КАЗАНСКИЙ (ПРИВОЛЖСКИЙ) ФЕДЕРАЛЬНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ
ИНСТИТУТ ФИЛОЛОГИИ И ИСКУССТВ
КАФЕДРА ИНОСТРАННЫХ ЯЗЫКОВ
FAMOUS COMPOSERS
Учебно-методическое пособие
Казань – 2013
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Печатается по решению учебно-методической комиссии Института филологии и
искусств Казанского (Приволжского) Федерального университета
Протокол № от .02.2013 г.
Составитель: старший преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков
Г. Ф. Валиуллина
Учебно-методическое пособие «FAMOUS COMPOSERS» предназначено для
студентов I-II курсов музыкальных учебных заведений, а также для широкого круга лиц,
интересующихся литературой в области истории музыки.
Пособие содержит три главы: Russian composers, Tatar composers and Foreign
Composers. В каждой главе представлены тексты, содержащие биографию и творчество
знаменитых русских, татарских и зарубежных композиторов-классиков.
Материалы, содержащиеся в пособии, могут быть использованы для
аналитического чтения, перевода и для совершенствования навыков устной речи. Также
текстами можно пользоваться на занятиях по домашнему чтению.
Alexander Dargomyzhsky
(1813-1869)
Dargomyzhsky Alexander Sergeevich, famous Russian composer, was born
February 14, 1813 in the village Dargomyzh Belevsky County, Tula province. His
father, Sergei, worked in the Ministry of Finance; his mother, Maria Kozlovskaja,
married against the wishes of parents. She was well educated; her poems were
published in almanacs and magazines. Some poems were written by her for her
children, mostly hortatory nature, entered into the collection: “A gift to my
daughter.”
One of the Dargomyzhsky’s brothers played the violin, taking part in a
chamber ensemble at home evenings and one of the sisters played well on the harp
and composed songs. Until five years Dargomyzhsky did not speak, and later his
formed voice was hoarse and squeaky, but it was not prevented him, however, later
touched to tears expressive artistry and vocal performance at the intimate
gatherings.
Dargomyzhsky studied at home, though he knew the French language and
French literature.
Playing in the puppet theatre, the boy wrote to him small plays, vaudeville,
and at six years he began learning to play the piano.
His teacher, Adrian Danilevskiy, not only encouraged the attraction of his
student with 11 years of age to compose, but also destroyed his musical
experiments, learning to play the piano. Dargomyzhsky studied and sang at
Tseybiha who told him information about the intervals and violin playing at P.G.
Vorontsov, participating since the age of 14 in the quartet ensemble. The present
system in music education was not for Dargomyzhsky, and their theoretical
knowledge he was obliged mainly to himself. The earliest of his works (a rondo,
variations for piano, songs with the words of Zhukovsky and Pushkin) was not
found in his papers, but during his lifetime published “Contredanse nouvelle” and
“Variations” for piano written: the first - to 1824, the second - in 1827 - 1828
years.
In 1830 Dargomyzhsky was known in musical circles in St. Petersburg as a
strong pianist, as well as the author of several piano pieces by the brilliant salon of
style and romance: “Oh, ma charmante”, “Lady and the Rose”, “I confess, my
uncle,”
“You're pretty” and others, differ little from the style of romances
Verstovsky, Alyabjeva and Varlamov, with a touch of French influence. Later
M.Glinka brought them out of Berlin by Professor Dan theoretical manuscript,
further widening his knowledge of harmony and counterpoint at the same time he
began and for the study of orchestration. For his first opera “Esmeralda”
Dargomyzhsky selected, however, the French libretto, compiled by Victor Hugo of
his novel “Notre Dame de Paris” and only after the end of the opera (in 1839),
translated it into Russian. “Esmeralda” remained unpublished. In “Mermaid”
Dargomyzhsky consciously cultivated a Russian style of music created by Glinka.
New in “Mermaid” is its drama, comedy (figure matchmaker) and bright
recitations, in which Dargomyzhsky was ahead Glinka. But the vocal style of
“Mermaid” is not sustained, closed to truthful, expressive recitations met
conditional cantilenas (Italianisms), rounded arias, duets and ensembles are not
always binding with the requirements of drama. Weaknesses “Mermaids” was still
technically orchestrated it, which could not be compared with the rich orchestral
colours “Ruslan”, but from an artistic point of view - all part of a fantastic, very
pale. The first performance of “Mermaid” was in 1856 (May 4) at the Mariinsky
Theatre in St. Petersburg, when not staging, with the old sets are not suitable
costumes, negligent performance, misplaced notes, by K. Liadov, no lover of
Dargomyzhsky, had no success. Opera did not show until 1861, but resumed in
1865 with Plato and Commissar Rzewski, was a huge success and had since
become repertoire and one of the most beloved of Russian operas. Moscow
“Mermaid” set for the first time in 1858, the initial failure of the “Mermaid” had
affected Dargomyzhsky disappointingly, the story of his friend, V.P. Engelhard, he
intended to burn scores of “Esmeralda” and “Mermaid”, and only a formal refusal
to extradite the directorate these scores to the author, supposedly to fix, saved them
from destruction.
The last period of creativity Dargomyzhsky, most original and significant,
was able to called reformist. Its beginning, the root was already in the recitatives
“Mermaids”, was marked with the emergence of a number of original vocal pieces,
his humour is different - or rather, Gogol's humour and laughter through tears
(“clerk”, 1859), a drama (“The Old Corporal” 1858, “Paladin”, 1859), the subtle
irony (“Worm”, the text of Beranger-Kurochkin, 1858), the burning feeling
rejected by women (“They parted, we proudly”,” I do not care“, 1859), and always
remarkable strength and truth of vocal expression. These vocal pieces were a new
step forward in the history of Russian romances after Glinka and served as models
for vocal masterpieces Mussorgsky, written in one of their dedication
Dargomyzhsky – “the great teacher of musical truth”. Comic vein Dargomyzhsky
was seen in the field of orchestral compositions. For the same period included his
orchestral fantasy: “Malorossiysky Cossack”, inspired by “Kamarinskaya” Glinka,
and completely independent: “Baba-Yaga, or from the Volga nach Riga” and “Finn
fantasy”.
Getting Dargomyzhsky in the mid 1850’s with the composers, the Balakirev
circle was beneficial for both parties. New vocal verse Dargomyzhsky influenced
the formulation of vocal style of young composers, which was particularly,
affected the work of Cui and Mussorgsky who met with Dargomyzhsky, as
Balakirev, before the others. On Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin’s opera especially
acted to new techniques Dargomyzhsky, which were the practical realization of the
points made in his letter (1857) to Karmalinoy: “I want to express the sound of the
word, I want the truth”. Opera composer by vocation, Dargomyzhsky, despite the
failure of a government directorate, could not long lithographic copy of the first
action) - the product of a weak, inadequate, incompetent to go in comparison with
“Life for the Tsar”.
However, it had been found to Dargomyzhsky: drama and the pursuit of
expressive vocal style, influenced by acquaintance with the works Megyulya,
Auber and Cherubini. “Esmeralda” was posed only in 1847 in Moscow and in
1851 in St. Petersburg. “These some eight years of waiting in vain and in the most
ebullient years of life have placed a heavy burden on all of my artistic activity,” wrote Dargomyzhsky.
Until 1843 Dargomyzhsky was in the service, at first in the control of the
Ministry of the court, then in the Department of the Treasury, and then he
dedicated himself entirely to music. The failure of the “Esmeralda” suspended
operatic works of Dargomyzhsky, he began composing songs, which, together with
earlier been published (30 songs) in 1844 and brought him the honorary
recognition.
In 1844 Dargomyzhsky visited Germany, Paris, Brussels and Vienna.
Personal acquaintance with Aubert, Meyerbeer and other European artists
influenced its further development. He became close friends with Halevy and
Fetisov, which indicated that Dargomyzhsky consulted with him about his works,
including here and “Esmeralda”.
Leaving supporter of the French, Dargomyzhsky returned to St. Petersburg.
He was much greater than previously, a champion of Russian (as happened with
Glinka). Reviews foreign press about the execution of works Dargomyzhsky at the
private meetings in Vienna, Paris and Brussels contributed to some change in
attitude to Dargomyzhsky Directorate theatres. In 1840, he wrote more choruses on
the cantata with a text of Pushkin's “Triumph of Bacchus”. It was performed at a
concert Directorate at the Bolshoi Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1846, but staged it
as an opera, completed and orchestrated in 1848, the author was denied, and only
much later (in 1867) it was staged in Moscow. This opera, like the first, the music
was weak and not typical for Dargomyzhsky. Sorry failure in production of
“Bacchus”, Dargomyzhsky again locked into a close circle of fans and admirers,
while continuing to compose a small vocal ensembles (duets, trios, quartets), and
romances, at the same time published and popularized.
However, he started teaching singing. The number of his students and
especially girls was enormous. Empathy and the worship of women, more so singers, always inspired and encouraged Dargomyzhsky and he jokingly remarked:
“Do not be singers in the world - should not have to be a composer.”
Already in 1843, conceived Dargomyzhsky third opera, “Mermaid”
(“Rusalka”), in Pushkin’s text, but the work progressed very slowly, and even the
approval of friends was not quickened their pace of work, and yet the duo of Prince
and Natasha, who performed Dargomyzhsky and Karmalina brought tears to
Glinka .
New impetus creativity Dargomyzhsky gave a big hit a grand concert of his
works, arranged in St. Petersburg in the hall the Noble Assembly 9 April 1853,
according to Prince V.F. Odoyevskiy and A.N. Karamzin. They started again for
the “Mermaid”, Dargomyzhsky graduated in 1855 and transferred it to four hands
(unpublished endure inaction).
In early 1860 he began to work at a magical comic opera "Rogdai”, but he
wrote only five rooms, two solo and the three choirs. A little later he planned the
opera “Mazeppa”, the story “Poltava”, but by writing a duet with Orlik Kochubey
(“Once you're here, despicable man”) on it and stopped. Lack the determination to
devote a large work forced, whose fate seemed uncertain.
Travelling abroad in 1864 - 65 years helped to lift his spirit and strength, as it
was very successful in the artistic respect: in Brussels conductor Gansens rated
talent Dargomyzhsky and facilitated execution in concerts of his orchestral things
(the overture to “Mermaid” and “Cossack woman”), had a huge success.
However, the main impetus to unusual awakening creativity Dargomyzhsky
gave his new young friends, especially talent that he quickly realized. Question of
the opera form was then another. Serov did it, intending to become an opera
composer and carried away by ideas of operatic reform Wagner. He engaged
members of Balakirev circle, especially Cui, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov,
solving its own, based largely of the features of the new vocal style
Dargomyzhsky. He composed his “William Ratklif”, Cui immediately acquainted
with Dargomyzhsky written. He introduced Dargomyzhsky with new vocal
compositions as Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Their energy and
communicated very Dargomyzhsky, he boldly decided to embark on reform of the
opera and sang (as he put it) swan song, began with an extraordinary zeal for the
essay “The Stone Guest”, without changing a single line of Pushkin text and not
adding to it a single word.
Dargomyzhsky did not stop creativity and in his disease (aneurysm and
hernia) he wrote in recent weeks, he laid in bed with a pencil. Young friends,
preparing the patient, performed the opera scene after scene as they create and their
enthusiasm fading gave new strength to the composer.
