Isaak Dunaevskiy(1900-1955)
- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Isaak Iosifovich Dunayevsky was born on January 30, 1900 in Lokhvitsa,
Poltava, Russian Empire. His grandfather was a cantor. His father,
named Iosif Dunayevsky was a cashier at the Loans Society, he also was
an amateur artist. His mother, named Rosalia Dunayevsky, played piano
and sang for their seven children, of whom six brothers became
musicians. In 1910 Dunayevsky enrolled in the Kharkov School of Music
of the Imperial Russian Music Society. There he studied piano, violin
with Iosif Yu. Akhron, and composition with Simon. S. Bogatyrev. He
graduated from the Kharkov Conservatory in 1919, and was a violinist
and composer at the Kharkov Drama Theatre.
In 1923 Dunayevsky moved to Moscow and became the music director at the
Theatre of Satire. He then moved to Leninsrad (now St. Petersburg),
where he was appointed the Music Director of the Leningrad Music Hall
and for the Big Band of Leonid Utyosov. He composed 12 operettas and was one
of the founders of modern musical in the Soviet Union. Among his early
admirers were Mikhail A. Bulgakov and Vsevolod Meyerhold. At that time, in Leningrad,
Dunayevsky started his work in film. He was also the director of the
Song and Dance Ensemble of the Leningrad House of Pioneers, and also
was elected the Chairman of the Leningrad Union of Composers
Dunayevsky is best known for his film music. His most popular film
scores are 'Veselye Rebyata' (1934), 'Vratar' (1935), 'Tsirk' (1936),
'Deti Kapitana Granta' (1936), 'Volga-Volga' (1938), 'Svetly Put'
(1940), 'Vesna' (1947), 'Kubanskie Kazaki' (1950), and other.
Dunayevsky developed his own distinctive style, combining Russian folk
songs with the American Jazz and the tradition of neo-Viennese
operetta, the genre best represented by Emmerich Kálmán and Franz Lehár. He also
absorbed the influences from the music of industrial age, the beat of
Jazz, musical Impressionism of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and harmonic
innovations of Sympho-Jazz. He always composed songs in a Major key.
Dunayevsky was a unique personality in the history of culture. In the
times of the "Great Terror" under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin
Dunayevsky managed to bring innovations by introducing the taste of
Jazz and foreign entertainment into the rigid Soviet culture. His songs
gained outstanding popularity in the former Soviet Union and
internationally. His collaboration with the legendary singer and
band-leader Leonid Utyosov was quintessential for the career of both men.
Utyosov introduced Dunayevsky to director Grigoriy Aleksandrov and they made the
first Soviet blockbusters 'Veselye Rebyata' (aka 'The Merry Guys', or
'Jolly Fellows' 1934) and 'Tsirk' (Circus 1936).
During the dangerous time of the Nazi occupation of the Soviet Union in
WWII, Dunayevsky with his music troupe was entertaining the Red Army
troops. At that time he was the artistic director of the Ensemble of
the Central Railway House of Culture. He was on road for about 2 years,
concertizing in the rear of the Russian armies. During the war he
composed mostly patriotic songs and lyrical romances. At the end of
WWII Dunayevsky moved to Moscow. He continued his collaboration with
Grigoriy Aleksandrov and Lyubov Orlova in their new films 'Vesna' (The Spring 1947) and
'Kubanskie Kazaki' (The Kuban Cossacs 1950). He was awarded the State
Stalin's Prize twice, in 1936 and 1950.
Dunayevsky later suffered from the official censorship campaign against
intellectuals, as well as Sergei Prokofiev, Anna Akhmatova, Aram Khachaturyan and other cultural
figures in the Soviet Union. He fell into disgrace at the time of
political struggle before and after the death of Joseph Stalin. Dunayevsky
was viciously attacked by a high ranking Soviet official from the
Ministry of Culture, who made libelous statements against the composer,
and accused him of "cosmopolitism" and all kind of sins. Dunayevsky was
working on his operetta 'White Acacia' (1955) to be premiered at the
Moscow Operetta Theatre in November of 1955. That was to be his 'swan
song', the last and unfinished work.
