Cello concertos (Kabalevsky)

[2] Kabalevsky's works have been regarded unfavorably by many because of his associations and allegiance with the Communist Party and is referred to by some as a "Soviet Composer", who was "self-serving, sly, and opportunistic to the extreme.

"[3] However, his compositions including the two cello concertos are used by various students around the world to learn technique.

[3] Kabalevsky was elected vice president of the ISME in 1968, during the 8th conference meeting held in Dijon, France.

Kabalevsky's life in Russia during the time of the USSR and his career as a music teacher, for example, held particular influences on his works, particularly on his cello concertos.

[6][failed verification] During World War II, Russian and German governments had strict rules about the arts and what was appropriate and they generally preferred pieces that promoted patriotism for their country.

As a result, Kabalevsky did not stray too far from traditional Russian music in his cello concertos.

[3][failed verification] The war and post-war context brought new inspiration to many composers including Kabalevsky, as seen by the number of famous compositions that came out of this time.

This includes some of the works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Dmitri Shostakovich and Samuel Barber (amongst many others).

[8] The 20th century brought about a new style known as neoclassicism[9] to which Kabalevsky adhered to in many of his works, but particularly in his cello concertos.

[10] Influences Kabalevsky drew inspiration from and was influenced by a number of things such as his context of living in Soviet Russia, the neoclassic style that came out of the inter-war period and his esteemed career as a music educator and professional.

It is followed by the second movement which is a Largo, meaning "slow" and was dedicated to fallen Russian soldiers in World Wars 1 and 2.

Kabalevsky was generally praised by his audiences because of this and received a mostly positive reception to his neoclassic style.

The instrumentation of the orchestral accompaniment to the solo cello is fairly standard, except for the inclusion of the alto saxophone.

[12] Myaskovsky was also awarded with the Order of Lenin and held the rank of General in the Russian Army during World War II.