Evstigney Ipatievich (Ipatovich) Fomin(5 (16) August 1761, St. Petersburg 16 (28) April 1800, ibid.) Russian composer.
Biography
Born into the family of a gunner in the Tobolsk Infantry Regiment, he was orphaned early.
At the age of six he was sent to the Educational School at Imperial Academy arts, then studied in music classes at the Academy of Arts, where he mastered playing the harpsichord, music theory and composition. Among his teachers was Hermann Raupach, the author of the then popular Singspiel "The Good Soldiers".
After graduating from the academy in 1782, Fomin was sent to Bologna to improve his musical skills under the guidance of Padre Giovanni Battista Martini. Martini's health, however, was already weak at that time; he could not devote much time to teaching, and Fomin studied mainly with his student Stanislao Mattei. In 1785, under the name Eugenio Fomini, Fomin was elected a member of the Bologna Philharmonic Academy.
In 1786, Fomin returned to St. Petersburg, where he wrote his first opera, “The Novgorod Bogatyr Vasily Boeslavich” to a libretto by Empress Catherine II. The opera in five acts, completed by the composer unusually quickly within one month in the same year, was already staged at the Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg. The details of Fomin's subsequent biography until 1797 are little known. He failed to occupy a prominent place at the imperial court; according to some sources, in 1786-1788 he served in the office of G.R. Derzhavin, who in those years was the governor of Tambov (according to other publications, there are no documentary sources for this). In Tambov in 1788, the libretto of Fomin’s opera “Coachmen on a Stand” was published anonymously. A copy of the libretto manuscript, discovered in Derzhavin's archives in 1933, belongs to Nikolai Lvov, the poet's brother-in-law.
In 1788, Fomin wrote one of his most famous operas, “The Americans,” to a libretto by 19-year-old Ivan Krylov. The directorate of the imperial theaters did not accept it for production, and only in 1800 did this opera see the stage. Another famous work by Fomin is the melodrama “Orpheus and Eurydice” based on the text by playwright Yakov Knyazhnin, written in 1791. In 1797, Fomin was hired as a tutor at court theaters, where he helped singers learn opera parts.
Creation
Fomin is one of the first professional Russian composers, whose work had a significant influence on further development Russian opera. Fomin's legacy, however, remained little known until the mid-20th century, when some of his operas were staged in theaters in Moscow and Leningrad. Many of the composer’s manuscripts have been lost (in particular, the operas “Parties, or Guess, Guess, Girl, Guess, Red” and “Clorida and Milo”).
The scores of “Coachmen on a Stand”, “The Americans”, “Orpheus and Eurydice”, as well as the chorus from the music for Ozerov’s play “Yaropolk and Oleg” (1798) have survived to this day. The operas “Novgorod Bogatyr Vasily Boeslavich” and “The Golden Apple” (the last of famous works composer) are preserved in the form of orchestral parts. Fomin’s authorship was also attributed to other operas written in the second half of the 18th century, including “The Miller the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker” (in our time, Mikhail Sokolovsky is considered its author).
Evstigney Ipatovich Fomin, the largest Russian opera composer of the 18th centuryE. Fomin (1761 - 1800) is one of the talented Russian musicians of the 18th century, through whose efforts a national music was created in Russia composer school. Together with his contemporaries - M. Berezovsky, D. Bortnyansky, V. Pashkevich - he laid the foundations of Russian musical art. In his operas and in the melodrama “Orpheus,” the author’s breadth of interests in the choice of plots and genres, mastery of different styles opera house that time. History was unfair to Fomin, as, indeed, to most other Russians composers XVIII V. Fate was difficult talented musician. His life ended untimely, and soon after his death his name was forgotten for a long time. Many of Fomin’s works have not survived. Only in Soviet time Interest in the work of this wonderful musician, one of the creators of Russian opera, increased. Through the efforts of Soviet scientists, his works were brought back to life, and some meager data on his biography were found.
