Russian empire
Mighty bunch
Miliy Alekseevich Balakirev
Mily Alekseevich Balakirev(December 21, 1836 [January 2], Nizhny Novgorod - May 16, St. Petersburg) - Russian composer, pianist, conductor, head of the “Mighty Handful”.
Memorial plaque on house 7 on Kolomenskaya street, St. Petersburg.
Biography
Mily Balakirev was born into the family of Alexei Konstantinovich Balakirev (1809-1869).
IN childhood took piano lessons from Alexandre Dubuc. He was a volunteer student at the Faculty of Mathematics of Kazan University in 1853-1855. A. D. Ulybyshev, an enlightened amateur, philanthropist, and author of the first Russian monograph on Mozart, took a great part in his fate.
Music
Balakirev's compositional activity, although not extensive, is very respectable. He wrote several orchestral, piano and vocal works, of which the following stand out: orchestral music to King Lear (1860), consisting of an overture and intermission; overture on Czech themes (); two overtures on Russian themes, the first of which was composed in 1857, and the second, entitled “Rus”, was written in 1862 for the opening of the monument to the Millennium of Russia in Novgorod; overture on a Spanish theme; symphonic poem “Tamara” (text by Lermontov), performed for the first time at a concert of the Free Music School in 1882. Among Balakirev’s piano works the following are known: two mazurkas (As-dur and B-moll), a scherzo, a fantasy “Islamey” on oriental themes (1869); He also arranged for piano in two hands: “Chernomor’s March” from the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “The Lark’s Song” by Glinka, the overture (introduction) to the second part of “La Fuite en Egypte” by Berlioz, cavatina from Beethoven’s quartet (op. 130), " Aragonese jota» Glinka. Four hands: “Prince Kholmsky”, “Kamarinskaya”, “Aragonese Jota”, “Night in Madrid” by Glinka.
Among Balakirev’s vocal compositions, romances and songs are very popular (“ gold fish”, “Come to me”, “Bring me in, oh night, secretly”, “Advance”, “A clear month has risen into the sky”, “Can I hear your voice”, “Jewish melody”, “Georgian song”, etc.) - numbering 20 (according to other sources, 43. Apparently, the main part of the text is lifetime, compiled between and 1895.)
Among other unmentioned works are 2 symphonies ( ; ), Suite for orchestra ( - completed by S. Lyapunov), 2 piano concertos ( ; - completed by S. Lyapunov, a large number of piano works: sonata, mazurkas, nocturnes, waltzes, etc. A very valuable contribution to the field of Russian musical ethnography is the “Collection of Russian folk songs", published by Balakirev in 1866 (all songs 40).
M. A. Balakirev’s talent was especially evident in his first works and in his subtle understanding of orchestration; Balakirev's music is original, rich in melodic terms (music for King Lear, romances) and very interesting and beautiful in harmonic terms. Balakirev never took a systematic course. Balakirev’s most significant musical impressions during all this time were Chopin’s piano concerto (e-moll), which he heard from a lover as a child, and later the trio “Don’t Weary My Darling” from Glinka’s “A Life for the Tsar.” He remained faithful to these composers all his life. I.F. Laskovsky made a great impression on him as a pianist and composer. Participation in musical ensembles and especially studying scores and conducting an orchestra in Ulybyshev’s house greatly advanced him musical development. The first attempts at composing also date back to this time: a septet for piano, bowed instruments, flute and clarinet, stopping at the first movement, written in the spirit of Hancelt’s piano concerto, which he really liked, and a fantasy on Russian themes for piano and orchestra, which also remained unfinished. A handwritten sketch of her () is kept in the public library in St. Petersburg.
Balakirev spent less than two years at Kazan University, at the Faculty of Mathematics, living mainly on meager funds from music lessons. In Kazan, Balakirev wrote: a piano fantasy based on motives from “A Life for the Tsar”, the first romance: “You are full of captivating bliss” () and a concert Allegro. In 1855, he came to St. Petersburg with Ulybyshev, who introduced him to the musical circles of the capital.
Addresses in St. Petersburg
- 1861 - apartment building- Ofitserskaya street, 17;
- 1865-1873 - courtyard wing of the mansion of D. E. Benardaki - Nevsky Prospekt, 86, apt. 64;
- 1882 - 05/16/1910 - apartment building - Kolomenskaya street, 7, apt. 7.
