Isaak Yakovich Berkovich (December 28, 1902 – January 5, 1972)

Isaak Yakovich Berkovich (December 28, 1902 – January 5, 1972)

Isaak Yakovich Berkovich (born December 28, 1902, Kiev, Ukraine – died January 5, 1972, Kiev, Ukraine) was a Soviet composer, pianist and teacher. He was a member of the National Union of Ukrainian Composers. Being the author of teaching aids School of Piano Playing, Berkovich made a significant contribution to piano pedagogy. Isaak Berkovich devoted all his life to music, more than one generation of musicians studied on his teaching aids.


BIOGRAPHY

Education

 Isaak Berkovich was born in Kiev into a family of a watchmaker. In 1920 the future composer entered the Kiev Conservatory (nowadays – Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine); there he studied piano with Professor Vladimir Pukhalsky and composition and music theory with Professor Boris Lyatoshinsky.

Early career

His pedagogical work began in 1922 and continued throughout his life.  Simultaneously with his studies, Berkovich began teaching. Up to 1930 he worked as a piano teacher at Kiev Music School №6.  In 1925 Berkovich graduated from the Kyiv Conservatory. By this time he had already been the author of a rather large number of works, mostly written for small musicians.

Pedagogical work and composer activity

In 1925-1941 he worked as a teacher at the Kiev Music College and the Kiev Evening Conservatory. From1933 until 1941 Berkovich worked as an assistant, since 1947 he was an associate professor, in 1969 he held the position of a professor at the Kiev Conservatory. In 1938 Berkovich became a member of the National Union of Ukrainian Composers. Berkovich was actively engaged in pedagogical work along with composer activity. Mostly his work was aimed at creating piano pedagogical repertoire. Berkovich had a number of publications. Special attention was paid to piano works focused on those who are studying at children music schools. These piano works include etudes, pieces, arrangements of folk songs, other authors’ songs and numerous adaptations of piano works.

Legacy

Berkovich’s creative legacy includes works for violin and cello; there are also orchestral works. But most of the works were written for his favourite instrument - piano.

Works for Piano and String Orchestra – Three Concertos (1961, 1963, 1968), Variations on the Theme of Paganini (1967), Trio (1928); Two Sonatas for Piano (1922, 1941), Three Sonatinas for Piano (1952), Thirty Easy Pieces (1938), Thirty-five Etudes (1950), A Collection of Polyphonic Pieces (1950), Variations on Folk Themes (1963), Twenty-four Preludes (1965), School of Piano Playing (1960), Cycles of Pedagogical Pieces and Ensembles (1938-1966), etc. Berkovich also composed for the folk instruments orchestra (suite-1964), for violin and piano, cello and piano, domra and piano, for voice and piano. Berkovich wrote romance Thought (Duma) based on the poem by Taras Shevchenko and songs for children.


SHEET MUSIC


You can find and download free scores of the composer:

50 Little Etudes:

9 Comments

William K McDonald · 06.06.2020 at 18:48

Where can I purchase 50 Little Etudes by Isaak Berkovich?

Thanks.

Bill McDonald
wllmmcdon@aol.com

    admin · 07.06.2020 at 06:31

    Sent by mail.

    Pamela · 23.01.2022 at 14:55

    Could I have the same etudes, please? Thank you so much!
    Pamela

Elke Busselen · 23.02.2021 at 19:58

Where can I find the orchestral score for the piano concerto Opus 44 by Isaak Berkovich?

    admin · 24.02.2021 at 20:43

    E-mail ?

    Nancy Brown · 07.11.2023 at 10:43

    I am also looking for the string orchestra score for the piano concerto Op.44 No. 2 by Berkovich,

    I have been looking for days.

    Please send some information on how I could get this score. Thank you.

    nancywbrown@gmail.com
    Noteworthy Suzuki Music Studio

Mes · 15.09.2021 at 15:03

Do you have the concerto in C major Opus 44 by Isaak Berkovich (for 2 piano) at your disposal?

Elisabeth Sivertsen · 24.11.2021 at 18:09

Hello!
Is is possible to purchase all the 50 little etudes and small pieces at once?
mail eliza_dk@yahoo.com
Best, Elisabeth Sivertsen

Jennifer Hung · 02.03.2023 at 07:41

Where can I find the sheet music for “Variations on the Theme of Paganini” by Isaak Berkovich?

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