Russian Symphony Concerts

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The Russian Symphony Concerts were a series of Russian classical music concerts hosted by timber magnate and musical philantropist Mitrofan Belyayev in St. Petersburg as a forum for young Russian composers to have their orchestral works performed. While a number of works by these composers were performed, pieces written by composers of the previous generation such as Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Mili Balakirev were also played there.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Inception 1.2 Factionalism 2 Works premiered 3 Bibliography 4 References

[edit] History

[edit] Inception

The idea for the Russian Symphony Concerts was actually Rimsky-Korsakov's. He had became acquainted with Belyayev at the weekly "quartet Fridays" ("Les Vendredis") held at Belayev's home. Belayev had already taken a keen interest in the musical future of the teenage Alexander Glazunov,^[1] who had been one of Rimsky-Korsakov's composition students. In 1884, Belayev rented out a hall and hired an orchestra to play Glazunov's First Symphony plus an orchestral suite Glazunov had just composed.^[2] Glazunov was to conduct part of this concert.^[2] Seeing he was not ready to do this, Rimsky-Korsakov volunteered to take his place.^[2] This "rehearsal," as Rimsky-Korsakov called it, went well and pleased both Belayev and the invited audience.^[3] Buoyed by the success of the rehearsal, Belayev decided the following season to give a public concert of works by Glazunov and other composers.^[4] Rimsky-Korsakov's piano concerto was played, along with Glazunov's symphonic poem Stenka Razin.^[4]

Both the rehearsal the previous year and this concert gave Rimsky-Korsakov the idea of offering several concerts per year featuring Russian compositions.^[5] The number of orchestral compositions was growing, and there were always difficulties in having the Russian Musical Society and other organizations program them.^[5] Rimsky-Korsakov mentioned the idea to Belayev. Belayev liked it,^[5] inaugurating the Russian Symphony Concerts during the 1886-1887 season.^[6] Rimsky-Korsakov shared conducting duties for these concerts.^[5] Glazunov was appointed conductor for the series in 1896. The following year, he led the disastrous premiere of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No 1. While Glazunov's conducting skills were not especially strong and he used his rehearsal time poorly, his alcoholism may have contributed to the debacle.^[7]

[edit] Factionalism

In 1885, the year before the concert series was inaugurated, Belyayev started his own publishing house in Leipzig, Germany. He initially printed music by Glazunov, Anatoly Lyadov Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin at his own expense. Young composers started appealing for his help. To help select from their offerings for publication—and later for performance in the Russian Symphony Concerts—Belayev asked Rimsky-Korsakovf, Glazunov and Lyadov to serve together on an advisory council.^[8]The group of composers that formed eventually became known at the Belayev Circle.^[9]

For all of Belayev's good intentions at fostering musical talent, his efforts helped fuel the long rivalry between St Petersburg and Moscow. Moreover, since Rimsky-Korsakov had taught many of the musicians who made up the belayev Circle at the Conservatory there, it became an unwritten law that for a composer to receive Beleyev's patronage, including performances of his compositions, he had to write in a musical style approved by Glazunov, Lyadov and Rimsky-Korsakov. Because of this, Rimsky-Korsakov's style became the preferred academic style—one that young composers had to follow if they hoped to have any sort of career. Those who opposed the Belayev circle did not fail to notice this bias.^[8] Rachmaninoff's First Symphony may have run afoul of the belayev Circle on both these counts. Like the kuchka which preceded it, the Belayev group viewed with suspicion those compositions which did not follow its canon.^[10]

[edit] Works premiered

Some of the works currently best known as "Russian music" were first presented at the Russian Symphony Concerts. Rimsky-Korsakov finished his revision of Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and conducted it at the opening concert.^[11] He also wrote Scheherazade, Capriccio espagnol and the Russian Easter Overture specifically for them.^[12]

[edit] Bibliography

• Figes, Orlando, Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2002). ISBN 0-8050-5783-8 (hc.)
• Maes, Francis, tr. Pomerans, Arnold J. and Erica Pomerans, A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar (Brekeley, Los Angeles and London: University of California Press, 2002). ISBN 0-520-21815-9.
• Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai, Letoppis Moyey Muzykalnoy Zhizni (St. Petersburg, 1909), published in English as My Musical Life (New York: Knopf, 1925, 3rd ed. 1942). ISBN n/a.
• Volkov, Solomon, tr. Antonina W. Bouis, St. Petersburg: A Cultural History (New York: The Free Press, 1995). ISBN 0-02-874052-1.

[edit] References