Alexander Dargomyzhsky, together with Glinka, is the founder of Russian classical romance. Chamber vocal music was one of the main genres of creativity for the composer.
He composed romances and songs for several decades, and if the early works had much in common with the works of Alyabyev, Varlamov, Gurilev, Verstovsky, Glinka, then the later ones in some ways anticipate the vocal work of Balakirev, Cui and especially Mussorgsky. It was Mussorgsky who called Dargomyzhsky “the great teacher of musical truth.”
Dargomyzhsky created more than 100 romances and songs. Among them are all the popular vocal genres of that time - from the “Russian song” to the ballad. At the same time, Dargomyzhsky became the first Russian composer who embodied in his work themes and images taken from the surrounding reality, and created new genres - lyrical and psychological monologues (“Both boring and sad”, “I’m sad” to the words of Lermontov), folk scenes (“The Miller” to the words of Pushkin), satirical songs (“The Worm” to the words of Pierre Beranger translated by V. Kurochkin, “Titular Councilor” to the words of P. Weinberg).
Despite Dargomyzhsky’s special love for the works of Pushkin and Lermontov, the circle of poets whose poems the composer addressed is very diverse: these are Zhukovsky, Delvig, Koltsov, Yazykov, Kukolnik, Iskra poets Kurochkin and Weinberg and others.
At the same time, the composer invariably showed particular demands on the poetic text of the future romance, carefully selecting the best poems. When embodying a poetic image in music, compared to Glinka, he used a different creative method. If for Glinka it was important to convey the general mood of the poem, to recreate the main poetic image in music, and for this he used a broad song melody, then Dargomyzhsky followed every word of the text, embodying his leading creative principle: “I want the sound to directly express the word. I want the truth." Therefore, along with the song-aria features in his vocal melodies, the role of speech intonations, which often become declamatory, is so important.
The piano part in Dargomyzhsky's romances is always subordinated common task- consistent embodiment of words in music; therefore, it often contains elements of figurativeness and picturesqueness, it emphasizes the psychological expressiveness of the text and is distinguished by bright harmonic means.
“Sixteen years” (words by A. Delvig). Glinka's influence was strongly evident in this early lyrical romance. Dargomyzhsky creates a musical portrait of a lovely, graceful girl, using the graceful and flexible rhythm of the waltz. A brief piano introduction and conclusion frame the romance and build on the opening motif of the vocal melody with its expressive ascending sixth. The vocal part is dominated by the cantilena, although recitative intonations are clearly audible in some phrases.
The romance is constructed in three-part form. The light and joyful outer sections (C major) are clearly contrasted by the middle with a change of mode (A minor), with a more dynamic vocal melody and an excited climax at the end of the section. The role of the piano part is to provide harmonic support to the melody, and in texture it is a traditional romance accompaniment.
The romance “I'm Sad” (words by M. Lermontov) belongs to a new type of romance-monologue. The hero’s reflection expresses concern for the fate of his beloved woman, who is destined to experience “the insidious persecution of rumors” from a hypocritical and heartless society, and to pay “with tears and melancholy” for short-lived happiness. Romance is built on the development of one image, one feeling. Both the one-part form of the work - a period with a reprise addition, and the vocal part, based on expressive melodious recitation, are subordinated to the artistic task. The intonation at the beginning of the romance is already expressive: after the ascending second there is a descending motive with its tense and mournful sounding diminished fifth.
Great importance in the melody of the romance, especially its second sentence, it acquires frequent pauses, leaps at wide intervals, excited intonations and exclamations: such, for example, is the climax at the end of the second sentence (“with tears and melancholy”), emphasized by a bright harmonic means - a deviation into tonality II low degree (D minor - E-flat major). The piano part, based on soft chord figuration, combines a vocal melody rich in caesuras (Caesura is the moment of division of musical speech. Signs of caesura: pauses, rhythmic stops, melodic and rhythmic repetitions, changes in register, etc.) and creates a concentrated psychological background, a feeling of spiritual self-absorption.
In the dramatic song “The Old Corporal” (words by P. Beranger translated by V. Kurochkin), the composer develops the genre of monologue: this is already a dramatic monologue-scene, a kind of musical drama, the main character of which is an old Napoleonic soldier who dared to respond to the insult of a young officer and condemned to death for it. The theme of the “little man” that worried Dargomyzhsky is revealed here with extraordinary psychological authenticity; the music paints a living, truthful image, full of nobility and human dignity.
The song is written in a varied verse form with a constant chorus; it is the harsh chorus with its clear march rhythm and persistent triplets in the vocal part that becomes the leading theme of the work, main characteristic hero, his mental fortitude and courage.
Each of the five verses reveals the image of the soldier in a different way, filling it with new features - sometimes angry and decisive (second verse), sometimes tender and heartfelt (third and fourth verses).
The vocal part of the song is in a recitative style; her flexible declamation follows every intonation of the text, achieving complete fusion with the word. The piano accompaniment is subordinate to the vocal part and, with its strict and spare chord texture, emphasizes its expressiveness with the help of a dotted rhythm, accents, dynamics, and bright harmonies. A diminished seventh chord in the piano part - a volley of gunfire - ends the life of the old corporal.
Like a mournful afterword, the theme of the chorus sounds in E, as if saying goodbye to the hero. The satirical song “Titular Advisor” was written to the words of the poet P. Weinberg, who actively worked in Iskra. In this miniature, Dargomyzhsky develops Gogol’s line in musical creativity. Talking about the unsuccessful love of a modest official for a general’s daughter, the composer paints a musical portrait akin to literary images of the “humiliated and insulted.”
The characters receive accurate and laconic characteristics already in the first part of the work (the song is written in two-part form): the poor timid official is depicted with careful second intonations of the piano, and the arrogant and domineering general’s daughter is depicted with decisive fourth forte moves. Chord accompaniment emphasizes these “portraits”.
In the second part, describing the development of events after an unsuccessful explanation, Dargomyzhsky uses simple but very precise means of expression: 2/4 time signature (instead of 6/8) and staccato piano depict the erratic dancing gait of the reveling hero, and the ascending, slightly hysterical jump to the seventh in The melody (“and drank all night”) emphasizes the bitter climax of this story.
25. Creative appearance of Dargomyzhsky:
Dargomyzhsky, a younger contemporary and friend of Glinka, continued the work of creating Russian classical music. At the same time, his work belongs to another stage in the development of national art. If Glinka expressed the range of images and moods of Pushkin’s era, then Dargomyzhsky finds his own way: his mature works are consonant with the realism of many works by Gogol, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky, Ostrovsky, and the artist Pavel Fedotov.
The desire to convey life in all its diversity, interest in the personality of the “little” person and the topic of social inequality, accuracy and expressiveness of psychological characteristics, in which Dargomyzhsky’s talent as a musical portraitist is especially clearly revealed - these are the distinctive features of his talent.
Dargomyzhsky was by nature a vocal composer. The main genres of his work were opera and chamber vocal music. Dargomyzhsky's innovation, his searches and achievements were continued in the works of the next generation of Russian composers - members of the Balakirev circle and Tchaikovsky.
Biography
Childhood and youth. Dargomyzhsky was born on February 2, 1813 on his parents’ estate in the Tula province. A few years later, the family moved to St. Petersburg, and from that moment on, most of the life of the future composer took place in the capital. Dargomyzhsky's father served as an official, and his mother, a creatively gifted woman, was famous as an amateur poetess. Parents sought to give their six children a broad and varied education, in which literature, foreign languages, and music occupied the main place. From the age of six, Sasha began to be taught to play the piano, and then the violin; later he also took up singing. The young man completed his piano education with one of the best teachers in the capital, the Austrian pianist and composer F. Schoberlechner. Having become an excellent virtuoso and having a good command of the violin, he often took part in amateur concerts and quartet evenings in St. Petersburg salons. At the same time, from the late 1820s, Dargomyzhsky’s bureaucratic service began: for about a decade and a half he held positions in various departments and retired with the rank of titular councilor.
The first attempts to compose music date back to the age of eleven: these were various rondos, variations and romances. Over the years, the young man shows more and more interest in composition; Schoberlechner provided him with considerable assistance in mastering the techniques of compositional technique. “In the eighteenth and nineteenth years of my age,” the composer later recalled in his autobiography, “a lot was written, of course not without errors, many brilliant works for piano and violin, two quartets, cantatas and many romances; some of these works were published at the same time...” But, despite his success with the public, Dargomyzhsky still remained an amateur; The transformation of an amateur into a real professional composer began from the moment he met Glinka.
The first period of creativity. The meeting with Glinka took place in 1834 and determined the whole future fate Dargomyzhsky. Glinka was then working on the opera “Ivan Susanin,” and the seriousness of his artistic interests and professional skill made Dargomyzhsky for the first time truly think about the meaning of composer’s creativity. Music playing in the salons was abandoned, and he began to fill the gaps in his musical theoretical knowledge by studying notebooks with recordings of Siegfried Dehn's lectures, which Glinka gave him.
Acquaintance with Glinka soon turned into real friendship. “The same education, the same love for art immediately brought us closer together, but we soon became friends and sincerely became friends, despite the fact that Glinka was ten years older than me. For 22 years in a row, we were constantly on the shortest, most friendly terms with him,” the composer later recalled.
In addition to in-depth studies, Dargomyzhsky, from the mid-1830s, visited the literary and musical salons of V. F. Odoevsky, M. Yu. Vielgorsky, S. N. Karamzina (Sofya Nikolaevna Karamzina is the daughter of Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, a famous historian and writer, author of a multi-volume “ History of the Russian State"), where he meets with Zhukovsky, Vyazemsky, Kukolnik, Lermontov. The atmosphere of artistic creativity that reigned there, conversations and debates about the development of national art and the current state of Russian society shaped the aesthetic and social views of the young composer.
Following the example of Glinka, Dargomyzhsky conceived the idea of composing an opera, but in choosing the plot he showed independent artistic interests. The love of French literature brought up from childhood, his passion for the French romantic operas of Meyerbeer and Aubert, the desire to create “something truly dramatic” - all this decided the composer’s choice of the popular novel “Notre Dame de Paris” by Victor Hugo. The opera Esmeralda was completed in 1839 and presented for production to the Directorate of Imperial Theaters. However, its premiere took place only in 1848: “...These eight years of vain waiting,” Dargomyzhsky wrote, “and in the most ebullient years of my life, laid a heavy burden on my entire artistic activity.”
While waiting for the production of Esmeralda, romances and songs became the only means of communication between the composer and the audience. It is in them that Dargomyzhsky quickly reaches the pinnacle of creativity; like Glinka, he does a lot of vocal pedagogy. Musical evenings are held in his house on Thursdays, attended by numerous singers, singing lovers, and sometimes Glinka, accompanied by his friend Puppeteer. At these evenings, as a rule, Russian music was performed, and above all the works of Glinka and the owner himself.