Fomin was born into the family of a gunner (artillery soldier) of the Tobolsk infantry regiment. He lost his father early, and when he was 6 years old, his stepfather I. Fedotov, a soldier of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, brought the boy to the Academy of Arts. On April 21, 1767, Fomin became a student in the architectural class of the famous Academy, founded by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Everyone studied at the Academy famous artists XVIII century - V. Borovikovsky, D. Levitsky, A. Losenko, F. Rokotov, F. Shchedrin and others. Within the walls of this educational institution attention was paid to musical development students: students learned to play various instruments and sing. An orchestra was organized at the Academy, operas, ballets, and dramatic performances were staged.
Bright musical abilities Fomina appeared back in primary school, and in 1776 the Council of the Academy sent a student of “architectural art” Ipatiev (as Fomin was often called then) to the Italian M. Buini for training instrumental music- playing the clavichord. From 1777, Fomin’s education continued in music classes that opened at the Academy of Arts, headed by the famous composer G. Paypakh, author of the popular opera “The Good Soldiers.” Fomin studied music theory and the basics of composition with him. From 1779, harpsichordist and bandmaster A. Sartori became his musical mentor. In 1782, Fomin graduated from the Academy with flying colors. But as a student in the music class, he could not be awarded a gold or silver medal. The council awarded him only a cash bonus of 50 rubles.
After graduating from the Academy, as a pensioner, Fomin was sent for 3 years of improvement to Italy, to the Bologna Philharmonic Academy, which was then considered the largest musical center in Europe. There, under the guidance of Padre Martini (the teacher of the great Mozart), and then S. Mattei (who later studied with G. Rossini and G. Donizetti), the modest musician from distant Russia continued his musical education. In 1785, Fomin was admitted to the exam for the title of academician and passed this test perfectly. Full of creative energy, with the high title of “master of composition,” Fomin returned to Russia in the fall of 1786. Upon arrival, the composer received an order to compose the opera “The Novgorod Bogatyr Boeslaevich” to a libretto by Catherine II herself. The premiere of the opera and the debut of Fomin as a composer took place on November 27, 1786 at the Hermitage Theater. However, the empress did not like the opera, and this was enough to ruin her career. young musician at court turned out to be unsuccessful. During the reign of Catherine II, Fomin did not receive any official position. Only in 1797, 3 years before his death, was he finally hired by the theater directorate as a tutor for opera parts.
It is unknown how Fomin’s life proceeded in the previous decade. However creative work the composer was active. In 1787, he composed the opera “Coachmen on a Stand” (text by N. Lvov), and the next year two operas appeared - “Party, or Guess, Guess Girl” (music and libr. have not survived) and “The Americans”.
Overture to the opera "The Americans"
They were followed by the opera “The Sorcerer, the Sorcerer and the Matchmaker” (1791). By 1791-92 applies best work Fomina - melodrama “Orpheus” (text by Ya. Knyazhnin). IN last years During his lifetime he wrote the chorus for V. Ozerov’s tragedy “Yaropolk and Oleg” (1798), the operas “Clorida and Milan” and “The Golden Apple” (c. 1800).
Fomin's operatic works are diverse in genre. Here are Russian comic operas, an opera in the Italian buffa style, and a one-act melodrama, where the Russian composer first addressed a high tragic theme. Fomin finds a new, individual approach to each of the selected genres. Thus, what attracts him in Russian comic operas is, first of all, the interpretation of folklore material, the method of developing folk themes. The type of Russian “choral” opera is presented especially clearly in the opera “Coachmen on a Stand.” Here the composer makes extensive use different genres Russian folk song - drawn-out, round dance, dance, uses techniques of subvocal development, comparison of solo chorus and choral chorus. The overture, an interesting example of early Russian program symphonism, is also built on the development of folk song and dance themes. The principles of symphonic development, based on the free variation of motives, will be widely continued in Russian classical music, starting with “Kamarinskaya” by M. Glinka.
In the opera “The Americans” based on the text of the famous fabulist I. Krylov, Fomin brilliantly demonstrated his mastery of the buffa opera style. The pinnacle of his creativity was the melodrama “Orpheus,” staged in St. Petersburg with the participation of the famous tragic actor of that time, I. Dmitrevsky.
