Sviatoslav Knushevitsky

Sviatoslav Nikolayevich Knushevitsky (also seen as Knushevitzky; 19 February 1963) was a Soviet-Russian classical cellist. He was particularly noted for his partnership with the violinist David Oistrakh and the pianist Lev Oborin in a renowned piano trio from 1940 until his death. After Mstislav Rostropovich and Daniil Shafran, he is spoken of as one of the pre-eminent Russian cellists of the 20th century.

Biography Sviatoslav Knushevitsky was born at Petrovsk, Saratov Oblast, on . graduating with a gold medal. He joined the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra in 1929, remaining their principal cellist until 1943.

In 1933 Knushevitsky won First Prize at the All-Union Music Competition. In 1940 he joined in partnership with the violinist David Oistrakh and the pianist Lev Oborin in a renowned piano trio, often referred to as the Oistrakh Trio, which concertised and recorded a great deal in many countries. He also joined a string quartet with Oistrakh, Pyotr Bondarenko and Mikhail Terian, known as the Beethoven Quartet. His sonata performances with Oistrakh were considered the equal in their day of the later duo of Sviatoslav Richter and Mstislav Rostropovich.

Cello concertos were written for him by: Nikolai Myaskovsky (Cello Concerto in C minor, 1944; premiered Moscow, 17 March 1945; ) Aram Khachaturian (Cello Concerto in E minor, 1946; premiered Moscow, 30 October 1946; he had also written his Piano Concerto in D-flat in 1936 for Lev Oborin, and his Violin Concerto in D minor in 1940 for David Oistrakh), and Reinhold Glière (Cello Concerto in D minor, Op. 87, 1946).

Other composers who wrote for him were Sergei Vasilenko and Alexander Goedicke. She taught at the Gnessin Institute 1950–1995.

Awards and honors Order of the Red Banner of Labour (28 December 1946) Stalin Prize, 3rd class (1950) Medal "For Labour Valour" (9 July 1954) Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR (1956)

Recordings Sviatoslav Knushevitsky's many recordings include:

Beethoven: Triple Concerto in C; Oborin, Oistrakh, Knushevitsky, with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Sir Malcolm Sargent Borodin: String Sextet in D minor Brahms: Double Concerto, with Oistrakh and the USSR Symphony Orchestra under Karl Eliasberg Chopin: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 8 Khachaturian: Cello Concerto in E minor (the premiere performance; and a later one conducted by Alexander Gauk) Myaskovsky: Cello Sonata No. 1 in D, Op. 12 Popper: Cello Concerto in C Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 Schubert: Octet in F major, D. 803 Schumann: Piano Trio No. 2 in F, Op. 80 Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 Smetana: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15 Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D minor, Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70, with Elizabeth Gilels (violin), Rudolf Barshai and Genrikh Talalyan (violas), and Mstislav Rostropovich (cello).