In the late 30s and early 40s, Dargomyzhsky created many chamber vocal works. Among them are such romances as “I Loved You”, “Young Man and Maiden”, “Night Marshmallow”, “Tear” (to the words of Pushkin), “Wedding” (to the words of A. Timofeev), and some others are distinguished by subtle psychologism, searching for new forms and means of expression. His passion for Pushkin’s poetry led the composer to create the cantata “The Triumph of Bacchus” for soloists, choir and orchestra, which was later reworked into an opera-ballet and became the first example of this genre in the history of Russian art.
An important event in Dargomyzhsky’s life was his first trip abroad in 1844-1845. He went on a trip to Europe, with Paris as his main destination. Dargomyzhsky, like Glinka, was fascinated and captivated by the beauty of the French capital, the richness and diversity of its cultural life. He meets with composers Meyerbeer, Halévy, Aubert, violinist Charles Beriot and other musicians, and attends opera and dramatic performances, concerts, vaudevilles, and trials with equal interest. From Dargomyzhsky's letters one can determine how his artistic views and tastes are changing; he begins to put depth of content and fidelity to life's truth in first place. And, as had previously happened with Glinka, traveling around Europe intensified the composer’s patriotic feelings and the need to “write in Russian.”
Mature period of creativity. In the second half of the 1840s, serious changes took place in Russian art. They were associated with the development of advanced social consciousness in Russia, with increased interest in people's life, with the desire for a realistic reflection of the everyday life of ordinary people and the social conflict between the world of rich and poor. Appears new hero- a “little” man, and the description of the fate and life drama of a minor official, peasant, artisan becomes the main theme of the works of modern writers. Many of Dargomyzhsky’s mature works are devoted to the same topic. In them he sought to enhance the psychological expressiveness of music. His creative search led him to the creation of a method of intonation realism in vocal genres, which truthfully and accurately reflects the inner life of the hero of the work.
In 1845-1855, the composer worked intermittently on the opera “Rusalka” based on Pushkin’s unfinished drama of the same name. Dargomyzhsky himself composed the libretto; he carefully approached Pushkin's text, preserving as much as possible the majority of the poems. He was attracted tragic fate a peasant girl and her unfortunate father, who lost his mind after his daughter’s suicide. This plot embodies the theme of social inequality that constantly interested the composer: the daughter of a simple miller cannot become the wife of a noble prince. This theme made it possible for the author to reveal the deep emotional experiences of the characters and create a real lyrical musical drama, full of life’s truth.
At the same time, the deeply truthful psychological characteristics of Natasha and her father are wonderfully combined in the opera with colorful folk choral scenes, where the composer masterfully implemented the intonations of peasant and urban songs and romances.
Distinctive feature The opera featured its recitatives, reflecting the composer’s desire for declamatory melodies, which had previously manifested itself in his romances. In "Rusalka" Dargomyzhsky creates the new kind operatic recitative, which follows the intonation of the word and sensitively reproduces the “music” of living Russian colloquial speech.
“Rusalka” became the first Russian classical opera in the realistic genre of psychological everyday musical drama, paving the way for the lyrical-dramatic operas of Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky. The opera premiered on May 4, 1856 in St. Petersburg. The management of the imperial theaters treated her unkindly, which was reflected in the careless production (old, poor costumes and scenery, reduction of individual scenes). The capital's high society, infatuated with Italian opera music, showed complete indifference to “Rusalka.” Nevertheless, the opera was a success with democratic audiences. The performance of Melnik's part by the great Russian bass Osip Petrov made an unforgettable impression. Progressive music critics Serov and Cui warmly welcomed the birth of a new Russian opera. However, it was rarely performed on stage and soon disappeared from the repertoire, which could not but cause difficult experiences for the author.
While working on Rusalka, Dargomyzhsky wrote many romances. He is increasingly attracted to the poetry of Lermontov, whose poems are used to create the heartfelt monologues “I’m sad,” “Both boring and sad.” He discovers new sides to Pushkin’s poetry and composes an excellent comedy-everyday sketch “The Miller”.
Late period creativity of Dargomyzhsky (1855-1869) is characterized by an expansion of the range of the composer’s creative interests, as well as the intensification of his musical and social activities. At the end of the 50s, Dargomyzhsky began to collaborate in the satirical magazine “Iskra”, where morals and customs were ridiculed in cartoons, feuilletons, and poems modern society, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Herzen, Nekrasov, Dobrolyubov were published. The magazine's leaders were the talented cartoonist N. Stepanov and the poet-translator V. Kurochkin. During these years, based on poems and translations of Iskra poets, the composer composed the dramatic song “Old Corporal” and the satirical songs “The Worm” and “Titular Advisor.”
Dargomyzhsky's acquaintance with Balakirev, Cui, and Mussorgsky dates back to this time, which a little later would turn into close friendship. These young composers, together with Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin, will go down in music history as members of the “Mighty Handful” circle and subsequently enrich their work with Dargomyzhsky’s achievements in various areas of musical expression.
The composer's social activity was manifested in his work on organizing the Russian Musical Society (RMS - concert organization, created in 1859 by A. G. Rubinstein. She set herself the tasks of musical education in Russia, expanding concert and musical theater activities, organizing musical educational institutions). In 1867 he became chairman of its St. Petersburg branch. He also takes part in the development of the charter of the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
In the 60s, Dargomyzhsky created several symphonic plays: “Baba Yaga”, “Cossack”, “Chukhon Fantasy”. These “characteristic fantasies for orchestra” (as defined by the author) are based on folk melodies and continue the traditions of Glinka’s “Kamarinskaya”.
From November 1864 to May 1865, a new trip abroad took place. The composer visited a number of European cities - Warsaw, Leipzig, Brussels, Paris, London. A concert of his works took place in Brussels, which was a great success with the public, received sympathetic responses in the newspapers and brought a lot of joy to the author.
Soon after returning home, the revival of “Rusalka” took place in St. Petersburg. The triumphant success of the production and its wide public recognition contributed to a new emotional and creative upsurge of the composer. He begins work on the opera “The Stone Guest” based on Pushkin’s “little tragedy” of the same name and sets himself an incredibly difficult and bold task: to preserve Pushkin’s text unchanged and build the work on the musical embodiment of the intonations of human speech. Dargomyzhsky abandons the usual operatic forms (arias, ensembles, choirs) and makes the basis of the work recitative, which is both the main means of characterizing the characters and the basis for the end-to-end (continuous) musical development of the opera (Some principles of operatic dramaturgy of The Stone Guest, the first Russian chamber operas, found their continuation in the works of Mussorgsky (The Marriage), Rimsky-Korsakov (Mozart and Salieri), Rachmaninoff (The Miserly Knight))
At musical evenings in the composer's house, scenes from the almost finished opera were repeatedly performed and discussed in a friendly circle. Her most enthusiastic fans were the composers " Mighty bunch"and music critic V.V. Stasov, who became especially close to Dargomyzhsky in the last years of his life. But “The Stone Guest” turned out to be the composer’s “swan song” - he did not have time to finish the opera. Dargomyzhsky died on January 5, 1869 and was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, not far from Glinka’s grave. According to the composer’s will, the opera “The Stone Guest” was completed according to the author’s sketches by Ts. A. Cui, and orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov. Thanks to the efforts of friends in 1872, three years after the composer's death, he the last opera was staged on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
In the third century BC there lived and lived the famous Greek thinker, doctor and naturalist Hippocrates. And he once said, “Life is short, art is eternal.” And everyone realized that it was true. And this one lives great aphorism for more than twenty-two centuries.
Romance is one of the art forms that combines poetry and music. And in the art of romance, eternal creations are also created. Alyabyev’s “Nightingale”, I think, will be eternal. The romance “I loved you, love can still be…” will also be eternal. And many other wonderful romances.
I'll tell you a secret :-) that almost all (in fact, all without exception) well-known and not very well-known Russian composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries loved to compose romances, i.e. compose music for poetry they like, turning poetry into a vocal work.
Of the many composers of that time Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky(1813-1869), became a special phenomenon in the musical culture of Russian romance for several reasons:
– Firstly, because he paid most attention to the vocal genre. He wrote almost no other symphonic or instrumental works. The opera “Rusalka” is also a vocal work.
– Secondly, because for the first time he set himself the special goal of expressing the content of a word in music (later it will become much clearer what is meant here)
– Thirdly, because, among his other creations, he created a new genre of romance, which did not exist before him. This will also be discussed.
– Fourthly, because he had a very strong influence on subsequent generations of Russian composers with the expressiveness and novelty of the music of his romances.
Composer and professor at the Moscow State Conservatory Vladimir Tarnopolsky wrote: “If there had not been Dargomyzhsky, there would have been no Mussorgsky, there would have been no Shostakovich as we recognize him today. The origin and first shoots of the style of these composers are associated with Dargomyzhsky.”
In 2013, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Dargomyzhsky was celebrated. There was the following message about this:
“On February 11 [Dargomyzhsky was born on February 14], in the Mirror Foyer of the Moscow New Opera Theater, another chamber evening of theater artists took place, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the outstanding Russian composer, the creator of an original creative movement, characterized by an inextricable connection between deeply Russian music and the Russian word, the legendary master vocal-psychological sketch by Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky.”
In connection with the bicentenary of Dargomyzhsky, the Bank of Russia on January 9, 2013 issued a commemorative silver coin with a face value of 2 rubles from the “Outstanding Personalities of Russia” series.
I will not pay much attention to the composer’s biography, including childhood, studies, and so on. I will dwell only on the essential details of creativity.
One of the specific features of Dargomyzhsky as a composer is that he worked a lot with vocalists. Especially with singers. There is no subtext here. He wrote in his autobiography: “...By constantly being in the company of singers and singers, I practically managed to study both the properties and bends of human voices, and the art of dramatic singing.”
Solomon Volkov, in one of the sections of his extensive and multifaceted book “The History of Culture of St. Petersburg,” wrote, among other things:
“The rich landowner Dargomyzhsky had long been gathering admirers of his work, mainly young and pretty amateur singers. With them, a small, mustachioed, cat-like Dargomyzhsky ... sat for hours at a piano illuminated by two stearine candles, accompanying his refined and expressive romances to his lovely students, singing along with them with pleasure in his strange, almost contralto voice. This is how the popular cycle of Dargomyzhsky’s elegant, original and melodically rich vocal ensembles “Petersburg Serenades” sounded. After the success of Dargomyzhsky’s opera “Rusalaka,” aspiring composers began to visit him more and more often. Among them... Mily Balakirev,... Caesar Cui. …. Modest Mussorgsky soon joined them. ... In the company of these young geniuses, Dargomyzhsky literally blossomed, his romances became more and more poignant and bold.”
The famous musicologist and music writer of the past Sergei Aleksandrovich Bazunov in the book “Alexander Dargomyzhsky. His life and musical activity” noted:
“In addition to the creative works to which the composer devoted his energies, during the era described, he put a lot of work into ... musical and pedagogical activities. As the author of a recently staged opera, as well as numerous romances and other works of vocal music, he constantly had to move among singers, singers and amateur amateurs. At the same time, of course, he managed to very thoroughly study all the properties and characteristics of the human voice, as well as the art of dramatic singing in general, and gradually became a desired teacher of all the outstanding singing lovers of St. Petersburg society. ..."
Dargomyzhsky himself wrote:“I can safely say that there was almost not a single famous and wonderful lover of singing in St. Petersburg society who would not have used my lessons or at least my advice...” He once said half-jokingly “If there were no female singers in the world, I would never have been a composer”. By the way, Dargomyzhsky gave his numerous lessons for free.
Dargomyzhsky was inspired, of course, not only by female singers (although there is some truth in this), but first of all by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, whom Dargomyzhsky met in 1836. This acquaintance greatly influenced Dargomyzhsky’s development as a composer. About their first meeting Glinka M.I. he said with a bit of humor:
“My friend, a huge captain, a lover of music, once brought me a little man in a blue frock coat and a red vest, who spoke in a squeaky soprano. When he sat down at the piano, it turned out that this little man was a very lively piano player, and later a very talented composer - Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky.
Glinka and Dargomyzhsky became close friends. Glinka convinced Dargomyzhsky to take music theory seriously. For this purpose, he gave Dargomyzhsky 5 notebooks containing recordings of lectures by the famous German theorist Z. Dehn, whom he himself listened to.
“The same education, the same love for art immediately brought us closer together, Dargomyzhsky later recalled. – For 22 years in a row, we were constantly on the shortest, most friendly terms with him.”. This close friendship lasted until Glinka's death. Dargomyzhsky attended Glinka’s modest funeral.
After Glinka, Dargomyzhsky's vocal works became a new step forward in the development of Russian vocal music. The work of Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin was particularly influenced by Dargomyzhsky’s new operatic techniques, in which he put into practice the thesis he expressed in a letter to one of his students: “I don’t intend to reduce…music to fun. I want the sound to directly express the word; I want the truth.”
Mussorgsky wrote a dedication to Dargomyzhsky on one of his vocal compositions: “To the great teacher of musical truth.” Before Dargomyzhsky, vocal works were dominated by the cantilena - wide, freely flowing melodious music. Quote:
“Rejecting the solid cantilena, Dargomyzhsky also rejected the ordinary, so-called “dry” recitative, little expressive and devoid of purely musical beauty. He created a vocal style that lies between cantilena and recitative, a special melodic or melodic recitative, elastic enough to be in constant accordance with speech, and at the same time rich in characteristic melodic bends, spiritualizing this speech, bringing into it a new, missing emotional element. Dargomyzhsky’s merit lies in this vocal style, which fully corresponds to the peculiarities of the Russian language.”
A graduate of the Novosibirsk Conservatory, singer, teacher and writer Vera Pavlova wrote:“Singing the romances of A.S. Dargomyzhsky is a great creative pleasure: they are full of subtle lyricism, vivid emotional expression, melodious, varied, and beautiful. Fulfilling them requires a lot of creative energy.”
In his desire for maximum expressiveness of the romance music, for its maximum correspondence to the text and mood, with all their changes, the composer even made notes in the notes above individual words for the vocalists, such as: “sighing”, “very modestly”, “squinting his eye ", "smiling", "stammering", "with full respect" and the like.
According to the famous music critic V.V. Stasov's romances by Dargomyzhsky, which appeared in the late 50s and early 60s, marked the beginning of a new kind of music. He wrote that these romances express reality, everyday life, with such depth, “with such unvarnished truthfulness and humor... which music has never tried before.”
In our topic today, I included three categories of romances by Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky:
– The first includes love and lyrical romances of the classical direction. You are most likely familiar with many of them, such as: “I don’t care”, “Don’t ask why”, “You were born to set fire”, “Young Man and Maiden”, “Legs” - all of the above based on the words of Pushkin. Dargomyzhsky’s well-known romances with words by Lermontov include “Both Bored and Sad,” “I’m Sad because You’re Having Fun,” several romances with words by Zhadovskaya and many others.
– The second category includes a group of romances created by Dargomyzhsky in the spirit folk song. Many of them are also related to the theme of love.
– The third category includes romances of a direction that did not exist before Dargomyzhsky and in which he is considered a recognized innovator. These are humorous, satirical and socially oriented vocal works. They are well known and popular.
Although the focus of today’s topic is Dargomyzhsky’s romances, I, as always, will pay some attention to poetry authors and performers.
Let's start with the first category. Specifically, from a romance to the words of Yulia Zhadovskaya "Enchant me, enchant me."
Enchant me, enchant me
With what secret joy
I always listen to you!
There is no need for better bliss,
I wish I could listen to you!
And how many holy, beautiful feelings
Your voice woke me up in my heart!
And how many high, clear thoughts
Your wonderful gaze gave birth to me!
Like a pure kiss of friendship,
Like a faint echo of heaven,
Your holy speech sounds to me.
ABOUT! speak, Oh! say more!
Charm me! Charm!
Yulia Valerianovna Zhadovskaya, Russian writer and poet lived from 1824 to 1883. Originally from the Yaroslavl province. She was born without a left hand and only three fingers on her right. Dad was a major provincial official from an old noble family, a retired naval officer, a tyrant and a family despot. This despot father drove her mother into the grave early and Yulia was raised first by her grandmother, and then by her aunt, an educated woman who loved literature very much, the owner of a literary salon, who was in poetic correspondence with Pushkin and published articles and poems in publications in the twenties of the 19th century.
When Yulia entered a boarding school in Kostroma, her success in Russian literature attracted the special attention of the young teacher who taught this subject. (later a famous writer and professor at the Alexander Lyceum). And as sometimes happens, the young teacher and his student fell in love with each other. But the despot-tyrant dad did not want to hear about the marriage of a noble daughter with a former seminarian. Julia had to submit, she broke up with her loved one, and remaining with her father, she found herself in rather severe domestic bondage. However, dad, having learned about his daughter’s poetic experiments, took her to Moscow and then to St. Petersburg to give her talent a boost.
In Moscow, the magazine “Moskovityanin” published several poems. She met many famous writers and poets, including Turgenev and Vyazemsky. In 1846 she published a collection of poetry. She also wrote prose. Belinsky spoke very reservedly about Zhadovskaya’s first collection. The second collection was received much better by critics. Dobrolyubov noted in Zhadovskaya’s poems “the sincerity, complete sincerity of feeling and the calm simplicity of its expression.” In his review of the second collection, he considered it “among the best phenomena of our poetic literature of recent times.”
Julia once remarked: “I don’t write poetry, but I throw it out on paper, because these images, these thoughts do not give me peace, they haunt and torment me until I get rid of them, transferring them to paper.”
At the age of 38, Yulia Zhadovskaya married doctor K.B. Seven. Dr. Seven, a Russified German, was an old friend of the Zhadovsky family, significantly older than her, a widower with five children who needed to be raised and educated.
In the last years of her life, Yulia’s vision deteriorated significantly and she was tormented by severe headaches. She wrote almost nothing, only made diary entries. After the death of Yulia, the complete collection of Zhadovskaya’s works in four volumes was published by her brother, also a writer, Pavel Zhadovsky. Quite a lot of romances were created based on the poems of Yulia Zhadovskaya by Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, Varlamov and other composers.
The romance “Enchant me, enchant”, created by Zhadovskaya and Dargomyzhsky, is sung for us by the People’s Artist of the USSR, the famous and honored 26-year-old veteran of the Bolshoi Theater Pogos Karapetovich, I apologize, Pavel Gerasimovich Lisitsian, gone to better world in 2004 at the age of 92. All four of his children have good genes. Their mother, sister Zara Dolukhanova, also probably had vocal genes :-). Lisitsian's daughters Ruzanna and Karina are singers and Honored Artists of Russia, son Ruben is also a singer and also an Honored Artist, son Gerasim is a theater and film actor.
Let's move on to a series of romances in the spirit of folk songs.
Without your mind, without your mind
I was married off
Golden age of girlhood
They cut me down by force.
Is that what youth is for?
Observed, did not live,
Behind the glass from the sun
Beauty was cherished
May I be married forever
I grieved, I cried,
Without love, without joy
Were you sad and tormented?
Dear ones say:
“If you live, you fall in love;
And you will choose according to your heart -
Yes, it will be more bitter."
Well, having grown old,
Reason, advise
And with you youth
Compare without calculation!
This Alexey Vasilievich Koltsov(1809-1842), many songs and romances were created based on his words, he visited us. Let me just remind you that he was highly appreciated by many prominent poets and writers of that time, including Pushkin, there is even a painting “Rings at Pushkin”. Saltykov-Shchedrin called the main feature of Koltsov’s poetry "a burning sense of personality". He died of consumption at the age of 43.
Sings Sofya Petrovna Preobrazhenskaya(1904-1966) - a prominent Soviet mezzo-soprano, People's Artist of the USSR, two Stalin Prizes. Thirty years at the Kirov Theater. Quote:
“Her voice - strong, deep and somewhat sad - gives Russian romances a unique charm, and in the theater from the stage it sounds powerful and dramatic. A representative of the Leningrad vocal school, this singer belongs to those artists who know how to make the listener cry over the bitter fate of an abandoned girl, and laugh at an inept fortune-telling, and take revenge on an arrogant rival..."
09 Bez uma, bez razuma -Preobrazhenskaya S
* * *
Dargomyzhsky's next romance is based on folk words. There is a commentary for the notes: “The words of the song apparently belong to Dargomyzhsky himself and are an imitation folk poetry» . A typical picture of Russian life in those days and, it seems, at all times :-).
How the husband came from under the hills,
How the husband came from under the hills
Tipsy and tipsy,
Tipsy and tipsy,
And how he began to play tricks,
And how he began to play tricks,
Breaking the bench
Breaking the bench.
And his wife pestered him,
And his wife teased him:
"It's time for you to sleep,
It's time for you to go to sleep."
I hit you by the hair,
I hit you by the hair,
“We need to fuck you,
I need to fuck you."
It’s no wonder that my wife beat me,
It’s no wonder that my wife beat me,
It’s a miracle - the husband cried,
It’s a miracle - my husband was crying.