Fomin - Orpheus and Eurydice - I - Overture
Fomin - Orpheus and Eurydice - IV - Grazioso
Fomin - Orpheus and Eurydice - V - Adagio
Fomin - Orpheus and Eurydice - VIII - Andantino
Fomin - Orpheus and Eurydice - IX - Chorus: Adagio Sostenuto
This performance was based on a combination of dramatic reading with orchestral accompaniment. Fomin created excellent music, full of stormy pathos and deepening the dramatic concept of the play. It is perceived as a single symphonic action, with continuous internal development, directed towards the overall climax at the end of the melodrama - “Dance of the Furies”.
Fomin - Orpheus and Eurydice - XI - Finale: "The Dance of the Furies"
Independent symphonic numbers (overture and Dance of the Furies) frame the melodrama, like a prologue and epilogue. The very principle of juxtaposing the intense music of the overture, the lyrical episodes located in the center of the composition, and the dynamic finale testify to the amazing insight of Fomin, who paved the way for the development of the Russian dramatic symphony.
The melodrama “was presented at the theater several times and received great praise. Mr. Dmitrevsky, in the role of Orpheus, crowned her with his extraordinary performance,” we read in the essay about the Princess that preceded his collected works. On February 5, 1795, the premiere of “Orpheus” took place in Moscow.
The second birth of the melodrama “Orpheus” took place already on the Soviet stage. In 1947, it was performed in a series of historical concerts prepared by the Museum musical culture them. M. I. Glinka. During these same years, the famous Soviet musicologist B. Dobrokhotov restored the score of “Orpheus”. The melodrama was also performed in concerts dedicated to the 250th anniversary of Leningrad (1953) and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Fomin (1961). And in 1966, it was performed for the first time abroad, in Poland, at the Congress of Early Music.
The breadth and diversity of Fomin’s creative pursuits, the bright originality of his talent allow him to rightfully be considered the largest opera composer Russia XVIII V. With his new approach to Russian folklore in the opera “Coachmen on a Stand” and his first appeal to the tragic theme in “Orpheus,” Fomin paved the way for opera art XIX century
Yestignei Fomin - “A zealous brave heart”, “The nightingale is not singing at the priest’s”, “The birch tree was raging in the field”
E. Fomin - "The falcon flies high." Chorus from the opera "Coachmen on a Stand"
Timofey's song from Evstigney Fomin's opera "Coachmen on a Stand"
The most famous and prolific of Russian composers of the second half of the 18th century, who laid the foundation for musical nationalism in our country; came from the people's environment and was originally from the courtyard people. He was born in St. Petersburg on August 5, 1741, but when and under what circumstances he managed to receive his primary education is unknown.
It is only known that even in adolescence F. was enrolled as a pupil of the Imp. Academy of Arts, but soon, due to his discovered musical abilities, he was sent to Italy to study the theory of composition.
There is also very little information about his stay abroad, but the success of his studies can be judged by the fact that for some time he, despite his foreign origin, was a pensioner of the Bologna Academy of Music.
In the early 1770s, F. returned to Russia and first settled in Moscow, where for some time he was the conductor of the private Medox Theater.
The beginning of his musical fame dates back to this same time, which began in 1772 with the production of the opera “Anyuta” (libretto by M. Popov) on the court stage in Tsarskoe Selo. The comic opera, which told in a light and humorous manner about the violence and injustices of the serf era, was received very favorably by the liberal empress. “The court audience,” says Mikhnevich, “who had set their teeth on edge with French comedy and Italian music, was pleasantly surprised by the freshness of the plot and the folk nature of the music... This genre became fashionable, and many of the composers of that time began diligently to work on it.” F. himself worked a lot on composing music to the text of mainly Russian writers: Empress Catherine the Great, Ablesimov, Knyazhnin, I. A. Dmitrevsky, I. A. Krylov, Kapnist, Prince. Dolgorukova, Nikoleva and others. Of the operas he wrote in the late 70s, the following were especially successful: “The Miller is a sorcerer, a deceiver and a matchmaker” (words by Ablesimov), staged on stage in 1779, first in Moscow, then In Petersburg.
