Yurasovsky, Alexander Ivanovich (1890-1922)

[Christopher]

I have just come across this Russian composer on a disc of arias sung by the Russian tenor Sergey Lemeshev, so thought I would share as (a) I have never heard of him and (b) I rather liked the piece and (c) to ask if anyone else knows anything about him.  In Russian - Юрасовский, Александр Иванович.

The piece on the disc is Billy's aria, from his opera "Trilby".  I have since found that this is also uploaded to youtube here - http://youtu.be/aIh6pRe_NlE, where there is a note saying:

Billy's Aria from "Trilby" was recorded by Sergei Lemeshev in 1928, while
he was singing with the Opera of Harbin, Manchuria. It is one of a number
of records made by the soloists and chorus of the Harbin company over a
period of two weeks in May of that year. The records were made for the
Victor Company by their travelling engineers, and capture Lemeshev at the
beginning of his career, before he became a leading artist at the Bolshoi.

The opera was composed by A. I. Yurasovsky. In his autobiography Lemeshev
refers to "Trilby" as an "opera-melodrama" which had great popularity in
the '20s. He says the composer died when he was quite young. Apparently
Lemeshev sang in this opera in both Harbin and Tiflis. In Tiflis his
partners were Glafira Zhukovskaya as Trilby and Alexander Pirogov as
Svengali. Lemeshev particularly admired Pirogov's characterization of
Svengali.

He is listed on http://www.russiancomposers.org.uk/page1276.html as "Yuranovsky" but I believe this is a mistake.

On http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_music/8906/Юрасовский it says (in Russian):

Russian composer and conductor. Grandson of violinist VZ Salina, the son of opera singer N. Salina. Piano lessons under EP Savina and VN-Demyanova-Shatsky, on musical and theoretical subjects and compositions took lessons from PN Renchitskogo, Grechaninov and PM Glier. Graduated Law Faculty of Moscow University (1913). He made his debut as a conductor in 1912 (Moscow, Sokolniki circle). In 1914-17 was in the ranks of the Russian Army (in Galicia). In 1918-21 he conducted public symphony concerts in Kharkov, Odessa, Rostov-on-Don. In 1919 at the initiative of Yurasovsky a symphony orchestra was created in Smolensk (until 1921 he was its conductor). In 1921 he was the head of the Muzo Glavpolitprosvet Commissariat of the RSFSR. He transcribed for orchestra Rachmaninov's 2nd suite for 2 pianos, and a number of Rachmaninov's preludes (Suite of Preludes, Op. 23 No 3, 4, 10, Op. 32, No 12, 13).

Compositions:
-- opera
Trilby (from the novel by Jean du Maurier, libretto by composer)

-- for orchestra
Spring Symphony (1918)
Symphonic poem Ghosts (1912)
Suite (1922)
Pastel (2 Pictures, 1911)
Symphonic fragment In the Moonlight (1911)
Poem-concerto for piano and orchestra (1918)

-- for chamber-instr. ensembles
Dramatic sonata vlch. and piano. (1911)
PT. Trio (1911)

-- for piano
4 Preludes (1910)
6 improvisations (1915) 3 ensembles for women 's voices with AF. (1913) for voice and piano
6 The way of love songs (lyrics by A. Allyn, 1912)
3 songs (lyrics by Nekrasov, 1913),
14 recitations to music
music for productions of dramas, including "The Prince and the manor" (1914)



If anyone knows anything else, please do share. 

[eschiss1]

Just this: born Voiny probably 15 June 1890, died Moscow probably 31 January 1922, another alternate surname used in transliteration is Yurasoffsky. Also see VIAF for some more info and also please note IMSLP.

[ChrisDevonshireEllis]

An interesting post for a couple of reasons, firstly the history of Harbin (a city I know well) which is in Northern China's Heilongjiang (Black Dragon) Province, borders Russia to the North and still has many old Russian buildings. I believe the old Opera House you mention (there is a modern one) is still standing, overlooking the Songhua River but is now downgraded to putting on ice skating and acrobatic performances for Korean tourists. I've been there, and I'm pretty sure that is the case. Harbin is very much a winter city with temparatures dropping to -40. In Lemeshev's day Harbin would have been full of white Russian Jews and traders escaping the Russian Revolution - they essentially built the city. Then came WW2, Japanese invasion, they all ran away to Shanghai where the same thing happened, many were declared stateless, some made it to Hong Kong and the remainder who survived all that ended up mainly in the US. However the city retains a strong Russian feel. See wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin
Fascinating place.

Now to Yurasovsky. According to my trusty sources he was apparently both a composer and conductor, and graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1938 where he had also studied with Myaskovsky.
One Opera: "A Thought About Opanas" (a small region near Kiev)
Four Ballets, including "Scarlet Sails" and "Under Italian Skies"
Four Symphonies (unknown, 1934, 1954 & 1964)
One Sinfonietta
Piano Concerto
Two Piano Quartets
Heroic Poem in Memory of Lenin
Various stage and cinema works, other poems, oratarios, cantatas and pieces for folk instrument orchestra (Bailaika etc).

So there you have it. Wrap up warm for Harbin and go see the Ice Festival, it's amazing. - Chris

[Christopher]

 - Plus of course the above-mentioned opera "Trilby".

Many thanks for this extra information.  I met quite a few younger Russians when I was living in Moscow who had studied at the university in Harbin, so obviously its Russian connections are being continued.

I have since found a CD with the recording of Pirogov singing the role of Svengali in "Trilby" - it's good stuff!

[Mark Thomas]

Sorry, I'm confused. According to earlier posts he died in 1922, so how could he have written a symphony in 1964? Presumably different people. In the case of the guy who is composing in the 1960s does his music fall within UC's "romantic" remit as defined here?

[petershott@btinternet.com]

You overlook one possibility, Mark. Didn't Rosemary Brown holiday at Harbin in the early 1960s?

[ChrisDevonshireEllis]

My bad - sorry to sow confusion. Seeing this, and I double checked - my Yurasovsky is a different one. Still, at least I got to tell you about Harbin. Apologies.