Sings talented in many ways Mikhail Mikhailovich Kizin(1968), People's Artist of Russia, Candidate of Art History, without a few minutes Doctor of Science, Professor of the Department academic singing and opera training. Just recently he sang the romance “Both Bored and Sad” by Lermontov and Gurilev. He actively collaborated with Elena Obraztsova and Lyudmila Zykina.
10 Kak prishyol muzh -Kizin M
* * *
Don't judge kind people,
Untalented little head;
Don't scold me, well done
For my sadness, my sadness.
You don’t understand, good people,
My evil melancholy, sadness:
It was not love that ruined the young man,
Not separation, not human slander.
The heart aches, aches day and night,
Searching, waiting for what - without knowing;
So everything would melt away in tears,
So everything would have ended in tears.
Where are you, where are you, wild days,
Bygone days, red spring?..
I won’t see you again, young man,
He can't live up to the past!
Make way, you damp earth,
Dissolve, my plank coffin!
Shelter me on a stormy day
Calm my weary spirit!
Author of words - Alexey Vasilievich Timofeev(1812-1883), a graduate of the moral and political department of Kazan University, a poet of average merit, but with the following characteristics:“... Timofeev’s songs in folk spirit stood out for their integrity, spontaneity and sincerity. Set to music by the best composers, they became a national treasure.”
In 1837 (in honor of the centenary before my birthday :-)), Alexey Timofeev published a collected works in three volumes. Dargomyzhsky has three known romances based on the words of Timofeev. Sings Andrey Ivanov, he already sang with us today.
11 Ne sudite, lyudi dobrye -Ivanov An
* * *
Give me migratory wings,
Give me freedom... sweet freedom!
I'll fly to a foreign country
I'll sneak to my dear friend!
The tedious path does not frighten me,
I will rush to him, wherever he is.
With the instinct of my heart I will reach him
And I will find him, no matter where he hides!
I will plunge into the water, I will throw myself into the flames!
I will overcome everything to see him,
I’ll rest with him from the evil torment,
My soul will blossom from his love!..
And this is a poetess, translator, playwright and prose writer Evdokia Petrovna RostopchinA(1811-1858), nee Sushkova, cousin Ekaterina Sushkova, whom, as you remember, Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov was very keen on.
Evdokia Sushkova published her first poem at the age of 20. At twenty-two years old, she married the young and wealthy Count Andrei Fedorovich Rostopchin. Quote:
“By her own admission, Rostopchina was, however, very unhappy with her rude and cynical husband and began to look for entertainment in the world, was surrounded by a crowd of admirers, whom she treated far from cruelly. A scattered social life, interrupted by frequent and lengthy travels throughout Russia and abroad, did not prevent Rostopchina from enthusiastically indulging in literary pursuits.”
In her literary work she was supported by such poets as Lermontov, Pushkin, Zhukovsky. Ogarev, Mei and Tyutchev dedicated their poems to her. Guests of her literary salon were Zhukovsky, Vyazemsky, Gogol, Myatlev, Pletnev, V.F. OdOevsky and others.
Another quote:
“Countess Rostopchina was known as much for her beauty as for her intelligence and poetic talent. According to contemporaries, she was short, gracefully built, and had irregular, but expressive and beautiful facial features. Large, dark and extremely myopic, her eyes “burned with fire.” Her speech, passionate and captivating, flowed quickly and smoothly. In the world, she was the subject of much gossip and slander, to which her social life often gave rise to. At the same time, being of extraordinary kindness, she helped the poor a lot and gave everything she received from her writings to Prince OdOevsky for the charitable society he founded.”
Evdokia RostopchinA has published several collections of poems. She lived only 47 years. One of his famous contemporaries wrote in his diary:“Countess RostopchinA, young, died in Moscow from stomach cancer: she became famous for her poetic works and your frivolous life."
Three children from my husband. Evil tongues claim that she had two daughters from an extramarital affair with Andrei Nikolaevich Karamzin. (Andrei Karamzin was a hussar colonel and the son of the famous Russian historian Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, who wrote “The History of the Russian State.”) Plus an illegitimate son from Peter Albinsky, the Warsaw governor-general. I can’t imagine how this talented woman managed to do everything :-).
Mezzo-soprano sings Marina Filippova, about which very little is known. Born in Leningrad in an unknown year. She graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory and trained at the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. Performing since 1976 In 1980-1993 was a soloist in an early music ensemble. For a number of years she was the host of a St. Petersburg radio program dedicated to early music. Performs in Russia and abroad with leading orchestras and ensembles. Released 6 CDs with the following programs:
Dedicated to Her Majesty. (Music written for Russian empresses in the period 1725-1805)
J.-B. Cardon. Works for voice and harp.
A. Pushkin in the music of his contemporaries.
A. Dargomyzhsky. `Love and life of a woman.`
M. Glinka. Italian songs. Seven vocalises.
P. Tchaikovsky. 16 songs for children.
12 Dajte kryl’ya mne -Filippova M
* * *
Dargomyzhsky's next romance has a folk-humorous character. It's called "Fever". Folk words.
Fever
Is it my head, you are my little head,
My head, you are wild!
Oh liu-li, liu-li, you are wild!
Father gave him away as a disreputable man,
For the disliked, for the jealous.
Oh lyu-li, lyu-li, for the jealous!
He lies, lies in his bed,
He is shaken and shaken by fever,
Oh liu-li, liu-li, fever!
Oh you, mother fever
Give your husband a good shake
Oh lyu-li, lyu-li, good!
Shake it more painfully to be kinder
Knead your bones so that you can visit,
Oh, lyu-li, lyu-li, so that he can let you visit!
Sings Veronica Ivanovna Borisenko(1918-1995), from a remote Belarusian village, studied at the Minsk and Sverdlovsk conservatories. People's Artist of Russia, winner of the Stalin Prize, sang at the Bolshoi Theater for 31 years.
Tamara Sinyavskaya wrote about her:
“It was a voice that you could hold in the palm of your hand - so dense, very beautiful, soft, but at the same time elastic. The beauty of this voice is that it is sunny, despite the fact that it is a mezzo-soprano... Borisenko’s voice has everything... there: day and night, rain and sun...”
She was widely known and popular also as a chamber and pop performer. She recorded many romances, I have 60 of her recordings.
13 Lihoradushka -Borisenko V
* * *
We weren't married in a church,
Not in crowns, not with candles;
No hymns were sung to us,
No wedding ceremonies!
Midnight crowned us
In the midst of a gloomy forest;
Were witnesses
Foggy sky
Yes, dim stars;
Wedding songs
The wild wind sang
Yes, the raven is ominous;
They stood on guard
Cliffs and abysses,
The bed was made
Love and freedom!..
We didn't invite you to the party
No friends, no acquaintances;
Guests visited us
Of your own free will!
They raged all night
Thunderstorm and bad weather;
We feasted all night
Earth with heaven.
The guests were treated
Crimson clouds.
Forests and oak groves
Got drunk
Centennial oaks
They came down with a hangover;
The storm was having fun
Until late morning.
It wasn't our father-in-law who woke us up,
Not mother-in-law, not daughter-in-law,
Not an evil slave;
Morning woke us up!
The East is turning red
Shy blush;
The earth was resting
From a riotous feast;
Merry sun
Played with the dew;
The fields are discharged
In Sunday dress;
The forests began to rustle
With a heartfelt speech;
Nature is delighted
Sighing, she smiled...
Interesting poem, good poetry. Words again Alexey Timofeev. Vladimir Korolenko in the autobiographical “History of My Contemporary”, recalling the years of his youth - the 1870s-1880s. – writes that the romance was very popular then. It was popular before, especially among students.
Sings Georgy Mikhailovich Nelepp(1904-1957), you most likely remember this name. People's Artist of the USSR, three Stalin Prizes. A graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, he sang at the Kirov Theater for 15 years, at the Bolshoi Theater for 13 years, and did not live long. Buried at Novodevichy - a sign of prestige.
Quote:
“Nelepp is one of the largest Russian opera singers of its time. Possessing a beautiful, sonorous, soft timbre voice, Nelepp created psychologically deep, relief images. He had a bright personality as an actor.”
Galina Vishnevskaya highly appreciated the performing skills of Georgiy Nelepp. At the same time, in her autobiographical book “Galina” she told a rather unusual, although by the way even common for those times, case.
One day, at a rehearsal where Vishnevskaya was present, a poorly dressed woman appeared and asked to call Nelepp for an allegedly urgent matter. The imposing and famous Nelepp came: “Hello, did you want to see me?” Then the woman spat in his face with the words: “Here’s to you, you viper, for destroying my husband, for destroying my family! But I lived to spit in your face! Damn you!".
Nikandr Khanaev, the director of the acting group, allegedly told Vishnevskaya in his office after this: “Don’t worry, we won’t see anything like that again now. And Zhorka killed many in his time, while still working at the Leningrad Theater. What doesn't look like it? That’s just it, looking at him, such a thing would never even occur to anyone...”
The reliability of the facts and the circumstances that could lead to them are unknown. No one carried out checks. We were talking about the years when denunciations and slander to save one’s life and career were a common event.
14 Svad'ba -Njelepp G
* * *
The most famous Russian bass profundo, People's Artist of the USSR and Protodeacon of the Russian Orthodox Church Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov(1893-1971) will sing for us a half-joking, half-love, half-meaningful work with folk words and music by Dargomyzhsky - “Vanka-Tanka”. Mikhailov is helped by the tall one female voice, apparently from some folk ensemble.
Vanka-Tanka
Vanka lived in the village of Malom,
Vanka fell in love with Tanka.
Whoa, yeah, yeah, go-ha-go.
Vanka fell in love with Tanka.
Vanka is sitting with Tanka,
Tanka Vanke says:
“Vanka, dear falcon,
Sing a song to Tanka.”
Vanka takes the pipe,
Sings a song to Tanka.
Whoa, oh well, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Sings a song to Tanka.
Just everything! It’s not difficult to continue such a “meaningful” text :-). For example like this:
Vanka Tanka says:
“My stomach hurts.”
Whoa, oh well, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Could it be appendicitis? 🙂
Just kidding.
15 Van’ka Tan’ka -Mihajlov M
* * *
I'll light a candle
Vosku Yarov,
I'll solder the ring
Druga Milova.
Light up, light up
Fatal fire
Melt it down, melt it
Pure gold.
Without him - for me
You are unnecessary;
Without it on your hand -
Stone on the heart.
Every time I look, I sigh,
I'm sad,
And your eyes will flood
Bitter grief of tears.
Will he return?
Or news
Will it revive me?
Inconsolable?
There is no hope in the soul...
You'll fall apart
Golden tear
Memory is sweet!
Unharmed, black,
There's a ring on fire
And it rings on the table
Eternal memory.
Words by Alexey Koltsov. Marina Filippova sings, she just sang “Give me wings.”
16 Ya zateplyu svechu -Filippova M
* * *
Here's another poem Alexey Timofeev with music by Alexander Dargomyzhsky. This is already noticeably more serious. And with psychological overtones. About melancholy, which the poet called “an old woman.” About the fact that melancholy can kill.
Toska is an old woman.
I’ll twist my velvet cap on one side;
I will sound and play the ringing harp;
I'll run, I'll fly to red girls,
I'll walk in the morning until the night star,
I'm pushing from the star until midnight,
I’ll come running, I’ll fly with a song, with a whistle;
The melancholy will not recognize - the old woman!”
“Enough, enough for you to boast, prince!
I am wise, melancholy, you won’t be able to hide it:
I will wrap red girls in a dark forest,
IN coffin plaque- ringing harps,
I will tear, I will dry up the violent heart,
Before death I will drive you away from the light of God;
I’ll destroy you, old woman!”
“I will saddle a horse, a fast horse;
I'll fly, I'll rush like a light falcon
From melancholy, from a snake in a clean field;
I'll mark black curls over my shoulders,
I will kindle, I will kindle my clear eyes,
I’m tossing and turning, I’m rushing through like a whirlwind, like a blizzard;
Melancholy does not recognize - the old woman.
The bed is not made in a bright chamber, -
The black coffin stands there with good fellow,
A beautiful maiden sits at the head,
She cries bitterly because the stream is noisy,
She cries bitterly and says:
“My dear friend has been destroyed by melancholy!
You tormented him, old woman!”
Sings a good, but half-forgotten tenor Dmitry Fedorovich Tarkhov(1890-1966), originally from Penza. Dmitry Tarkhov was also a poet, translator and a bit of a composer. Honored Artist of Russia.
He studied at Moscow State University as a lawyer and at the Moscow Conservatory. Since the early 20s, he sang leading tenor roles both on the provincial stage and in Moscow theaters. In 1936–1958 he worked in the All-Union Radio Committee. It had its own opera group that staged radio operas. From 1948 to 1966 Tarkhov taught solo singing at the Institute. Gnesins. He wrote poems, but they were not published during his lifetime. Tarkhov's solo album, released in 1990, includes romances based on his own music and poetry. Translated librettos of several operas. He translated romances by Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn and others.
I will read you one of his poems as an example:
To the whisper of the blossoming buds, -
Their green dots chime, -
Along the street, among other passers-by,
A woman walked, looking like a dream.
Only in her alone were contained, it seemed,
The delights of cooing spring:
And strength, and flirtatious lethargy,
And thunderstorms, and the bliss of silence.
And everyone who met her eyes
I remembered all my beloved ones, -
Forgotten or created by dreams,
Incarnated in her, and becoming young for a moment.
And he walked past, already languishing with happiness, -
And it went out, whispering that everything around
Elusive and inexpressible,
Like a woman who suddenly came up with an idea.
17 Toska Baba staraya -Tarhov D
* * *
We move on to the third category of vocal works, in which Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky was an undoubted innovator.
I confess, uncle, the devil got me wrong!
At least be angry, at least don’t be angry;
I'm in love, how can I be!
At least climb into the noose now...
Not a beauty - God be with them!
What's the use of beauties?
Not a scientist - be damned
All the learned female world!
I fell in love, uncle, with a miracle,
Into your double, into another Self;
A mixture of pretense and simplicity,
With the safety of the blues,
In a mixture of intelligence and freethinking,
Indifference, fire,
Faith in the world, contempt for opinion, -
In a word, a mixture of good and evil!
So I would still listen to her,
So I would just sit with her,
Angel at heart, but like a demon
Both cunning and smart.
He says the word and it melts,
He starts singing, and he’s not himself,
Uncle, uncle, that's all the glory,
That all the honors, ranks;
What is wealth, nobility, service?
Delirium of fever, magnificent nonsense!
Me, her... and in this circle
My whole world, my heaven and hell.
Laugh at me, uncle,
Laugh all the intelligent world;
Even if I am an eccentric, I am satisfied;
I'm the happiest weirdo.
This again Alexey Timofeev. An unrhymed poem. Having “worked through” quite a large professional musicological analysis of this romance, I will allow myself a very abbreviated presentation of the main thoughts of this analysis. (Why shouldn’t I allow myself? :-))
So here's my paraphrase:
Among the vocal works written by A.S. Dargomyzhsky in the 1830s, a miniature leaves an unusual impression “I confess, uncle, the devil got me wrong”. Some researchers compare this composition with vaudeville couplets, others with a declaration of love, and still others with a humorous song and parody.
Turning to Timofeev’s poem, A.S. Dargomyzhsky did not touch the poetic text, although composers often allow themselves this to some extent. Composer using specific melodic and rhythmic strokes managed to convey the self-irony of the hero on whose behalf the presentation is being made.
In the genre of a friendly message, which is what this romance is, addressing the interlocutor immediately brings you up to date. Therefore, the composer practically abandoned the instrumental introduction. In each of the three verses, the extravagance of the text is emphasized witty musical techniques. They demonstrate a novel approach and combine very different elements. At the melodic endings of phrases, the composer uses motifs typical of lyrical romances, thereby creating a comic and parody effect. There is a clear sense of comedy and play in the romance.
The romance, written at the end of 1835 (the composer was only 22 years old), was dedicated to the talented, witty and noble relative of Dargomyzhsky, Pyotr Borisovich Kozlovsky. Having listened to the romance, he highly appreciated the skillfully stylized parody. The romance also aroused the approval of M.I. Glinka, who noticed the great talent and penchant for parody and caricature in the musical work of the novice composer.
I have chosen the performer for you Eduard Anatolyevich Khil(1934-2012). With him Soviet creativity you know each other well. Given his post-Soviet fate, perhaps not very well. Quote from Wikipedia, which(Wikipedia) sometimes includes gossip in its texts:
“During the collapse of the USSR, Gil, left without a livelihood, went to France, where he worked part-time at the Rasputin cafe for three years. Khil himself said that in the late 80s there was a lack of money. When Lenconcert collapsed, Khil began giving concerts in the provinces. However, artists were often deceived, and as a result, the artist simply had nothing to feed his family. He decided to go to Paris and earn a living. A familiar artist from the Maly Opera took Khil to the Rasputin cafe. The owner of “Rasputin” Elena Afanasyevna Martini asked the singer to perform the song “Evening Bells”, after which she asked the singer to stay. Martini allowed us to perform all the songs except the criminal ones. The artists in “Rasputin” did not receive much, but they could live on this money. Khil rented an apartment from emigrant friends at half price. I saved on everything. As he later admitted, it was difficult for him to live for a long time away from his loved ones, and in 1994 he decided to return to his homeland. The singer’s first CD (“Time for Love”) was also released there in Paris.”
After returning to Russia, Khil was more or less successful, and lived tolerably. In 2010, Khil’s video clip for A. Ostrovsky’s vocalization was popular on the Internet. Gil participated in concerts until his illness in April 2012, from which he never recovered. Stroke.
18 Kayus’, dyadya -Hil’ Je
* * *
Carries me into your arms
Passionate anxiety
And I want to tell you
Lots, lots, lots.
But my beloved heart
Sparing answers.
And my sheep looks
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
There is a bitter frost in my soul,
And there are roses on my cheeks
And in the eyes, just in case,
Tears, tears, tears.
Love humor mixed with light sarcasm. This Vasily Kurochkin, he was already there today. There is a successful poetic device here with the word being repeated three times in the fourth line of each stanza. Sings again Andrey Ivanov, he sang and recorded a lot of Dargomyzhsky.
19 Mhit menya -Ivanov An
* * *
Paladin (Vengeance)
Treason killed the paladin's servant:
The murderer was enviable for the rank of knight.
The murder took place at night -
And the corpse was swallowed up by the deep river.
And the killer put on spurs and armor
And in them he sat on the paladin’s horse.
And he hurries to gallop across the bridge on horseback,
But the horse reared up and snored.
He thrusts his spurs into the steep sides -
A mad horse threw its rider into the river.
He swims out with all his might,
But the heavy shell drowned him.
There is nothing like love romances here anymore. This is already a social and philosophical direction. This is already harsher sarcasm. The author of the words is deservedly famous Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky(1783-1852), an outstanding Russian poet, one of the founders of romanticism in Russian poetry, translator, critic. With a Turkish touch. His mother was a captured Turkish woman.Full member of the Imperial Russian Academy, Honorary Member Imperial Academy of Sciences, Ordinary Academician in the Department of Russian Language and Literature, Privy Councilor.
In September 1815, in St. Petersburg, Zhukovsky met with 16-year-old lyceum student A. Pushkin. On March 26, 1820, on the occasion of his completion of the poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” he presented Pushkin with his portrait with the inscription: “To the victorious student from the defeated teacher.” The friendship of the poets continued until the death of Pushkin in 1837.
Zhukovsky was very influential at court. He asked for Pushkin several times, ransomed the poet Shevchenko from the serfs, and thanks to Zhukovsky, Herzen was returned from exile. Under his influence, the fate of the Decembrists was softened, for whom hanging was replaced by exile to Siberia.
At least ten romances are known to the words of Vasily Zhukovsky, with music by Glinka, Rachmaninov, Alyabiev, Dargomyzhsky and others.
The famous and still living singer sings Alexander Filippovich Vedernikov(1927), 42 years old soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, since 2008 artistic director of the Russian Opera Theater in Moscow. Well, of course, People's Artist and a lot of other regalia.
20 Paladin -Vedernikov A
* * *
He was a titular councilor,
She is the general's daughter;
He timidly declared his love,
She sent him away.
I drove him away
The titular adviser went
And he drank out of grief all night,
And rushed around in a wine mist
Before him is the general's daughter.
General's daughter
The author of this poem, widely known thanks to Dargomyzhsky’s romance, is Pyotr Isaevich Weinberg(1831-1908), poet, translator and literary historian, was a very significant figure in Russian literary life second half of the 19th century.
Ethnic Jewish parents converted to Orthodoxy even before the birth of Peter. Weinberg published magazines and contributed to magazines. He was a professor of Russian literature in Warsaw. For many years he taught Russian and foreign literature at the Higher Women's Pedagogical Courses and Drama Courses at the Theater School, for five years he was an inspector at the Kolomna Women's Gymnasium, and later the director of the gymnasium and real school named after Ya.G. Gurevich. (Original, right? Imagine in our time in Russia a school named after Yakov Gurevich.)
He published prolifically and translated a lot. The translations were distinguished by their sonorous and beautiful verse, and their closeness to the originals. For his translation of Schiller's Mary Stuart he was awarded half Pushkin Prize. Several dozen of Weinberg's poems and translations became romances. There is a biographical element in the poem “He Was a Titular Councilor.” It reflected the poet’s unrequited love for the daughter of the Tambov governor.