For several months, the opera was nearly over; death prevented finish music
only to the last seventeen verses. Bequest Dargomyzhsky finished “The Stone
Guest” Cui, who also wrote the introduction to the opera, borrowing from its
thematic material, and orchestrated the opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. Through the
efforts of “Friends”, of “The Stone Guest” was raised in St. Petersburg at the
Mariinsky Theatre on Feb. 16, 1872 and renewed in 1876, but the repertoire was
not kept and was still far from being appreciated.
No doubt, the value of “The Stone Guest” and the logical final of it reformed
ideas of Dargomyzhsky. In “The Stone Guest” Dargomyzhsky, like Wagner, he
had sought to make a synthesis of drama and music, subjecting the text to music.
Opera forms “Stone Guest” was so flexible that the music flows continuously, with
no repetitions, did not caused by the sense of the text. He achieved a waiver of
symmetrical forms of arias, duets and other ensembles rounded, and at the same
waiver of continuous cantilenas as insufficiently flexible for the expression of fast
changing nuances of speech. But here the way Wagner and Dargomyzhsky
diverged. Wagner moved centre of gravity of musical expression of Psychology
actors into the orchestra and the vocals had been in the background.
Dargomyzhsky concentrated musical expression on Vocals, finding it more
appropriate to their own actors talking about themselves. Opera links in a
continuously flowing music of Wagner’s leitmotifs were the symbols of persons,
objects and ideas. Opera style “Stone Guest” deprived of leitmotifs, still the
characteristics of actors in Dargomyzhsky bright and very conservative. In their
mouths embedded speech are different, but uniform for everybody.
Denying the solid cantilena, Dargomyzhsky rejected the ordinary, so-called
“dry” recitative, expressive and a little devoid of pure musical beauty. He created a
vocal style that lied between cantilena and recitation, a special singing or melodic
recitation, elastic enough to be in constant compliance with the speech, and at the
same time, rich distinctive melodic twists, inspired by this speech, which brings in
her new, missing her emotional element. This vocal style, it was what suited the
Russian language, and was the Dargomyzhsky’s merit. Opera forms “Stone Guest”
caused by the properties of the libretto, the text was not open to wide use of
choruses, vocal ensembles, an independent orchestra, could not, of course, be
regarded as immutable models for all of opera. Artistic problem admit no one, not
two solutions. Nevertheless, the Dargomyzhsky’s resolution opera problems were
so significant that in the history of opera will not be forgotten. Dargomyzhsky had
not only Russian followers, but also foreign. Gounod intended to write an opera
based on the model of “The Stone Guest”, Debussy in his opera “Pelleas et
Melisande” to implement the principles of opera reform Dargomyzhsky.
Musical and social activities Dargomyzhsky began only shortly before his
death: in 1860 he was a member of the committee to review the works presented to
the competition of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, and in 1867 was elected a
director of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Company. Most of the essays had been
published Dargomyzhsky P. Jurgenson, Gutheylya and W. Bessel.
He died in January 17, 1869 in St. Petersburg.
Notes
harp – арфа
hoarse – хриплый
squeaky – писклявый
cantilena – плавная мелодия; песенка
recitation – декламация
pursuit – поиск
service – служба
aneurysm – аневризма
hernia – грыжа
merit – заслуга
Cui – Цезарь Антонович Кюи (1835 – 1918) – русский композитор и
музыкальный критик
“Esmeralda”, “Mermaid”, “The Stone Guest” – оперы «Эсмеральда»,
«Русалка», «Каменный гость»
Alexander Borodin
(1833-1887)
Alexander Borodin was a remarkably versatile personality. Many talents had
been given this wonderful man. He went down in history as a great composer, and
as an outstanding chemist – a scientist and educator, and as an active public figure.
Remarkable was his literary talent: it was manifested in their written the libretto of
the opera “Prince Igor”, in their own texts, songs and letters. He had successfully
performed as a conductor and music critic. And at the same time of Borodin, and
his outlook was unique to the integrity. In all felt his clarity of thought and a wide
scope, progressive beliefs and bright, cheerful attitude toward life.
Similarly, versatile, yet inwardly one is his musical creativity which was
small in volume, but includes examples of different genres: opera, symphony,
symphonic picture, quartets, piano pieces, songs.
The extraordinary creativity of Borodin’s integrity stemmed from the fact that
through all his major works was one of the leading thought – about the heroic
power, hidden in the Russian people. Once again, in different historical
circumstances, Borodin, Glinka expressed the idea of national patriotism.
Favourite heroes of Borodino were the defenders of the homeland. These
were real historical figures (as in the opera “Prince Igor”) or the legendary Russian
warriors, standing firm in their native land, as if burrowing into it, in the images of
Igor and Yaroslavna in “Prince Igor” and the epic heroes of the Second Symphony
Borodin summarized the qualities that manifested themselves in the characters of
the best Russian people in defense of the homeland for many centuries of national
history. This was a living embodiment of courage, calm grandeur, and spiritual
nobility. The same generalizations of significance were shown scenes from the
composer of folk life. He did not dominate everyday life sketches, and the majestic
paintings of historical events influencing the fate of the whole country.
Turning to the distant past, Borodin, as other members of the “Mighty Five”,
did not depart from the present, but rather responded to her requests.
However, Musorgsky (Boris Godunov, “Khovanshchina”), Rimsky-Korsakov
(“The Maid of Pskov”), he participated in an artistic study of Russian history. At
the same time, his thoughts rushed to an even more ancient time, especially far into
the centuries.
Notes
versatile – разносторонний
outlook – кругозор
circumstance – обстоятельство
“Prince Igor” – опера «Князь Игорь»
“Mighty Five” – «Могучая кучка» творческое содружество российских
композиторов
The life and career
Alexander Borodin was born November 11, 1833 in St. Petersburg. The future
composer brought up in his mother's house. Through her childhood, the boy took
care in a supportive environment. Finding versatile abilities, Borodin received an
excellent education at home, in particular - a lot of music. Under the guidance of
teachers, he learned to play the piano and flute, and a self-taught - the cello. Sooner
manifested by Borodin and composing a gift. In childhood, he composed a polka
for piano, concerto for flute and a trio for two violins and cello, and wrote a trio
without the score, just for votes. In the same childhood Borodin appeared passion
for chemistry, and he enthusiastically studied all kinds of experiments. Gradually,
this passion took precedence over his other inclinations. Like many members of
progressive youth of 50-ies, Borodin chose the path of the naturalist. In 1850, he
joined a volunteer in the Medical-Surgical (now the Military-medical) academy in
St. Petersburg.
In his student years Borodin more carried away with chemistry. He became a
favourite disciple of the outstanding Russian chemist N. H. Zinin and intensively
studied in his laboratory. At the same time, Borodin was interested in literature,
philosophy. According to one of his friends, the 17-18-year old his favourite
reading was the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Belinsky’s articles, articles
in philosophical journals.
He continued to engage in and the music, causing discontent Zinin, who saw
him as his successor. Borodin took lessons in playing the cello with a passion for
playing in amateur quartets. In those years began to take shape his musical tastes
and views. Along with foreign composers (Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn) he
thought highly of Glinka.
During the years of teaching in the Academy Borodin did not stop composing
work (in particular, wrote many fugues). The young amateur musicians interested
in Russian folklore, mostly - urban song. Demonstrate this were a piece of his own
songs in the national spirit and the creation of a trio for two violins and cello on the
theme of Russian song “What You I'm upset”.
Soon after graduating from the academy (in 1856) and the passage of
compulsory medical experience Borodin had long-standing research in the field of
organic chemistry, earned him an honourable reputation in Russia and abroad.
After receiving his doctorate, in 1859 he went on a scientific mission abroad. Three
years Borodin held in Germany, France and Italy, for the most part - together with
other young, later famous scientists, including chemical com - Mendeleev,
physiologist Sechenov.
Surrendering scientific studies in laboratories, he was not leaving music:
attend symphony concerts and operas, played cello and piano, composed a number
of chamber and instrumental ensembles. In the best of these ensembles, piano
quartet - are already beginning to be felt in places a strong national flavour and
epic force, to become characteristic of Borodin later.
Of great importance for musical development of Borodin was acquainted
abroad with his future wife, a talented pianist from Moscow, Ekaterina
Protopopova. She introduced Borodin with many unknowns his musical works,
and he thanked to her. Borodin was an ardent admirer of Schumann and Chopin.
The first period of creative was maturity. Hr worked on the First Symphony.
In 1862 Borodin returned to Russia. He was elected Professor of Medical-Surgical
Academy and took up with new chemical research.
Soon, Borodin met in the home of the famous doctor Botkin Balakirev,
immediately evaluate his musical talent. This meeting played a crucial role in the
ill - Divine Life Borodin. “Before meeting with me - later recalled Balakirev, - he
considered himself only an amateur and did not attach importance to his exercises
in the book. It seems to me that I was the first person, telling him that - standing of
his case – composing”. Borodin joined the “Mighty Five” had become a true friend
and ally of the rest of its participants.
Balakirev helped the Borodin, as well as other members of the circle, to
develop based on traditions Glinka own musical style. Under his leadership,
Borodin began writing his first symphony (in E flat major). A month and a half
after the start of classes with Balakirev was almost entirely written by the first part.
However, the scientific and pedagogical affairs distracted composer, writing
symphonies, and dragged on for five years, until 1867. The first performance of it
took place in early 1869 in Petersburg, the Russian Musical Society with Balakirev
and was a great success.
In Borodin's First Symphony had been determined to completely creative
person. It clearly felt heroic scale and powerful energy, the classical form of
austerity. Symphony attracts brightness of images and identities, Russian and
eastern stocks, fresh tunes, richness of colours, the originality of the harmonic
language, grew up on people-song soil. The appearance marked the beginning of
the symphony the composer's artistic maturity. The same witness its first
completely independent songs, composed in 1867-1870, respectively. Finally, at
the same time, Borodin appealed to the operatic genre, attracted in those years the
attention of all members of the group. He wrote a comic opera (in essence,
operetta) “Heroes” and began to write an opera “The Tsar's Bride”, but soon lost
interest in its story and left the job.
Notes
guidance – руководство
successor – преемник, наследник
Creation of the Second Symphony
Borodin started working on his opera “Prince Igor”. The success of the First
Symphony caused a new upsurge of Borodin's creative forces. He immediately
began to
compose the Second
(Bogatyrskaya) Symphony (B
minor).
Simultaneously, at the request of Borodin Stasov found him a new subject for an
opera – “Lay”. This proposal generated enthusiasm of the composer, and in the
same 1869 he began the opera “Prince Igor”.
В 1872 Borodin’s attention was distracted by a new conception. Theatre
management had ordered him, along with Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Cui
wrote an opera-ballet “Mlada”, the plot, inspired by the traditions of the ancient
Western Slavs. Borodin composed the fourth act “Mlada”, but opera was not
completed by its authors, and some time later returned to the composer's
symphonies, and then also to “Prince Igor”.
The work on the Second Symphony lasted seven years and was completed
only in 1876. It slowly progressed forward and opera. Main reason for this is an
extraordinary employment Borodin scientific, educational and social activities.
In the 70 years Borodin continued their original chemical research, which
produced gains of modern science in the field of plastics. He had spoken at
international chemical congress, published a series of valuable papers. In the
history of Russian chemistry, he occupied a prominent place as a leading scholar of
the materialist, a prominent ally of the Mendeleyev and Butlerov.
