21th century composers
20th century music characteristics
Famous 20th century music composers!
Author of the Soviet Anthem and ‘The Sacred War’ Dies
On 8 July, Soviet and Russian composer Alexander Alexandrov (whose real name was either Koptelov or Koptelev) died unexpectedly in Moscow.
A versatile musician, Alexandrov was a conductor, choirmaster, teacher, and even a major-general.
He is best known for writing the anthem for the USSR which was finally adopted on 14 December 1943 and first broadcast on radio in its modern version on the night of 17- 18 April 1944.
A competition to write the USSR’s anthem was held in 1943, and the government commission was headed by Soviet Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, but everyone knew that it was Joseph Stalin who was running the competition and would determine the winner.
Each composer was paid 100,000 roubles for their participation and an extra 4,000 for each version.
A joint entry written by two greats, Dmitri Shostakovich and Aram Khachaturian, an anthem by Iona Tuskiya, and Alexander Alexandrov's “Hymn of the Bolshevik Party” all m
