Alexander Vustin

Biography

Alexander Kuzmich Vustin, also Voustin or Wustin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Кузьми́ч Ву́стин; 24 April 1943 – 19 April 2020) was a Russian composer. His works, including the opera The Devil in Love, were played and recorded internationally.

Biography

Vustin studied composition first with Grigory Frid at a regional music college, and later with Vladimir Ferè at the Moscow Conservatory, graduating in 1969. Between 1969 and 1974, Vustin worked as a music editor at USSR Radio. From 1974 he worked as an editor at the Kompozitor publishing house.

Music

Vustin composed from 1963, but regarded only works written since 1972 as valid. His musical language is distinctive by the remarkable organization of its musical texture. Vustin uses the twelve-tone technique, but in his own original way.
His first notable compositions were written in the midst of the 70s: the eight-minute-long The Word (scored for ensemble of woodwinds, brass and percussion (1975)) was dedicated to Grigori Frid; and the three-minute long In Memory of Boris Klyuzner, for baritone and string quartet (1977) was set to the autobiographical text by Yuri Olesha. Another piece, Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for boy-soprano (or counter-tenor) accompanied by a chamber ensemble was composed in 1988 to the text from Matthew 5:3–8.
His opera The Devil in Love, to the Russian libretto by Vladimir Khachaturov after the novel The Devil in Love by Jacques Cazotte, the result of 15 years of labour (1975–1989), is probably one of the most important of his works. Its musical material nourished the dozens of compositions written in around the same period. The world premiere of the opera took place at the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre on 15 February 2019, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.
The works of Alexander Vustin are frequently featured in the programs of major festivals, including Kremerata Musica, Tage für Neue Musik (Zürich), Holland Festival, the 14th Musik Biennale Berlin, Présence 93 (Paris), Melos-Ethos (Bratislava), Maraton Soudobe Hudby (Prague), Donaueschinger Musiktage, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie (Germany), Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival (Austria), Moscow Forum, and Moscow Autumn (Russia). Among performers of his music are the conductors Vladimir Jurowski, Reinbert de Leeuw, Lev Markiz, Eri Klas, Igor Dronov, Alexander Lazarev, Vitaly Kataev, Gidon Kremer, Martyn Brabbins, and Cristoph Hagel. Ensembles include Kremerata Baltica, Amsterdam Wind Orchestra, Schönberg Ensemble, Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam (Netherlands), the Mark Pekasky Percussion Ensemble, Studio New Music, Ensemble of Soloists of the Bolshoi Theatre, the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
He died in Moscow on 19 April 2020, from pneumonia, or COVID-19, as other sources report.

CDs

Kremerland
Release Date: 12 October 2004, Total Running time: 1:18:45
Label: DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON, Catalog No.: 000339202, UPC: 28947480129
The tracks include:
Alexander Vustin: Tango hommage à Gidon, for violin, string orchestra & percussion 7:37 Conducted by Gidon Kremer, Performed by Kremerata Baltica and Andrei Pushkarev
Russian Saxophone
Label: BIS, CD-765 Digital
Audio CD (17 September 1996)
Alexander Vustin: Musique pour l'ange (1995), for tenor saxophone, vibraphone & cello
Performers: Claude DeLangle, Jean Geoffroy
An Introduction to Alexander Wustin
Label: Megadisc, MDC 7845
The Word (1975) 7.36
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit (1988) 7.19
Music for Ten (1991) 4.56
To my Son (1992) 18.13
Heroic Lullaby (1991) 19.21
Performers: Studio for New Music conducted by Igor Dronov
Alexander Wustin – Memoria 2, Agnus Dei, Sine Nomine
Label: Thorofon, CTH 2486
Memoria2 (1978) Concerto for percussion, keyboard instruments and strings Concert pour percussions 15.06
Song from the novel "Tchevengur" by Andrei Platonov (1995) for male choir and orchestra 7.37
Hommage a Beethoven (1984) Concerto for percussion instruments and small orchestra 16.05
Agnus Dei (1993) for mixed choir, percussion and organ 10.08
Sine Nomine (2000) for orchestra 16.29