Alemdar Sabitovich Karamanov (September 10, 1934, Simferopol - May 3, 2007) was a composer, People's Artist of Ukraine (1994), winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize (2000), academician of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine (2005), twice winner of the State Prize of Crimea, honorary citizen of Crimea.
Life and work
Alemdar Karamanov was born in Simferopol on September 10, 1934. His father, Sabit Temel Kagirman (Karamanov is a Russified version of his father's surname), a Turk by nationality, was repressed in 1944 and exiled to Siberia, from where he never returned. His mother, Polina Serhiivna Velychko, a Ukrainian, worked as a library manager.
The Moscow period
He received his musical education at the Simferopol Music School (graduated in 1953) and the Moscow Conservatory, where he graduated as a composer (in the class of S. S. Bohatyrev) and pianist (in the class of V. A. Nathanson). From 1958 to 1963, he was a postgraduate student of D. Kabalevsky and T. Khrennikov.
This period was extremely fruitful in the composer's work: here he wrote 7 symphonies, the dramatic oratorio Lenin, two piano concertos, his ballet Komsomoliya was staged at the Bolshoi Theater, and his ballet Stronger than Love was staged in Leningrad.
In 1962-1964, Karamanov turned to the musical avant-garde, becoming close to such composers as Andrei Volkonsky, Alfred Schnittke, Edison Denisov, and Sofia Gubaidulina. Among the works of the avant-garde period are Music No. 1 and No. 2, the triptych Prologue. Thought. Epilogue", "Window on Music", "15 Concert Fugues" and others.
Simferopol period
After completing his postgraduate studies, Karamanov went through a severe creative crisis. This prompted him to return home to Simferopol for good. While still living in Moscow, Karamanov turned to faith and, upon his return to Simferopol, was baptized. From that moment on, the main idea of his work, according to him, was "musical religion." Almost completely abandoning the genres of piano and chamber music, Karamanov devoted himself entirely to symphonic and vocal-symphonic music.
Performance of the cycle "The Gospel is fulfilled" on the opening day of the XXI Sobinov Festival
In 1965-1966, he composed a cycle of four symphonies, "The Perfecting" (full title: "The Perfecting of the Glory of God in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ"). At the same time, Karamanov composed several vocal and symphonic works in the genre of Catholic religious music: Stabat Mater (1967) and Requiem (1971).
In 1968, the composer composed the Third Piano Concerto Ave Maria, in the 1970s he wrote another cycle of two symphonies called Et in amorem vivificantem (And in the love that gives life), and then the seventeenth symphony America.
In the second half of the 1970s, Karamanov created one of his most significant works, a cycle of six symphonies (from the 18th to the 23rd) called "To Be" based on the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse). Until his last days, the composer had plans for the seventh symphony of the "To Be" cycle - he wanted to call it "Nicholas to Krishna." According to the composer's plan, it was supposed to combine Christian and Hindu religious motifs.
His last years
After "To Be," Karamanov moves away from exclusively religious themes. He created several vivid works dedicated to his homeland, the Crimea. In 1983, he wrote the oratorio The Legend-Past of Ajimushkai and the 24th Symphony Ajimushkai, in 1992 he composed the Anthem of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and in 1994 he wrote the Mystery Chersonese, dedicated to the 2500th anniversary of Chersonese.
А. Karamanov rarely traveled outside of Simferopol. Thus, in 1991, he visited Czechoslovakia with his author's concerts, and in 1994 - London, where his "Stabat Mater" was performed for the first time. In England, a CD with his 20th and 23rd symphonies was released, and in Germany - with the 3rd Piano Concerto "Ave Maria" (soloist - P. Viardot) and the 3rd Symphony.
The last years of the composer's life were marked by unprecedented attention to his music - in 2006-2008 alone, 10 concerts were held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Krasnodar, Saratov and other cities, where the symphonic cycle "The Completion", "Requiem", the Second String Quartet, as well as "Stabat Mater", the piano concerto "Ave, Maria", symphonies from the cycle "To Be", and other works were performed. Karamanov's last (unfinished) work was the opera Chrysostom's Farewell, for which he wrote the libretto himself.
Alemdar Karamanov died on the night of May 2 to 3, 2007 in Simferopol.
Recognition.
Karamanov's music has been performed by about 30 conductors, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Antonio de Almeida, Vladimir Fedoseev, Fedor Glushchenko, Gennady Pravotorov, Eduard Gulbis, and others. The Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Crimean State Philharmonic and its conductor Oleksiy Gulyanytskyi also did much to popularize the work of their countryman.
Karamanov was awarded the high titles of People's Artist of Ukraine, winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize (2000), academician of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine (2005), twice winner of the State Prize of Crimea, and Honorary Citizen of Crimea. He was a member of the Union of Composers not only in Ukraine but also in Russia.
In 1996, the Alemdar Karamanov International Competition for Young Pianists was organized in Crimea. Over the years, more than 300 young pianists from 23 countries, including Russia, China, Japan, and South Korea, have participated in the competition. The competition's website offers piano works by the composer. The competition has a unique nomination - "Sounding Internet" - aimed at popularizing Karamanov's work. In 2000, the Alemdar Karamanov Charitable Foundation was established in Simferopol, through whose efforts several collections of the composer's piano works were published, and work is underway to publish the Complete Works.
Two PhD theses (in Moscow and Kharkiv) and dozens of diploma theses are devoted to the composer's work. When nominating Karamanov for the Taras Shevchenko National Prize, the National Union of Composers of Ukraine justified its decision as follows:
"Alemdar Karamanov is an outstanding composer of the twentieth century, whose work has gained worldwide recognition... The works submitted for the high prize are particularly bright, a true revelation of the musical culture of the late twentieth century. Music of this scale and spiritual concentration can and should resonate with people's hearts. This is a true national treasure that Ukraine can be rightfully proud of!"
The asteroid 4274 Karamanov, discovered in 1980 by the Crimean Observatory, is named after Karamanov.
List of works
musical and dramatic legend "The Fountain of Love" (1982);
ballets
"Komsomol" (co-authored with E. Krylatia, 1957),
"Stronger than Love" (1961);
vocal and symphonic works
"Stabat Mater (1967),
Requiem (1971),
symphony-cantata "Legend of Ajimushkai" (1954-1989),
cantata "Song of a Married Soldier" and 1963),
Anthem of the Crimean Autonomous Republic (1992),
Chersonese mystery (1994) and others;
for symphony orchestra
24 symphonies (1954-1984), including Symphony No. 17 "America" (1975), cycle of Symphonies No. 18-23 "To Be" (1976-80, after the Apocalypse),
Children's Suite,
4 poems,
4 overtures,
"Heroic Dances (1961);
instrumental concertos
3 concertos for piano and orchestra (1958, 1961, 1967),
2 concertos for violin and orchestra (1961, 1964);
"Oriental Capriccio" for violin and orchestra (1961);
Concerto for trumpet and jazz orchestra (1965);
chamber instrumental works
3 string quartets (1953, 1954, 1963);
for piano
4 sonatas (1953, 1955, 1960, 1961),
8 pieces "Seasons" (1954),
"Music (1962-1963),
16 children's pieces,
19 fugues and others;
vocal cycles
"African Songs (1962),
"A Crime in Granada" (lyrics by A. Machado, 1963),
"Stars" (coll. by S. Shchypachov, 1970) and others;
Other
Music for films - "Ordinary Fascism" (1965-1966), "Victory Strategy" (1985), etc,
Choirs
Music for theatrical performances
