Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
Born March 18, 1844 near Novgorod, Russia
Died June 21, 1908 ni Lyubensk
Russian composer, teacher, editor
Member of The Five
Rimsky-Korsakov
Moved to St. Petersburg at age 12 and entered the naval academy
Began taking piano lessons and learn the basics of composition at 15
Sailed on a long voyage in 1862 for three years Where fascination with the sea came from
Had his first symphony performed to great success in St. Petersburg on December 31, 1865 at the age of 21
In 1871 was engaged to teach composition at St. Petersburg Conservatory Admitted his lack of qualifications in his autobiographical book
Began study in counterpoint and the fugue in 1873
Rimsky-Korsakov
Ended his studies in 1875 by sending 10 fugues to Tchaikovsky
Left naval service in 1873 and became inspector and conductor of military bands
Appointed director of the Free Music School in St. Petersburg in 1874 Held post until 1881
Served as conductor of concerts at the court chapel from 1883-1894
Chief conductor of the Russian symphony concerts between 1886-1900 1889-led concerts of Russian music at Paris World Exposition
Rimsky-Korsakov
Was a severe critic of own musicMade constant revisions of early
compositionsSubjects of operas taken from Russian or
other Slavic fairy tales, literature, and historySongs are distinguished by simple elegance
and fine Russian prosodyChamber music is less importantProfessor of composition and orchestration
Rimsky-Korsakov: Style
Influenced by Liszt and Balakirev Liszt
Harmonic adventurousness Balakirev
Use of whole tone scale Treatment of folk songs Musical orientalism
Use of whole tone and octatonic scalesFolk musicBoth a progressive and a conservative
More radical his harmonies became, the more he attempted to control them with strict rules
Often used aquatic themes
Rimsky-Korsakov: Works
Russian Easter OvertureScheherazadeThe Snow MaidenPiano Concerto
Alexander Skryabin (Scriabin)
Born Jan 6, 1872 in Moscow
Died April 27, 1915 in Moscow
Russian composer and pianist
Skryabin
Took piano lessons with Nikolai Zverev at an early age Was teaching Rachmaninoff at the same time
Enlisted in the Second Moscow Cadet Corps in 1882
Later studied at Moscow Conservatory with Anton Arensky, Sergei Taneyev, and Vasily Safonov.
Became a noted pianist despite small hands Could barely stretch a ninth
Skryabin
Toured in Russia and abroad as a concert pianist
Became a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory Began to establish a reputation as composer Based in Moscow for a period of 5 years
By winter 1904 relocated to Switzerland Began work on Symphony No. 3
With financial help, traveled in Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, and the US
Relocated to Brussels in 1907Returned to Russian permanently in 1909
Skryabin
Five symphoniesTen piano sonatasHundreds of preludes, etudes, and poems
Associated with piano poemsEarly music resembled ChopinMusic evolved over his lifetime
Evolution was rapid and briefMusic divided into three periods
Skryabin
First period (1880s-1903) Stick to Romantic tradition Employed common practice period harmonic language
CPP uses conventionalized sequences of chords (I-IV-V-I) and obeys specific contrpuntal norms (avoidance of parallel fifths and octaves)
Fondness of dominant function Added tone chords Waltz in F minor Piano Concerto in F# minor Sonata No. 1
Skryabin
Third Period (1907-1915) Built on the acoustic and octatonic scales
Seven note synthetic scale Nine-note scale from the combination of the above Tonal unity was replaced by harmonic unity
Style can be traced in the 10 piano sonatas Earliest are composed in conventional late-Romantic
manner Later ones are very different, the last five written
without a key signature Sonata No. 10 Poem of Fire
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Born April 1, 1873, in Semyonovo
Died March 28, 1943 in Beverly Hills
Russian composer, pianist, and conductor
Last great representative of Russian late Romanticism
Skryabin
Second Period (1903-1907) Music became more chromatic and dissonant Mostly adhered to traditional functional tonality Complex forms like mystic chord are hinted Added dissonances are resolved conventionally according
to voice leading but focus shifts towards a system where chord coloring is more important
Fewer dissonances on the dominant chords are resolved As dominant chords are further extended, they lose their
dominant fuction Poeme Satanique The Poem of Ecstasy Sonata No. 4
Rachmaninoff
Entered St. Petersburg in 1883 Failed all his general subjects at the end-term exams in 1885 Feared scholarship might be withdrawn
Sent to the Moscow Conservatory Took his final piano exam spring 1891 and passed with
honors During his final studies he completed
Youth Symphony A one-movement symphonic piece
Prince Rostislav A symphonic poem
The Rock A fantasia for orchestra
Rachmaninoff
Graduated on piano in 1891Graduated in composition in 1892Concert debut in London in 1899, as conductor in The
Rock and pianist in Elegie and Prelude in C# minorIn 1906 conducted operas Francesca da Rimini and
The Miserly Knight at BolshoyFollowing decade included many of his most
celebrated scores Symphony No. 2 The Isle of the Dead The Bells Vespers
Rachmaninoff
Left Russia in 1917 and toured as a pianist briefly in Stockholm and Copenhagen
Sailed to America in 1918Began a career in the studio, producing
recordings that are still regarded as some of the most valuable interpretations of his own and others’ music
Rachmaninoff: Style
Showed initial influence of TchaikovskyBegan showing a more individual tone in the mid
1890sUse of unusually widely spaced chords for bell-like
soundsFond of Russian Orthodox chantsChromatic counterpointFrequently used motifs, including fragments of the
first phrase of the Dies IraeOften used modified rondo formLater compositions sought a greater sense of
compression and motivic development
Rachmaninoff
Works: Orchestral works Chamber works Piano concertos Solo piano pieces