A. Dargomyzhsky gave this very expressive romance a sharp characterization and a precise manner of depiction characters. There is a laconicism of form, a contrast of images (a humiliated official and a proud “mistress of his thoughts”), and a subtle transfer of details of the “action”. In the music we feel the imperious gesture of the general’s daughter, the unsteady gait of the “hero” due to intoxication and his slurred speech. This feature of A. Dargomyzhsky’s style makes his works very difficult to perform. On the one hand, it seems that the bright imagery of the music can be easily conveyed in performance, on the other hand, it is easy to turn romances of this kind into a caricature. It takes great talent to perform these romances brightly, but not vulgarly.
Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov will sing this masterpiece for you again. Listen to the changes in the character of the music and the expressiveness of the singer’s intonations. And to the accompaniment too. This was in fact A. Dargomyzhsky’s revolutionary approach to the music of vocal works.
22 Titulyarnyj sovetnik -Mihajlov M
* * *
Noble friend(Beranger/Kurochkin)
I am attached to my wife with all my soul;
I went out into the public... But why!
I owe the count's friendship to her,
Isn't it easy! The count himself!
Managing the affairs of the kingdom,
He comes to us like family.
What happiness! What an honor!
Compared to him,
With a face like that -
With His Excellency himself!
Last winter, for example.
A ball has been appointed for the minister;
The Count comes for his wife -
As a husband, I got there too.
There, squeezing my hand in front of everyone,
Called me my friend!..
What happiness! What an honor!
After all, I’m a worm compared to him!
Compared to him,
With a face like that -
With His Excellency himself!
The wife accidentally falls ill -
After all, he, my dear, is not himself:
With me in preference plays,
And at night he goes after the patient.
I arrived, all shining in the stars,
Congratulations on my angel...
What happiness! What an honor!
After all, I’m a worm compared to him!
Compared to him,
With a face like that -
With His Excellency himself!
And what a subtlety of address!
He arrives in the evening, sits...
“Why are you all at home... without moving?
You need air..." he says.
“The weather, Count, is very bad...”
- “Yes, we will give you a carriage!”
What a courtesy!
After all, I’m a worm compared to him!
Compared to him,
With a face like that -
With His Excellency himself!
He invited the boyar to his house;
Champagne flowed like a river...
The wife fell asleep in the ladies' bedroom...
I'm in the best men's room.
Falling asleep on a soft bed,
Under a brocade blanket,
I thought, basking: what an honor!
After all, I’m a worm compared to him!
Compared to him,
With a face like that -
With His Excellency himself!
He called himself to baptize without fail,
When God gave me a son,
And he smiled tenderly,
When I perceived the baby.
Now I will die, trusting,
That the godson will be recovered by him...
What happiness, and what an honor!
After all, I’m a worm compared to him!
Compared to him,
With a face like that -
With His Excellency himself!
And how sweet he is when he’s in good spirits!
After all, I'm having a glass of wine
Enough once: there are rumors...
What if, Count... my wife...
Count, I say, purchasing...
Working... I must be blind...
May such an honor blind you!
After all, I’m a worm compared to him!
Compared to him,
With a face like that -
With His Excellency himself!
This is a translation by Vasily Kurochkin from Beranger. Romances, as you know, are created by composers who choose the poetry they like to compose music for it. At the same time, they quite often slightly change the source poetic material, they can rearrange poetic stanzas, sometimes even replace individual words, sometimes reduce the number of stanzas of the original, and often give the romance a name different from the author’s title of the poem.
Beranger/Kurochkin's poem was called "Noble Friend." Alexander Dargomyzhsky called his romance “The Worm”. In addition, out of seven poetic stanzas (that is, couplets), Dargomyzhsky chose only three for his romance, but did not violate the author’s intention in any way.
Another famous Russian bass sings Alexander Stepanovich Pirogov(1899-1964). With all imaginable regalia. 21 years old soloist of the Bolshoi Theater.
23 Chervyak -Pirogov A
* * *
Miller
The miller returned at night...
“Wife! What kind of boots? –
“Oh, you drunkard, slacker!
Where do you see the boots?
Or is the evil one bothering you?
These are buckets." - “Buckets? Right?
I've been living for forty years now,
Neither in a dream nor in reality
Haven't seen it before
I'm on buckets of copper spurs."
Pushkin, Pushkin, Pushkin. A genius in all genres.
Sings another, without exaggeration, luminary of the Russian opera stage and a brilliant chamber and pop performer, the famous bass Arthur Arturovich Eisen(1927-2008). He sang at the Bolshoi Theater for more than forty years. A million awards and titles.
24 Mel'nik -Jejzen A
* * *
And finally, a masterpiece of masterpieces, the pinnacle of pinnacles, a merit of the merits of Alexander Dargomyzhsky, there is hardly more expressive music psychological vocal work.
Old Corporal. (Beranger/Kurochkin)
Keep up, guys, go
That's it, don't hang up your guns!
Receive the phone with me... lead me through
The last one is me on vacation.
I was a father to you guys...
The whole head is gray...
This is the service of a soldier!..
Keep up, guys! Once! Two!
Give it your all!
Don't whine, be equal!..
Once! Two! Once! Two!
I insulted the officer.
Still young to insult
Old soldiers. For example
They should shoot me.
I drank... My blood began to sparkle...
I hear bold words -
The emperor's shadow has risen...
Keep up, guys! Once! Two!
Give it your all!
Don't whine, be equal!..
Once! Two! Once! Two!
You, fellow countryman, hurry up
Return to our herds;
Our fields are greener,
It's easier to breathe... Take a bow
To the temples of the native village...
God! The old woman is alive!..
Don't say a word to her...
Keep up, guys! Once! Two!
Give it your all!
Don't whine, be equal!..
Once! Two! Once! Two!
Who is crying so loudly there?
Oh! I recognize her...
The Russian campaign is remembered...
I warmed up the whole family...
Snowy, difficult road
Carrying her son... The widow
He will beg God for peace...
Keep up, guys! Once! Two!
Give it your all!
Don't whine, be equal!..
Once! Two! Once! Two!
Is the tube burnt out?
No, I'll take another drag.
Close, guys. Get to work!
Away! do not blindfold.
Aim better! Don't bend!
Listen to word commands!
May God grant you to return home.
Keep up, guys! Once! Two!
Give your chest!..
Don't whine, be equal!..
Once! Two! Once! Two!
The music is surprisingly consistent with the text and changes with the text in different stanzas. Best Performer among many, many is considered Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin(1873-1938). You will hear it. Listen to the music, its intonations, and the performance skills.
25 Staryj kapral -Shalyapin F
* * *
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
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Vladimir - Jul 20th, 2014
Lesson #11. Romances and songs of Dargomyzhsky.
Target: To introduce students to the vocal works of Dargomyzhsky.
Tasks: To cultivate students' interest in the romances and songs of A. S. Dargomyzhsky. Organize the educational process of your work efficiently and achieve your goal at the lowest cost.
Equipment: textbook for middle classes of children's music school M. Shornikova, 3rd year of study.
Teaching methods and techniques: consolidate new material, assign homework.
During the classes.
- Organizing time.
- Homework survey:
1. What did M.P. call Dargomyzhsky? Mussorgsky?
2. Name the years of Dargomyzhsky’s life.
3. At what age did the future composer enter the service?
4. In what year did Dargomyzhsky’s meeting with Glinka take place? What role did she play in Dargomyzhsky’s life?
5. Name the composer’s first work in opera genre. When was it written?
6. List the genres that Dargomyzhsky addressed in his work.
7. Which opera by Dargomyzhsky laid the foundation for the genre of Russian psychological drama from folk life?
- Explanation of new material.
Dargomyzhsky's vocal heritage includes more than a hundred romances and songs, as well as great amount vocal ensembles. This genre, which the composer turned to throughout his life, has become a unique creative laboratory. It contained character traits the composer's style, his musical language.
Dargomyzhsky was greatly influenced by Glinka's vocal creativity. But nevertheless, the basis for the composer was the everyday urban music of his era. In his vocal works he relied on the intonations of the music of the urban lower classes. He turned to popular genres from the simple “Russian song” to the most complex ballads and fantasies.
At the beginning of his career, Dargomyzhsky wrote works in the spirit of everyday romance, using the intonations of folk songs. But already at this time works appeared that were among the composer’s best achievements.
Pushkin's poetry occupies a large place in the romances of this period, attracting the composer with the depth of its content and the beauty of its images. These poems spoke of sublime and at the same time such understandable and close feelings. Of course, Pushkin’s poetry left its mark on Dargomyzhsky’s style, making it more sublime and noble.
Among Pushkin's romances of this time, “Night Zephyr” stands out. Remember, Glinka also has a romance for this text. But if Glinka’s romance is a poetic picture in which the image of a young Spanish woman is static, Dargomyzhsky’s “Night Zephyr” is a real scene filled with action. Listening to it, one can imagine a picture of a night landscape, as if cut through by intermittent guitar chords, clearly defined images of a Spanish woman and her gentleman.
The features of Dargomyzhsky’s style appeared even more clearly in the romance “I Loved You.” For Pushkin, this is not just a love confession. It expresses love, great human friendship, and respect for a woman who was once dearly loved. Dargomyzhsky very subtly conveyed this in music. His romance is like an elegy.
Among Dargomyzhsky’s favorite poets, the name of M. Yu. Lermontov must be mentioned.
The song “Sixteen Years” based on the verses of A. Delvig is a vivid musical portrait. He somewhat rethought the image of a naive girl - a shepherdess, created by Delvig. Using the music of a simple waltz, which were very popular at that time in home music-making, he gave the main character of the romance the real features of a modern, simple-minded bourgeois woman.
Already in Dargomyzhsky’s early romances, the characteristic features of his vocal style appeared. First of all, this is the desire to show a wide variety of human characters in romances. In addition, the heroes of his vocal works are shown in motion, in action. The lyrical romances revealed the composer’s desire to look deeply into the soul of the hero and reflect with him on the complex contradictions of life.
Dargomyzhsky's innovation was especially evident in the romances and songs of his mature period. Although the circle of poets to whom the composer turned at this time is quite wide, Pushkin’s poetry occupies an important place here too. Moreover, Dargomyzhsky turned to that side of the great poet’s legacy that had not been touched upon by composers before.
The song “Melnik” cannot simply be called a romance. This is a real comedy scene from the life of Russian people. It is based on words from Pushkin’s “Scenes from Knightly Times”. Here the author's ability to show such diverse human characters was demonstrated.
Listening to her, the unlucky miller very clearly appears, extremely surprised by the presence of someone else's boots in the house. His lively, grumpy wife, who understands that the best defense is an attack, and reproaches her spree husband.
Dargomyzhsky’s teaching to show contrasting images within the framework of one romance was clearly manifested in his song “Titular Advisor” to the poems of the poet P. Weinberg. This song is a satirical story from the author's perspective. Although it is based on a very laconic text without any descriptions, the composer very figuratively talks about the unsuccessful love of a modest titular adviser (as one of the lowest ranks was called in Russia) for the general’s daughter, who pushed him away with contempt. How timid and humble the titular adviser is depicted here. And how powerful and decisive the melody is, depicting the general’s daughter.
Dargomyzhsky’s art of drawing portraits of people with his music reached its peak in the romance “The Old Corporal” to the words of Kurochkin from Beranger. The composer defined the genre of romance as a “dramatic song.” This is both a monologue and dramatic scene simultaneously. Although Bérenger’s poem talks about a French soldier who took part in Napoleon’s campaigns, many Russian soldiers had the same fate. The text of the romance is an appeal from an old soldier to his comrades leading him to execution. How brightly revealed in music inner world this simple courageous man. He insulted an officer, for which he was sentenced to death. But this was not just an insult, but a response to the insult inflicted on the old soldier. This romance is an angry indictment of a social system that allows human violence against human beings.
Let's summarize. What new did Dargomyzhsky contribute to the development of chamber vocal music?
Firstly, we should note the emergence of new genres in his vocal work and the saturation of traditional genres with new content.
Among his romances there are lyrical, dramatic, humorous and satirical monologues - portraits, musical scenes, everyday sketches, and dialogues.
Secondly, in his vocal compositions Dargomyzhsky relied on the intonations of human speech, and very diverse speech, allowing him to create contrasting images within one romance.
Thirdly, the composer in his romances does not simply depict phenomena of reality. He analyzes it deeply and reveals its contradictory sides. Therefore, Dargomyzhsky’s romances turn into serious philosophical monologues and reflections.
Another important feature of Dargomyzhsky’s vocal creativity was his attitude to the poetic. If Glinka in his romances sought to convey the general mood of the poem through a broad song melody, then Dargomyzhsky sought to follow the subtlest shades of human speech, giving the melody a free declamatory character. In his romances, the composer followed his main principle: “I want the sound to directly express the word.”
- Listening to music fragments: Romances by A. S. Dargomyzhsky: “Night Zephyr”, “I Loved You”, “Miller”, “Old Corporal”.
- Lesson summary:
1. How many romances did Dargomyzhsky write? What place did this genre occupy in his work?
2. What financial genres did the composer use in his work?
3. Name the names of the poets whose texts Dargomyzhsky wrote.
4. Explain what is special about Dargomyzhsky’s attitude to the poetic text.
5. Formulate the basic principle of Dargomyzhsky’s work.
6. Name the composer’s satirical romances and analyze them.
7. The composer’s best lyrical romances were based on the poems of which poets?
- D/z:. Shornikova, pp. 107-117.
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky was born on February 2, 1813 in a small estate in the Tula province. The future composer's early childhood years were spent on his parents' estate in the Smolensk province. In 1817 the family moved to St. Petersburg. Despite their modest income, the parents gave their children a good home upbringing and education. In addition to general education subjects, children played various musical instruments and learned to sing. In addition, they composed poems and dramatic plays, which they themselves performed in front of the guests.
This cultural family was often visited by well-known writers and musicians of that time, and children took an active part in literary and musical evenings. Young Dargomyzhsky began playing the piano at the age of 6. And at the age of 10-11 I already tried to compose music. But his first creative attempts were suppressed by his teacher.
After 1825, his father’s position began to shake and Dargomyzhsky had to start serving in one of the departments of St. Petersburg. But official duties could not interfere with his main hobby - music. His studies with the outstanding musician F. Schoberlechner date back to this time. Since the early 30s, the young man has been visiting the best literary and art salons in St. Petersburg. And everywhere young Dargomyzhsky is a welcome guest. He plays the violin and piano a lot, participates in various ensembles, and performs his romances, the number of which is rapidly increasing. He is surrounded by interesting people of that time, he is accepted into their circle as an equal.
In 1834, Dargomyzhsky met with Glinka, who was working on his first opera. This acquaintance turned out to be decisive for Dargomyzhsky. If earlier he had not given serious importance to his musical hobbies, now in the person of Glinka he saw a living example of artistic achievement. Before him was a man not only talented, but also dedicated to his work. And the young composer reached out to him with all his soul. He gratefully accepted everything that his senior comrade could give him: his knowledge of composition, notes on music theory. Communication between friends also consisted of playing music together. They played and analyzed the best works of musical classics.
In the mid-30s, Dargomyzhsky was already a famous composer, the author of many romances, songs, piano pieces, and the symphonic work “Bolero”. His early romances are still close to the type of salon lyrics or city songs that existed in the democratic strata of Russian society. Glinka's influence is also noticeable in them. But gradually Dargomyzhsky realizes the increasing need for a different self-expression. He has a special interest in the obvious contrasts of reality, the clash of its various sides. This was most clearly manifested in the romances “Night Marshmallow” and “I Loved You.”
At the end of the 30s, Dargomyzhsky decided to write an opera based on the plot of V. Hugo’s novel “The Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris" Work on the opera lasted 3 years and was completed in 1841. At the same time, the composer composed the cantata “The Triumph of Bacchus” based on Pushkin’s poems, which he soon converted into an opera.
Gradually, Dargomyzhsky became increasingly famous as a major, original musician. In the early 40s, he headed the St. Petersburg Society of Fans of Instrumental and Vocal Music.
In 1844, Alexander Sergeevich went abroad, to major musical centers - Berlin, Brussels, Vienna, Paris. The main goal of the trip was Paris - a recognized center of European culture, where the young composer could satisfy his thirst for new artistic experiences. There he introduces his works to the European public. One of the best works of that time is the lyrical confession “Both Bored and Sad” based on Lermontov’s poems. This romance conveys a deep sad feeling. The trip abroad played a big role in the formation of Dargomyzhsky as an artist and citizen. Upon returning from abroad, Dargomyzhsky conceived the opera “Rusalka”. At the end of the 40s, the composer's work reached its greatest artistic maturity, especially in the field of romance.
At the end of the 50s, great social changes were brewing in Russia. And Dargomyzhsky did not remain aloof from public life, which had a noticeable influence on his work. His art intensifies elements of satire. They appear in the songs: “Worm”, “Old Corporal”, “Titular Councilor”. Their heroes are humiliated and insulted people.
In the mid-60s, the composer undertook a new trip abroad - it brought him great creative satisfaction. There, in European capitals, he heard his works, which were a great success. His music, as critics noted, contained “a lot of originality, great energy of thought, melody, sharp harmony...”. Some concerts, composed entirely of Dargomyzhsky's works, caused real triumph. It was a joy to return to his homeland - now, in his declining years, Dargomyzhsky was recognized by a wide mass of music lovers. These were new, democratic strata of the Russian intelligentsia, whose tastes were determined by their love for everything Russian and national. Interest in the composer's work instilled new hopes in him and awakened new ideas. The best of these plans turned out to be the opera “The Stone Guest”. Written to the text of one of Pushkin’s “little tragedies,” this opera represented an unusually bold creative search. It is all written in recitative, there is not a single aria and only two songs - like islands among recitative monologues and ensembles. Dargomyzhsky did not finish the opera “The Stone Guest”. Anticipating his imminent death, the composer instructed his young friends Ts.A. Cui and N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov to finish it. They completed it and then staged it in 1872, after the composer’s death.
The role of Dargomyzhsky in the history of Russian music is very great. Continuing the establishment of the ideas of nationality and realism in Russian music, begun by Glinka, with his work he anticipated the achievement of subsequent generations of Russian composers of the 19th century - members of the “Mighty Handful” and P.I. Tchaikovsky.
The main works of A.S. Dargomyzhsky:
Operas:
- "Esmeralda". Opera in four actions based on his own libretto based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris. Written in 1838-1841. First production: Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, December 5 (17), 1847;
- “The Triumph of Bacchus.” Opera-ballet based on Pushkin's poem of the same name. Written in 1843-1848. First production: Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, January 11 (23), 1867;
- “Mermaid”. Opera in four acts to its own libretto based on Pushkin's unfinished play of the same name. Written in 1848-1855. First production: St. Petersburg, May 4(16), 1856;
- “The Stone Guest.” An opera in three acts based on the text of Pushkin’s “Little Tragedy” of the same name. Written in 1866-1869, completed by C. A. Cui, orchestrated by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. First production: St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theater, February 16 (28), 1872;
- “Mazeppa”. Sketches, 1860;
- “Rogdana”. Fragments, 1860-1867.
Works for orchestra:
- “Bolero”. Late 1830s;
- “Baba Yaga” (“From the Volga to Riga”). Completed in 1862, first performed in 1870;
- “Cossack”. Fantasy. 1864;
- “Chukhon fantasy.” Written in 1863-1867, first performed in 1869.
Chamber vocal works:
Songs and romances for one voice and piano to poems by Russian and foreign poets: “Old Corporal” (words by V. Kurochkin), “Paladin” (words by L. Uland translated by V. Zhukovsky), “Worm” (words by P. Beranger in translation by V. Kurochkin), “Titular Advisor” (words by P. Weinberg), “I loved you...” (words by A. S. Pushkin), “I’m sad” (words by M. Yu. Lermontov), “I have passed sixteen years "(words by A. Delvig) and others based on words by Koltsov, Kurochkin, Pushkin, Lermontov and other poets, including two insert romances by Laura from the opera “The Stone Guest”.
Works for piano:
Five plays (1820s): March, Contrance, “Melancholic Waltz”, Waltz, “Cossack”;
- “Brilliant Waltz.” Around 1830;
Variations on a Russian theme. Early 1830s;
- “Esmeralda's Dreams.” Fantasy. 1838;
Two mazurkas. Late 1830s;
Polka. 1844;
Scherzo. 1844;
- “Tobacco Waltz.” 1845;
- "Fierceness and composure." Scherzo. 1847;
Fantasia on themes from Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar” (mid-1850s);
Slavic tarantella (four hands, 1865);
Arrangements of symphonic fragments of the opera “Esmeralda” and others.
Opera "Rusalka"
Characters:
Melnik (bass);
Natasha (soprano);
Prince (tenor);
Princess (mezzo-soprano);
Olga (soprano);
Swat (baritone);
Hunter (baritone);
Lead singer (tenor);
The Little Mermaid (without singing).
History of creation:
The idea for “Rusalka” based on the plot of Pushkin’s poem (1829-1832) arose from Dargomyzhsky in the late 1840s. The first musical sketches date back to 1848. In the spring of 1855 the opera was completed. A year later, on May 4 (16), 1856, the premiere took place in St. Petersburg on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater.
