Ivan Boutnikoff (1893-1972)

Started by Wheesht, Sunday 27 September 2020, 10:57

Previous topic - Next topic

Wheesht

The Russian-born conductor Ivan Boutnikoff was also a composer, and a 1930 review by Julius Korngold of a performance of his Symphonic Suite "To Pan" appears to indicate that at least some of his works could be discussed here. Korngold describes the Symphonic Suite in five movements (1. Hymne an Pan 2. Silen 3. Pans Flöte 4. Tanz 5. Olymp) as Lisztian and Wagnerian new German music from the West entering into the Slavonic national, especially Russian, tradition. "Vieux jeu, to be sure", Korngold goes on, "but modernised a bit with Debussy and fastened a bit with Tchaikovsky."
That sounds quite intriguing I think. For those who can read German, the review of the concert, conducted by Boutnikoff himself (Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy was the other work in the programme) can be found here in "Theater- und Kunstnachrichten".

The finding aid to the Boutnikoff collection held at the University of Redlands has the year 1952 for "To Pan" op. 16.

Christopher

Do you know if any recordings of his works have been made?

I found this:

Ivan Boutnikoff (Composer, Arranger)

Born: December 1893 - Russia
Died: February 1972

Ivan Bounikoff [Butnikoff] was a Russian born conductor and composer.

In 1923 Ivan Bounikoff was appointed as chief conductor of the orchestra of the Conservatory of Athens. With his excellent technique he directed the orchestra with great success, showing the Athenian audience several performances of symphonic works, particularly those of Scriabin. He also gave the premiere performance of several works of Greek composers, including the excellent symphonic poem by George Sklavos Eagle (December 26, 1923). In 1925, the "Concerts Association" was founded in Athens, Greece. The Concerts Association Orchestra resulted from the merging of the Athens Conservatory Orchestra and the Greek Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, with Dimitri Mitropoulos and Bounikoff as regular Directors, and Bustinduy and Oikonomidis as ad hoc Directors. In 1927, after the Concerts Association was disbanded, the Athens Conservatory Symphony Orchestra was reorganized. Philoctitis Oikonomidis was appointed First Conductor, J. Bustinduy Assistant Conductor, and Dimitri Mitropoulos and Bounikoff "General Conductors". Bounikoff held this post until 1929, wen he left Greece).also taught at the Athens Conservatory. Moreover, from 1923 to 1929 period, Bounikoff taught at the Conservatory of Athens, having for many students who would become future leaders of the Athenian musical life, such as: Theodore Vavagianni, Leonidas Zora, Toti Karalivano, Miltiades Koutougko, etc.

Ivan Bounikoff was also conducter of the Brussels Symphony, the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Bolshoi Ballet.


http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Boutnikoff-Ivan.htm

And this (via google translate):

Russian conductor and music teacher. He graduated from high school in Kharkov, then studied at the Kharkov Conservatory, in Moscow and in Leipzig. After the revolution he emigrated from Russia to Constantinople, where he soon organized his own orchestra of 50 musicians. In 1923-1929. - Lecturer at the Athens Conservatory and chief conductor of its orchestra (together with Dimitris Mitropoulos). In 1931-1933. - Chief conductor of the Vienna Singing Academy choir. Then the composer and conductor of the Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo, with whom he moved to the USA; author of a number of orchestrations and arrangements (Mad Tristan based on Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, with a libretto by Salvador Dali, 1944; George Balanchine's pas de deux to the music of the intermission from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, 1945; Bronislava Nijinsky's ballet The Bramsovskys Variations "on the Variations on a Theme by Paganini and Variations on a Theme by Johannes Brahms, 1948). He also composed original music - in particular, one-act ballets based on Theodor Dreiser's plays "Laughing Gas" and "Spring Concert". At various times he has performed with other notable ensembles - in particular, with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In later years he taught privately; among the students, in particular, the American composer Christopher L. Stone (known for the music for the animated series Miracles on the bends and the computer game Dragon`s Lair).

https://persons-info.com/persons/BUTNIKOV_Ivan_Grigorevich

(An aside - I've never heard of Greek composer George Sklavos (1888-1976) - here is his "excellent symphonic poem" Eagle referred to above - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkqNUrp8UG0 composed in 1922, seems to fit our idiom though am not sure about "excellent"!  About the composer -  https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Γεώργιος_Σκλάβος - you'll need google translate if your Greek is rusty. Anyway, as Allan would say,....)

Wheesht

I have not found any so far, and I think if there were or had been, perhaps the finding aid might have mentioned that.