Balanchivadze Andria
Andria Balanchivadze (b. June 1, 1906, St. Petersburg — d. April 28, 1992, Tbilisi) was a Georgian composer, teacher, public figure, People's Artist of Georgia (1957) and USSR (1968).
Balanchivadze was one of the founders of the new Georgian school of composition. He was the son of composer Meliton Balanchivadze.
He first started studying music in St. Petersburg, and then continued at the music school founded by his father in Kutaisi in 1918. In 1927, he graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, majoring in piano (class of I. Aisberg) and composition (class of M. Ippolitov-Ivanov). In 1927-1931, he was sent to the Leningrad Conservatory (Saint Petersburg Conservatory at present), where he continued his studies under the guidance of Professor A. Zhitomirsky (composition) and M. Yudina (piano).
Balanchivadze became a public figure while he was still a student. In 1925-1927, he worked as a director of the musical section of the Tbilisi Youth Theatre, in 1931-1933 — at the theatre established by K. Marjanishvili (present day Marjanishvili Theatre), in 1935-1937 — at the musical Rabfak. From 1937, he was a teacher at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and led the composition class (he became a professor in 1940). In 1941-1949, he was the artistic director of the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra, a member of the board and chairman of the creative and opera-symphonic sections of the Georgian Composers Union (1932), in 1953-1961 and in 1968-1973 he was the chairman of the board, in 1973-1979 — the honorary chairman. In 1957-1991, he was a member of the board of the Union of Soviet Composers.
Balanchivadze is credited with shaping many genres of Georgian music. He is the author of the first Georgian ballet Mzechabuki (The Heart of the Mountains), which was first staged in 1936 at the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi (choreographer – V. Chabukiani, conductor – E. Mikeladze). The final version of the ballet, under the name The Heart of the Mountains, was presented for the first time by the troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theater of Leningrad in 1938. The Heart of the Mountains was also staged in other cities and was recognized as an innovative, landmark work of musical and choreographic art.
Balanchivadze is the author of two more ballets: The Book of Life (staged at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1961, choreographer - L. Lavrovsky) and The Novice (based on the poem by M. Lermontov, staged at the Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi in 1964, choreographer – R. Tsulukidze); As well as the operas Mzia (staged in 1949) and Golden Wedding (1970, both at the Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi).
Balachivadze is one of the founders of the genre of Georgian symphonic and piano music. His first symphony (1944; Stalin Prize, 1946) was recognized as an innovative event, which left an important mark on the development of national symphonic music. In the symphony, national-folk origins are skillfully combined with classical and modern symphonic forms. Out of Balanchivadze's four piano concerts (Shota Rustaveli Prize, 1969), the third one is especially popular, which depicts the world of children and is intended for young performers.
Balanchivadze's symphonies: Lake Ritsa (1941), Battle of Krtsanisi (1943), Dnieper (1954), Sea (1955), String Quartet (1987) are also worth mentioning, as well as many piano pieces, including Nocturne, Samaia, Fresco, Rhapsody, Romantic Cycle, Sonata and others; He wrote music for following plays: Oleko Dundich (1942), The Heroes of Krtsanisi (1943), Cyrano de Bergerac (1944), King Lear (1948), The First Step (1948) — staged at the Shota Rustaveli Theatre. And for the plays: Arsena's Poem, Sami Bghendzi, Shine Stars (all 1931), Shoreuli (1936), Trees Die on Their Feet (1956), Caesar and Cleopatra (1960) staged at the Marjanishvili Theatre, as well as for plays and movies of theaters of Kutaisi, Telavi, Yerevan [Arshaula, the first Georgian sound film (director D. Rondel, 1935), Lost Paradise (director D. Rondel, 1937), Homeland (director N. Shengelaia, 1939), Giorgi Saakadze (director M. Chiaureli, 1942-43), Davit Guramishvili (N. Sanishvili, I. Tumanishvili, 1946), The Conquerors of Mountain Peaks (director D. Rondel, 1951), They Descended from the Mountains (director N. Sanishvili, 1954), Mamluk (director D. Rondel, 1958) and others].
He was the Hero of Socialist Labour (1986) and received state awards.
He is buried at the Didube Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures.
Literature: დ ო ნ ა ძ ე ვ., ანდრია ბალანჩივაძე და მისი პირველი სიმფონია, «ლიტერატურა და ხელოვნება», 1946, № 15–16; მისივე, ანდრია ბალანჩივაძის შემოქმედება, «ლიტერატურული საქართველო», 1967, 12 მაისი, № 20; Андрей Баланчивадзе (Сб., статей и материалов), сост. Р. Цурцумия, Тб., 1979; Д о н а д з е В. Г., История музыки народов СССР, т. 1 – 3, М., 1970 – 72; О р д ж о н и к и д з е Г. Ш., Андрей Баланчивадзе, М., 1959; Т о р а д з е Г. Г., Ц у л у к и д з е А. Г., История музыки народов СССР, т. 4–5, М., 1973–74; Х у ч у а П., Советская опера и балет წგ.: Грузинская музыкальная культура, М., 1957; Ц у л у к и д з е А., Творческий путь А. Баланчивадзе, «Советская музыка», 1957, № 8.
A. Tsulukidze