Memory
Notes
Links
| in Wikisource | |
| Miliy Alekseevich Balakirev on Wikimedia Commons |
- Miliy Alekseevich Balakirev: sheet music of works on the International Music Score Library Project
Mily Alekseevich Balakirev. BALAKIREV Mily Alekseevich (1836/37 1910), composer, pianist, conductor, musical public figure. Head of the Mighty Handful, one of the founders (1862) and leaders (1868-73 and 1881-1908) of the Free Musical... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Russian composer, pianist, conductor, musical public figure. Born into the family of an official from the nobility. Took lessons from pianist A. Dubuk and conductor K. Eisrich (Nizhny Novgorod).... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Balakirev Miliy Alekseevich- (18361910), composer, pianist, conductor, musical public figure. From 1855 he lived in St. Petersburg. In 1856 he made his debut as a pianist and composer (he performed the first part of his concert for music at the St. Petersburg University matinee for... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"
- (1836/37 1910) composer, pianist, conductor, musical public figure. Head of the Mighty Handful, one of the founders (1862) and director (1868-73 and 1881-1908) of the Free Music School. Conductor of the Russian Musical Society (1867 69),... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Balakirev, Mily Alekseevich, famous Russian musician, creator of the new Russian music school. Born on December 21, 1836 in Nizhny Novgorod, died on May 16, 1910 in St. Petersburg. He studied at the Nizhny Novgorod gymnasium, Nizhny Novgorod... ... Biographical Dictionary
- (1836 1910), composer, pianist, conductor, musical public figure. From 1855 he lived in St. Petersburg. In 1856 he made his debut as a pianist and composer (he performed the first part of his concert for music at the St. Petersburg University matinee for... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)
- (1836/1837 1910), composer, pianist, conductor. Head of the “Mighty Handful”, one of the founders (1862, together with G. Ya. Lomakin) and director (1868-73 and 1881-1908) of the Free Music School ( Saint Petersburg). Conductor of the Imperial Russian... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
BALAKIREV Mily Alekseevich- Mily Alekseevich (12/21/1836, N. Novgorod 05/16/1910, St. Petersburg), Russian. composer, head of the New Russian School ("The Mighty Handful"), teacher, musical public figure, conductor, pianist, editor. Hereditary nobleman (Balakirev family... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
This article serves as a continuation of our story about the great « » Russian composers, which he gathered around himself no less wonderful person, . And now we will learn in more detail about the personality of the first composer who began working with Vladimir Vasilyevich.
Balakirev M.A. – chapter of “The Mighty Handful”Born into the family of Alexei Konstantinovich Balakirev on December 21, 1836. That is, at the time of formation « Mighty bunch » he was still relatively young. But let us return to the years of his adolescence and youth.
When Milius was still very young, he studied piano with Alexander Dubuk, who himself is now known as a Russian composer and pianist. At one time he was greatly influenced by Ulybyshev.
Alexander Dmitrievich - one of the first Russians music critics. In addition, he wrote a book about Mozart, which became known not only in Russia, but also in Europe. It is interesting that only in 1890 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky translated it into Russian. It was then common among respected people to speak foreign languages, even living in Russia.For some time, Ulybyshev was the editor of the Journal de St.-Pétersbourg newspaper.
Also influenced the direction creative path young composer. When they met in 1855, he convinced the young man to write music in the national spirit.
But special music education Balakirev did not receive it. More precisely, he owed the education that he had solely to his own efforts. And in the same year in which he met Glinka, he gave his first piano concert, at which he established himself as a virtuoso pianist.
The path he had traveled prompted him to open the Free music school, which worked under the patronage of the emperor. The school regularly held concerts, conducted by both Mily himself and Lomakin. The first led orchestral pieces, and the second choral pieces.
But Lomakin, who, together with Balakirev, founded the school, soon leaves work in it, and Mily becomes the sole director of the school until 1874.
In 1866, Balakirev was invited to Prague to direct the production of Mikhail Glinka’s operas “A Life for the Tsar” and “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” which were staged under the direction of Miliy Alekseevich, and thanks to his persistence and tireless energy they were a resounding success, especially the opera “ Ruslan and Ludmila".
