Prolific Moldovan composer Eugen Doga passed away on June 3, at 88 years old.
National mourning was declared in the country.
Doga was famed for his ballets, church music, radio shows, and above all, copious soundtracks and waltzes.
Though born in Transnistria in 1937, Doga advocated against its independence and for the integrity of Moldova. Also a public figure, he participated in meetings with students frequently and invoked his roots often — having grown up in post-war poverty. He was a proud Christian who expressed his desire that Moldova be reunited with Romania. He also publicly opposed Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Coming to Chișinău as a barefooted boy, he initially specialized in the cello, but shifted towards composition after his hand was overtaken by paralysis.
Films with particularly good soundtracks are “My Sweet and Tender Beast” and “The Gypsy Camp Vanishes into the Blue”. But he created over 200 works for film and theatre alone. Because he wrote so many soundtracks for Moldova-Film Studio, it was called “Moldoga” in banter.
He sought inspiration in Romanian literature, Russian literature, and folklore.
Doga held concerts all over the globe.
He was an Artist of the People of the Republic of Moldova, an Artist of the People of the USSR, a recipient of the National Prize and the State Prize of the USSR, and a Knight of the Order of the Republic. He was chairman for many if not most public music events in Moldova.
His funeral took place today at Chișinău’s Central Cemetery, June 5, after a lying-in at Moldova’s National Palace.