For the court theater, it was, however, found too vulgar and therefore was soon removed from the repertoire, but in the private theater of Knieper it was performed 27 times (in Moscow - 22 times) and, according to the review modern criticism, “aroused so much attention from the public that the theater was always filled”; even “foreigners were quite curious about it... To put it briefly: perhaps the first Russian opera had such admired spectators and splashes” (Drama Dictionary, 1787). I liked “The Miller...” both from the content and from the music.
The latter, “insignificant and revealing - according to Cheshikhin - a self-taught composer, rather helpless in technique,” was built exclusively on folk motifs, and this was its novelty and originality.
The arias and couplets of the opera, which the public liked so much, were sung everywhere; they could be heard in secular salons, and in lackeys, and on the street. F.'s popular opera retained its interest to some extent in the 19th century, when it was published by Jurgenson in Moscow and resumed on stage in St. Petersburg in the 50s. F.'s relocation to St. Petersburg probably dates back to the time of the resounding success caused by the production of this opera.
In the mid-80s, he undoubtedly already lived here, performing music orders the empress, who instructed him, for example, in 1786 to write an opera based on his own words - “The Novgorod Bogatyr Boeslavich”. There is no more detailed information about the official position of the composer at this time.
In 1797, a decision was made to accept the “academy professor” F. into the directorate of the Imperial Theaters “to the position of the Russian troupe in order to teach him actors and actresses from new operas and perform old ones; also, what would need to be changed in music; in addition Therefore, he must teach singing to schoolchildren and female students; also, if necessary, accompany French and French musicians in the orchestra. Italian operas". All these complex duties were paid for by F. with a salary of 720 rubles per year. In his new position F. stayed, however, only three years and died in April 1800, and, due to his insolvency, the theater management allocated 25 rubles for his burial.
F.'s musical works, in addition to the above, also include whole line operas (more than 30 in all), the authenticity of which, however, is very difficult to establish due to the paucity of information about the composer and some special conditions of the time when he lived. So, for example, in 1800 Kapnist staged the shepherd opera “Clorida and Milo” with music by F., but Karamzin in his letter to I. I. Dmitriev (December 23, 1800) attributes the music of this opera to Pleshcheev. M. N. Longinov makes the assumption in this regard that F., according to the customs of the time, could “lend” his already famous name for a beginning composer who is not yet confident of success.
As is known, there were cases when people from high society out of false shame, deliberately hid their names in literary and musical works.
Finally, it is possible that F. wrote some of his operas together with other composers, for example Matinsky, also a musical genius, a famous author of many librettos.
In modern editions, the following operas are attributed to F.: “The Good Wench” (op. Matinsky), “Imaginary Treasure” (op. Luknitsky), “Love Refutes the Union of Friendship” (op. Mikhailov), “Vain Jealousy...” (op. . Kolycheva), “Rebirth” (op. by Matinsky), “Happiness by Lot” (op. by Ablesimova), “Orpheus and Eurydice” (op. by Princess), “Coachmen on Post” (Russian op.), “Party.. " (same), "Three Lazy" (op. by Knyazhnin), "Sorcerer, Sorcerer and Matchmaker" (op. by I. Yukin), "Honest Criminal" (op. by I. Dmitrevsky), "Mad Family" (op. . I. A. Krylova), “The Grinder” (op. Nikolev), “Guardian-teacher, or Love is more cunning than eloquence” (his own), “The Bride under the Veil...” (Russian op.), “The Happy Player” (same), “Love Magic” (op. by Prince Dolgorukov), “Bochar” (op. Gensha), “The Americans” (op. Klushina), “Vladisan” (unknown author), “Strange Entrepreneurship...” (op. Glinka) and “The Golden Apple” (op. I. Ivanov) - F.’s last work, performed on stage after his death, in 1804. Most of the listed operas, comic in content, are declamatory operas and “in the simple and too superficial style of music - according to Norkov - is far from being suitable for our modern requirements of art"; in some of them the influence of Western European opera of that time is still very noticeable, but at the same time, everywhere the desire to take an independent path and give the music a national coloring is already evident.
