Golovin, Andrei

Andrei Golovin

Antiphons in Memory of Archpriest Mikhail Pravdolyubov

for symphony orchestra

Andrei Golovin is a composer for whom religious faith is integral to his music. Contact with Archpriest Mikhail Pravdolyubov (1953–2017) has been an event of lasting significance in Andrei Golovin’s life. The form and content of ‘Antiphons’ reflects the significance of Orthodox faith and of this relationship. It consists of five movements. The first, third and fifth (Antiphons) give the work its title. Based on the organisation of antiphonal singing in the Orthodox church, they present musical phrases played alternately by different sections of the orchestra, first by small groups and later by complete sections. Between these movements come two entitled ‘Chant I’ and ‘Chant II’: these movements are freer in form. ‘Chant I’ finishes unexpectedly, to reflect the sudden death of Mikhail Pravdolyubov. ‘Chant II’ is a more extended movement, built around a single trochaic figure. Starting quietly and ending with a fortissimo climax, this movement represents the culmination of the work.

In ‘Antiphons’, as so often in the music of Andrei Golovin, a strict discipline is the vessel of deep and sincere emotion. The work is both a personal memorial and a confession of faith.

Simon Nicholls, Honorary Fellow
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, England

Biography
Andrei Golovin (b.1950) studied composition and orchestration at the Moscow State Conservatory with Evgeny Golubev and Yuri Fortunatov, graduating in 1976 and three years later received his post-graduated degree. He has written a wide range of symphonic, operatic, chamber, choral and cinematic music. Golovin’s works were performed by the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, the Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the State Symphony Capella of Russia, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatoire de Rouen, the Ural Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Musica Viva Chamber Orchestra, Bolshoi Soloists Ensemble and by leading conductors and soloists such as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Vladimir Verbitsky, Mischa Damev, Olivier Holt, Valery Polyansky, Igor Zhukov, Alexander Rudin, Yuri Bashmet, Maxim Fedotov, Esther Yoo, and Mlada Khudoley.

Since 1994 he appears as the conductor performing his music. Golovin was awarded the 1998 City of Moscow Prize for his opera “The First Love”. Golovin’s works have been recorded by such labels as Melodiya, Russian Disc, Cadenza, Relief, Boheme Music and Toccata Classics. His compositions are published by Muzyka, Sovetsky Compozitor, Zen-On Music Co., Alphonse Leduc, Editions Musicales, and Musikproduktion Höflich.

Golovin is based in Moscow where he is Professor at the Composition and Instrumentation Department at the Russian Academy of Music named after Gnessins.

For performance material please contact Andrei Golovin (andreigol@yandex.ru), Moscow, or Musikproduktion Höflich (www.musikmph.de), Munich.