Tishchenko's ballet The Twelve is structured in 12 parts, strictly corresponding to the 12 chapters of Aleksandr Blok's poem, with each part titled using a relevant line from the poem.
Composer Biography
Boris Tishchenko was a postgraduate student of Dmitri Shostakovich at the Leningrad Conservatoire, and their relationship evolved into a deep friendship and mentorship.
Composition History
Boris Tishchenko's ballet The Twelve was commissioned by Soviet choreographer Leonid Yakobson for the Kirov (now Mariinsky) Theatre in Leningrad.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Tishchenko's music for The Twelve focuses on poetic speech, often following Aleksandr Blok's lines word for word, and uses human speech as its leading extramusical source.
Recording & Production
This CD recording of The Twelve combines two different recording sessions: one from 1976 by the Leningrad Philharmonia Orchestra and another from a 1982 concert by the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra.
Critical Reception
The ballet The Twelve was performed only three times at Leningrad's Kirov Theatre before being permanently removed from the repertoire, partly due to difficulties for dancers, orchestra, and theatre/Communist Party bosses.