In technical terms, the opera "The Americans" stands above the others. V. Cheshikhin, “History of Russian Opera”, St. Petersburg, 1906, ch. I. - I. F. Gorbunov, "Essay on the history of the Russian theater", St. Petersburg, 1902 - V. Mikhnevich, "Essay on the history of music in Russia", St. Petersburg, 1879, pp. 242-244, 249 - Morkov, "Historical sketch of Russian opera", St. Petersburg, 1862, pp. 33-36. - L.A. Sacchetti, "Essay general history music", St. Petersburg and Moscow, 1903, pp. 401-402. - encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron, vol. 28, p. 693 (article about Russian music of Bulich) and vol. 82, p. 948. A. G. (Polovtsov) Fomin, Evstigney Ipatovich - famous composer of the 18th century, b. August 5, 1741 in St. Petersburg, d. in April 1800 in the same place. Came from the serfs; was enrolled as a pupil of the Imp. Academy of Arts, but then was sent to study music in Italy (Bologna Academy of Music).
By the 70s, F. was already in Russia.
For some time he was the conductor of the private Medox Theater in Moscow; then he was appointed “professor of music” at the failed music academy at the failed university in Yekaterinoslav (see Khandoshkin) and in this rank in 1797 he was accepted into the service in St. Petersburg. Imp. opera "to the post of a Russian troupe in order to teach him actors and actresses... and, if necessary, to change in music; in addition to this, he must teach singing to schoolchildren and girls, etc." (for a salary of 720 rubles per year). Three years later F. died.
The most famous of his operas, “The Miller the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker” (to the text of Ablesimov, again published in 1895 by Jurgenson) was first performed in 1779 in Moscow, at the Medox Theater and was a huge success. It did not leave the repertoire of capital and provincial theaters even at the beginning of the 19th century. This opera is nothing more than a Singspiel, with interpolated music. numbers in that conventional Russian genre, which was cultivated for a long time later (up to Alyabyev and Varlamov).
Russian melodies (sometimes folk ones) were used by F. in some of his other operas, of which the later ones reveal the hand of a more experienced composer (in the style of Cimarosa) than the first.
"Anyuta" (1772, libretto by Popov) was also a great success.
Other operas (all with conversations): “The Good Wench” (1777), “Rebirth” (Moscow, 1777), “The Guardian Professor, or Love is Stronger than Eloquence” (Moscow, 1784), “The Novgorod Bogatyr Vasily Boeslavich” (libretto by Catherine II , 1786, Hermitage), "Parties" (1788), "The Sorcerer, the Sorceress and the Matchmaker" (1791), "The Americans" (1800, libretto by Klushin, 1895 edited by Jurgenson), "Clorida and Milo" (1800, libretto by Kapnist) .
The opera "Fedul with Children", attributed to the "Archive of the Imperial Theaters" by F., was written by Pashkevich and Martin (as indicated on the manuscript; see also "Notes" by Khrapovitsky).
See Svetlov "Russian Opera in the 18th Century." ("Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres", 1897-98, appendix 2); Kashkin, “From the history of Russian opera” (Russian Vedomosti, 1895, No. 237, 251, 259). (Riman) Fomin, Evstigney Ipatovich (1761-1800) - composer, from the serfs; a bright representative of the galaxy of Russian students Italian masters, in whose work, despite the strong Italian influences and noble-“Peisan” sentimentalism, there were clearly trends toward the creation of a Russian national musical style (widespread use of peasant songs, appeal to national plots).
Fomin studied music. class of the Academy of Arts, after which (1782) he was sent to the Bologna Philharmonic Academy, where he completed (1785) his musical education with padre Martini.
He wrote a number of comic operas ("The Novgorod Bogatyr Boeslavovich", "Coachmen at Post", "The Americans", etc.) and several spiritual and musical works.
