The great Russian composer Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin (1902-63) was born in Omsk. Shebalin completed a course of study in composition under N.Y.Mayakovsky at the Moscow Conservatory. in 1928. For many years a professor at the conservatopry, Shebalin served as its director during 1942-48.
As a composer he was involved in writing a large number of works in widely varied genres. Amongst these were the operas"The Taming of the Shrew" and "The Sun over the Steppe", the musical comedy "Suitor from the Embassy", the ballet "Past Days Remembered" (in collaboration with Glinka), five symphonies, the dramatic symphony "Lenin" after the poem by V. Mayakovsky, a concerto for violin and orchestra, a piano trio, nine string quartets, the "Triad" of ensemble sonatas (for alto and piano, violin & pianoand waldhorn & piano), nuzmerous choirs (choruses), romances, and settings of verses by Poshkin, Lermentov, Tutchev, Genye, Tvardovsky, Tayk, Kovalenko, A.Prokofiev, and other
poets, as well as music for the radio, cinema and dramatic presentations. A great contribution to the treasury of Russian musical culture was the musical-restauration work of Shebalin. The composer edited,instrumentated and transcribed Mussorgsky´s opera "The ????? Yoke", a symphonic ouverture on two Russian themes by Glinka,and compositions by Dragomijsky, Tchaikovsky and Takeev.
The Concertino fpr Waldhorn and small orchestra, opus 14 No.2 was written in 1930 at the same time as the opening piece of thatr opusthe Concertíno for Violin and string orchestra. In 1959 the composer prepared a new edition of the Waldhorn Concertino. The two Concer inos are united not only a single opus; in their music there are als many similarities - transparency, economic utilization of the orchestra, severely laconic expositions, and modest scope.
In both works we find best features of his creative style of composition - vividly national character of musical language, nobility of emotional content, diligent molding of musical forms, colorful orchestrationand well organized combination of components. The music of both Concertinos is marked by the subtle delights of graceful and fluidthematization. The first movemnt of the Concertino for Waldhorn and small orchestra is constructed in the vivid genre of contrast between two themes.The first, introductory them is unhurried, near in character to the sound of Russian instrumental folk music. The second theme (number 1) is profoundly expressive, possessing traits of the genre of the lyric ballad. The second movemet - Andante - is conceived as a poetic nocturne. The middle episode features an expressive dialogue between the solo horn, trombone and woodwinds (number 2 & 3).
The third movement, written in sonata form and developing in cycles, brings energetic, rhythmically impulsive and elastic (resilient? ) melodies. Together with these, a final, subsidiary lyrical (number 2) appears, revealing
its roots in the primary theme of the secon movement of the Concertino. In the reminiscence, successfully "cementing" the cycle, the composer as it were once again brings attention to the breath of the genres woven into the foundation of t
he composition.
V. Blok - translated from the Russian by Christ Stratton. The full score for the small orchestra and the full orchestra set of parts are available .