Sergei Nikiforovich Vasilenko (Russian: Серге́й Никифорович Василенко, Sergej Nikiforovič Vasilenko; 30 March 1872 [O.S. 18 March] – 11 March 1956) was a Russian and Soviet composer, conductor and music teacher whose compositions showed a strong tendency towards mysticism.[1]
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Vasilenko was born in Moscow and originally studied law at Moscow State University, but then changed direction and studied at the Moscow Conservatory from 1896 to 1901 as a pupil of Sergei Taneyev and Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov.[2] From 1903 to 1904 he was the conductor of a private opera house in Moscow.[3] For several years he was the organiser and conductor of the Historic Concerts of the Russian Musical Society. He then became a Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, where his students included Aram Khachaturian, Nikolai Roslavets, Nikolai Rakov and Aarre Merikanto.[4]
Vasilenko was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour as well as the title People's Artist of the RSFSR. In 1947, he was awarded the Stalin Prize.[5] He died in Moscow in 1956.
Opera
- Skazaniye o grade velikom Kitezhe i tikhom ozere Svetoyare (Tale of the Great City of Kitezh and the Quiet Lake Svetoyar) (1902; originally a cantata, Op. 5)[6]
- Sïn solntsa (The Son of the Sun), Op. 63 (1929)
- Khristofor Kolumb (Christopher Columbus), Op. 80 (1933)
- Buran (The Snow Storm), Op. 98 (1939)[7]
- Velikiy kanal (The Grand Canal), Op. 101 (1939)
- Suvorov, Op. 102 (1942)
Ballet
- In the Rays of the Sun, Op. 17 (1925–26)
- Noya, Op. 42 (1923)
- Joseph the Handsome, Op. 50 (1925)
- Lola, Op. 52 (1926)
- The Gypsies, Op. 90 (1936; after Alexander Pushkin)
- The Frog Princess, Op. 103 (1941)
- Mirandolina
Choral
- Cantata Legend of the Great City of Kitezh and the Quiet Lake Svetoyar, Op, 5 (later turned into an opera that anticipated Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's work on the same subject)
- Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution, Op. 92 (1937)
Orchestral
- Three Bloody Battles, Op. 1 (1900)
- Epic Poem, Op. 4 (1900–03)
- Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 10 (1904–06)
- The Garden of Death, symphonic poem after Oscar Wilde, Op. 13 (1907–08)
- Sappho, symphonic poem, Op. 14 (1909)
- Flight of the Witches, symphonic poem, Op. 15 (1908–09)
- Au soleil, symphonic poem, Op. 17
- Fantastic Waltz, Op. 18 (1912)
- Symphony No. 2 in F major, Op. 22
- Suite on lute music of the 14th to 17th centuries, Op. 24 (1914)
- Zodiac, suite on French themes of the 18th century, Op. 27 (1914)
- Exotic Suite, Op. 29 (1915–16)
- Indian Suite, Op. 42bis
- Chinese Suite, No. 1, Op. 60 (1928)
- Turkmenian Suite, Op. 68 (1931)
- Chinese Suite, No. 2, Op. 70 (1931)
- Merry-go-round, 8 Soviet dances, Op. 73 (1932)
- The Soviet East, suite, Op. 75 (1932)
- Red Army Rhapsody, Op. 77 (1932)
- film music for Boris Barnet's Outskirts (1933)
- Slavonic Rhapsody (1937)
Concertante
- Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 25 (1910–13)
- Concerto for symphony orchestra and brass band (1928)
- Suite on Russian Folk Themes, balalaika and accordion (1928)
- Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, Op. 113
- Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor, Op. 128
Chamber
- String Quartet in A, Op. 3 (c. 1901)
- Sonata in D minor for viola and piano, Op. 46 (1923); version for violin and piano (1955)
- String Quartet in E minor, Op. 58 (c. 1928)
- Quartet on Turkmenian Themes, for flute, oboe (English horn), clarinet, bassoon and percussion ad lib., Op. 65 (1932)
- Piano Trio in A, Op. 74 (1932)
- Japanese Suite for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, xylophone and piano, Op. 66a (1938)
- Chinese Sketches, woodwind, Op. 78 (1938)
- Quartet on American Themes, woodwind, Op. 79 (1938)
Military band
- March of the Red Army, Op. 64 (1929)
- Fantasy on Revolutionary Songs of the West, Op. 71 (1931)
Other
- songs (including settings of Māori, Sinhalese, Indian and Japanese tunes)
- folksong arrangements (including Negro and Turkmenian melodies)
- piano pieces
- Sergei Vasilenko: Viola and Piano Music (Complete) - Viola Sonata, Op. 46 / Lullaby / 4 Pieces on Themes of Lute Music of the 16-17th Centuries, Op. 35 / Sleeping River / Oriental Dance, Op. 47 / Suite Zodiakus I.A.S, Op. 27 / 4 Pieces (1953) - Elena Artamonova (viola) and Nicholas Walker (piano). Toccata Classics TOCC0127, released 2011
- "The Russian Connection" - Hexagon Ensemble. Etcetera Records KTC1246, released 2001 - includes Sergei Vasilenko: Quartet on Turkmenian Themes Op.65
- Imperial Moscow University: 1755-1917: encyclopedic dictionary. Moscow: Russian political encyclopedia (ROSSPEN). 2010. pp. 114–115. ISBN 978-5-8243-1429-8.
- A. Eaglefield-Hull (ed), A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924)
- Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. (1954)
