Gauk Alexander

Gauk, Alexander (1893-1963), Russian conductor, composer, teacher. Born in Odessa, August 3, 1893, received his primary musical education under the guidance of O. Bachmann (graduate of the Vienna Conservatory) at the end of the school studied music with N. Shame. In 1910 he enrolled at St. Petersburg University, . where he played in the student orchestra of percussion instruments, . took piano lessons at EF Daugovet, . Gauk had prepared for entrance to the St. Petersburg Conservatory, . where he studied in 1911-1917 (according to the classes conducting N. Tcherepnin, . Piano - Daugovet, . FM Blumenfeld, . Tracks VP Kalafati, . I. Vitols, . Glazunov),
. Since 1917 the conductor in the Petrograd Theater of Musical Drama, in 1920-1931 - conductor (mainly ballet), the Leningrad Opera and Ballet. He has worked with choreographers Lopukhov (in performances of "Night on Bald Mountain" to music by Mussorgsky, . "Pulcinella", . "Renard", . "Rooster", . "Yes Kota Baran" Stravinsky, . "Red Poppy" Gliere, . "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky, . "Bolt" Shostakovich and others) and LS Leontiev ( "Four Seasons" Glazunov),
. Served as a symphony conductor. In 1930-1933, Deputy Director for Art and chief conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic, . in 1933-1936 conducted by the Big-Union Radio Symphony Orchestra (BSO), . Founder (1936) and chief conductor (until 1941) USSR State Symphony Orchestra, . in the 1953-1962 chief conductor of the BSO,
. In 1954 he was awarded the title of 'People's Artist of the RSFSR' (1954). Toured in Japan, Mexico, Hungary, Romania, East Germany.

On the formation Gauk as a symphony conductor, had a significant impact acquaintance with the art of foreign conductors, touring in Russia, his idol was A. Nikisch.

Gauk's name is inextricably linked the historical formation of national symphonic Soviet period. He was the first interpreter of a number of symphonic works Miaskovsky (including his 17 th Symphony, dedicated Gauk), Yu Shaporin, AI Khachaturian and others. A special place in his repertoire occupied cantata-oratorio works of GF Handel, Bach, H. Berlioz

. Since 1927 Gauk led teaching activities: before 1934 at the Leningrad Conservatory (since 1930 Associate Professor), . in 1941-1943 - at the Tbilisi Conservatory, in 1948 led the class of conducting at the Moscow Conservatory (since 1948 Professor), . among his students - EA Mravinsky, . A.Sh.Melik-Pashayev, . EP Grikurov, . EF Svetlanov, . NS Rabinowitz, . ES Mikeladze,
.

Author of several symphonies, 2 concertos (for harp and piano and orchestra), instrumental pieces, songs. Restore (for orchestral voices, . kept in the library of the Leningrad Conservatory), scrapped by the author of the First Symphony of Rachmaninov, and in 1944 performed it in Moscow orchestrated opera "The Marriage of Mussorgsky (1917); created instrumental arrangements of the piano cycle" The Seasons "and two cycles of romances Tchaikovsky (1942),
.

He left the memories of Myaskovsky, Gliere and others. Served as a music critic in the magazine "Soviet Music ', the newspaper Soviet Culture', etc.. In his book "On the pages of memories conductor, described the events until 1943.

Gauk died in Moscow on March 30, 1963.