At one time, in the late sixties, Balakirev conducted the orchestra of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, which performed compositions « Mighty bunch » , namely: Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and others.
But in the early seventies, Balakirev was experiencing too severe a mental crisis to continue making music. So he retires. And in order to earn a living, he begins to work as an ordinary employee on the Warsaw Railway. He was able to return to music again only in the late seventies.
When in 1983 the emperor appointed him to head the court singing chapel, he was able to organize the school business on solid pedagogical principles. In addition, he personally developed the science class program, and as an inspector music classes invited Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to the position.
During Balakirev's management, the building of the singing chapel was rebuilt. It has turned into an elegant architectural structure with luxurious halls, in addition, Special attention was devoted to the development of the orchestra class. This had the most beneficial influence on the choir singers who, due to loss of voice, were forced to stop practicing in the choir. This way they could earn money in their usual environment, albeit in a different way.
Mily Alekseevich died on May 16, 1910 and was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Creative heritage
Balakirev did not write much, but his works are recognized and respected. Thus, among his compositions, the accompaniment to “King Lear”, various overtures on national themes, piano works, and vocal works stand out.
The manifestation of Balakirev’s talent was especially striking in his early works. They displayed all the diversity of the composition, melody... he very subtly understood the essence of orchestration. He was greatly influenced by the work of Chopin and Glinka. In addition, he learned a lot from participating in ensembles and conducting the orchestra in Ulybyshev’s house.
Around the same time, he tried to compose compositions on his own. Due to the fact that Balakirev studied at the Faculty of Mathematics for less than two years, he managed to survive only thanks to the meager earnings from music lessons.
Despite the fact that sometimes his spirit was broken, he was able to return to his favorite work again and again, showing exceptional perseverance and loyalty to his heartfelt love.
BALAKIREV, MILIY ALEXEEVICH(1837–1910), Russian composer, pianist, conductor, head and inspirer of the famous “Five” - “The Mighty Handful” (Balakirev, Cui, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov), which personifies national movement in Russian musical culture of the 19th century.
Balakirev was born on December 21 (January 2, 1837) in Nizhny Novgorod, into an impoverished noble family. Brought to Moscow at the age of ten, he took lessons from John Field for some time; later, A.D. Ulybyshev, an enlightened amateur musician, philanthropist, author of the first Russian monograph on Mozart, took a great part in his fate. Balakirev entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Kazan University, but in 1855 he met in St. Petersburg with M.I. Glinka, who convinced young musician to devote oneself to composition in the national spirit, based on Russian music - folk and church, on Russian subjects and texts.
The “Mighty Handful” formed in St. Petersburg between 1857 and 1862, and Balakirev became its leader. He was self-taught and drew his knowledge mainly from practice, therefore he rejected the textbooks and methods of teaching harmony and counterpoint accepted at that time, replacing them with a wide acquaintance with the masterpieces of world music and their detailed analysis. The “Mighty Handful” as a creative association did not last long, but had a huge impact on Russian culture. In 1863, Balakirev founded the Free Music School - as opposed to the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the direction of which Balakirev assessed as cosmopolitan and conservative. He performed a lot as a conductor, regularly introducing listeners to early works your circle. In 1867 Balakirev became the conductor of concerts of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, but in 1869 he was forced to leave this post. In 1870 Balakirev experienced the strongest spiritual crisis, after which he did not study music for five years. He returned to composition in 1876, but by this time he had already lost his reputation as the head of the national school in the eyes of the musical community. In 1882, Balakirev again became the director of concerts of the Free Music School, and in 1883 - the manager of the Court Choir (during this period he created a number of church compositions and transcriptions of ancient chants).
Balakirev played a huge role in the formation of the national music school, but he himself composed relatively little. IN symphonic genres he created two symphonies, several overtures, music for Shakespeare's King Lear(1858–1861), symphonic poems Tamara(c. 1882), Rus(1887, 2nd edition 1907) and In the Czech Republic(1867, 2nd edition 1905). For piano he wrote the Sonata in B flat minor (1905), a brilliant fantasy Islamey(1869) and a number of plays in different genres. Romances and adaptations of folk songs are of high value. Musical style Balakireva rests on one side on folk origins and the traditions of church music, on the other hand, on the experience of the new Western European art, especially Liszt, Chopin, Berlioz. Balakirev died in St. Petersburg on May 16 (29), 1910.