Many forces took up Borodin teaching in the Medico-Surgical Academy. By
his teaching duties, he was truly selfless attitude. Warmly, in a fatherly way he
cared about the students every opportunity to help them and even saved if
necessary revolutionary youth from the police. His compassion, benevolence, loves
for people and easy to use attracted to him warm sympathy of others. Borodin
showed a genuine interest in their social activities. He was one of the organizers
and teachers of Russia's first higher education institution for women – Women’s
medical courses. Borodin bravely defended the progressive initiative from the
persecution of the tsarist government and the attacks of the reactionary circles. In
the early 70’s he took part in the publication of the journal “Knowledge”, in which
waged propaganda materialist theory and democratic ideas.
Different classes of Borodin left him almost no time to compose music. Home
furnishings due to illness of his wife and insecurity of life did not conducive to
musical creativity. As a result, Borodin could work on his musical works only in
fits and starts.
Musical friends, Borodin has repeatedly complained “many cases of
professors and women’s medical courses ever prevented him” (Rimsky-Korsakov).
In fact, Borodin-scientist did not only prevent but also helped the Borodincomposer. Integrity philosophy, a strict sequence and depth of thinking of a
scientist, contributed to the coherence and harmony of his music. Scientific studies
filled his faith in the power of reason and human progress strengthened its
confidence in the bright future of the people.
Notes
upsurge – повышение
benevolence – доброжелательность
In recent years, the life and work
In the late 70’s - early 80-ies Borodin created the first and second quarters,
symphonic picture “In Central Asia”, a few songs, and some new scenes for the
opera. Since the early 80’s he began to write less. The major works of the last
years of his life can only be called third (unfinished) symphony. Besides it, there
were only “Little Suite” for piano (composed in large part still in the 70-ies), a few
vocal miniatures and operatic numbers.
The fall of the intensity of creativity Borodin (as well as its research
activities) could be attributed primarily to changes in social conditions in Russia in
the 80’s.
In conditions of severe political reaction intensified persecution of advanced
culture. It was, inter alia, submitting defeat Female medical courses, suffering
Borodin. It was all the more difficult for him to fight against the reactionaries in
the Academy. In addition, increased his employment, and health of the composer,
which seemed all the heroic, was taken. It was heavily influenced by Borodin and
death of some close friends - Zinin, Mussorgsky. Yet these years had brought
Borodin and some joyful experiences associated with the growth of its composer’s
fame. His symphonies had been increasingly and successfully performed in Russia.
Even in 1877, Borodin, being abroad, visited F. Liszt, and heard him rave reviews
about his works, their freshness and originality. Later, Borodin had twice visited
Liszt, and found great delight in the hot creative musician, composer of the
“Mighty Handful”. At the initiative of Liszt Symphony Borodin was repeatedly
performed in Germany. In 1885 and 1886 Borodin travelled to Belgium, where his
symphonic works enjoyed great success.
The last years of life Borodin were also communicating with young
composers Glazunov, Liadov and others admire his work.
Borodin died in February 15, 1887. This morning he was still improvising
music for his Third Symphony, and about midnight, at a gala evening among the
guests, he suddenly fell down, “not uttering no groan, no cry like a terrible enemy
nucleus struck him and swept him from the midst of the living” (Stassov).
Immediately after the death of Borodin’s next musical friends, RimskyKorsakov and Glazunov decided to stop and prepare for publication of his
unfinished works. Based on materials Borodin they had done a full score of the
opera "Prince Igor" by treating a number of episodes, and having painted some
unfinished scenes. They also prepared for publication until that time unpublished
writings - Second Symphony, the Second Quartet and some ballads. Glazunov
wrote down from memory and orchestrated the two parts of the Third Symphony.
Soon, all these works have been published, and in 1890 the opera “Prince Igor”
was first posed by the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and found a warm
reception by the audience, especially among young people.
Notes
symphonic picture “In Central Asia” – симфоническая картина «В Средней
Азии»
F. Liszt - Ференц (Франц) Лист (1811 - 1886) - венгерский композитор,
пианист-виртуоз, педагог, дирижёр, публицист, один из крупнейших
представителей музыкального романтизма
Piotr Tchaikovsky
(1840 -1893)
Tchaikovsky was not a child prodigy as Mozart, he did not appear as a great
talent during his young years - nether as a pianist, nor as a composer. His life in
music was not smooth and predictable. Tchaikovsky was regarded as the most
popular Russian composer, and even “the most Russian” composer, though he was
not like Glinka consecrated to the service of nationality, and no doubt was
influenced by German, Italian and French composers. Even among the other quite
famous Russian contemporaries, “The Mighty Five”, he stayed aside: his music
was considered too Western, though it had been written at the rising time of the
national movement.
Tchaikovsky was born in a middle class family. From the early years his life
was filled with melodies from Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, played on the orchestra by
his father. The boy, very likely taught piano by his mother, showed the perfect
pitch and remarkable musical memory. But his parents did not pay attention to his
musical capabilities. One time, however, once, he was so engaged with a rhythm,
tapping with his fingers on the windowpane that he broke the window, cutting his
hand. This incident moved his parents to engage a music tutor for young Piotr.
Tchaikovsky’s musical lessons were not very regular. At the age of nine he
was sent to the School of Jurisprudence in St. Petersburg, where he studied until
the 1861. During these years musical activities of the young composer were
minimal, though he went to the performances of very famous musicians, such as
Clara Schumann, and also frequented the Italian opera, which was very popular
that time. Outside the school he took music lessons on Sundays from the pianist
Rudolph Kundinger, but the teacher discovered no particular talent in his pupil.
Nobody could see in young Tchaikovsky what he would later become. His
classmates remembered that they were amazed by his improvisation on the themes
from fashionable opera, but mostly by the musical tricks, he could demonstrate,
like the guessing keys and playing the piano covered by a towel.
After his graduation from the School of Jurisprudence, Tchaikovsky began his
civil service in the administrative division of the Department of Justice in St.
Petersburg, trying to find his niche in this field. According to his brother Modest,
who has written the most detailed biography of the composer, the first indication of
his intention to change his career is dated 1861, when in the letter to his sister
Aleksandra he wrote: “Papa insists that it is not that late for me to become an
artist? But the fact is that even if I do have some talent, it is probably already
impossible to develop it. They have made a clerk out of me, and a poor one at that:
I try to improve as much as I can, to take my work more seriously - and now to
study thoroughbass at the same time!”
That time was a crucial moment in Russian music life. In 1857 the Russian
Musical society was formed, which soon brought the classical music out of the
aristocratic salons to public. There were many musical classes opened for general
education, which of course gave rise to professional education as well Tchaikovsky
was told about these classes by his cousin, a young officer in the Horse Grenadiers,
who once mentioned that he can make the transition from one key to any other in
no more than three chords; and demonstrated immediately.
The classes on orchestration and composition with one of the most significant
musician of hat time, the director of St. Petersburg Conservatory Anton
Rubinstain, became the centrepiece of Tchaikovsky’s studies. His teaching was
improvisational, and even having not very wide musical outlook, Rubinstain was
not only a great pianist and composer, but also a man of rare nobility, sincere,
honest, magnanimous.
Anton Rubinstain recognized an outstanding talent in his pupil and wanted to
encourage him. He arranged to bring one of the first serious works of his student to
the attention of Johann Strauss. The performance of “Characteristic dances”,
incorporated later to Tchaikovsky's first opera “The Voevoda” was, indeed, the
first public performance of any of his works.
Before even graduating, Tchaikovsky had already composed the Overture in F
and the String quartet movement in В flat, both of which were performed in
student concerts at the conservatory. As his graduation work, Tchaikovsky
proposed his cantata on the text of Schiller's ode "An die Freude" (the same text as
in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony). Reaction on it was almost uniformly
unfavourable.
During these years, Tchaikovsky worked as teaching assistant in a harmony
class. Several weeks before his graduation, he was invited by Anton Rubinstain's
brother Nikolay to teach at the newly founded Moscow Conservatory.
Tchaikovsky, a very soft and charming person, very quickly became a member of
musical family, attracting people not only by his promising talent, but mostly by
his character. But his creative efforts still were not still productive.
Early in 1866 he began work on his first symphony “Winter Daydreams”. It
was time of endless depression, enforced by insomnia. The abnormal labour was
killing his sleep, and sleepless nights were sapping his energy and paralyzing his
creative power. In the middle of July, as his doctor said, Tchaikovsky was even
close to insanity. In September, he showed the unfinished yet score to his former
teachers - Anton Rubinstain and Nikolay Zaremba. To his dismay both men
disliked of the symphony. But the “Moscow Rubinstain”, Nikolay liked it and in
December played the scherzo from it at a concert of the Russian Musical Society.
The full performance of this work in February 1868 was a resounding success,
which brought it in the row of one of the first symphonies written by Russian
composer. “Winter Daydreams”, filled with folk motives, already showed
Tchaikovsky’s own style. It was his first triumph, but aware of number of
weaknesses in the work, Tchaikovsky decided to rewrite it.
Encouraged by his first successful works, Tchaikovsky began to work on his
first opera, with the libretto of the famous Russian playwright Alexander
Ostrovsky. He composed with great speed and enthusiasm, but in his inexperience
he made a number of stenographic errors. The first performance, which took place
at the Bolshoi Theatre, was not very successful - the National opera was not as
popular as Italian. Russian composers were not even permitted the advantage of a
full orchestra and the second-rate singers were considered good enough. Even so,
the opera was performed in all about ten times. Afterwards Tchaikovsky burned
the score, perhaps from disappointing. But some parts of this fist opera would be
included in his later opera “The Oprichnik”.
Tchaikovsky’s next work, the fantasia “Fatum”, which joined the list of his
failures, was performed in March 1869 with some success. And again, unsatisfied
by it Tchaikovsky destroyed the score.
The end of his failures was soon to come. In the spring of 1869 Balakirev
discussed with young talented composer the plan of his next work - Fantastic
Overture “Romeo and Juliet”. They talked about all the details very carefully.
Tchaikovsky came from his vacation in September with the almost finished score.
But the evil fate did not forget the young composer. On the evening of forth of
March 1870, Nikolay Rubinstain appeared in the hall of Moscow Conservatory to
conduct his work, which was predicted to be a great success. But he was received
the fantastic demonstration of students against him, after an incident with a student
of Conservatory, resented a reprimand. “Romeo and Juliet” was published at 1871
in Berlin and indeed became one of the most popular classical masterpieces.
The next seven years (1871-1877) were more or less successful in
Tchaikovsky's creative work. His next two operas were not good ones: “Undina”
was rejected by Theatral Direction, “Snow maiden” (“Snegurochka”) did not have
success (not like the Rimsky-Korsakov opera of the same theme). But at the same
time, Tchaikovsky composed such famous works as the Second Symphony (“A
Little Russian”, almost fully consisting of variations on Russian folks melodies),
Third Symphony, the opera “Vakula the Smith”, which had significant success in
Russia and Europe, but was remodelled later into the opera “Cherevichki”; the
opera “The Oprichnik” was the great advance of his previous operas “Undina” and
“The Voevoda”; the ballet “Swan Lake”, the Fantasia “Franceska di Rimini” etc.