He died on July 25, 1955 of a heart attack. His radiant, cheerful and
optimistic songs remain very popular today.
Poltava, Russian Empire. His grandfather was a cantor. His father,
named Iosif Dunayevsky was a cashier at the Loans Society, he also was
an amateur artist. His mother, named Rosalia Dunayevsky, played piano
and sang for their seven children, of whom six brothers became
musicians. In 1910 Dunayevsky enrolled in the Kharkov School of Music
of the Imperial Russian Music Society. There he studied piano, violin
with Iosif Yu. Akhron, and composition with Simon. S. Bogatyrev. He
graduated from the Kharkov Conservatory in 1919, and was a violinist
and composer at the Kharkov Drama Theatre.
In 1923 Dunayevsky moved to Moscow and became the music director at the
Theatre of Satire. He then moved to Leninsrad (now St. Petersburg),
where he was appointed the Music Director of the Leningrad Music Hall
and for the Big Band of Leonid Utyosov. He composed 12 operettas and was one
of the founders of modern musical in the Soviet Union. Among his early
admirers were Mikhail A. Bulgakov and Vsevolod Meyerhold. At that time, in Leningrad,
Dunayevsky started his work in film. He was also the director of the
Song and Dance Ensemble of the Leningrad House of Pioneers, and also
was elected the Chairman of the Leningrad Union of Composers
Dunayevsky is best known for his film music. His most popular film
scores are 'Veselye Rebyata' (1934), 'Vratar' (1935), 'Tsirk' (1936),
'Deti Kapitana Granta' (1936), 'Volga-Volga' (1938), 'Svetly Put'
(1940), 'Vesna' (1947), 'Kubanskie Kazaki' (1950), and other.
Dunayevsky developed his own distinctive style, combining Russian folk
songs with the American Jazz and the tradition of neo-Viennese
operetta, the genre best represented by Emmerich Kálmán and Franz Lehár. He also
absorbed the influences from the music of industrial age, the beat of
Jazz, musical Impressionism of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and harmonic
innovations of Sympho-Jazz. He always composed songs in a Major key.
Dunayevsky was a unique personality in the history of culture. In the
times of the "Great Terror" under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin
Dunayevsky managed to bring innovations by introducing the taste of
Jazz and foreign entertainment into the rigid Soviet culture. His songs
gained outstanding popularity in the former Soviet Union and
internationally. His collaboration with the legendary singer and
band-leader Leonid Utyosov was quintessential for the career of both men.
Utyosov introduced Dunayevsky to director Grigoriy Aleksandrov and they made the
first Soviet blockbusters 'Veselye Rebyata' (aka 'The Merry Guys', or
'Jolly Fellows' 1934) and 'Tsirk' (Circus 1936).
During the dangerous time of the Nazi occupation of the Soviet Union in
WWII, Dunayevsky with his music troupe was entertaining the Red Army
troops. At that time he was the artistic director of the Ensemble of
the Central Railway House of Culture. He was on road for about 2 years,
concertizing in the rear of the Russian armies. During the war he
composed mostly patriotic songs and lyrical romances. At the end of
WWII Dunayevsky moved to Moscow. He continued his collaboration with
Grigoriy Aleksandrov and Lyubov Orlova in their new films 'Vesna' (The Spring 1947) and
'Kubanskie Kazaki' (The Kuban Cossacs 1950). He was awarded the State
Stalin's Prize twice, in 1936 and 1950.
Dunayevsky later suffered from the official censorship campaign against
intellectuals, as well as Sergei Prokofiev, Anna Akhmatova, Aram Khachaturyan and other cultural
figures in the Soviet Union. He fell into disgrace at the time of
political struggle before and after the death of Joseph Stalin. Dunayevsky
was viciously attacked by a high ranking Soviet official from the
Ministry of Culture, who made libelous statements against the composer,
and accused him of "cosmopolitism" and all kind of sins. Dunayevsky was
working on his operetta 'White Acacia' (1955) to be premiered at the
Moscow Operetta Theatre in November of 1955. That was to be his 'swan
song', the last and unfinished work.
He died on July 25, 1955 of a heart attack. His radiant, cheerful and
optimistic songs remain very popular today.