POL MARSEL (1908-1973) Prelude for Piano: [manuscript]. Sverdlovsk, 1932. -4 Sheet music Author’s dedication on the first sheet, addressed to S. Babynin-Ordynsky.

Pol Marsel (true name – Leopold Senderovich Ioselevich; 1908-1973) - Soviet composer- songwriter and conductor. Born in Marseille, France. He graduated from the Conservatory in piano and composition theory, and became friends with Dmitri Shostakovich, with whom they sometimes worked part-time as accompanists in cinema. he also was acquainted with many writers, including Sergei Yesenin. One of Paul’s sisters, Esther, married Daniil Kharms in 1928. In 1937, he was accused of belonging to a Trotskyist organisation and sentenced to 10 years in a labour camp, he spent his term in Vyatlag, where he worked in the Musical Drama Theatre of the Vyatlag of the NKVD. «He was released 11 months before the end of his term in January 1947. Music composer for a number of popular songs, including the song «Friendship» («The hour of joy and the pain of separation...») to lyrics by A. Shmulian. Paul Marcel’s other songs include a romance on lyrics by S. Yesenin «The Golden Grove», romances on lyrics by A. Blok «Harmonica», B. Timofeev «I hate you!» and B. Pasternin «Goodbye». The music to the poems of M. Svetlov «Grenada», N. Agnivtsev «Vintik Shpuntik» and Vera Inber «The Girl from Nagasaki».