Ippolitov-Ivanov, Mikhail Mikhailovich (1859-1935)

Russian composer. His compositions show a strong influence from the Caucasus; he wrote a book on Georgian folk music, and his symphonic suite Caucasian Sketches (1894) is probably his most popular work. He orchestrated the rediscovered St Basil scene from Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov (1925) and added three acts to Mussorgsky's unfinished opera The Marriage (1931).

He studied under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the St Petersburg Conservatory. In 1884 he was appointed conductor of the Imperial Opera at Tiflis, and in 1893 professor at the Moscow Conservatory, of which he was director 1906-22. He composed seven operas, as well as cantatas, choral works, and orchestral, chamber, and instrumental music. His memoirs were published as Fifty Years of Russian Music (1934).

Works Opera Ruth (1887), Azra, Assia (after Turgenev's story, 1900), Treachery (1910), Ole from Norland (1916), The Last Barricade, also completion of Mussorgsky's The Marriage (1931).

Orchestral two symphonies, Caucasian Sketches (1894), Iberia, Armenian Rhapsody (1895), Mtsyri (after Lermontov), From Ossian, Episode from Schubert's Life, Turkish Fragments (1930), Musical Scenes from Uzbekistan, The Year 1917, Catalonian Suite, and other pieces for orchestra.

Choral Hymn to Labour for chorus and orchestra (1934).

Other two string quartets; An Evening in Georgia for harp and wind instruments; violin and piano sonata; piano and other instrumental pieces; cantatas for chorus and piano; 116 songs.