgar, Schumann, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and many others. Markiz has focused largely on music for chamber orchestras (often, too, in works scored for strings only) and has made nearly 100 recordings over the years. Many of these were first issued on the Russian label Melodiya, though since 1981 his recordings have appeared on BIS, Globe, Brilliant Classics, and others.
Markiz was born in Moscow. His first advanced studies were at the Moscow Conservatory, where his most important teachers were pianist Maria Yudina, who instructed him in chamber music performance, and Yuri Yankelevich, who taught him on violin. Markiz later studied conducting with Kiril Kondrashin.
From 1955 to 1964 Markiz served as concertmaster for the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. After his departure from this post he founded his own ensemble, the Moscow Soloists. This spirited Markiz-led group quickly drew attention at home and abroad, and around 70 recordings of theirs would be issued over the next decade and a half on the Melodiya label in considerably varied repertory.
In 1981 Markiz emigrated to the Netherlands, where he has since lived. He immediately began to freelance as a conductor with a number of orchestras there, elsewhere in Europe, and in Canada and Israel. In 1988 he was appointed principal conductor of the Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, another group with whom he made a number of recordings. Among their more important recording projects was a 1993 complete set of the Mendelssohn string symphonies on the BIS label.
In 1997 Markiz left his post with the Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, but continued to conduct and record with the group. That same year he accepted the appointment of chief conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Geneva. In the new century Markiz was active as a guest conductor throughout the Netherlands, Europe, and overseas. Among Markiz's later recordings is a 2004 release on Challenge Classics of Shostakovich's chamber symphonies.
© TiVo
-
Schnittke: Concerto Grosso I / Oboe and Harp Concerto / Piano Concerto
New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: The Complete Solo Concertos
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ouvres pour violoncelle et orchestre
Natalia Shakhovskaya, Unknown Artist, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Lev Markiz, Kirill Kondrashin
Classical - Released by Russian Compact Disc on Oct 4, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos
Ronald Brautigam, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Complete String Symphonies Nos. 1-12
Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphony No. 33, K. 319; Divertimento No. 17, K. 334/320b
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by Reader's Digest on Oct 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart Divertimento KV 138
Classical - Released by Best Buy Classical on Mar 24, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Denisov: Chamber Music
Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Nov 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schnittke: In Memoriam / Viola Concerto
Nobuko Imai, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Oct 31, 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hadyn Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra No. 1
Classical - Released by Best Buy Classical on May 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos
Classical - Released by BIS on Nov 30, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn, F.: The Complete String Symphonies - Vol. 1
Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Jul 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schnittke: Gogol Suite / Labyrinths
Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hindemith: Cello Music
Torleif Thedéen, Roland Pöntinen, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Mar 31, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bloch: Symphony in C-Sharp Minor / Schelomo
Torleif Thedéen, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 31, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn, Felix: Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra
Classical - Released by BIS on Feb 28, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Concertos for Two Pianos
Love Derwinger, Roland Pöntinen, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Jan 31, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 2 / Concerto Grosso No. 2
Torleif Thedéen, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on May 31, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Complete String Symphonies (The), Vol. 4
Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Mar 31, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann / Elgar: Cello Concertos
Torleif Thedéen, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Aug 31, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: String Quartet in D Minor / Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor
Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz
Classical - Released by BIS on Mar 31, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo