BELY, VICTOR ARKADYEVICH

BELY, VICTOR ARKADYEVICH (Aronovich; 1904–1983), composer and musicologist. Born in Berdichev, Bely studied at the Kharkov Conservatory (violin and composition, 1919–21) and at the Moscow Conservatory with G. Konyus and N. Myaskovsky   (composition, 1922–29). From 1935 to 1948 he taught composition there. After working at the Minsk Conservatory in 1949–52 he returned to Moscow and became editor in chief of the Moscow journal Muzykalnaya Zhizn. He replaced his early expressionistic style through participation in Prokoll (the production collective) with poster-like music for revolutionary masses and then songs for the masses. A vocal piece, Orlyonok ("Young Eagle," 1936), was followed by successful war songs, including a popular "Ballad of Captain Gastello." His collection of songs won the Stalin Prize in 1952. Bely was awarded the titles of Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR and Honored Artist of the Belorussian SSR. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Yu. Korev, Bely (1962); I. Mangur, Viktor Bely (1979); Sovetskaya kultura, (17 March 1983). (Marina Rizarev (2nd ed.)