The year of 1877 was the most crucial for Tchaikovsky. In the August he
married Antonina Miljukova. She was one of his students, who had written him a
confession of love. On the day of marriage he wrote several letters to his friends,
informing them of this event. But on the train to St. Petersburg, where they wanted
to spent their first days together, he was “ready to scream from the sobs that were
suffocating me”. The marriage appeared as a real disaster for his life. In the early
years he was found to have a spinal cord problem, which, as the doctors said was
the reason for his extremely sensitivity and nervousness. These factors combined
together made his life very unhappy and unsatisfactory.
During this very hard period of his life, Tchaikovsky wrote two of his greatest
works: the opera “Evgeni Onegin” and the Forth Symphony. The brilliant Violin
Concerto also comes from the late 1870s.
In 1893 Tchaikovsky died from cholera.
The last years of Tchaikovsky's life were very productive. "”The Queen of
Spades”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, the symphonic poem “Manfred”, the lyric opera
in one act “Iolanta”, the famous two act fairy ballet “The Nutcracker”, the Sixth
Symphony - this is far from the full list of his late works. The last works did not
need the approval of critics. He became famous not only in Russia, but in Europe
and in America, as an incomparable master-orchestrator, as a genius in creating
melodies. The last symphony – “Pathetic”, is the most melancholy among them all
(each of his symphonies has a definite colouring. The Second was written in
national traditions, the Third - by influents of Schumann's enthusiasm, the Forth is
the only humorous one, the Fifth, which is regarded as the weakest one has
religious feelings). There are many critical opinions with respect to his works: in
his symphonic, as well as in his instrumental work one can find a weakness: be
able to find the expressive musical ideas in his work, he seems to find difficulties
in quitting them; the criticism of his romances, that Tchaikovsky regarded the
music as the most important element of the song.
But even agreeing with these critics, it is impossible not to acknowledge
Tchaikovsky as a one of the most significant composers in history, whose music is
still very popular and beloved by people in the world.
Notes
prodigy – одаренный
niche – ниша; убежище
magnanimous – великодушный, благородный
“The Oprichnik”, “Undina” – оперы «Опричник», «Ундина»
“Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “The Nutcracker” – балет
«Лебединое озеро», «Спящая красавица», «Щелкунчик»
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
(1844-1908)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, composer, conductor and teacher, was a member
of the Russian “Mighty Five”. He was largely responsible for creating the severity
and uncompromising professionalism of the Russian school at the turn of the
century.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was born in the town of Tikhvin near Novgorod on
March 6, 1844. His father was an important place in the province, and although the
boy showed early musical talent, he has been duly entered in the St. Petersburg
Naval Academy at the age of 12 years. There, he took cello lessons and then piano
lessons with Fedor Kanille, who called his efforts in composition. About 1861
Kanille introduced the young cadets to the circle of talented amateurs who depend
on Mili Balakirev professional advice and guidance. This “Balakirev Circle”
searching for Russian based expressions to model Glinka. Its prominent members Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin, Modest Mussorgsky, and Cesar
Cui, was the fact that the critic Vladimir Stasov much later called the “Mighty
Handful” or “Mighty Handful”.
From 1862 to 1865 Rimsky-Korsakov, cruised around the world with the
Russian fleet. His First Symphony, composed during this trip, was executed on his
return to Balakirev, who conducted the orchestra the Free Music School, which he
founded. Rimsky-Korsakov, is currently devoted less time in the Navy case. He
wrote a symphonic poem “Sadko” (1867), returning to the subject of much later for
an opera, and the second (“Antar”) Symphony (1868).
In 1871 Rimsky-Korsakov became a professor at St. Petersburg Conservatory,
but in 1873 he resigned his naval commission.
From 1874 to 1881 he led the Free School, and he served as director of the
Navy band until 1884. He was convinced of the need for training, skills and
professional attitude. He started on a careful study harmony, counterpoint and
orchestration in particular and called analogous Kure on his colleagues. He
published the text of harmony in 1884, and the orchestration of the text in 1896. He
had exhibited his orchestral experience in the Third Symphony (1874) and in a
delightful
tone
poem
“Capriccio”
(1887),
“Scheherazade”
(1888)
and
“Dubinushka” (1905). But most of his energy went into his operas, the most
important of which are "The Snow Maiden "(1882), “Sadko” (1898), “The
Invisible City of Kitezh” (1907) and “The Golden Cockerel” (1909). Sources for
these and other works were a fairy tale, fairy tales and Eastern Russian epic of the
people. During the political turmoil in 1905 Rimsky-Korsakov, vigorously
protested against the police repression of students. Conservatory was closed and he
was fired.
Others, including Alexander Glazunov, resigned in protest. Conservatory
finally back on a more independent basis, Glazunov, as a director and RimskyKorsakov, as head of the department orchestration. Orchestral colouring and
stuffing if not authentic “orientalism” was the work of Rimsky-Korsakov brought
him considerable fame and popularity. He was certainly the most prolific from
five, with a long list of orchestral works, 15 operas, as well as a large number
chamber and vocal music. Furthermore, his major works divisible without great
loss of musical small parts that can be put on a concert utilities and “background”
use. Maybe not less than the contribution of his efforts to name other people's
music: he had finished, copied, and arranged many works of other Russian
composers, including Alexander Dargomyzhsky Stone Guest, Khovanshchina M.
Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov”, as well as (Glazunov) Borodin’s “Prince Igor”.
Rimsky-Korsakov died June 21, 1908. His creation of professional skill of
technique as the exclusive route to the legitimacy of the musical heritage was still
preserved in Russia.
Notes
amateur – любитель
naval – военно-морской
the second ("Antar") Symphony – вторая часть (Анданте) Первой
симфонии
“The Golden Cockerel” – опера «Золотой петушок»
Igor Stravinsky
(1882-1971)
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a Russian composer, considered by many in
both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th
century music. He was a quintessentially cosmopolitan Russian who was named by
“Time” magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the century. In
addition to the recognition he received for his compositions, he also achieved fame
as a pianist and a conductor, often at the premieres of his works.
Stravinsky’s compositional career was notable for its stylistic diversity. He
first achieved international fame with three ballets commissioned by the impresario
Serge Diaghilev and performed by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (Russian Ballet):
“The Firebird” (1910), “Petrushka” (1911/1947), and “The Rite of Spring” (1913).
The Rite, whose premiere provoked a riot, transformed the way in which
subsequent composers thought about rhythmic structure; to this day its vision of
pagan rituals, enacted in an imaginary ancient Russia continues to dazzle and
overwhelm audiences.
After this first Russian phase he turned to neoclassicism in the 1920s. The
works from this period tended to make use of traditional musical forms (concerto
grosso, fugue, symphony), frequently concealed a vein of intense emotion beneath
a surface appearance of detachment or austerity, and often paid tribute to the music
of earlier masters, for example J.S. Bach, Verdi, and Tchaikovsky.
In the 1950s he adopted serial procedures, using the new techniques over the
final twenty years of his life to write works that were briefer and of greater
rhythmic, harmonic, and textural complexity than his earlier music. Their intricacy
notwithstanding, these pieces share traits with all of Stravinsky's earlier output;
rhythmic energy, the construction of extended melodic ideas out of a few cells
comprising only two or three notes, and clarity of form, instrumentation, and of
utterance.
He also published a number of books throughout his career, almost always
with the aid of a collaborator, sometimes uncredited. In his 1936 autobiography,
Chronicles of My Life, written with the help of Alexis Roland-Manuel, Stravinsky
included his infamous statement that “music is, by its very nature, essentially
powerless to express anything at all”. With Roland-Manuel and Pierre
Souvtchinsky he wrote his 1939-40 Harvard University Charles Eliot Norton
Lectures, which were delivered in French and later collected under the title
Poetique musicale in 1942 (translated in 1947 as Poetics of Music). Several
interviews in which the composer spoke to Robert Craft were published as
Conversations with Igor Stravinsky. They collaborated on five further volumes
over the following decade.
Notes
quintessentially – главным образом
riot – бунт
In Russia
Stravinsky was born in Oranienbaum and brought up in St. Petersburg. His
childhood, he recalled in his autobiography, was troublesome: “I never came
across anyone who had any real affection for me”. His father, Fyodor Stravinsky,
was a bass singer at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, and the young
Stravinsky began piano lessons and later studied music theory and attempted some
composition.
In 1890, Stravinsky saw a performance of Tchaikovsky's ballet “The Sleeping
Beauty” at the Mariinsky Theatre; the performance, his first exposure to an
orchestra, mesmerized him. At fourteen, he had mastered Mendelssohn's “Piano
Concerto in G minor”, and the next year, he finished a piano reduction of one of
Alexander Glazunov's string quartets.
Despite his enthusiasm for music, his parents expected him to become a
lawyer. Stravinsky enrolled to study law at the University of St. Petersburg in
1901, but was ill-suited for it, attending fewer than fifty class sessions in four
years. After the death of his father in 1902, he had already begun spending more
time on his musical studies. Because of the closure of the university in the spring
of 1905, in the aftermath of Bloody Sunday, Stravinsky was prevented from taking
his law finals, and received only a half-course diploma, in April 1906. Thereafter,
he concentrated on music. On the advice of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, probably
the leading Russian composer of the time, he decided not to enter the St.
Petersburg Conservatoire; instead, in 1905, he began to take twice-weekly private
tutelage from Rimsky-Korsakov, who became like a second father to him.
In 1905 he also saw his betrothal to his cousin Katerina Nossenko, whom he
had known since early childhood. They were married on 23th of January in 1906,
and their first two children, Fyodor and Ludmilla, were born in 1907 and 1908
respectively.
In 1909 his “Fireworks” was performed in St Petersburg, where it was heard
by Sergei Diaghilev, the director of the Ballets Russes in Paris. Diaghilev was
sufficiently impressed to commission Stravinsky to carry out some orchestrations,
and then to compose a full-length ballet score, “The Firebird”.
Notes
closure – закрытие
tutelage – обучение
betrothal – помолвка
“The Firebird” – балет «Жар-птица»
In Switzerland
Stravinsky travelled to Paris in 1910 to attend the premiere of “The Firebird”.
His family soon joined him, and decided to remain in the West for a time. He
moved to Switzerland, where he lived until 1920 in Clarens and Lausanne. During
this time he composed three further works for the Ballets Russes “Petrushka”
(1911), written in Lausanne, and “The Rite of Spring” (1913) and “Pulcinella”,
both written in Clarens.
While the Stravinskys were in Switzerland, their second son, Soulim (who
later became a minor composer), was born in 1910; and their second daughter,
Maria Milena, was born in 1913. During this last pregnancy, Katerina was found to
have tuberculosis, and she was placed in a Swiss sanatorium for her confinement.
After a brief return to Russia in July 1914 to collect research materials for Les
Noces, Stravinsky left his homeland and returned to Switzerland just before the
outbreak of World War I brought about the closure of the borders. He was not to
return to Russia for nearly fifty years.
