MR Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov-Sadovsky

Blake MR Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov-Sadovsky

The first full-length Russian biography of the great English poet, artist, thinker and visionary William Blake (1757-1827) D. Smirnov-Sadovsky is a pseudonym of a composer Dmitri N. Smirnov. He was born in Minsk into a family of opera singers. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Nikolai Sidelnikov, Yuri Kholopov and Edison Denisov and also privately with Philip Herschkowitz, a pupil of both Berg and Webern. About 40 of Smirnov's works reflect his fascination with the poetry and art of William Blake. His two operas Tiriel and Thel on Blake's texts were staged in Germany and England. His First Symphony (The Seasons) dedicated to Blake was performed in Russia, USA, England, Netherlands and South Korea. His oratorio A Song of Liberty (also Blake set) was premiered in England. Since 1991 Smirnov have been resident of England. He was a Fellow at University of Cambridge (St John's College), a Composer-in-Residence in Dartington, and Visiting Professor at Keele University and fellow tutor at the Goldsmiths College, University of London. He began to translate English poetry into Russian in 1968. Living 25 years in England he has completed the translation of practically all literary works of William Blake and also wrote his full-length biography.