The composer German Grigoriyevich Okunev (1931-1973) is the distinguished representative of the Russian composition school during the second half of the 20ieth century. Okunev was born in Leningrad and overcame the Blockade. Being a child he was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" for his participation in the concerts on the Baltic navy ships. Having graduated from the piano and composition faculties of the Leningrad Conservatoire, he studied at Dmitri Shostakovich until 1964. The same year Okunev started his pedagogical activity at the conservatoire as the teacher of composition. In 1972 he became the member of the Leningrad Composers' Union directorate.
Numerous wonderful works belong to German Okunev, such as two symphonies, the ballet "Greatcoat" and "Kuyruchuk" (together with K. Moldobasarov), orchestral suite "At the Festive Neva", piano cycles "The North's Echoes" and "Rainbow", Preludes for piano, Concerto for piano with chamber orchestra, vocal cycle to the verses by Marina Tsvetayeva, Concerto for hautboy and chamber orchestra, Sonatina for trumpet and piano, Scherzino for clarinet and piano, two quartets and other chamber-instrumental ensembles, choirs, including the children's ones. Among the executants there were Mariya Karandashova, Mikhail Vaiman, Lubov' Bruk, Mark Taimanov, Marina Grinberg, Hanasi Chinakayev, Anatoly Lyubimov, Vitaly Buyanovsky, Victor Venglovsky, sisters Yu. and G. Turkins.
The composer German Grigoriyevich Okunev (1931-1973) is the distinguished representative of the Russian composition school during the second half of the 20ieth century. Okunev was born in Leningrad and overcame the Blockade. Being a child he was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" for his participation in the concerts on the Baltic navy ships. Having graduated from the piano and composition faculties of the Leningrad Conservatoire, he studied at Dmitri Shostakovich until 1964. The same year Okunev started his pedagogical activity at the conservatoire as the teacher of composition. In 1972 he became the member of the Leningrad Composers' Union directorate.
Numerous wonderful works belong to German Okunev, such as two symphonies, the ballet "Greatcoat" and "Kuyruchuk" (together with K. Moldobasarov), orchestral suite "At the Festive Neva", piano cycles "The North's Echoes" and "Rainbow", Preludes for piano, Concerto for piano with chamber orchestra, vocal cycle to the verses by Marina Tsvetayeva, Concerto for hautboy and chamber orchestra, Sonatina for trumpet and piano, Scherzino for clarinet and piano, two quartets and other chamber-instrumental ensembles, choirs, including the children's ones. Among the executants there were Mariya Karandashova, Mikhail Vaiman, Lubov' Bruk, Mark Taimanov, Marina Grinberg, Hanasi Chinakayev, Anatoly Lyubimov, Vitaly Buyanovsky, Victor Venglovsky, sisters Yu. and G. Turkins.
Герман Окунев окончил Ленинградскую консерваторию по классу композиции О. А. Евлахова и по классу фортепиано А. Б. Логовинского. По окончании в 1964 году аспирантуры (класс Д. Д. Шостаковича) он стал преподавателем консерватории, с 1972 года - членом правления Союза композиторов Ленинграда. Композитор Герман Окунев - автор многих замечательных произведений. Им созданы две симфонии, балеты "Шинель" и "Куйручук" (совместно с К. Молдобасановым), орке-стровая сюита "На праздничной Неве", фортепианные циклы "Отзвуки Севера" и "Радуга", Прелюдии для фортепиано, Концерт для фортепиано с камерным оркестром, вокальный цикл на стихи Марины Цветаевой, Концерт для гобоя с камерным оркестром, Сонатина для трубы и фортепиано, Скерцино для кларнета и фортепиано, два квартета и другие камерно-инструментальные ансамбли, хоры, в том числе для детей.
Небольшая программная четырехчастная сюита "Ленинградские гравюры" - это не живописные по своей красочности пейзажи нашего города, а моментальные графические зарисовки. Отсюда, из этого замысла, "вытекает" острая артикуляция, переменчивая как ленин-градская погода. Различные фрагменты сюиты слегка стилизованы под классическую и барочную красоту города. Это "ажурное", не лишенное изящества и юмора произведение прекрасно звучит в дворцовых интерьерах. Оно позволяет музыкантам продемонстрировать различные комбинации тембров духовых инструментов. Их тончайшие разнообразные сочетания кажутся неисчерпаемыми.
German Okunev okonchil Leningradskuju konservatoriju po klassu kompozitsii O. A. Evlakhova i po klassu fortepiano A. B. Logovinskogo. Po okonchanii v 1964 godu aspirantury (klass D. D. Shostakovicha) on stal prepodavatelem konservatorii, s 1972 goda - chlenom pravlenija Sojuza kompozitorov Leningrada. Kompozitor German Okunev - avtor mnogikh zamechatelnykh proizvedenij. Im sozdany dve simfonii, balety "Shinel" i "Kujruchuk" (sovmestno s K. Moldobasanovym), orke-strovaja sjuita "Na prazdnichnoj Neve", fortepiannye tsikly "Otzvuki Severa" i "Raduga", Preljudii dlja fortepiano, Kontsert dlja fortepiano s kamernym orkestrom, vokalnyj tsikl na stikhi Mariny Tsvetaevoj, Kontsert dlja goboja s kamernym orkestrom, Sonatina dlja truby i fortepiano, Skertsino dlja klarneta i fortepiano, dva kvarteta i drugie kamerno-instrumentalnye ansambli, khory, v tom chisle dlja detej.
Nebolshaja programmnaja chetyrekhchastnaja sjuita "Leningradskie gravjury" - eto ne zhivopisnye po svoej krasochnosti pejzazhi nashego goroda, a momentalnye graficheskie zarisovki. Otsjuda, iz etogo zamysla, "vytekaet" ostraja artikuljatsija, peremenchivaja kak lenin-gradskaja pogoda. Razlichnye fragmenty sjuity slegka stilizovany pod klassicheskuju i barochnuju krasotu goroda. Eto "azhurnoe", ne lishennoe izjaschestva i jumora proizvedenie prekrasno zvuchit v dvortsovykh intererakh. Ono pozvoljaet muzykantam prodemonstrirovat razlichnye kombinatsii tembrov dukhovykh instrumentov. Ikh tonchajshie raznoobraznye sochetanija kazhutsja neischerpaemymi.
