Alexei Machavariani (Russian: Мачавариани, Алексей Давидович; b. Sept. 23, 1913, Gori; d. Dec. 31, 1995, Tbilisi) was a composer from Georgia.
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Machavariani was a People's Artist of the USSR and recipient of many awards and honors including a USSR State Prize, Shota Rustaveli Prize of Georgia. He was a professor of music, chairman of the Georgian Union of Composers (1962-1973), a member of the board of the Union of Soviet Composers until 1992 and a Deputy of the USSR Supreme Council (1962-1970).

Early Years

Machavariani was born in Gori in Eastern Georgia into a noble family. At the age of 6, he began studying the piano and violin. After graduating from the Tbilisi Conservatory (1936), he completed his postgraduate training as a pupil of P.B. Ryazanov. In 1961 he became a professor at the Tbilisi State Conservatory.

In his twenty's and thirty's he was arrested several times, but was saved by his music.

His first success was for his piano composition "Chorumi" (1937). The Georgian conductor E. Mikeladze persuaded him to write the opera "Mother and Son" (1942). The Piano Concerto (1944), first performed in Tbilisi, met with success, . After orchestral works: "Elegy" (1936), "Scherzo" (1936), and "Mumli Mukhasa" (1939), he composed his First Symphony in 4 movements (1947). The symphony was also first performed in Tbilisi.

He was accused of "formalism" but after Stalin's death, the situation changed. In 1952 he was again on the Red List to be deported together with his family.

Machavariani's Violin Concerto (1949) was performed often, first by Mikhail Vaiman in Leningrad, then D. Oistrakh in Moscow. The concerto was also recorded several times by "Melodiya".

The oratorio "The Day of my Homeland" (1955) was first performed in Moscow, conducted by A. Gauk.

From 1940 to 1955, Machavariani also wrote chamber music for piano, violin, choir and vocal music.

The Cold War Period

After attending a performance of "Othello" (1957) at the Bolshoi Theater, Tzarev wrote "[it] is a feast of the arts" in "Soviet Culture" (1958). This ballet was successfully performed in many cities of the former USSR as well as other places. It was awarded a Gold Medal from "Centro Cultural Braidense - Milano".

In 1960 he started another opera, "Hamlet" (1967). The opera was prohibited by the Georgian authorities.

In 1964 Machavariani finished "5-Monologues" for baritone and orchestra, which received the S. Rustaveli Prize. With "5-Momolognes" and "Hamlet", he started a more modern way of expressing his musical ideas, together with a new way of designing his scores. With Symphony No 2 (1972) he continued his new musical language. The critics christened this symphony as the beginning of the PHILOSOPHICAL SYMPHONISM in Georgia.

In 1977 Machavariani wrote probably his most important composition, the ballet "The Knight in the Tiger Skin", based upon a 12th century poem by the Georgian poet and philosopher S. Rustaveli. Its first production was in Leningrad, at the "Kirov"(Mariyinsky Theater), the choreographer was O. Vinogradov.

After writing chamber, choral and vocal pieces, he wrote a musical comedy in 1979, "The Bug" (after V. Mayakovsky). In 1983 Machavariani finished his third and fourth symphonies. The Third Symphony is a composition of great power, depth, and tenderness. One critic wrote of it: 'It is universal and human, cosmic and earthy'. The Fourth Symphony "The Youth", is for strings, percussion, piano, celesta and harp. It is a sparkling, melodic, lyrical, composition with electric dynamism.

In 1984 he wrote a ballet in two acts, "The Taming of the Shrew" based on the Shakespeare play. Continuing the style of the Third Symphony, he wrote a stunning Symphony No 5, "Ushba" (1986). This 46 minute symphony in two parts (without break) has great universal power, like a philosophical treatise. Machavariani used a large orchestra including 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 tubas and 70 strings. He had employed 8 horns and 4 trumpets in the Third Symphony. Immediately after "Ushba", he wrote Symphony No 6 "Amirani"(Prometheus)(1987).

Modern Times

In 1987 he wrote a Concerto, for Strings, Harp and Cello in 3 movements. His next composition was Symphony No 7, "Gelati" (1989) for choir and orchestra, after poems of King David. His opera, "Medea" (1991) and ballet "Pirosmani" (1992) have not been performed.

Machavariani wrote four string quartets, two piano sonatas, a violin sonata plus many compositions for piano, violin, cello, and choir. He also wrote music for theater and cinema, such as the film "The Secret of Two Oceans" which was honored at the Venice film festival. His music was recorded by "Melodiya", "Columbia", and other companies, as well performed on radio and TV.

Machavariani also wrote many poems and philosophical treaties expressing his thoughts about music.

Machavariani died on the 31 December 1995 in Tbilisi. The "Kultura" newspaper in Moscow published: "Your countenance is excellent - in all of composition, in all of the pages of symphonies, operas, ballet scores; in each phrase, line, note of vocal and instrumental music. Alexei Machavariani - friend and a hero of the row of materials at our newspaper. Editorial office of "Kultura". Moscow , 13-01-96".

External links

Listen Online to Alexi Machavariani's music