Aleksey Zhivotov
Russian composer Aleksey Semyonovich Zhivotov was born in Kazan on either 1 November or 14 November 1904.
Very little is known about his life, except that he studied at the Leningrad Conservatory (1924-30) with M M Chernov and with Soviet composer Vladimir Vladimirovich Shcherbachov, and that he took an active part in the musical life of Leningrad, became a committee member of the Leningrad Composers' Union and (from 1961-4) was chairman of the Leningrad Branch of the Musical Fund.
Known works include a Suite for large orchestra (1928), Fragments for Nonet (1929) and the vocal-symphonic cycle West (1932). He also wrote film music, including for Za sovetskuyu rodinu (For the Soviet Motherland, also known as Ski Battalion, 1937), Vesna v Moskve (Spring in Moscow, 1953) and Dvenadtsataya noch (Twelfth Night, 1955).
Aleksey Zhivotov died in Leningrad on 27 August 1964, aged fifty-nine.