Notes
“The Rite of Spring” – балет «Весна священная»
pregnancy – беременность
In France
He moved to France in 1920, where he formed a business and musical
relationship with the French piano manufacturer of Pleyel. Essentially, Pleyel acted
as his agent in collecting mechanical royalties for his works, and in return provided
him with a monthly income and a studio space in which to work and to entertain
friends and business acquaintances. He also arranged, one might say re-composed,
many of his early works for the Pleyel, Pleyel's brand of player piano, in a way that
makes full use of the piano's 88 notes, without regard for the number or span of
human fingers and hands. These were not recorded rolls, but were instead marked
up from a combination of manuscript fragments and handwritten notes by the
French musician, Jacques Larmanjat, who was the musical director of Pleyel's roll
department. Stravinsky later claimed that his intention had been to give listeners a
definitive version of the performances of his music, but since the rolls were not
recordings, it is difficult to see how effective this intention could have been in
practice. While many of these works are now part of the standard repertoire, at the
time many orchestras found his music beyond their capabilities and unfathomable.
Major compositions issued on Pleyel piano rolls include “The Rite of Spring”,
“Petrushka”, “Firebird”, “Les Noces” and “Song of the Nightingale”. During the
1920s he also recorded Duo-Art rolls for the Aeolian Company in both London and
New York, not all of which survive.
After a short stay near Paris, he moved with his family to the south of France;
he returned to Paris in 1934, to live at the rue Faubourg St.-Honore. Stravinsky
later remembered this as his last and unhappiest European address; his wife's
tuberculosis infected his eldest daughter Ludmila, and Stravinsky himself. Ludmila
died in 1938, Katerina in the following year. While Stravinsky was in hospital,
where he was treated for five months, his mother also died. Stravinsky already had
contacts in the United States; he was working on the Symphony in С for the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and had agreed to lecture in Harvard during the
academic year of 1939-40. When World War II broke out in September, he set out
for the United States.
Although his marriage to Katerina endured for 33 years, the true love of his
life, and later his partner until his death, was his second wife Vera de Bosset
(1888-1982). When Stravinsky met Vera in Paris in February 1921, she was
married to the painter and stage designer Serge Sudeikin, but they soon began an
affair which led to her leaving her husband. From then until Katerina's death from
cancer in 1939, Stravinsky led a double life, spending some of his time with his
first family and the rest with Vera. Katerina soon learned of the relationship and
accepted it as inevitable and permanent. Around this time both left France for the
USA, to escape World War II (Stravinsky in 1939 after Katerina's death, Vera
following in 1940). Stravinsky and Vera were married in Bedford, MA, USA, on 9
March 1940.
In America
At first Stravinsky took up residence in Hollywood, but he moved to New
York in 1969. He continued to live in the United States until his death in 1971; he
became a naturalized citizen in 1945. Stravinsky had adapted to life in France, but
moving to America at the age of 58 was a very different prospect. For a time, he
preserved a ring of émigré Russian friends and contacts, but eventually found that
this did not sustain his intellectual and professional life. He was drawn to the
growing cultural life of Los Angeles, especially during World War II, when so
many writers, musicians, composers, and conductors settled in the area; these
included Otto Klemperer, Thomas Mann, Franz Werfel, George Balanchine and
Arthur Rubinstein. He lived fairly close to both Arnold Schoenberg and George
Gershwin, though he did not have a close relationship with either of them. Bernard
Holland notes that he was especially fond of British writers who often visited him
in Beverly Hills, "like W. H. Auden, Christopher Isherwood, Dylan Thomas (who
shared the composer's taste for hard spirits) and, especially, Aldous Huxley, with
whom Stravinsky spoke in French." He settled into life in Los Angeles and
sometimes conducted concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the famous
Hollywood Bowl as well as throughout the U.S. When he planned to write an
opera with W. H. Auden, the need to acquire more familiarity with the Englishspeaking world coincided with his meeting the conductor and musicologist Robert
Craft. Craft lived with Stravinsky until the composer's death, acting as interpreter,
chronicler, assistant conductor, and factotum for countless musical and social
tasks.
In 1962, Stravinsky accepted an invitation to return to St. Petersburg for a
series of concerts. He spent more than two hours speaking with Soviet leader
Nikita Khrushchev, who urged him to return to the Soviet Union. Despite the
invitation, Stravinsky remained settled in the West. In the last few years of his life,
Stravinsky lived at Essex House in New York City.
He died at the age of 88 in New York City and was buried in Venice on the
cemetery island of San Michele. His grave is close to the tomb of his long-time
collaborator Diaghilev. Stravinsky's professional life had encompassed most of the
20th century, including many of its modern classical music styles, and he
influenced composers both during and after his lifetime. He has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6340 Hollywood Boulevard and posthumously
received the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1987.
Sultan Gabyashi
(1891-1942)
Gabyashi’s Songs
In the January of 1942 villagers of Chelkak in Buraevsky district followed in
the last journey of a talented composer, teacher and scientist Sultan Khasanovich
Gabyashi.
In 1915 S. Gabyashi arrives in Kazan and goes to study in Kazan University,
where his second year of his calling in the army. In Kazan, more active creative,
performing and musical and organizational work of S. Gabyashi appeared. He
wrote music to several performances Tatar dramatic troupe (“Zuleikha” G. Iskhaki,
“Tahir and Zohra” F. Burnashev, “Booz eget” "(“Nice brave”) K. Rahim). It
gained wide popularity in his time of his songs on topical themes. His "Kekkuk"
(“The Cuckoo”) still retained the freshness of sound, is one of the top national
music.
In the 20 years there was an active process of becoming a professional
musical education in Tatarstan. C. Gabyashi was among the first teachers of music
theory, choir. He also directed a number of choral circles in various organizations
and educational institutions. These choirs were made by processing them Tatar
folk songs, first performed polyphonic. This was a completely new and unusual
phenomenon of Tatar musical culture.
S. Gabyashi is also a pioneer in musical folklore in Tatarstan: his music and
ethnographic expeditions to the region of Tatarstan were professional, scientific
nature.
In 1932 Gabyashi moved to Ufa, conducted musical and pedagogical activity,
he was one of the organizers of the Union of Composers of Bashkortostan.
Gabyashi’s contribution to the Tatar culture is significant and largely
underestimated even today. Painful atmosphere of ideological pressure 20-30-ies,
struck a discordant note the fate of many representatives of national intelligence,
was almost swallowed and Sultan. His name and the legacy for a long time have
been erased from the history of Tatar culture.
Gabyashi received an excellent education in the best Tatar madrassas
“Muhammadiya” in Kazan and “Galia” in Ufa. He was a great connoisseur of
classical literature and folklore of the East Turkic people, owned several Eastern
(Arabic, Turkish, Persian) and European (Latin, German, French) languages.
Since 1909, Sultan Gabyashi began to participate in the Tatar literary and
musical evenings, which were held in Ufa and Kazan. Conducted concerts,
accompanied singers, played in the orchestra. Name S. Gabyashi firmly established
on the concert stage. At the same time first performed his own compositions were
love songs and songs to poems Tukay and Ramiev, pieces for piano. They
immediately brought melodic richness and earned the young author and more
popular.
By this time in Kazan had already existed Tatar Drama Theatre. The highlight
was staged on its stage Gayaz Iskhaki’s drama “Zuleikha” in 1917. The author of
the music for this play was Sultan Gabyashi. All the newspapers that responded to
the Prime Minister, has consistently pointed out the strong impression of the
spectators of his music.
For “Zuleikha” followed by other performances, among which are production
based on the famous Oriental legend “Yusuf and Zuleikha”, “Tahir and Zohra”, “A
nice young fellow”, “Shah Gabbas” and other. Unfortunately, until we reached
only a small part Gabyashi music written for those dramatic works, but it allows
you to judge him as a composer of great lyrical talent.
Creative conviction of the composer, based on the practice of folk musicmaking and defend the values of tradition, was at odds with the official ideology.
Interest in folk art called nationalism, loyalty to traditions - conservatism and
opposition to proletarian culture.
Today the name of Sultan Gabyashi is hearing again, and his work finds its
rightful and honourable place in the history of Tatar music.
Creative ideas of the composer, in particular, he proposed a model of
intonation and frets, dating back to Islamic musical and poetic culture, were picked
up and implemented many years later in works of contemporary composers of
tatars A. Monasypova, S. Sharifullin, R. Kalimullina, M. Shamsutdinova.
Notes
“Zuleikha” G. Iskhaki, “Tahir and Zohra” F. Burnashev, “Booz eget” "(“Nice
brave”) K. Rahim – «Зулейха» Г. Исхаки, «Тагир и Зухра» Ф. Бурнашева, «Буз
егет» К. Рахим (пьесы начала ХХ века)
“Muhammadiya” – знаменитое медресе в Казани
“Galia” – знаменитое медресе в Уфе
connoisseur – знаток
Salikh Saydashev
(1900-1954)
Salikh Zamaletdinovich Saydashev is a founder of Tatar professional musical
creation. Salikh Saydashev was born in Kazan. He got education in Kazan musical
school. In the years of civil war, he was in rows to Red Army. From 1922 years
Saydashev began the activity of composer. He used the first in Tatar music such
forms as orchestra and choir, instrumental band and Tatar folklore by the forms of
Russian music.
In 1934 - 1938 Saydashev studied in the Moscow conservatory. After his
return to Kazan he composed the new raising of the Tatar academic theatre, lyric
songs, came forward as a bandleader. Labours of Salikh Saydashev proved that
both a symphony and other forms are fully applicable in Tatar music. Listeners
perceived with delight these innovations, enriching national music.
In 1928-1954 S. Saydashev lived in 13, M. Gorky Street. Memorial plaque is
there set now. Spiritual knowledge says of: only achievement of equilibrium is
provided by a forward movement. Saydashev found this golden mean. In him lived
simultaneously and man, firmly growing in the roots in the Tatar environment, and
original, originally intellectual artist. Saydashev’s father died without seeing his
son. Salikh was brought up in the family's sister, whose husband Shigab Akhmerov
belonged to the progressive circles of the Tatar intelligentsia.
Salikh’s musical ability evidenced early. The first instrument on which he
began to play was a harmonica, except for family bought a piano. The first teacher
was his folk musician Zagidulla Yarullin and outstanding teachers Kazan Music
College.
In 1918 young musician organized the orchestra. In 1919-1920 he volunteered
to enter the ranks of the Red Army, and then the demobilization worked at a music
school in Orenburg. In 1922 Saydashev returned to Kazan in the Tatar State
Academic Drama Theatre named after G. Kamal, began to work as conductor and
music director. Widely deployed creative activity Saydashev was music to plays
“Galiabanu” by M. Faizi, “Bashmagym” (“Shoes”) by H. Ibragimov, “Il”
(“Motherland”), “On Kandra”, “Blue shawl” by K. Tinchurin etc. Saydashev came
to create a new genre; he has received the name of the musical drama. During these
years he wrote “March of the Soviet Army”. He was actively working on creating
new and new musical works in various genres, acts as a musician and leader in
numerous concerts.
In 1934-1938 S. Saydashev was studying in the Tatar Opera studio in
Moscow. Returning from Moscow, he continued to work in Tatar State Academic
Drama Theatre.
S. Saydashev is the founder of Tatar professional music. For truly
professional and high level creative Saydashev summed up, the experience of the
first composers of popular, centuries-old traditions of the people managed to
organically combine the experience of European music, folk, and create on this
basis is really the national and professional art.
Perhaps no one Tatar writer found such a great love, as Salikh Saydashev. His
music is radiant, full of life and cardiac heat, so deeply and firmly established in
our everyday life, which is measured by its value along with the poetry of the great
Tukai.