Piano for six hands Two pianos Piano duet
Operas Choral Works Solo voice and piano
Prelude in G minorPiano Concerto No. 3The Isle of the DeadThe Bells
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Born May 7, 1840, in Vyatka, Russia
Died November 6, 1893, in St. Petersburg
Russian Composer
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Began taking piano lessons at 5 years oldBegan attending the Imperial School of
Jurisprudence at age 10Became a bureau clerk with the Ministry of Justice
in 1859Began taking music lessons at the Russian Musical
Society at age 21 Enrolled at the newly founded St. Petersburg Conservatory Became one of the school’s first composition students
Moved to Moscow in 1863 and became a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory
Tchaikovsky
First work to be publicly performed with Characteristic Dances in 1865 at a Pavlovsk concert
Resigned from Moscow Conservatory in 1878 to focus on composing
Returned to Moscow Conservatory in fall 1879 as a temporary move Stayed only until December
Traveled all over Europe for performances of his music
In 1891 came to the opening of Carnegie Hall
Tchaikovsky: Style
Taught more of a Western style of theory and composition
Inspired by Russian folk musicRussian, romantic melodiesStravinsky called him “the most Russian of
Russian composers”Had a difficult time composing within the
structures of the German school of composition
Leading composer of Romanticism
Tchaikovsky
Works: Ballets
Sleeping Beauty Operas
Eugene Onegin Symphonies Symphonic poems
Romeo & Juliet Fantasy
Concertos Piano Concerto NO. 1
Orchestral suites Incidental music
Choral music All Night Vigil
Chamber music String Quartet No. 1
Solo piano music Songs Arrangements of the
works of others
Sergey Prokofiev
Born April 11/23, 1891, in Sontsovka, Ukraine
Died March 5, 1953, in Moscow
Began career as a composer while still a student
Composer, pianist, conductor
Prokofiev: Formative Years
Primitive style Driving rhythmsDissonant harmoniesMost popular works:
First two piano concertos First violin concerto Orchestral Scythian Suite Ballet Ala and Lolly Symphony no. 1 in D major
Written to convince critics he could compose in the style of Mozart
Prokofiev: US and Paris Years (1922-1936)
Had to compete with Stravinsky as a composer and Rachmaninoff as a performer
Had success early with solo recitalsHad little success with operaEnded up in financial difficulty and left for
ParisMoved to Paris in 1920Had mixed success in Paris over the yearsDid some USSR tours
Prokofiev: US and Paris Years (1922-1936)
Produced two operas The Love for Three Oranges The Flaming Angel
Two balletsThree symphoniesThree more piano concertosLess productive period than his first
Prokofiev: Return to Russia (1936-1953)
Beginning of Russia’s artistic isolation from western Europe
Forced to adapt to the new circumstances he wrote a series of “mass songs” using the lyrics of officially approved Soviet poets
During the war years the rules for “socialist realist” style compositions were slackened
Died of a brain hemorrhage the same day as Joseph Stalin
Prokofiev: Return to Russia (1936-1953)
Works: Film scores
Ivan the Terrible Alexander Nevsky
Ballets Romeo and Juliet Cinderella
Peter and the Wolf March War and Peace Symphonies Chamber works A number of propaganda
works Piano Concerto No. 3
Wrote in a simplified style
Used less dissonance than before
Remained essentially tonal
Often followed the classical forms of sonata, symphony, and concerto
Publicly denounced in 1948 for being “too modern”
Igor Stravinsky
Born June 17, 1882 in Lomonosov (Oranienbaum)
Died April 6, 1971 in NYC
Russian composer, pianist, and conductor (Later a naturalized French and American)
Stravinsky
Given lessons in piano and music boy as a boyStudied law and philosophy at St. Petersburg
UniversityIn 1902 showed early compositions to Rimsky-
Korsakov Took Stravinsky as a private student Advised against entering the conservatory Tutored mainly in orchestration
Diaghilev commissioned some orchestral arrangements for the summer season of Ballets Russes in Paris after hearing the Scherzo fantastique Later commissioned the full-length ballet The Firebird The premiere made him an overnight success
Stravinsky
Success of The Firebird led to many collaborations between the two
1911-1913: Wrote The Rite of Spring First performance May 29, 1913 provoked a riot Was then known as “the composer of The Rite of Spring”
War led him to Switzerland Russian Revolution October 1917 led to no hope for him to
return to RussiaAfter WWI the Russian style faded from his musicLeft Switzerland and lived in France until 1939
Took French citizenship in 1934
Stravinsky
Earn his living as a performer Many of the works composed 1920s and 1930s were written for
his own use as a concert pianist and conductorSailed to America in 1939
Worked at Harvard 1939-1940 delivering Charles Eliot Norton Lectures
Became a naturalized citizen in 1945Most important aspect of work is the changing face of
compositional style while always retaining an identity As well as technical innovations (including rhythm and harmony) Use of motivic development included additive motivic
development Notes subtracted/added with disregard to consequent meter change
Stravinsky: Style
Divided into three periods Russian period Neo-classical period Serial period
Noted for distinctive use of rhythmCreation of unique and idiosyncratic ensembles
Single instruments Three Pieces for solo clarinet
Enormous orchestra Rite of Spring Use of ostinati
Stravinsky
Russian period Music uses significant number of Russian folk tunes Works clearly show influence of Rimsky-Korsakov The Faun and the Shepherdess
Neo-classical period Shows return to music of Classical period Exploration of themes from the ancient Classical world (Greek
Mythology) The Rake's Progress
Serial period Began using serial compositional techniques
Dodecaphony-twelve tone technique by Schoenberg Experimented with non-twelve-tone serial techniques The Flood