F.'s major edition of the opera "The Miller, the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker" (text by Ablesimov, musical numbers Sokolovsky), which for a long time was attributed entirely to F. Lit.: Findeisen N., Essays on the history of music in Russia, M.-L., 1929, vol. II, pp. 218-31; Music and musical life of old Russia (collection of articles), ed. "Asademia", L., 1927. Fomin, Evstigney Ipatovich (born 16.VIII.1761 in St. Petersburg, died in April 1800 in the same place) - Russian. composer, conductor, teacher.
From the age of 6 he studied music. class of the Academy of Arts (in composition with G. Raupach, F. Captori). Having graduated from the academy with honors in 1782, he was sent for improvement to Bologna, where he studied for 3 years with G. Martini and S. Mattei.
In 1785 he was elected member. Bologna Philharmonic Academy, returned to Russia in 1786.
In 1797 he was appointed to the St. Petersburg Theater Directorate as a “tutor of opera parts” (accompanist) and vocal teacher.
Information about F.'s life and work is scarce.
Means. part of his production remained unknown, e.g. op., created in Bologna.
The work of F., a major, original artist, a mature master, one of the creators of everyday opera on national Russian subjects (using folk song intonations), is distinguished by the courage of creative quests and the variety of opera genres of his time.
Works: opera "The Novgorod Bogatyr Boeslavich" (1786), comic. operas "Coachmen on a Stand" (1787), "The Americans" (op. 1788, post. 1800), "Parties, or Guess, Guess, Maid" (1788, not preserved), "The Sorcerer, the Fortune Teller and the Matchmaker" (1791 , not preserved), melodrama "Orpheus and Eurydice" (1792), "Clorida and Milo" (not preserved), opera-ballet "The Golden Apple" (1803), arr. comic M. Sokolovsky's opera "The Miller - the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker" (1792); choruses for the tragedies "Vladisan" by Y. Knyazhnin and "Yaropolk and Oleg" by V. Ozerov.
16 On August 1761, in St. Petersburg, a son was born to a gunner of the Tobolsk infantry regiment; they named him Evstignei.
Soon his father died in another battle. His mother died behind him.
But the child was not abandoned to his fate.
Who was his benefactor? To whom does the soldier's son owe his amazing fate? And how did this benefactor come up with the idea of sending a six-year-old orphan to, not just somewhere, an orphanage at the Academy of Arts? Perhaps you noticed your baby’s musical abilities? on his absolute pitch? And who could be interested in the absolute pitch of a soldier’s son?
But one way or another, fate worked out for Evstigney Fomin in the happiest way!
Brought up within the walls of the Academy of Arts, he was enrolled in music classes and studied harpsichord playing, music theory and composition.
In 1772, a graduate of the Academy, Evstignei Fomin, was sent to Italy to study with famous musician and composer Padre Giovanni Martini. The result of this training was stunning for Europe. Three years later, a native of wild Russia was elected to the Bologna Philharmonic Academy. Among young musicians, only Mozart had previously been awarded such an honor.
In 1786, Evstignei Fomin returned to St. Petersburg in the rays of his glory, and Empress Catherine II graciously commands him to write an opera to her own libretto. The Lady of Russia also really wanted literary laurels.
The work was done fantastically by Fomin short term, per month. And bigopera in five acts"Novgorod hero Vasily Boeslavich"was staged at the Hermitage Theater of the Winter Palace.
As a result genius composer Evstigney Fomin suddenly finds himself in Tambov, in the office of the then Tambov mayor Gabriel Derzhavin.
Why? How did it happen? Mystery!
Perhaps the audience did not show due admiration for the opera, and Catherine attributed the failure to the composer?
Be that as it may, the brilliant Russian composer Evstigney Fomin lived in Tambov for the last 12 years of his life. short life. His best works were written here.
The opera “Coachmen on a Stand,” for which he wrote the libretto, immediately made him a famous composer in Russia. Apparently he was a good poet too.