Miliy Alekseevich Balakirev(January 2, 1837 - May 29, 1910), Russian composer, pianist, conductor, head of the “Mighty Handful”.
The enormous role of M. A. Balakirev in the history of Russian culture is well known, and yet his significance remains not fully appreciated. Perhaps this is due to the fact that he evoked a complex and ambiguous attitude towards himself from his contemporaries - both through his creativity and social activities.
“In Balakirev, I always felt there were two people: one - a charming and cheerful interlocutor, ready to tell a not entirely decent joke; the other is some kind of schismatic abbot, despotically demanding, even cruel, capable of completely unexpectedly offending a person who is friendly towards him,” recalled M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov.
Being in the spotlight cultural life or going into the shadows, he never compromised with the opinion of society - even in contradiction with it. In silence and loneliness, he continued to do the same as at the height of fame - to serve art, sacrificing everything else: health, personal life, friendship of loved ones, the good opinion of fellow musicians. Balakirev is one of the most tragic figures in the history of Russian musical XIX culture century.
His life was long and covered several periods of Russian history. musical culture. While still a young man (at the age of 19), A.D. Ulybyshev brought Balakirev to the Christmas tree with Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, who immediately predicted a “brilliant musical future” for him. Later, he even gave him the theme of the Spanish march, for which he composed the Overture. And at the end of his life, fate brought him into contact with Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov, who conducted the symphonic poem “Tamara” in 1905. For more than half a century, he communicated with various outstanding musicians of Russia and Europe, in every possible way contributing to the prosperity of true art.
He was born in Nizhny Novgorod on December 21, 1836 in the family of an official. Initial musical information received from his mother, later studied with K.K. Eisrich and took individual lessons from various musicians, including A. Dubuk, but he mainly owed his musical education to himself. Eisrich introduced him to the house of A.D. Ulybyshev, a lover and connoisseur of music who wrote a monograph on Mozart. Balakirev participated in his musical evenings and studied music literature.
In 1853, he moved to Kazan and enrolled as a volunteer student at the University’s Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, but two years later he left from there for St. Petersburg. In the northern capital, Balakirev quickly became close to a circle of musicians - M. I. Glinka, A. S. Dargomyzhsky, A. N. Serov, V. V. Stasov, and also S. Monyushko. In the late 1850s - early 1860s, a circle formed around him, which was later called " A mighty bunch».
This name first appeared in 1867 in Stasov’s article “Slavic Concert of Mr. Balakirev”, which contains the following lines: “God grant that our Slavic guests forever retain the memory of how much poetry, feeling, talent and skill the little but already a mighty group of Russian musicians.” The circle itself called itself the “New Russian School”.
After active creative life In the 1860s, a severe crisis began that lasted almost the entire decade. During these years, Balakirev almost completely abandoned communication with his former friends and creative activities, short term he even became an official in the Warsaw Store Department railway. The second period of the composer's creative activity began in the 1880-1900s. Before recent years In his life he is actively involved in creative, social and performing activities.
These are the most significant milestones in his biography. But how can one describe how much spiritual strength and inner fire Balakirev put into his works? All his life he burned with a bright fire, awakening ebullient creative energy in others. His era - the time when he fully and happily revealed the potential of his creative talent, - it was the 1860s. At this time, after Nicholas I left the throne, art was perceived as a means to improve the life of society. Subsequently, these ideas faded into the background, but for Balakirev they always remained significant.
He devoted most of his life to active musical and social activities, which did not always find an appropriate response from his contemporaries. His most important and difficult undertaking was the creation in 1862, together with G. Ya. Lomakin, of the Free Music School (FMS), the goals of which were the same as for the Russian Musical Society (RMS) - training Russian musicians and the availability of appropriate education for everyone.
In addition to Balakirev, from 1873 to 1882 the BMS was headed by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, and from 1908 by S. M. Lyapunov. After October revolution she ceased to exist.
