Composer, musicologist
Marina Geller was born in1963 in the former Soviet Union.
She graduated at Tashkent State Musical Academy as a musicologist (1986). Her M.A. Thesis was dedicated to music of Sofia Gubaidulina and to the individual composer style’s problem in the whole. While working in the Composers’ Union of Uzbekistan as a consultant in parallel she was studying a composition at the same Academy in the class of prof. Felix Yanov-Yanovsky. In those years were written: Two Fugues for string orchestra, “Farwell” for tenor and string orchestra by text of G.Apollinaire, Sonata for violin in 3 parts, Cycle for mezzo-soprano and symphonic orchestra by text of M.Tzvetayeva, “Three Etudes In the Symphonic Styles” for full symphonic orchestra, String Quartet in 3 parts and other works.
After her immigration to Israel in 1991 the study of composition was continued in Jerusalem Musical Academy of Rubin in the class of prof. Mark Kopitman (1991-1993). Between works in those years were Music for ballet “The Seagull Named Jonathan” by R.Bach’ novel for 6 instruments and percussion, Piano Pieces “Fugue & Postlude” for viola solo, Cycle for mezzo-soprano, flute and piano by text of M.Ruddock and others.
She is a member of Composers League of Israel since 1998. In the frame of League’s chamber concerts her cycle of piano pieces “Transparent Spaces” was played twice – by Raymonda Sheinfeld (2000) and by Nadia Nehama-Winetraub (2003) in the center of Felicia Blumenthal (Tel-Aviv).
The concert-recital of Marina Geller’s compositions in different genres took place in 2009 year, where were played her as instrumental as vocal music.
In 2010 year graduated at Bar-Ilan University with Ph.D. degree in composition by supervision of prof. Gideon Lewensohn and prof. Betty Olivero. In this time were written and performed “Film’s scenes” for clarinet, piano, vocal and percussion, “Arioso” for accordion, piano and string orchestra, “The Offering” for cello solo.
In 2012 she received the ACUM prize for her Concerto for cello and symphonic orchestra and then the prime minister’s award for composers for the Israel composers earned by her last works as “Ironical Bagatelles” and “Epitaph”.
Marina’s main activity is teaching of musical disciplines such as composition, theory, and musical literature in Beer-Sheva’s Conservatorium also in the middle- and high-schools.
was written in 1990. In the music of Quartet’ three contrasting parts one may hear some lyrical hero with his doubts, dreams and hopes which stands in the urban surrounding reality. The first part has a like-fugue structure concerning a psychological, tense development. The second part’s music expresses some mechanical, “urban” movement with the elements of a rough humor. The third part is lyrical dreamy adagio where each descending phrase is staying unfinished and rather hopeless.
was originally written for guitar and cello in 2008, just then the version for viola and cello was done by author. This composition contents
dramatical collisions shaped in a compact musical form close to sonata-allegro.
(String Quartet #2) dated by 2009 is inspired by recent author’s work with the quotations. The main idea here is the meeting in certain ironical environment of mini-elements from well known texts which are belonged to two or more composers in one common theme as a Children’s one , Orpheus’s, Dream’s, Moon’s or Carnival’s theme.
The wandering bars have a role of some clay –form elements as a frame of the whole composition (the beginning and its mirror end) as inside of it, when they appear between the miniatures.
(for String Quartet #3) was written in 2010 and dedicated to the memory of the author’s mother. The expressiveness is gained here by musical language’s simplicity and also by the composition’s form containing as dramatical as lyrical subjects. Nevertheless common stylistic’ features may be find here with the compositions recorded on this disc.