Notes
memorial plaque – мемориальная доска
“March of the Soviet Army” – “Марш Советской Армии”
Nazib Zhiganov
(1911-1988)
Zhiganov Nazib Gajazovich was extraordinary clever person. He was the
person of the rare active energy, the strategist, the politician, the builder, the
formations, the largest, the modern composer, the author of the excellent, original
musical products noted by unique Tatar (national) originality, the richest art
properties of own creative individualities.
Nazib Zhiganov was the artist of the big talent concerning to creativity
selflessly, it is enamoured, being in the constant movement to new, to the
perfection, the betrayed to the big heart the people, - the people which he
immensely loved also to which in every way mind, hearts, talent served.
Nazib Zhiganov was the author of operas: “Kachkyn” (“Runaway”), which it
has written, still being the student of the Moscow conservatory; “Altynchech”
(“Goldhair”), “Tuljak and Sousylu” and “Djalil”.
“Kachkyn” (“Runaway”) is an original exposition of scenic creativity of the
composer, in which the best, original art intentions of the author are already put. It
is the first opera of the composer and practically the first Tatar opera. There
Zhiganov had expressed the major idea: the people should be free. This idea
penetrated also “Altynchech”. In “Dzhalile” the composer wished to see free all
peoples from harm and obscurantism, for that his hero great Musa Dzhalil gave the
life. Not casually these products making already of many years a basis national
repertoire of the Tatar opera and ballet theatre have put forward the whole galaxy
of the outstanding national singers who have grown on execution of parties
protagonists and heroines.
“Altynchech” is the beginning of the Tatar opera classics, in which all "in a
harmony", in symmetry, in effectiveness, in beauty in which there live the
expensive to national heart images, images the generalised, bearing eternal
aesthetic, moral motives of life where perfection reigns.
“Dzhalile” is an opera, issued stages not only native Tatar Opera and Ballet
theatre, but also the most glorified scenes of the world: Prague National opera, the
Moscow Bolshoi theatre. Performance went in Magnificent execution, at enormous
scenic success. The opera “Dzhalile” of Zhiganov had deduced for the first time
the Tatar music importance and that opera creativity of Nazib Zhiganov was an
example for other generations of the composers pulled to scenic music (H.
Valiullin, B. Muljukov, R. Kalimullin).
Certainly, after classical ballet of Farid Jarullin “Shurale” (“Wood-goblin”) it
was difficult to write ballet the same level. But also here Zhiganov has acted
successfully, having created two fine ballets: “Zukhra” and "Nzheri".
Notes
“Kachkyn” – опера «Беглец»
“Altynchech” – опера «Златовласка»
“Tuljak and Sousylu” – опера «Тулек и Сусылу»
“Djalil” – опера «Джалиль»
“Shurale” – балет «Шурале»
Some actual symphonies
The composer had created own tradition: annually to begin a season
symphony concerts with the new symphony. Thus, number of symphonies grew,
like annual rings of a tree. There are symphonies originally conceptual, figurativecharacteristic, there are also symphonies of suite type.
The true destiny of symphonies will be defined much later, when all of them
more often will sound in symphony concerts when all will be published them
Scores.
Nazib Zhiganov was very good not only in opera, ballet and symphonic
compositions, but also in variety of other genres and forms: piano, choral, vocal,
instrumental products.
Nazib Zhiganov was the organizer and many years the head of the Union of
Composers TASSR. The management of the Union of Composers belonged to him
by right. He was the true leader of the creative organisation most known the
founder of new music.
Nazib Zhiganov supervised over the Union vigorously, acting with set of
bright initiatives. Creative meetings were regularly held, plenums, series of
reviews-concerts were organised. The Union of Composers of Tatarstan gradually
became one of the largest creative organisations in the country, original the
musical centre of the Volga region.
Nazib Zhiganov’s idea belonged of creation of Kazan conservatory, the major
centre of music education. It was possible in 1945 in Kazan when other cities were
in ruins. The role in value of conservatory is obvious now to all.
In Kazan it have been opened Secondary special musical school at
conservatory, some musical schools, set of the musical the schools feeding all
system of music education.
Mirsaid Yarullin
(1938-2009)
Mirsaid Yarullin is composer, teacher, a prominent community leader,
secretary of the Union of Composers of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the
Regional Association of the Union of Composers of the republics of the Volga and
the Ural, Prize winner of the Republican in the name of M.Dzhalil, Honored Artist
of Russia and Tatarstan, People's Artist of Tatarstan.
Mirsaid Yarullin’s creative activity was formed at the beginning of 60 years.
Now Mirsaid is well-known figure in Tatar music art as author of oratorioes,
vocal-symphonic poem “Nightingale and spring”, instrumental compositions,
songs, theatrical music.
Mirsaid was born in 1938 in village Small Suni of Mamadyshsky region
TASSR. His father, Zagidulla Yarullin, was the known tatar musician, pianist,
author popular "March Slamming", who was his first teacher, attached future
composer to the world of the music. Music atmosphere reigned in family, could not
influence upon boy: in young age Mirsaid created his own first compositions:
waltzs, canto.
In 1955 he entered in Kazan music school on composer faculty. Successfully
finished it, he continued the education in Kazan conservatory (1958-1963) and in
post-graduate school at conservatories (1964-1967).
Concert for violin with orchestra was the first large composition of the author,
written in 1962 during training in conservatories. It confirmed eternal subjects of
good, humanities, beauties, reflects the life of folk in his variety.
Qualification work of the conservatory was the vocal-tone poem on poetry
Musa Dzhalil "Nightingale and spring" for choirs, soloist and orchestra, revealing
subjects of faithfulness, love to native land and its folk.
In the beginning of 60 years the play “Azat” of T. Minnullin performed in
Tatar Academic Theatre by music Mirsaid Yarullin.
Mirsaid Yarullin is creator of the first tatar oratorio “Keshe” (“Man”),
personifying important philosophical- ethical problems.
The composer from his childhood was enamoured in tatar public canto. He
collected, studied and processed it.
In 1973 he wrote cycle of the processing tatar song for voice and symphonic
orchestra, where entered “Native land”, “Tents” and “Wave”. The Canto are
colourful orchestrated, rich in harmonic and invoiced attitude, are an example of
the ingenious processing public canto. New making the author appeared for the last
three years.
Mirsaid Yarullin possessed lucky gratis-skill to combine creative, pedagogical
activity with public. He was chairman of the rule of the Union composer RSFSR.
Shaping creative activity Mirsaid Yarullin, as his colleagues F. Ahmetov, R.
Enikeev, occurred at period of the intensive growing and renovations of the tatar
music, at period of the top ascent creative activity average generation composer N. Zhiganov, A. Leman, Z. Habibullin.
On formation M.Yarullin as composer had certainly rendered the influence
and household tradition. Here first of all follows to emphasize vicinity a composer
was given birth-national headwaters, deeply valid and careful attitude to him.
The longing to new, mastering the best experience other folk and the whole
preceding cultures in this instance classical tradition and achievements of the
soviet music-other line typical of creative youth 60-70 years. And finally, skill in
polyhedral reality to see the main to trends, essential phenomena, longing to
answer the problems to life also typical of modern composer. The Manifestation
these devil we see and in creative activity Mirsaid Yarullin.
The lyric poet of nature, he created the groups often a song, penetrated
sincere. It was enough to recall the popular canto from collection: “Wood poet”
(1965), “Friend of youth” (1969) and "Mysterious flower"(1979). Much are
created by him song citizenship, patriotic sounding, denoted creative labour youth,
fight for the world.
Notes
prominent – выдающийся
chairman – председатель
“Nightingale and spring” – вокально-симфоническая поэма «Соловей и
ручей»
“Azat” – пьеса Т. Миннуллина
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
(1678-1741)
Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian violinist and composer whose concertos pieces for one or more instruments - were widely known and influential throughout
Europe.
Childhood and early career
Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy, on March 4, 1678. His first music
teacher was his father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi. The elder Vivaldi was a wellrespected violinist, employed at the church of St. Mark’s.
Antonio was trained for a clerical (religious service) as well as a musical life.
After going through the various introductory stages, he was ordained (authorized)
as a priest in March 1703. His active career, however, was devoted to music. In the
autumn of 1703 he was appointed as a violin teacher at the Ospitale della Pieta in
Venice. A few years later he was made conductor of the orchestra at the same
institution. Under Vivaldi's direction, this orchestra gave many brilliant concerts
and achieved an international reputation.
Vivaldi remained at the Pietà until 1740. But his long years there were broken
by the numerous trips he took, for professional purposes, to Italian and foreign
cities. He went, among other places, to Vienna, Italy, from 1729 to 1730 and to
Amsterdam, Netherlands, from 1737 to 1738. Within Italy he travelled to various
cities to direct performances of his operas. He left Venice for the last time in 1740.
He died in Vienna on July 26 or 27, 1741.
Vivaldi’s music
Vivaldi was very productive in vocal and instrumental music, sacred and
secular (nonreligious). According to the latest research, he composed over seven
hundred pieces—ranging from sonatas (instrumental compositions usually with
three or four movements) and operas (musical dramas consisting of vocal and
instrumental pieces) to concertos (musical compositions for one or two vocal
performers set against a full orchestra).
Today the vocal music of Vivaldi is little known. But in his own day he was
famous and successful as an opera composer. Most of his operas were written for
Venice, but some were performed throughout Italy in Rome, Florence, Verona,
Vicenza, Ancona, and Mantua.
Vivaldi was also one of the great eighteenth century violin virtuosos, or
musicians with superb ability. This virtuosity is reflected in his music, which made
new demands on violin technique. In his instrumental works he naturally favoured
the violin. He wrote the majority of his sonatas for one or two violins and
thorough-bass. Of his concertos, 221 are for solo violin and orchestra. Other
concertos are for a variety of solo instruments, including the flute, the clarinet, the
trumpet, and the mandolin. He also wrote concertos for several solo instruments,
concerti grossi, and concertos for full orchestra. The concerto grosso features a
small group of solo players, set against the full orchestra. The concerto for
orchestra features differences of style rather than differences of instruments.
Orchestral music
Vivaldi's concertos are generally in three movements, arranged in the order of
fast, slow, fast. The two outer movements are in the same key; the middle
movement is in the same key or in a closely related key. Within movements, the
music proceeds on the principle of alternation: passages for the solo instrument(s)
alternate with passages for the full orchestra. The solo instrument may extend the
material played by the orchestra, or it may play quite different material of its own.
In either case, the alternation between soloist and orchestra builds up a tension that
can be very dramatic.
The orchestra in Vivaldi's time was different, of course, from a modern one in
its size and constitution. Although winds were sometimes called for, strings
constituted the main body of players. In a Vivaldi concerto, the orchestra is
essentially a string orchestra, with one or two harpsichords or organs to play the
thorough-bass.
Some of Vivaldi's concertos are pieces of program music, for they give
musical descriptions of events or natural scenes. “The Seasons”, for instance,
consists of four concertos representing the four seasons. But in his concertos the
"program" does not determine the formal structure of the music. Some musical
material may imitate the call of a bird or the rustling of leaves; but the formal plan
of the concerto is maintained.
Vivaldi’s concertos were widely known during and after his lifetime. They
were copied and admired by another musician, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–
1750). In musical Europe of the eighteenth century Vivaldi was one of the great
names.
Notes
clerical – конторский, духовный, офисный
ordain as a priest – назначать священником
superb – прекрасный
tension – напряженность
description – описание
the Ospitale della Pieta – венецианский консерватория «Оспедал делла
Пиета»
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach (March 21, 1685 - July 28, 1750) was a German
organist, composer, and musical scholar of the Baroque period, and is almost
universally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. His works, noted
for their intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic beauty, have provided
inspiration to nearly every musician in the European tradition, from Mozart to
Schoenberg. Formative Years
J. S. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685. His father, Ambrosius
Bach, was the town piper in Eisenach, a post that entailed organizing all the secular
music in town as well as participating in church music at the direction of the
church organist, and his uncles were also all professional musicians ranging from
church organists and court chamber musicians to composers, although Bach would
later surpass them all in his art. In an era when sons were expected to assist in their
fathers' work, we can assume J. S. Bach began copying music and playing various
instruments at an early age.
Bach’s mother died when he was still a young boy and his father suddenly
passed away when J. S. Bach was 9, at which time J. S. Bach moved in with his
older brother Johann Christoph Bach, who was the organist of Ohrdruf, Germany.
While in his brother's house, J. S. Bach continued copying, studying, and playing
music. According to one popular legend of the young composer's curiosity, late
one night, when the house was asleep, he retrieved a manuscript from his brother's
music cabinet and began to copy it by the moonlight. It went on nightly until
Johann Christoph heard the young Sebastian playing some of the distinctive tunes
from his private library, at which point the elder brother demanded to know how
Sebastian had come to learn them.
It was at Ohrdruf that Bach began to learn about organ building. The Ohrdruf
church’s instrument, it seems, was in constant need of minor repairs, and young J.
S. Bach was often sent into the belly of the old organ to tighten, adjust, or replace
various parts. Realizing that in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the church
organ, with its moving bellows, manifold stops, and complicated mechanical
linkages from the keys and pedals to the many actual pipes, was the most complex
machine in any European town, we can imagine that Sebastian may have been
awed by it much as modern boys are fascinated by cars, trucks, and planes. This
hands-on experience with the innards of the instrument would provide a unique
counterpoint to his unequalled skill at playing the instrument; J. S. Bach was
equally at home talking with organ builders and performers.
While in school and as a young man, Bach's curiosity compelled him to seek
out great organists of Germany such as Georg Bohm, Dietrich Buxtehude and
Johann Adam Reinken, often take journeys of considerable length to hear them
play. He was also influenced by the work of Nicholas Bruhns. Shortly after
graduation (Bach completed Latin school when he was 18, an impressive
accomplishment in his day, especially considering that he was the first in his
family to finish school), Bach took a post as organist at Arnstadt, Germany, in
1703. He apparently felt cramped in the small town and began to seek his fortune
elsewhere. Owing to his virtuosity, he was soon offered a more lucrative organist
post in Muhlhausen. Some of Bach's earliest extant compositions date to this
period (including, according to some scholars, his famous Toccata and Fugue in D
Minor), but owing to the general immaturity of this "early" Bach music, much of
the music Bach wrote during this time has unfortunately been lost.
Professional Life
Still not content as organist of Muhlhausen, in 1708, Bach took a position as
court organist and concert master at the ducal court in Weimar, Germany. Here he
had opportunity to not only play the organ but also compose for it and play a more
varied repertoire of concert music with the dukes' ensemble. A devotee of
contrapuntal music, Bach's steady output of fugues begins in Weimar. The best
known example of his fugal writing is probably The Well-Tempered Clavier,
which comprises 48 preludes and fugues, two for each major and minor key, a
monumental work not only for its masterful use of counterpoint but also for
exploring, for the first time, the full glory of keys-and the means of expression
made possible by their slight differences from each other-available to keyboard
musicians when their instruments are tuned according to Andreas Werckmeister's
system of well temperament or similar system. Also during his tenure at Weimar,
Bach began work on the Orgelbuchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann. This “little book”
of organ music contains traditional Lutheran church hymns harmonized by Bach
and compiled in a way to be instructive to organ students. This incomplete work
introduces two major themes into Bach's corpus: Firstly, his dedication to teaching,
and secondly, his love of the traditional chorale as a form and source of inspiration.
Bach's dedication to teaching is especially remarkable. There was hardly any
period in his life when he did not have a full-time apprentice studying with him,
and there were always numerous private students studying in Bach's house,
including such 18th century notables as Johann Friedrich Agricola. Still today,
students of nearly every instrument encounter Bach's works early and revisit him
throughout their careers.
The St. Thomas church in Leipzig Sensing increasing political tensions in the
ducal court of Weimar, Bach began once again to search out a more stable job
conducive to his musical interests. Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cuthen provided
Bach with a place in his court ensemble as chamber musician. Prince Leopold,
himself a musician, appreciated Bach's talents, compensated him well, and gave
him considerable latitude in composing and performing. However, the prince was
Calvinist and did not use elaborate music in his worship, so that most of Bach's
work from this period is secular in nature. Many of the Brandenburg concerti, as
well as many other instrumental works, including the suites for solo cello, the
sonatas and partitas for solo violin, and the orchestral suites, date to this period.
In 1723, J. S. Bach was appointed Cantor and Musical Director of St. Thomas
church in Leipzig, Germany. This post required him to not only instruct the
students of the St. Thomas school in singing but also to provide weekly music at
the two main churches in Leipzig. Rising above and beyond the call of duty, Bach
endeavoured to compose a new church piece, or cantata, every week. This
challenging schedule, which basically amounted to writing an hour's worth of
music every week, in addition to his more menial duties at the school, produced
some genuinely sublime music, most of which has been preserved. Most of the
cantatas from this period expound upon the Sunday readings from the Bible for the
week in which they were originally performed; some were written using traditional
church hymns.
On holy days such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, Bach produced
cantatas of particular brilliance, most notably the Magnificent for Christmas and
St. Matthew Passion for Good Friday. The composer himself considered the
monumental St. Matthew Passion among his greatest masterpieces; in his
correspondence, he referred to it as his "great Passion" and carefully prepared a
calligraphic manuscript of the work, which required every available musician in
town for its performance. Bach's representation of the essence and message of
Christianity in his religious music is considered by many to be so powerful and
beautiful that in Germany he is sometimes referred to as the Fifth Evangelist.
Family Life
Bach and his first wife, Maria Barbara, had seven children, although several
of them died while still very young. Little is known about Maria Barbara. She died
suddenly while Bach was travelling with Prince Leopold in July, 1720. While still
at Cuthen, Bach met and later married Anna Magdalena, a young soprano. Despite
the age difference, the couple seem to have enjoyed a very happy marriage, with
Anna Magdalena supporting Sebastian's composing (many final scores are in her
hand) and with Sebastian encouraging her singing career. Together they had 13
children, although few survived to adulthood.
All of the Bach children seem to have been musically inclined, which must
have given the aging composer much pride. His sons Wilhelm Friedemann Bach,
Johann Gottfried Bernhard Bach, Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, Johann
Christian Bach, and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach all became accomplished
musicians, with С. P. E. Bach especially winning the respect of Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart. Although the barriers to women having professional careers
were great, all of Bach's daughters most likely sang and possibly played in their
father's ensembles. The only one of the Bach daughters to marry, Elisabeth Juliana
Friederica, choose as husband Bach's student Johann Christoph Altnickol. Most of
the music we have from Bach was passed on through his children, who preserved
much of what С. P. E. Bach called the "Old Bach Archive" after his father's death.
At Leipzig, Bach seems to have fit in amongst the professoriate of the
university there, with many professors standing as god-parents for his children, and
some of the university's men of letters and theology providing many of the librettos
for his cantatas. In this last capacity Bach enjoyed a particularly fruitful
relationship with the poet Picander. Sebastian and Anna Magdalena also welcomed
friends, family, and fellow musicians from all over Germany into their home; court
musicians at Dresden and Berlin as well as musicians including George Philipp
Telemann (one of Carl Philipp Emanuel's godfathers) made frequent visits to
Bach's house and may have kept up frequent correspondence with him.
Interestingly, George Friedrich Handel, who was born in the same year as Bach,
made several trips to Germany, but Bach was unable to meet him, a fact he
regretted.
Later Life and Legacy Having spent much of the 1720s composing weekly
cantatas, Bach assembled a sizable repertoire of church music that, with minor
revisions and a few additions, allowed him to continue performing impressive
Sunday music programs while pursuing other interests in secular music, both vocal
and instrumental. Many of these later works were collaborations with Leipzig's
Collegium Musicum, but some were increasingly introspective and abstract
compositional masterpieces that represent the pinnacle of Bach's art. These erudite
works start with the four volumes of his Clavierbung ("Keyboard Practice") a set
of keyboard works to inspire and challenge organists and lovers of music that
includes the 6 Partitas for keyboard, the Italian Concerto, the French Overture, and
the Goldberg variations. At the same time, Bach wrote a complete Mass in В
Minor, which incorporated newly composed movements with portions from earlier
works. Although the mass was never performed during the composer's lifetime, it
is considered to be among the greatest of his choral works.
After meeting King Frederick II of Prussia in Berlin in 1747, which played a
theme for Bach and challenged the famous musician to improvise a six-part fugue
based on his theme, Bach presented the king with a Musical Offering including
several fugues and canons based on the "royal theme." Later, using a theme of his
own design, Bach produced The Art of Fugue. These 14 fugues (called
Contrapuncti by Bach), are all based on the same theme, demonstrating the
versatility of a simple melody. During his life time he composed over 1,000 pieces.
Notes
inspiration – вдохновение
mechanical linkage – механическая связь, компоновка
accomplishment – выполнение, достижение
endeavour – стремиться, пытаться
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer whose mastery of the
whole range of contemporary instrumental and vocal forms - including the
symphony, concerto, chamber music, and especially the opera - was unrivalled in
his own time and perhaps in any other.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg. His
father, Leopold Mozart, a noted composer and pedagogue and then the author of a
famous treatise on violin playing was in the service of the archbishop of Salzburg.
Together with his sister, Nannerl, Wolfgang received such intensive musical
training that by the age of 6 he was a budding composer and an accomplished
keyboard performer. In 1762 Leopold presented his son as performer at the
imperial court in Vienna, and from 1763 to 1766 he escorted both children on a
continuous musical tour across Europe, which included long stays in Paris and
London as well as visits to many other cities, with appearances before the French
and English royal families.
Mozart was the most celebrated child prodigy of this time as a keyboard
performer and made a great impression, too, as composer and improviser. In
London he won the admiration of so eminent a musician as Johann Christian Bach,
and he was exposed from an early age to an unusual variety of musical styles and
tastes across the Continent.
Salzburg and Italy, 1766-1773
From tenth to seventeenth year Mozart grew in stature as a composer to a
degree of maturity equal to that of his most eminent older contemporaries; as he
continued to expand his conquest of current musical styles, he outstripped them.
He spent the years 1766-1769 at Salzburg writing instrumental works and music
for school dramas in German and Latin, and in 1768 he produced his first real
operas: “the German Singspiel Bastian” and “Bastienne”; and the opera “Buffa La
finta semplice”. Artless and naive as “La Finta semplice” is when compared to his
later Italian operas, it nevertheless shows a latent sense of character portrayal and
fine accuracy of Italian text setting. Despite his reputation as a prodigy, Mozart
found no suitable post open to him; and with his father once more as escort Mozart
at age 14 (1769) set off for Italy to try to make his way as an opera composer, the
field in which he openly declared his ambition to succeed and which offered higher
financial rewards than other forms of composition at this time.
In Italy, Mozart was well received: at Milan he obtained a commission for an
opera; at Rome he was made a member of an honorary knightly order by the Pope;
and at Bologna the Accademia Filarmonica awarded him membership despite a
rule normally requiring candidates to be 20 years old. During these years of travel
in Italy and returns to Salzburg between journeys, he produced his first large-scale
settings of opera seria (that is, court opera on serious subjects): Mitridate (1770),
Ascanio in Alba (1771), and Lucio Silla (1772), as well as his first String Quartets.
At Salzburg in late 1771 he renewed his writing of Symphonies (Nos. 14-21).
In these operatic works Mozart displays a complete mastery of the varied
styles of aria required for the great virtuoso singers of the day (especially largescale da capo arias), this being the sole authentic requirement of this type of opera.
The strong leaning of these works toward the singers' virtuosity rather than toward
dramatic content made the opera seria a rapidly dying form by Mozart's time, but
in Lucio Silla he nonetheless shows clear evidence of his power of dramatic
expression within individual scenes.
Salzburg, 1773-1777
In this period Mozart remained primarily in Salzburg, employed as
concertmaster of the archbishop's court musicians. In 1773 a new archbishop took
office, Hieronymus Colloredo, who was a newcomer to Salzburg and its provincial
ways. Unwilling to countenance the frequent absences of the Mozarts, he declined
to promote Leopold to the post of chapel master that he had long coveted. The
archbishop showed equally little understanding of young Mozart's special gifts. In
turn Mozart abhorred Salzburg, but he could find no better post. In 1775 he went
off to Munich, where he produced the opera buffa La finta giardiniera with great
success but without tangible consequences. In this period at Salzburg he wrote nine
Symphonies (Nos. 22-30), including the excellent No. 29 in A Major; a large
number of divertimenti, including the Haffner Serenade; all of his six Concertos
for violin, several other concertos, and church music for use at Salzburg.
Mannheim and Paris, 1777-1779
Despite his continued productivity, Mozart was wholly dissatisfied with
provincial Austria, and in 1777 he set off for new destinations: Munich, Augsburg,
and prolonged stays in Mannheim and Paris. Mannheim was the seat of a famous
court orchestra, along with a fine opera house. He wrote a number of attractive
works while there (including his three Flute Quartets and five of his Violin
Sonatas), but he was not offered a post.
Paris was a vastly larger theater for Mozart's talents (his father urged him to
go there, for "from Paris the fame of a man of great talent echoes through the
whole world," he wrote his son). But after 9 difficult months in Paris, from March
1778 to January 1779, Mozart returned once more to Salzburg, having been unable
to secure a foot-hold and depressed by the entire experience, which had included
the death of his mother in the midst of his stay in Paris. Unable to get a
commission for an opera (still his chief ambition), he wrote music to order in Paris,
again mainly for wind instruments: the Sinfonia Concertante for four solo wind
instruments and orchestra, the Concerto for flute and harp, other chamber music,
and the ballet music Les Petits riens. In addition, he was compelled to give lessons
to make money. In his poignant letters from Paris, Mozart described his life in
detail, but he also told his father (letter of July 31, 1778), "You know that I am, so
to speak, soaked in music, that I am immersed in it all day long, and that I love to
plan works, study, and meditate." This was the way in which the real Mozart saw
himself; it far better reflects the actualities of his life than the fictional image of the
carefree spirit who dashed off his works without premeditation, an image that was
largely invented in the 19th century.
Salzburg, 1779-1781
Returning to Salzburg once more, Mozart took up a post as court conductor
and violinist. He chafed again at the constraints of local life and his menial role
under the archbishop. In Salzburg, as he wrote in a letter, "one hears nothing, there
is no theater, no opera." During these years he concentrated on instrumental music
(Symphony Nos. 32-34), the Symphonie Concertante for violin and viola, several
orchestral divertimenti, and (despite the lack of a theater) an unfinished German
opera, later called Zaide.
In 1780 Mozart received a long-awaited commission from Munich for the
opera seria Idomeneo, musically one of the greatest of his works despite its
unwieldy libretto and one of the great turning points in his musical development as
he moved from his peregrinations of the 1770s to his Vienna sojourn in the 1780s.
Idomeneo is, effectively, the last and greatest work in the entire tradition of
dynastic opera seria, an art form that was decaying at the same time that the great
European courts, which had for decades spent their substance on it as
entertainment, were themselves beginning to sense the winds of social and political
revolution. Mozart's only other work in this genre, the opera seria La clemenza di
Tito (1791), was a hurriedly written work composed on demand for a coronation at
Prague—and it is significantly not cast in the traditional large dimensions of oldfashioned opera seria, with its long arias, but is cut to two acts like an opera buffa
and has many features of the new operatic design Mozart evolved after Idomeneo.
Vienna, 1781-1791
Mozart's years in Vienna, from age 25 to his death at 35, encompass one of
the most prodigious developments in so short a span in the history of music. While
up to now he had demonstrated a complete and fertile grasp of the techniques of
his time, his music had been largely within the range of the higher levels of the
common language of the time. But in these 10 years Mozart's music grew rapidly
beyond the comprehension of many of his contemporaries; it exhibited both ideas
and methods of elaboration that few could follow, and to many the late Mozart
seemed a difficult composer. Franz Joseph Haydn's constant praise of him came
from his only true peer, and Haydn harped again and again on the problem of
Mozart's obtaining a good and secure position, a problem no doubt compounded by
the jealousy of Viennese rivals.
The major instrumental works of this period encompass all the fields of
Mozart's earlier activity and some new ones: six symphonies, including the famous
last three: No. 39 in E-flat Major, No. 40 in G Minor, and No. 41 in C Major (the
Jupiter-a title unknown to Mozart). He finished these three works within 6 weeks
during the summer of 1788, a remarkable feat even for him.
In the field of the string quartet Mozart produced two important groups of
works that completely overshadowed any he had written before 1780: in 1785 he
published the six Quartets dedicated to Haydn and in 1786 added the single
Hoffmeister Quartet. In 1789 he wrote the last three Quartets, dedicated to King
Frederick William of Prussia, a noted cellist. The six Quartets dedicated to Haydn
undoubtedly owe something to Mozart's study of the earlier work of Haydn,
perhaps most to the self-asserted "new and special manner" of Haydn's Op. 33 of
1781, a phrase that may refer to the complete participation in these works of all
four instruments in the motive development. Mozart's works entirely meet the
standards set by Haydn up to now, and surpass it.
Other chamber music on the highest level of imagination and craftsmanship
from Mozart's Vienna years includes the two Piano Quartets, seven late Violin
Sonatas, the last Piano Trios, and the Piano Quintet with winds; and in the last five
years of his life, the last String Quintets and the Clarinet Quintet. This decade also
saw the composition of the last 17 of Mozart's Piano Concertos, almost all written
for his own performance. They represent the high point in the literature of the
classical concerto, and in the following generation only Ludwig van Beethoven
was able to match them.
A considerable influence upon Mozart’s music during this decade was his
increasing acquaintance with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and George
Frederick Handel, which in Vienna of the 1780s was scarcely known or
appreciated. Through the private intermediary of an enthusiast for Bach and
Handel, Baron Gottfried van Sweeten, Mozart came to know Bach's Welltempered Clavier, from which he made arrangements of several fugues for strings
with new preludes of his own. He also made arrangements of works by Handel,
including Acis and Galatea, the Messiah, and Alexander's Feast.
In a number of late works—especially the Jupiter Symphony, Die Zauberflöte
(The Magic Flute), and the Requiem—one sees an overt use of contrapuntal
procedures, which reflects Mozart's awakened interest in contrapuntal techniques
at this period. But in a more subtle sense much of his late work, even where it does
not make direct use of fugal textures, reveals a subtlety of contrapuntal
organization that doubtless owed something to his deepened experience of the
music of Bach and Handel.
Operas of the Vienna Years
Mozart’s evolution as an opera composer between 1781 and his death is even
more remarkable, perhaps, since the problems of opera were more far-ranging than
those of the larger instrumental forms and provided less adequate models. In opera
Mozart instinctively set about raising the perfunctory dramatic and musical
conventions of his time to the status of genuine art forms. A reform of opera from
triviality had been successfully achieved by Christoph Willibald Gluck, but Gluck
cannot stand comparison with Mozart in pure musical invention. Although
Idomeneo may indeed owe a good deal to Gluck, Mozart was immediately
thereafter to turn away entirely from opera seria. Instead he sought German or
Italian librettos that would provide stage material adequate to stimulate his powers
of dramatic expression and dramatic timing through music.
The first important result was the German Singspiel entitled Die Entführung
aus dem Serail (1782; Abduction from the Seraglio). Not only does it have an
immense variety of expressive portrayals through its arias, but what is new in the
work are its moments of authentic dramatic interaction between characters in
ensembles. Following this bent, Mozart turned to Italian opera, and he was
fortunate enough to find a librettist of genuine ability, a true literary craftsman,
Lorenzo da Ponte. Working with Da Ponte, Mozart produced his three greatest
Italian operas: Le nozze di Figaro (1786; The Marriage of Figaro), Don Giovanni
(1787, for Prague), and Cosi fan tutte (1790).
Figaro is based on a play by Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais, adapted skilfully
by Da Ponte to the requirements of opera. In Figaro the ensembles become even
more important than the arias, and the considerable profusion of action in the plot
is managed with a skill beyond even the best of Mozart’s competitors. Not only is
every character convincingly portrayed, but the work shows a blending of dramatic
action and musical articulation that is probably unprecedented in opera, at least of
these dimensions. In Figaro and other late Mozart operas the singers cannot help
enacting the roles conceived by the composer, since the means of characterization
and dramatic expression have been built into the arias and ensembles. This
principle, grasped by only a few composers in the history of music, was evolved by
Mozart in these years, and, like everything he touched, totally mastered as a
technique. It is this that gives these works the quality of perfection that opera
audiences have attributed to them, together with their absolute mastery of musical
design.
In Don Giovanni elements of wit and pathos are blended with the
representation of the supernatural onstage, a rare occurrence at this time. In Cosi
fan tutte the very idea of "operatic" expression - including the exaggerated venting
of sentiment - is itself made the subject of an ironic comedy on fidelity between
two pairs of lovers, aided by two manipulators.
In his last opera, The Magic Flute (1791), Mozart turned back to German
opera, and he produced a work combining many strands of popular theatre but with
means of musical expression ranging from quasi-folk song to Italianate coloratura.
The plot, put together by the actor and impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, is partly
based on a fairy tale but is heavily impregnated with elements of Freemasonry and
possibly with contemporary political overtones.
On concluding “The Magic Flute” Mozart turned to work on what was to be
his last project “the Requiem”. This Mass had been commissioned by a benefactor
said to have been unknown to Mozart, and he is supposed to have become obsessed
with the belief that he was, in effect, writing it for himself. Ill and exhausted, he
managed to finish the first two movements and sketches for several more, but the
last three sections were entirely lacking when he died. It was completed by his
Franz Süssmayer after his death, which came on Dec. 5, 1791. He was given a
third-class funeral.
Notes
stature – рост
maturity equal – равная зрелость
“La Finta semplice” – опера «Мнимая простушка»
“Buffa La finta semplice” – опера «Комическое простое притворство»
artless and naive – простой и наивный