Soloviev-Sedoy, Vasili (Pavlovich)
Soloviev-Sedoy, Vasili (Pavlovich)
Soloviev-Sedoy, Vasili (Pavlovich), Russian composer; b. St. Petersburg, April 25, 1907; d. Moscow, Dec. 2, 1979. He learned to play the balalaika, guitar, and piano before pursuing studies at the Mussorgsky Music School (1929–31) and the Leningrad Cons. (1931–36). He was active as a pianist, playing improvisations on the radio and accompanying exercises in the Leningrad Studio of Creative Gymnastics. During World War II, he organized a series of theatrical productions for the Soviet army. He was a member of the Supreme Soviet in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th congresses. In 1975 he was awarded the order of Hero of Socialist Labor. He was regarded in Russia as one of the most expert composers of Soviet songs, some of which acquired immense popularity; one of them, Evenings at Moscow, became a musical signature of daily news broadcasts on the Soviet radio. In all, he wrote over 700 songs. He was able to synthesize the melos of Russian folk songs with revolutionary ballads and marching rhythms. His other works include an opera, several operettas, the ballet Taras Bulba (Leningrad, Dec. 12, 1940; rev. 1953), a few orch. pieces, film scores, and piano music.
Bibliography
A. Sokhor, V.P. S.-S.(Leningrad and Moscow, 1952; second ed., 1967); Yu. Kremlyov, V.P. S.-S. ocherk zhizni i tvorchestva (V.P. S.-S.: Outline of His Life and Work; Leningrad, I960).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire