Andrey Petrov (1930-2006) was born in Leningrad. In 1954 he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatoire, where he studied composition at professor O. A. Yevlakhov’s class. Among the titles he was awarded were the laureate of State USSR Prizes (1967, 1976), Russia (1996), Russia President’s Prize (1990), People’s artist of the USSR (1990). The cinematographic prizes were the ''Nika'' (1992) and ''Golden Ram'' (1995). Having become the chairman of the Leningrad Composers’ Union in 1964 he headed it till the last days of his life, while in 1992 he started the activity of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society’s president. Andrey Petrov was the Honoured Citizen of St. Petersburg. The planet discovered in 1994 was given his name.
Andrey Petrov’s songs of the1970-80ies are true recognizible masterpieces. The more important thing is, that his melodies are still sung. And this is not just TV and radio, his songs are heard from out the cars, kitchens and just in everyday life... It looks m ost amazing, for these songs were composed more than half a century ago. Musicologist Boris Katz, known for his perspicacious stare at Petrov’s music and having created the book about him, marked: ''...all the film songs are masterfully inserted to corresponding episodes, being connected with some definite characters, but we start singing them, as if we are their authors and they are written on behalf of ourselves, not to say of the true composer and poet, who are usually irretrievably forgotten.''

Contents:

Editor’s Preface
K. Uchitel. Songs of the 1970ies-80ies: Secret of the evergreen melodies
IT MAY BE A DREAM. From the film ''My Kind Daddy''. Verses by Ya. Golyakov
GEUZEN MARCH. From the performance ''Legend about Tijl Uilenspiegel''. Verses by Ye. Yevtushenko
SONG OF TIJL. From the performance ''Legend about Tijl Uilenspiegel''. Verses by Ye. Yevtushenko
CLOCK SONG. From the film ''The Blue Bird''. Verses by T. Harrison, Russian text by T. K