Nicolai Berezowsky

Nicolai Tikhonovich Berezowsky (May 17, 1900 – August 27, 1953) was a Russian-born American violinist and composer.

He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on May 17, 1900, graduating from the Imperial Capella with honors when he was sixteen. As a young boy singer in the chapel choir, he recalled singing for the Tsar's family and Rasputin. He tells in the book Duet with Nicky of how the choirboys would tear pages from their hymnals to make spit-balls which they would aim at Rasputin. He later served as musical director of the School of Modern Art in Moscow and as first violinist at the Moscow Grand Opera. In 1922, he made a harrowing escape from the Soviet Union in disguise, only to be arrested in Poland, but was released by an official who remembered hearing him perform. Once settled in New York, Berezowsky attended the Juilliard School of Music, studying under Paul Kochanski and Rubin Goldmark. He was first violinist with the New York Philharmonic for the first seven years of his U.S. residence. He played in the Coolidge String Quartet from 1935-1940. He was a protege of Serge Koussevitzky, who premiered his symphonies to great acclaim.

According to a contemporary and friend, Lucile Lawrence, Berezowsky's music was very popular in his lifetime and he was at that time a better-known figure than Aaron Copland.

He married Alice Newman, a notable pianist, who later published a memoir, "Duet with Nicky" about their early years together (Lippincott). His second wife was Judith Berezowsky. He died on August 27, 1953 in New York.

Among Berezowsky's works are an opera, Prince Batrak, two symphonies, concertos for harp, violin and 'cello, and many diverse works of chamber music. His recordings include an LP set of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, which he conducted. He enjoyed a great success with his children's opera Babar, and his oratorio Gilgamesh. His Concerto for Harp was commissioned by Edna Phillips, who gave the premiere with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and performed by Carlos Salzedo with the National Orchestra Association under Leon Barzin with an original cadenza by Salzedo, included in the edition published by Theodore Presser. It was not performed again until performances by Saul Davis Zlatkovski in recital and with the St. Paul J.C.C. Symphony Orchestra under James Riccardo in 1990.

Works

• Christmas Festival Overture (Ukrainian Noel) (1943)
• Soldiers on the Town (1943)
• Fantasy (piano duo and orchestra)(1944)
• Sextet Concerto (1951)
• Suite No. 2 (woodwind quintet)^[1]
• Clarinet Concerto, Op. 28
• Concerto Lirico for cello and orchestra, Op. 19
• Suite Hebraique, Op. 3, orchestra
• Symphony No. 1, Op. 12
• Symphony No. 2, Op. 18
• Symphony No. 3 , Op. 21
• Symphony No. 4, Op. 29
• Toccata, Variations, and Finale, Ip. 23
• Violin Concerto, Op. 14^[2]
• Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 31
• Gilgamesh: Cantata for Narrator, Solo Voices, Mixed Chorus and Orchestra
• Introduction and Allegro, Op. 8 for Small Orchestra
• Sinfonietta, Op. 17

^[3]

Sources

• New York Times obituary, published August 28, 1953
• Note from the published edition of his Brass Suite for Seven Instruments, Op. 24

References

1. ^ [www.boosey.com]
2. ^ [www.presser.com]
3. ^ www.schirmer.com Schirmer's Berezovsky works for ensembles

External links

• Nicolai Berezowsky scores (the composer's manuscripts, including unpublished works) in the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Persondata
Name	Berezovsky, Nikolay
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1900
Place of birth
Date of death	1953
Place of death