Lev Knipper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lev Konstantinovich Knipper (Лев Константинович Книппер) (3 December [O.S. 21 November] 1898 in Tbilisi – 30 July 1974 in Moscow), a Russian composer of partially German descent and an active OGPU - NKVD (Soviet secret police) agent.

Lev Knipper was the nephew of the actress Olga Knipper (Anton Chekhov's wife). His older sister Olga Chekhova also became an actress and married Mikhail Chekhov.

During the Russian civil war he fought in the White army and left Russia with the rest of baron Wrangel forces in 1920. Upon his return from emigration in 1922 he was recruited by OGPU foreign departement. There is no evidence that he denounced any of his fellow composers or musicians during the periods of repressions.

He studied music in Moscow with Reinhold Glière and the Gnessin Music School. In the 20's, he worked at the Moscow Art Theatre with Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin Stanislavski.

He wrote his Fourth Symphony in 1934, which includes the famous song Polyushko Pole, with lyrics (dedicated to Kliment Voroshilov) by Victor Gusev. The music became one of the Marching songs of the Red Army Choir. Knipper did not suffer from the attacks of Andrei Zhdanov, who censored other composers.

Knipper was prolific. He wrote 5 operas (including one on the The Little Prince), 20 symphonies, ballets, pieces for piano and other film musics. He also studied ethnomusicology in the Central Asian Republics and researched folk music from Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.