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Koussevitzky, Serge

(Sergei Aleksandrovich Kusevitskii). Born July 14 (26), 1874, in Vyshnii Volochek; died June 4, 1951, in Boston. Russian conductor, double-bass player, and music figure.

Koussevitzky graduated in 1894 from the Moscow Philharmonic Society’s Music and Drama School, where he studied double bass; he became an instructor there in 1901. He gave double-bass recitals in Russia and abroad. He moved to Berlin in 1905, where he studied conducting with K. Muck and F. Weingartner and performed as a conductor. He founded the Russian Music Publishing House in 1909 to popularize the works of Russian composers. That same year Koussevitzky formed a symphony orchestra in Moscow with which he toured many Russian cities. From 1917 to 1920 he headed the State Symphony Orchestra (formerly, the Court Symphony Orchestra, Petrograd).

Koussevitzky moved abroad in 1920. From 1924 to 1949 he was chief conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with which he was the first to perform a number of new compositions, including Prokofiev’s Fourth Symphony, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Honegger’s First Symphony, Roussel’s Third Symphony, and Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie (many of them were written at his urging). Koussevitzky gave the first US performance of Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony and Prokofiev’s Fifth. In 1943 he became president of the music section of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship.

Koussevitzky’s conducting was distinguished by smooth technique and the ability to combine emotion with self-control; his exacting standards brought his orchestras to a high level of technical perfection. Koussevitzky composed for the double bass.

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No references found	The sensual, hypnotic pulse of that music undeniably infiltrates Messiaen's first big orchestral work - commissioned by conductor Serge Koussevitzky in 1945 and first performed four years later - but what is striking about the work is its ebullient eclecticism, its cheerful plundering of sources as disparate as Stravinsky and Mussorgsky, Indian rhythms and modes, even jazz. Turangalîla Symphony by guardian.co.uk / guardian.co.uk The teaching aspect of Tanglewood was present from the beginning, thanks to the ideas and influence of Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the orchestra at the time the Boston Symphony decided to perform summers in Tanglewood. Concert notes. (Music) by Smith, Patrick J. / New Criterion The concert was to have been performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, but a short time before, the maestro fell ill and suggested a young and rising conductor to replace him. Playing to all in harmony; a look back ... UN Day concerts by Endrst, Elsa B. / UN Chronicle	Seredina, Antonina Seredina, Antonina Aleksandrovna Seredina-Buda Seredonin, Sergei Seredonin, Sergei Mikhailovich Seregovo serein Seremban Serena, La Serenade Serenata Serengeti National Park Sereni, Emilio Serer Seret Sereth Seretse Khama Serezha serf Serf Intelligentsia Serf Theater Serfdom Serfs Sergach Serge Serge Koussevitzky Sergeant Sergeant Alvin C. York State Historic Park sergeant at arms Sergeant Major Sergeant, John sergeanty Sergeev, Aleksei Sergeev, Aleksei Tikhonovich Sergeev, Evgenii Sergeev, Evgenii Mikhailovich Sergeev, Konstantin Sergeev, Konstantin Mikhailovich Sergeev, Mikhail Sergeev, Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sergeev, Nikolai Sergeev, Nikolai Dmitrievich Sergeev, Vladimir Sergeev, Vladimir Sergeevich Sergeev-Tsenskii, Sergei Sergeev-Tsenskii, Sergei Nikolaevich Sergeevich, Vasilii Sergeevich, Vasilii Ivanovich Sergeevka Sergei Afanasev Sergei Aksakov	serf serf serf Serf Intelligentsia Serf Theater Serfage Serfage Serfage SERFC serfdom serfdom serfdom SERFF serfhood serfism serflike Serfs Serfs Serfs Serfs on the Manor SERG Sergach serge serge serge Serge de Nimes Serge de Nimes Serge Diaghilev Serge Diaghilev Serge Julievich, Count Witte Serge Koussevitzky Serge Prokofiev Serge Rachmaninoff Serge Rachmaninoff sergeancies sergeancies sergeancy sergeancy sergeant sergeant sergeant Sergeant Alvin C. York State Historic Park sergeant at arms sergeant at arms sergeant at arms sergeant at arms Sergeant at law Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Sergeant Baker Sergeant Bakers Sergeant Bluff Fire Department sergeant first class sergeant first class sergeant fish Sergeant hat Sergeant in Charge Sergeant Instructor Sergeant Instructor Sergeant Instructor sergeant major sergeant major

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The sensual, hypnotic pulse of that music undeniably infiltrates Messiaen's first big orchestral work - commissioned by conductor Serge Koussevitzky in 1945 and first performed four years later - but what is striking about the work is its ebullient eclecticism, its cheerful plundering of sources as disparate as Stravinsky and Mussorgsky, Indian rhythms and modes, even jazz.

Turangalîla Symphony by guardian.co.uk / guardian.co.uk

The teaching aspect of Tanglewood was present from the beginning, thanks to the ideas and influence of Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the orchestra at the time the Boston Symphony decided to perform summers in Tanglewood.

Concert notes. (Music) by Smith, Patrick J. / New Criterion

The concert was to have been performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, but a short time before, the maestro fell ill and suggested a young and rising conductor to replace him.

Playing to all in harmony; a look back ... UN Day concerts by Endrst, Elsa B. / UN Chronicle