However, the opening of the St. Petersburg Conservatory by A. G. Rubinstein in the same year on the basis of the Russian Musical Society diverted public attention from Balakirev’s noble undertaking and contributed to the emergence of two parties in it - adherents of the ideas of Balakirev and Rubinstein. Balakirev himself had a very ambivalent attitude towards Rubinstein’s undertaking. The main objection to the conservatory was that a standardized music education should, in his opinion, kill the individuality of students. With his friends, he sneered at Rubinstein, calling him Dubinstein, Tupinstein and even Grubinstein. However, perhaps this was also due to personal resentment for his own initiative - the BMS, which, being aimed at the same goals, did not attract such attention from either patrons or the public.
Difficulties in the affairs of the BMS were largely the cause of the crisis that befell Balakirev in the 1870s. At the same time, over time, the negative attitude towards RMO smoothed out. In 1871, he approved of Rimsky-Korsakov's decision to work at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Although Rimsky-Korsakov believed that Balakirev had the selfish intention of “inducting his own into a conservatory hostile to him.” Nevertheless, Balakirev respected his knowledge of harmony and counterpoint and sent to him those of his students who needed consistent study these items. This is how young A.K. Glazunov came to Rimsky-Korsakov in 1879. And in 1878, the Moscow branch of the RMO even invited Balakirev to take the place of P.I. Tchaikovsky, who had left the Conservatory by that time. He did not accept the offer, but was touched by it.
In addition to the BMS, in the 1870s Balakirev was actively involved in teaching and inspectorate activities in women's institutes. From 1873 he was an inspector of music classes at the women's Mariinsky Institute, and from 1875 - at the St. Elena. Finally, from 1883 to 1894 he was the manager of the Court Singing Chapel, after which he retired.
Pedagogical activity accompanied Balakirev throughout his life. He trained a galaxy of composers who made up an entire era of Russian music. It was around him that the “New Russian School” united the most talented composers of his time - Caesar Antonovich Cui (familiar with Balakirev since 1856), Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (since 1857), Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov (since 1861), Alexander Porfirievich Borodin (since 1862), as well as A. S. Gussakovsky (since 1857 , after 1862 he retired from the circle) and N. N. Lodyzhensky (since 1866).
Music critics and public figures A. N. Serov and V. V. Stasov (both since 1856, however, by 1859 the relations of Balakirev and Cui with Serov were hopelessly damaged). However, Balakirev was not a teacher in the usual sense of the word. The “New Russian School” was a friendly circle where Balakirev was perceived as an older and more educated comrade. Not without humor, he wrote about the circle meetings, for example, the following: “Our entire company lives as before. Mussorgsky now looks cheerful and proud, they wrote the Allegro - and thinks that he has already done a lot for art in general and Russian art in particular. Now every Wednesday I have a meeting of all Russian composers, our new (if anyone composes) works and generally good works by Beethoven, Glinka, Schumann, Schubert and so on are played.” (letter to A.P. Zakharyina dated December 31, 1860, quoted from: M.A. Balakirev. Chronicle of Life and Creativity).
The playing of works (both their own and those of others) was accompanied by their detailed analysis. Stasov recalled that at the meetings of the circle, “everyone gathered in a crowd around the piano, where either M.A. Balakirev or Mussorgsky accompanied them as the most powerful pianists of the circle, and then testing, criticism, weighing of advantages and disadvantages, attack and defense immediately took place.”
Every young man who came to the circle again felt the irresistible charm of Balakirev’s personality and his amazing ability ignite the fire of inspiration in people. Rimsky-Korsakov recalled that “From the first meeting, Balakirev made a huge impression on me. He demanded that I start composing a symphony. I was delighted". Mussorgsky wrote to Balakirev: “You were very good at pushing me while I was dozing.” And E. S. Borodina said that “The fruits of (Borodin’s) newly established acquaintance with Balakirev were felt in a fabulous way in terms of strength and speed. Already in December he played me almost the entire first Allegro of his symphony in Es major.”
But not everything was rosy. Very soon, the members of the circle realized the despotism of their older friend, his unshakable conviction that he was absolutely right and his desire to actively participate in all the details of their creative process. He told Rimsky-Korsakov: “You can believe in my critical ability and ability musical understanding, but let my opinions not be immutable for you.”
