Anatoly Liadov (1855-1914)

LIADOV, Anatoly Konstantinovich (b. 29 April [11 May] 1855, St. Petersburg; 15 [28] August 1914, estate of Polynovka, near the city of Borovichi, in today’s Novgorod district) — graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1878 in N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s composition class; in the middle of the 1870s became a member of the Balakirev Circle and in the 1880s—of the Beliaev Circle. From 1878 taught theory and composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory; from 1884, also taught at the Imperial Court Chapel. The greater portion of Liadov’s compositional output is in the area of secular music: works for orchestra, piano, and chamber ensembles, over 200 arrangements of folk songs for voice and piano and chorus of varying make-ups, which use melodies written down by folklore expeditions. In the area of sacred music Liadov composed only the cycle Desiat’ perelozheniy iz Obikhoda [Ten arrangements from the Common book], opus 61, using melodies of znamenny, Kievan, and other chants. In some of Liadov’s arrangements he makes use of counter-voice polyphony, characteristic of the Russian choral folk song; in others homophony and diatonic harmony prevail.

• Sheet Music Pieces
• Tracks