In 1788, the glorious young man Ivan Krylov gave him the libretto of the opera. own composition called "The Americans". This is how the future great fabulist entered Russian literature. And the brilliant opera that Evstigney Fomin wrote never saw the light of day during his lifetime. Its first production took place in the year of his death - 1800.
In 1791, another masterpiece of this composer was written - the opera “Orpheus and Eurydice”, the libretto of which was written by the famous 18th century playwright Yakov Knyazhnin.
Only after the death of Catherine did Evstigney Fomin have the opportunity to return to St. Petersburg. Here he received a modest position as a tutor at court theaters. But three years later he was gone.
At the end of the 18th century, in an era when musical life in Russia was most closely connected with Italian and French operas, and it was led by invited foreigners, it shone brightly on the domestic horizon new star. The great Empress Catherine II herself wrote the libretto for this composer’s operas. He was a friend of Derzhavin and was distinguished by his complete rejection of the injustice and violence that reigned at that time. And this man’s name was Evstigney Ipatovich Fomin.
He was born on August 5, 1761 in St. Petersburg in the family of a gunner of the regimental artillery of the Tobolsk infantry regiment. Apparently, the child showed his artistic inclinations early, because at the age of six he was included in the list of pupils of the newly opened Academy of Arts. Here, for nine years, the students of the Academy had to undergo general education training. Taught: God's law, Russian language, foreign languages, arithmetic, drawing, geography, history, physics, natural science, architecture. And only after undergoing such training, the Academy student began a special study of the chosen form of art, which took another six years. Among other classes, there was a special class of musical composition. In 1782, Fomin graduated with honors from the Academy of Arts and was sent to Italy to continue music education. Fomin studied at the Bologna Philharmonic Academy for three years. He was one of the best students of the then famous contrapuntist Padre Martini, from whom he received a good knowledge of counterpoint and supplemented his musical and historical education. On November 29, 1785, at a meeting of the Council of the Bologna Philharmonic Academy, Evstignei Fomin was elected a member of this academy.
Upon returning from Italy, Fomin settled in St. Petersburg. In 1786, at the request of Empress Catherine II, he wrote music for her work “Novgorod Bogatyr Boeslavovich”. This comic opera Fomina was staged for the first time at the Hermitage Theater in November 1786. The plot and images of the Russian epic are a story about a quarrel, massacre and reconciliation with the Novgorodians of the hero, reveler and brawler Vasily Buslaev. In the opera, not only dances and dances were presented using ballet means, but also fist fights and folk fights. This opera was followed by another, with a libretto now by Fomin himself, “Coachmen on a Stand.” In it, the composer made extensive use of Russian folk song melodies. From 1788 to 1800, Fomin wrote five more operas, including “Orpheus and Eurydice,” where the composer’s outstanding abilities were fully demonstrated. He decided here one of most important tasks standing in front of the Russian musical art of that time: for the first time he managed to master a large tragic theme and show that Russian music is no longer limited to genre and everyday themes, but boldly invades the world of big ideas and deep feelings.
Here it should be recalled again that at that time in Russia, led by musical life foreigners remained in the capital. Productions of Italian and French operas dominated. And despite the Highest Decree of Catherine II to Count Olsufiev dated July 12, 1783: “over time, to achieve in all the skills (arts) in theaters the necessary replacement of foreigners with their natural ones,” for a long time there was no such “replacement” and continued to lead the development opera music foreigners are invited to Russia. On this background life path Fomina's journey was not easy. His talent was literally “out of place” in the Russian capital. His work was not accepted by the empress and her entourage. Foreign maestros, authors of ceremonial hymns and oratorios, were held in high esteem, and Fomin had to earn his living by working as an accompanist and teacher. Only shortly before his death, academician of the Bologna Academy Evstigney Fomin received a modest position as a tutor of opera parts. At the end of April 1800, at the age of 39, the composer died.
Traditionally indifferent to his geniuses, Russian society remained indifferent to this loss. There wasn't even a single response in the press. And still only a few lines in music encyclopedia remind us that the Russian composer Evstignei Fomin lived and wrote wonderful music in Russia.