Boris Tischenko, Dante Symphonies (1998-2005)

“The musical style and composing manner of Boris Tishchenko (1939 – 2010) shows him to be a typical representative of the Leningrad composers’ school. He was very much influenced by music of his teachers Dmitri Shostakovich and Galina Ustvolskaya, turning these influences in his own way. He tried to use some experimental and modernist ideas like twelve-tone or aleatoric techniques, but was much more attached to the native traditions of his homeland. He was honored by Shostakovich’s orchestration of his First Cello Concerto, and repaid his master by the orchestration, editing and transcription of a few scores by Shostakovich.”    —Avaxhome (link no longer available).

Listen to Tischenko’s interpretation of the seventh circle and the Minotaur on YouTube (sheet music pictured above). A performance of Tischenko’s complete Dante symphonies is available here.

Related Sighting

Franz Liszt’s “Dante Symphony”