However, Balakirev’s intervention in literally every bar, every note of the barely emerging works of young composers gradually became painful for them. In 1861, Mussorgsky wrote to Balakirev: “As for the fact that I get stuck and have to be pulled out, I’ll say one thing - if I have talent, I won’t get stuck. It’s time to stop seeing me as a child who needs to be led so that he doesn’t fall.”
By the end of the 1860s, the circle gradually began to disintegrate - the chicks fledged and gradually flew further and further from the nest. Balakirev became lonely and a creative crisis set in. Subsequently, he had other students, but only after long years, in 1884, he met Sergei Mikhailovich Lyapunov, who became his only completely devoted and faithful student, who continued the traditions of Balakirev’s music in his work.
Of great importance in Balakirev’s life was his performing activity, which he was engaged in from his youth until the last years of his life. Having become acquainted with the capabilities of the piano from the age of four, by the age of eighteen he was already an established virtuoso pianist, “the pianists who came to Kazan - Seymour Schiff and Anton Kontsky - treated him as a colleague.”
In a letter to Rostislav, published in “Northern Bee” (No. 290), A.D. Ulybyshev recommended Balakirev as a virtuoso: “He should listen once to a large piece performed by an orchestra in order to convey it without notes in all accuracy on the piano. He reads all kinds of music and, accompanying the singing, immediately translates the aria or duet into another tone, whatever he wants.”
In the second half of his life, Balakirev was recognized as a pianist not only in Russia, but also abroad, in particular in Poland. In 1894, his last public concert took place there, dedicated to his beloved composer, Chopin, in connection with the opening of a monument to him. This was a time when political relations between Russia and Poland were strained, and friends discouraged Balakirev from traveling there. He was “scared both by the fact that the hall would be empty and by the fact that they could arrange a demonstration for him as a Russian, a patriot. But Balakirev was not afraid, he went, and the concert took place. The entire Polish Warsaw was in Zhelazova Wola. Balakirev can never talk about this without emotion. This was his last appearance in front of the public, he never played again.”
Balakirev also picked up the conductor's baton from a young age. Already at the age of 15, he made his debut with Beethoven's Eighth Symphony in a concert in Nizhny Novgorod, replacing his teacher Karl Eisrich who had left. However, as he later recalled, at that time “He didn’t even know in which direction the beats of the bar were pointed with a stick.”
Later he became a major, recognized conductor. After the founding of the Free Music School (FMS) in 1862, he conducted concerts for it and for its benefit (since 1863). In 1866-1867, Balakirev was invited to Prague to stage Glinka's operas. The matter was not without misunderstandings; in a letter to L.I. Shestakova, he indignantly wrote that “The local vile conductors decided to lose the clavier of “Ruslan” somewhere, it’s good that, to the surprise of everyone, I accompanied the entire opera from memory.”
In 1868, the directorate of the Russian Musical Society entrusted him with managing its concerts (10 concerts in total). Starting from the next season, Balakirev increased the number of concerts of the Free Music School, but it took a long time to compete with the Russian musical society I couldn't. A year later he was replaced by E. F. Napravnik, and this caused a great resonance in the press, in particular, an article by P. I. Tchaikovsky “Voice from Moscow” was published music world" with an expression of protest about this. This event became one of the reasons for the severe crisis that befell the composer in the 1870s.
In 1872, the last of the announced RMO concerts could no longer take place. The distressed Balakirev also left the Free Music School in 1874. Rimsky-Korsakov was elected its director. The failures ended with an unsuccessful concert in Nizhny Novgorod. The dejected Balakirev was close to suicide. Needing funds not only for himself, but also for his sisters, who were left in his care after the death of his father, he entered the service of the Store Administration of the Warsaw Railway and began again giving music lessons. He moved away from his musical friends, avoided society, became unsociable, became very religious, and began to perform rituals that he had previously denied.
Later he returned to active conducting work, including abroad. In 1899, Balakirev was invited to Berlin to manage symphony concert from Glinka's works in honor of the opening memorial plaque at the house where he died. Later, due to health reasons, Balakirev retired from conducting.
Balakirev did not write many works during his life. The composer's creative inactivity often surprised his contemporaries - after all, it was he who stimulated the creative energy of his friends, condemned them for laziness, and created so little himself. However, the reason for this was not laziness at all, but something else. Balakirev was a man with demanding and impeccable taste. In any music he immediately sensed something new or banal, something new or a repetition of old cliches. From himself, as well as from his friends, he demanded only something new, original, and individual. This is the secret of his overly detailed intervention in creative process their comrades. But he was no less demanding of himself. Each note written was subjected to the most severe criticism of the author's inner ear - and did not always pass it. As a result, works could take decades to create. Most shining example- First symphony. Back in the 1860s, he encouraged all his friends to create a symphony, considering it the pinnacle genre system. He began his own symphony in 1864 and finished it in 1897.
When Glinka, at the end of his life, gave Balakirev the theme of a Spanish march for his future overture, he thereby appointed him as his successor. Indeed, Balakirev inherited a lot from his older contemporary, and in particular a colossal breadth of interests and creative ideas, but his own path was completely original. One of the most important principles of Balakirev's work was not to repeat - neither the music of other composers, nor himself. Each of his compositions was unique.
Balakirev was the only composer of The Mighty Handful who never wrote an opera. The idea of an operatic work called “The Firebird” was never realized. Balakirev's only work for the theater is music for Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear", which includes an overture, symphonic intermissions and other numbers for orchestra. In general, Balakirev’s largest creations were works for symphony orchestra. In addition to two symphonies, this includes various overtures: on the theme of the Spanish march given to the author by Glinka (1857, 2nd edition 1886), on themes of three Russian songs (1858, 2nd edition 1881), Czech overture (written under the impression of a trip to Prague, 1867, 2nd edition 1905). The symphonic poems “Rus” (originally musical picture“1000 Years”, 1864, 2nd edition 1887, 1907), “Tamara” (1882) and Suite in three parts (1901-1909, completed by S. M. Lyapunov).
As a concert pianist, he composed many works involving the piano. Of these, two piano concertos (1st 1855, 2nd 1862-1910, completed by S. M. Lyapunov), Octet (1856), as well as just piano ones - among them the fantasy “Islamey” (as well as “ Tamara”, associated with impressions from trips to the Caucasus in the 1860s, 1869), sonata (1905), many piano miniatures, transcriptions and arrangements of vocal and symphonic music, etc.
Balakirev’s work in the Court Chapel was associated with the creation choral music- arrangements for choir Acapella Glinka's romances and Chopin's mazurkas. In addition, throughout his life Balakirev created many romances for voice with piano or orchestra (“Georgian Song”, 1863).
Balakirev made a great contribution to the history of collecting and recording folk songs. After a trip along the Volga, specially undertaken to record folk songs, Balakirev published a collection of “40 Russian folk songs for voice and piano” (1866), which had a great public response. Later, the composer was offered to participate in the commission for the compilation and publication of Russian folk songs collected by the expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society. The result of this work was the publication of the collection “30 Russian folk songs for piano 4 hands” (1898). In his work, Balakirev often turned to authentic Russian melodies, and with this he continued in music the traditions laid down by Glinka’s “Kamarinskaya”.
Of particular importance in creative activity Balakirev had his editorial work. Beginning in the 1860s, she accompanied Balakirev throughout his entire career. Probably, if we compare the number of editorial and original works of the composer, there will be almost more of the former. This includes work with the emerging music of close friends and students (Cui, Lyapunov, etc.), and editions of works by composers who have already passed away (such as Berlioz and Chopin). This includes simple transcriptions of symphonic works for piano (2 or 4 hands), and creative reinterpretations of existing works by other authors (this includes various piano transcriptions, concert arrangements, and others).
Back in 1877, M. I. Glinka’s sister L. I. Shestakova asked Balakirev to edit and publish Glinka’s opera scores at her expense. By the end of 1878, the score of the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” was published, and in 1881, “A Life for the Tsar,” edited by M. A. Balakirev, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov and A. K. Lyadov. At the same time, he was engaged in editing and proofreading other works by Glinka, published in various publishing houses. Work with Glinka’s music reached its logical conclusion at the end of Balakirev’s life - since 1902 he actively participated in the editing and publication Full meeting Glinka's works. As for Chopin, work with his music has remained in the shadows, but it is no less important.
