In Memory of Sivukhin

Lev Konstantinovich Sivukhin was born in Gorky. He studied at the very boys’ choir chapel that today bears his name. After the Chapel came the music college, then the Gorky Conservatory, from which L. Sivukhin graduated in 1959.

Although in fact the expression “after the Chapel” cannot be applied to Lev Konstantinovich: there were no such periods in his life. It was always “together with the Chapel”. This life together can be outlined by certain peaks and milestones: important programmes, concerts, tours in Russia, in Germany, France, Spain and other countries, honorary titles of laureate, first of the Gorky and then of the Lenin Komsomol Prize.

In 1972 the chamber choir “Nizhny Novgorod”, organised by L. K. Sivukhin, was added to the boys’ choir. It very quickly gained strength and won the authority of professionals and the recognition of lovers of choral music, and in 1997 it received the status of a municipal choir. The choir’s repertoire includes works of the most varied genres and styles, from early choral polyphony to works by contemporary composers and folk arrangements.

For more than 20 years Sivukhin led the choir of the V. P. Chkalov Palace of Pioneers, and for about 10 years he worked as leader of the choral ensemble of the House of Culture of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Gorky regional executive committee. He worked with the choir of the Gorky Polytechnic Institute, created the vocal ensemble “Rovesnik” on Gorky Television, organised the television programme “The Voice of Epochs” about the history of choral art, and also the choral subscription series of the Nizhny Novgorod State Philharmonic.

For about ten years the professor was one of the leaders of the All-Russian Creative Laboratory of Choirmasters at the Russian Ministry of Culture, a regular participant and jury chairman at various reviews and competitions, chief conductor of the combined choir of the “Male Brotherhood” International Competition, and chief conductor of the combined choirs of Nizhny Novgorod and of the combined choir of the All-Russian competition “Singing Russia”.

In recent years L. K. Sivukhin the choirmaster turned with particular artistic interest to masterpieces of Russian Orthodox music of the so-called “new trend”: Tchaikovsky’s “Liturgy” and “Vespers”, Rachmaninoff’s “Liturgy of St John Chrysostom” and “All-Night Vigil”, and Grechaninov’s “Hymns of Passion Week”.

L. Sivukhin has made an enormous contribution to promoting the work of Russian composers, including Nizhny Novgorod composers: A. Kasyanov, A. Nesterov, B. Blagovidov, G. Komrakov, B. Getselev, E. Fertelmeister, S. Strazov, A. Baryshev and others. Many works by Nizhny Novgorodians, such as G. Komrakov’s cantatas “So That War Never Happens Again” and “We Are the Chkalov People” and A. Nesterov’s “Boys and the Sun”, were created by their authors in close contact with L. Sivukhin.

Naturally, such an existence “inside” choral performance led L. K. Sivukhin to his own creative work for choir: his activity as a composer is wholly connected with choral art. And, importantly, in creating music Sivukhin of course took into account the abilities of the particular collectives he led, but his works turn out to be welcome in other choirs too, which perform them willingly and constantly keep them in their repertoire.

And this is a natural result, ensured not only by compositional talent but also by the musician’s virtuoso professionalism. His distinctive style and his own hand are easily recognised and remembered, whether songs for little ones or serious, large-scale compositions. Such songs by Sivukhin as “A Hundred Friends of the Song” to words by M. Marash and “Tell Us, Young Sailor” to words by V. Shamshurin have taken a worthy place in the repertoire of children’s choirs. One of the best examples of L. Sivukhin’s collaboration with Nizhny Novgorod poets (to whose work he turns very often) is the cycle of seven choruses to poems by A. Lyukin, “As Long as My Blood Boils”. Clarity and directness of statement, simplicity and expressiveness of melody, a wonderful feeling for the choir and its colouristic and technical possibilities: all these merits of the composer’s choral music appear distinctly in this work.

Lev Konstantinovich Sivukhin is a People’s Artist of Russia, and behind this high title stands not merely a list of his merits. A personality full of creative enthusiasm, talent and human charm; a tireless worker and promoter of choral art, a true educator of children and youth: such are the components of his musical image.

For his significant services in the field of musical art L. K. Sivukhin was awarded the Nizhny Novgorod City Prize in 1993, the title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Nizhny Novgorod” in 1998, and in 1999 became a holder of the Order of Honour.

Main works: \nFor mixed choir: the cycle As Long as My Blood Boils; Lyrical Concertino for choir with instrumental ensemble; \nchoruses and choral songs March of Peace, Aspen Autumns of Russia, Heal Me, Birches, The Time Has Come, A Bow, I Exchanged Gold for Copper, Children of the War and others; \nchoral arrangements of Russian folk songs; \narrangements for choir of M. Mussorgsky’s works The Merry Hour and The Orphan. \nFor children’s choir: cantatas Combat Mission and Motherland; suite Trees; \nchoruses and choral songs Rain, Plim, Summer Downpour, Warm Night, The Sleepy Elephant, Reading a Book About the War, Sweet Dreams, Kitten, Cosmonauts, Tell Us, Young Sailor, A Hundred Friends of the Song and others.

Kollar V. Musical Life of Nizhny Novgorod–Gorky. Gorky, 1976; \nKollar V. The Boys’ Chapel // Musical Life. 1976. No. 15; \nBelyakov V., Blinova V., Bordyug N. Opera and Concert Activity in Nizhny Novgorod, the City of Gorky. Gorky, 1980; \nEliseev I. The Feat of the People in the Music of the People of Gorky. Gorky, 1985; \nBlinova V. Introductory article // Lev Sivukhin. “As Long as My Blood Boils…”. Choruses. Moscow, 1988; \nSivukhin Lev Konstantinovich // Who’s Who in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Issues 1, 2. N. Novgorod, 1998, 2000; \nSivukhin Lev Konstantinovich // Composers and Musicologists of Nizhny Novgorod. N. Novgorod, 2001; \nLev Sivukhin. Facets of a Personality. Memoirs, Articles, Materials. N. Novgorod