CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

THE DAWN OF MUSIC IN RUSSIA

PAGE

Primitive music of the Russian Slavs. The fourperiods of Russian music. The Skomorokhi or Gleemen. Clerical Intolerance. Church pageants. Tsar Alexis Mikhaïlovich, the first patron of music and the drama. Biblical plays with incidental music. Mystery plays of Dmitri of Rostov. Origin of the Ballet. First public theatre in Russia, 1703. 1

CHAPTER II

THE RUSSIAN OPERA PRIOR TO GLINKA

Accession of Empress Anne. Cultivation of thefolk melodies. Change of taste. The Italians bring in secular plays. Feodor Volkov. Music under Catherine the Great. Fomin and his operas. Berezovsky and Bortniansky. Further change of taste under Alexander I. Patriotic enthusiasm following French invasion of 1812. Cavos exploits national melody. Verstovsky and Alabiev.32

CHAPTER III

MICHAEL IVANOVICH GLINKA

Childhood and education of Glinka. His awakeningto music. Early years in the country. Love of nature. First music lessons. He enters the Civil Service. Begins to write songs. Visit to Italy. Musical studies in Berlin.69

CHAPTER IV

GLINKA’S OPERAS

Marriage and home surroundings. A Life for theTsar. Features of the music. Its reception in Russia. Prince Kholmsky and the songs. Russlan and Liudmilla. Later works. Failure of health. His interpretation of Russian nationality in music.89

CHAPTER V

DARGOMIJSKY

Alexander Sergeivich Dargomijsky. His meetingwith Glinka. Visit to Paris. Esmeralda and The Triumph of Bacchus. Growing interest in national music. Begins work on Poushkin’s Roussalka. Second tour in Western Europe. Balakirev and his circle. The Stone Guest. His treatment of national character as compared with Glinka’s.117

CHAPTER VI

SEROV

Musical life in Russia at the time of Glinka andDargomijsky. Musical criticism and the academic party. Rapid increase of conservatoires and schools. Struggle between the young nationalists in music and the officials to whom foreign composers were supreme. Two great musical critics, Alexander Serov and Vladimir Stassov. Serov’s writings and compositions. His devotion to Wagner. Production of Judith and Rogneda. Estimate of Serov’s music.137

CHAPTER VII

ANTON RUBINSTEIN

Early life and education. His début as a prodigypianist. Musical studies in Berlin. Court pianist at St. Petersburg. His early operas. Dmitri Donskoi and Thomoushka Dourachok. Imperial Russian Musical Society. Biblical operas, The Tower of Babel, The Maccabees, Paradise Lost, The Shulamite. Secular and national operas, The Demon, Nero, and The Merchant Kalashnikov. Historical Concerts. Rubinstein’s opportunism. Estimate of his work and influence.162

CHAPTER VIII

BALAKIREV AND HIS DISCIPLES

Balakirev. The nationalist circle. Social intercourse.Rimsky-Korsakov. Goussakovsky. The Free School. Borodin. The Pourgolds. Hostility of the Press. Solidarity of “the Invincible Band.”183

CHAPTER IX

PERSONAL MEMORIES OF BALAKIREV’S CIRCLE

Gradual dissolution of the circle of friends. Personalreminiscences of Balakirev. Individual development of “the Invincible Band.” Belaiev. Lodyjensky. Liadov. Vladimir Stassov. Personal Reminiscences.198

CHAPTER X

MOUSSORGSKY

Two tendencies in Russian opera, the lyrical andthe declamatory. Moussorgsky the disciple of Dargomijsky. Literary and social influences. Biographical details. Early unfinished operas. Boris Godounov. Khovanstchina. Rimsky-Korsakov as editor.218

CHAPTER XI

BORODIN AND CUI

Borodin. Biographical details. Prince Igor. Comparisonof Igor with Glinka’s Russlan and Liudmilla. Orientalism and optimism in Prince Igor. Death of Borodin. César Cui. His French descent. Early operas, The Mandarin’s Son, The Captive in the Caucasus, William Ratcliff, Angelo, The Saracen. A French opera, Le Flibustier. Mam’selle Fifi. Analysis of Cui’s style.253

CHAPTER XII

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Rimsky-Korsakov’s position as a national composerand as a teacher. Biographical. Joins Balakirev’s circle. Leaves the naval service. His early works. A tone-painter. His first Opera. The Maid of Pskov (Ivan the Terrible). Accession of the Emperor Alexander III. He encourages Russian music. A Night in May. The Snow-Maiden (Sniegourochka). Mlada. Christmas Eve Revels. Mozart and Salieri. Boyarinya Vera Sheloga. Sadko. The Tsar’s Bride. The Legend of Tsar Saltan. The use of the leitmotif. Servilia. Kastchei the Immortal. Wagnerian influence. Pan Voyevode. The Tale of the City of Kitezh. The Golden Cock.281

CHAPTER XIII

TCHAIKOVSKY

Tchaikovsky considered apart from the nationalistcircle. His early love of Italian opera. The Voyevode. Undine. The Oprichnik. The libretto described. Cherevichek, or Le Caprice d’Oxane. Passing influence of Balakirev’s circle. Eugene Oniegin. The Maid of Orleans. The composer’s enthusiasm for this opera. Mazeppa. Analysis of the subject. Charodeika (The Enchantress). The Queen of Spades. Iolanthe. Analysis of Tchaikovsky’s operatic styles.334

CHAPTER XIV

CONCLUSION

Some minor composers. Napravnik: The Citizens ofNijny-Novgorod, Harold, Doubrovsky, Francesca da Rimini. Blaramberg: Skomorokhi, The Roussalka-Maiden, Toushino, The Wave. Arensky: A Dream on the Volga, Raphael, Nal and Damyanti. Rachmaninov: Aleko. Grechyaninov: Dobrynia Nikitich. Ippolitov-Ivanov: Ruth, Assya. Kalinnikov: The Year 1812. Taneiev: Orestes. Foreign influence in contemporary Russian music. Rebikov: In the Storm, The Christmas Tree. Kazachenko, Korestchenko, Kochetov, Stravinsky. Famous operatic singers: Platonova, Petrov, Melnikov, the Figners, Shaliapin. Mamantov and the Moscow Private Opera Company. Great increase of opera companies in Russia. Concluding observations.362

THE RUSSIAN OPERA

THE RUSSIAN OPERA