It is little known that it was Balakirev who became the editor of the world's first Collected Works of Chopin, published in Russia in the edition of Stellovsky in 1861-1864. Subsequently, he also worked on editions of various works by Chopin and crowned his creative biography two large-scale works related to Chopin's work - a re-instrumentation of the First Piano Concerto in 1909, and an orchestral Suite from his own works in 1910.
In the last period, Balakirev was surrounded by musical youth, but the most dear person to him during these years was S. Lyapunov. According to his will, Lyapunov completed a number of unfinished works by the composer, including the concerto in E-flat major. Balakirev died on May 16, 1910.
Balakirev was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Mily Alekseevich Balakirev gained fame as a man who was better at creating great composers than great music. His "" is not as famous as "", and the romances are lost in the shadow of vocal masterpieces. But if it were not for Balakirev, there would probably be no masterpieces, and there would be no Russian music in the form as we know it now.
Native Nizhny Novgorod, son of a titular councilor, Balakirev showed musical abilities already in childhood. His first piano teacher was his mother. When the boy was ten years old, his mother summer holidays went with him to Moscow, where Milius took several piano lessons from the composer Alexander Dubuk. Upon returning to hometown he began studying with the conductor and pianist Carl Eiserich.
Balakirev studies at the Alexander Institute. A meeting with diplomat Alexander Ulybyshev played a significant role in his fate. This man is an amateur musician, one of the first music critics, the author of a biography, introduced young man With classical literature, and in the amateur orchestra created by Ulybyshev, Balakirev masters in practice the basics of conducting and instrumentation. The orchestra's repertoire was rich - it even included Beethoven's symphonies.
In 1853, Balakirev entered Kazan University, but after a year he left it to take up music. He creates romances as well as piano works. Ulybyshev follows the successes of the young composer. In St. Petersburg he introduced Mily Alekseevich. Mikhail Ivanovich approved of Balakirev’s works and gave him some advice.
In the capital, Balakirev is gaining fame as a pianist, and he continues to compose music. Soon he meets Caesar Cui and, and later with and. This is how a community of young composers arose, which critic Vladimir Stasov later called the “Mighty Handful.” None of these people received a musical education: the officer, sailor, chemist, military engineer Cui, and Balakirev himself, who became the soul of this community, did not study at the conservatory. But perhaps that is precisely why they could say a new word in art, opposing the dominance of the West, which reigned in professional music, with works on a national basis.
Friends-composers gathered at Balakirev’s every week, played many works on the piano four hands - and, of course, demonstrated their own. Balakirev, according to , showed himself to be an “amazing technical critic,” carefully analyzing all the works, and he played a role in the self-education of his friends decisive role. But, of course, he did not limit himself to giving advice. By that time, he had already created two dozen romances, which were highly appreciated by Alexander Serov. His symphonic creations, in particular the King Lear Overture, as well as his piano pieces, became famous.
Balakirev travels along the Volga and visits the Caucasus three times, during these trips he writes down folk songs. The result of communication with barge haulers on the Volga was the “Collection of Russian folk songs.” Mily Alekseevich created an Overture on the themes of three Russian songs, and conceived a symphony dedicated to the millennium of Rus', but this work was not completed. Caucasian impressions were reflected in the works created years later - “Islamee” and “”.
In 1862, the composer, together with Gavriil Lomakin, created the Free Music School. The choir that existed in it made it possible to join musical art to everyone who wants it. An orchestra conducted by Balakirev also took part in these concerts, including the works of the Kuchkists in the programs. Mily Alekseevich also conducted concerts of the Russian Musical Society.
1870s became difficult for Balakirev: unfair exclusion from RMO concerts, financial problems. All this leads to thoughts of suicide. The composer still did not do this, but came to the decision of “musical suicide” - he decides to abandon creativity forever. For some time he served in a railway office, then earned money by giving private lessons. Only towards the end of the 1870s. he gradually comes to his senses: he again begins to communicate with friends, again heads the Free Music School, completes "", creates piano plays and romances, and from 1883 for eleven years he heads the Court Singing Chapel. Through his efforts, an orchestra was created at the chapel.
Balakirev's music is performed not only in Russia, but also in Brussels, Berlin and Copenhagen.
Balakirev died in 1910. His last piece– The suite for orchestra remained unfinished, it was completed by Sergei Lyapunov.
Musical Seasons