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Margarita Ivanovna Kuss
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Margarita Ivanovna Kuss, Russian:Маргарита Ивановна Кусс;

October 13, 1921 in Ryazan - December 19, 2009 in Moscow,

Soviet and Russian composer.

Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (1991)

Biography
Margarita Ivanovna Kuss was born on October 13, 1921 in Ryazan. From early childhood she lived in Moscow. Her father,Johannes (Ivan) Petrovich Kus (Kuus), was employed in economic and planning work. He was a German-Estonian by birth (his mother - Wilhelmina; nee Stern; German, father - Peter Henno Kuus, Estonian,the family members wrote this surname in different ways).Johannes (Ivan) Petrovich Kus (Kuus)came from Estonia to Russia. Margarita's mother, Mariya Fedorovna Kus;nee Prytkova; a daughter of an Orthodox priest, was a teacher of music. Margarita's father and his sister as Germans were exiled from Moscow in pre-war years and subsequently rehabilitated officially after Stalin's death in the middle of the 1950-ies and returned to Moscow.

Margarita Kuss began to compose when she studied at a children's music school.

At the age of 16 Margarita Kuss entered a music college under the Moscow Conservatory where her distinguished teachers included Professors G.I. Letinsky in composition and L.I. Roizman in piano.

From 1943 to 1948 she studied at the Moscow State Conservatory n.a. P.I. Tchaikovsky with Professor V.Y. Shebalin in composition for whom she developed a deep respect to the end of her life. When she entered the Conservatory a danger threatened her studies in Moscow as she was a daughter of the person who was convicted as a German and exiled from Moscow. Professor V.Y. Shebalin, who was Director of the Conservatory at this time, helped her to remain and continue her studies in the Moscow Conservatory under difficult circumstances. Margarita also studied instrumentation with D.D. Shostakovich, with whom she had friendly relations for many years. She studied organ with A.F. Gedike and theoretical subjects with I.V. Sposobin.

When Margarita graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1948, she was admitted to the Union of Composers in 1949.

Her works include symphonic compositions, vocal music and chamber-instrumental works. They were performed at various concerts, annual international contemporary music festival "Moscow Autumn" and also broadcast and performed abroad in Germany, Hungary, Yugoslavia, USA, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, Austria, Holland, Czechoslavakia and others. Margarita's vocal compositions were included in a required list for the International Tchaikovsky and Glinka Competitions in 1980-ies.

M.I. Kuss was also a member of the All-Union Teleradio Artistic Council in charge of acceptance of recordings to the Fund (music editorial staff).

In 1991 she was awarded the title "Honoured Artist of the RSFSR".

Margarita continued to work hard during the last years of her life. She set herself fully to music.

Margarita Ivanovna Kuss passed away on December 19, 2009 in Moscow.

Works
For symphony orchestra

Glory to Youth. Cantata (1948)

The Seagull (Chaika). Symphonic poem (1950)

Sinfonietta (1956), 2 -nd edition 1984

Poem for symphony orchestra on themes of Russian folk songs (1961)

"Lyric Poem" for symphony orchestra (1988)

Three poems for Symphony Orchestra (1994)

Poem for symphony orchestra "Cryptic Area" (in Russian "Potayonny Krai") (1999 - 2000)

Chamber - instrumental works

Sonata for violin and piano No.1 (1963)

Sonata for violin and piano No.2 (1974)

Trio for piano, violin and cello (2001)

Sonata for violin and piano No.3 (2002)

Poem for violin and piano (2004)

Essential vocal works

Six romances for medium voice and piano. Words by Hovhannes Shiraz (1947)

Five romances for high bass or baritone with piano. Words by Alexey Gmyryov (1953)

Four romances for bass and piano. Words by Shandor Petefi. (1950-ies)

Four romances for baritone and piano. Words by Nazim Khikmet (1955)

Two romances for medium voice and piano. Words by E.Nechaev and A. Gmyryov (1958)

"Fiery years". Poem for bass and piano (1960)

Romances for medium voice and piano. Words by Soviet poets (1965)

Seven romances for baritone and piano. Words by Soviet poets (1967)

Russian folk songs arranged for medium voice and piano (1969)

Russian folk songs arranged for high voice and piano (1970)

Eight romances, words by Soviet poets for soprano and piano (1970)

Ten Russian songs for mezzo-soprano, three fluets and piano. Folk words (1971)

Five romances for bass and piano. Words by Soviet poets (1972)

Russian folk songs arranged for medium voice and piano. Arrangement of M. Kuss (1975)

"From poetry of Michelangelo" - vocal cycle for soprano and piano (1975-1976)

Russian folk songs for baritone and piano (1981)

Russian songs for voice and piano (1983)

Three note-books of Russian songs for voice and piano. Folk words (1981, 1983, 1988)

Lyrics of Russian poets. Vocal cycle for bass and piano (1984)

Russian songs. Issue 3 M.Kuss (1988)

Two Pskov songs without accompaniment. Folk words. Issue 7 (1988)

Lyrics of Russian poets. Vocal cycle for mezzo-soprano and piano (1990 - 1992)

From Tiutchev's poetry. Vocal cycle for voice and piano (1998)

"Autumn evening". Vocal cycle for voice and piano. Words by F. Tiutchev (2003)

Lyrics of Ivan Bunin. Vocal cycle for voice and piano (2005)