“Rusalka” was staged carelessly, with large bills, which was reflected in the hostile attitude of the theater management towards the new, democratic direction in operatic creativity. He ignored Dargomyzhsky’s opera and the “high society”. Nevertheless, “Rusalka” endured many performances, gaining recognition among the general public. Advanced musical criticism in the person of A. N. Serov and Ts. A. Cui welcomed its appearance. But real recognition came in 1865. When it was resumed on the St. Petersburg stage, the opera met with an enthusiastic reception from a new audience - the democratically minded intelligentsia.
Dargomyzhsky left most of Pushkin's text untouched. They only contributed final scene death of the Prince. Changes also affected the interpretation of images. The composer freed the image of the Prince from the features of hypocrisy that he was endowed with in the literary source. Developed in opera emotional drama Princesses, barely outlined by the poet. The image of the Miller was somewhat ennobled, in which the composer sought to emphasize not only selfishness, but also the power of love for his daughter. Following Pushkin, Dargomyzhsky shows profound changes in Natasha’s character. He consistently displays her feelings: hidden sadness, thoughtfulness, violent joy, vague anxiety, a premonition of impending disaster, mental shock and, finally, protest, anger, the decision to take revenge. An affectionate, loving girl turns into a formidable and vengeful Mermaid.
Characteristics of the opera:
The drama underlying “The Mermaid” was recreated by the composer with great life truth and deep insight into the spiritual world of the characters. Dargomyzhsky shows characters in development, conveys the subtlest shades of experiences. The images of the main characters and their relationships are revealed in intense dialogic scenes. Because of this, ensembles occupy a significant place in opera, along with arias. The events of the opera unfold against a simple and artless everyday background.
The opera opens with a dramatic overture. The music of the main (fast) section conveys the passion, impetuosity, determination of the heroine and, at the same time, her tenderness, femininity, and purity of feelings.
A significant part of the first act consists of extended ensemble scenes. Melnik’s comedic aria “Oh, all of you young girls” is at times warmed by a warm feeling of caring love. Terzetto music vividly conveys Natasha’s joyful excitement and sadness, the Prince’s soft, soothing speech, and the Miller’s grumpy remarks. In the duet of Natasha and the Prince, bright feelings gradually give way to anxiety and growing excitement. The music reaches a high level of drama with Natasha’s words “You’re getting married!” The next episode of the duet is psychologically subtly resolved: short, as if unspoken melodic phrases in the orchestra depict the heroine’s confusion. In the duet of Natasha and Melnik, confusion gives way to bitterness and determination: Natasha’s speech becomes more and more abrupt and agitated. The act ends with a dramatic choral finale.
The second act is colorful everyday scene; Choirs and dances occupy a large place here. The first half of the act has a festive flavor; the second is filled with worry and anxiety. The majestic chorus “As in an upper room, at an honest feast” sounds solemnly and widely. The Princess’s soulful aria “Childhood Friend” is marked with sadness. The aria turns into a bright, joyful duet of the Prince and Princess. Dances follow: “Slavic”, combining light elegance with scope and prowess, and “Gypsy”, agile and temperamental. Natasha’s melancholy song “Over the pebbles, over the yellow sand” is close to peasant lingering songs.
The third act contains two scenes. In the first, the Princess’s aria “Days of Past Pleasures,” creating the image of a lonely, deeply suffering woman, is imbued with sorrow and mental pain.
The opening of the second picture of the Prince’s cavatina, “Involuntarily to these sad shores,” is distinguished by the beauty and plasticity of the melodious melody. The duet of the Prince and the Miller is one of the most dramatic pages of the opera; sadness and prayer, rage and despair, caustic irony and causeless gaiety - in the comparison of these contrasting states, the tragic image of the mad Miller is revealed.
In the fourth act, fantastic and real scenes alternate. The first scene is preceded by a short, colorfully graphic orchestral introduction. Natasha’s aria “The long-desired hour has come!” sounds majestic and menacing.
The Princess’s aria in the second scene, “For many years already in grave suffering,” is full of ardent, sincere feeling. A charmingly magical tone is given to the melody of the Mermaid’s call “My Prince”. Terzet is imbued with anxiety, a premonition of approaching disaster. In the quartet, the tension reaches its highest limit. The opera ends with the enlightened sound of the melody of the Mermaid's call.
Women's choir "Svatushka" »
In it, the composer very colorfully conveyed the comic-everyday scene of a wedding ceremony. The girls sing a song in which they ridicule the unlucky matchmaker.
Libretto by A. Dargomyzhsky based on the drama by A. Pushkin
Matchmaker, matchmaker, stupid matchmaker;
We were on our way to pick up the bride, we stopped in the garden,
They spilled a barrel of beer and watered all the cabbage.
They bowed to Tyn and prayed to faith;
Is there any faith, show me the path,
Show the bride the path to follow.
Matchmaker, guess what, get to the scrotum
The money is moving in the purse, the red girls are striving,
The money is moving in the purse, the red girls are striving,
Strive, red girls strive, strive, red
girls, strives.
The choir “Svatushka” is of a humorous nature. This wedding song is heard in Act 2.
Genre of the work: comic wedding song accompanied by accompaniment. The “Svatushka” choir is close to folk songs, as there are chants here.
Alexander Dargomyzhsky, together with Glinka, is the founder of Russian classical romance. Chamber vocal music was one of the main genres of creativity for the composer.
He composed romances and songs for several decades, and if the early works had much in common with the works of Alyabyev, Varlamov, Gurilev, Verstovsky, Glinka, then the later ones in some ways anticipate the vocal work of Balakirev, Cui and especially Mussorgsky. It was Mussorgsky who called Dargomyzhsky “the great teacher of musical truth.”
Portrait by K. E. Makovsky (1869)
Dargomyzhsky created more than 100 romances and songs. Among them are all the popular vocal genres of that time - from the “Russian song” to the ballad. At the same time, Dargomyzhsky became the first Russian composer who embodied in his work themes and images taken from the surrounding reality, and created new genres - lyrical and psychological monologues (“Both boring and sad”, “I’m sad” to the words of Lermontov), folk scenes (“The Miller” to the words of Pushkin), satirical songs (“The Worm” to the words of Pierre Beranger translated by V. Kurochkin, “Titular Councilor” to the words of P. Weinberg).
Despite Dargomyzhsky’s special love for the works of Pushkin and Lermontov, the circle of poets whose poems the composer addressed is very diverse: these are Zhukovsky, Delvig, Koltsov, Yazykov, Kukolnik, Iskra poets Kurochkin and Weinberg and others.
At the same time, the composer invariably showed particular demands on the poetic text of the future romance, carefully selecting the best poems. When embodying a poetic image in music, he used a different creative method compared to Glinka. If for Glinka it was important to convey the general mood of the poem, to recreate the main poetic image in music, and for this he used a broad song melody, then Dargomyzhsky followed every word of the text, embodying his leading creative principle: “I want the sound to directly express the word. I want the truth." Therefore, along with the song-aria features in his vocal melodies, the role of speech intonations, which often become declamatory, is so important.
The piano part in Dargomyzhsky's romances is always subordinated to the general task - the consistent embodiment of the word in music; therefore, it often contains elements of figurativeness and picturesqueness, it emphasizes the psychological expressiveness of the text and is distinguished by bright harmonic means.
"Sixteen years" (words by A. Delvig). Glinka's influence was strongly evident in this early lyrical romance. Dargomyzhsky creates a musical portrait of a lovely, graceful girl, using the graceful and flexible rhythm of the waltz. A brief piano introduction and conclusion frame the romance and build on the opening motif of the vocal melody with its expressive ascending sixth. The vocal part is dominated by the cantilena, although recitative intonations are clearly audible in some phrases.
The romance is constructed in three-part form. The light and joyful outer sections (C major) are clearly contrasted by the middle with a change of mode (A minor), with a more dynamic vocal melody and an excited climax at the end of the section. The role of the piano part is to provide harmonic support to the melody, and in texture it is a traditional romance accompaniment.
"Sixteen years"
Romance "I'm upset" (words by M. Lermontov) belongs to a new type of romance-monologue. The hero’s reflection expresses concern for the fate of his beloved woman, who is destined to experience “the insidious persecution of rumors” from a hypocritical and heartless society, and to pay “with tears and melancholy” for short-lived happiness. Romance is built on the development of one image, one feeling. Both the one-part form of the work—a period with a reprise addition—and the vocal part, based on expressive melodic declamation, are subordinated to the artistic task. The intonation at the beginning of the romance is already expressive: after the ascending second there is a descending motive with its tense and mournful sounding diminished fifth.
Of great importance in the melody of the romance, especially its second sentence, are frequent pauses, leaps at wide intervals, excited intonations and exclamations: such, for example, is the climax at the end of the second sentence (“with tears and melancholy”), emphasized by a bright harmonic means - a deviation into tonality II low degree (D minor - E-flat major). The piano part, based on soft chord figuration, combines a vocal melody rich in caesuras (Caesura is the moment of division of musical speech. Signs of caesura: pauses, rhythmic stops, melodic and rhythmic repetitions, changes in register, etc.) and creates a concentrated psychological background, a feeling of spiritual self-absorption.
Romance "I'm Sad"
In a dramatic song "Old Corporal" (words by P. Beranger translated by V. Kurochkin) the composer develops the genre of monologue: this is a dramatic monologue-scene, a kind of musical drama, the main character of which is an old Napoleonic soldier who dared to respond to the insult of a young officer and was sentenced to death for this. The theme of the “little man” that worried Dargomyzhsky is revealed here with extraordinary psychological authenticity; the music paints a living, truthful image, full of nobility and human dignity.
The song is written in a varied verse form with a constant chorus; It is the harsh chorus with its clear march rhythm and persistent triplets in the vocal part that becomes the leading theme of the work, the main characteristic of the hero, his mental fortitude and courage.
Each of the five verses reveals the image of the soldier in a different way, filling it with new features - sometimes angry and decisive (second verse), sometimes tender and heartfelt (third and fourth verses).
The vocal part of the song is in a recitative style; her flexible declamation follows every intonation of the text, achieving complete fusion with the word. The piano accompaniment is subordinate to the vocal part and, with its strict and spare chord texture, emphasizes its expressiveness with the help of a dotted rhythm, accents, dynamics, and bright harmonies. A diminished seventh chord in the piano part - a volley of gunfire - ends the life of the old corporal.
Romance "The Old Corporal"
Like a mournful afterword, the theme of the chorus sounds in E, as if saying goodbye to the hero. Satirical song "Titular Advisor" written to the words of the poet P. Weinberg, who actively worked in Iskra. In this miniature, Dargomyzhsky develops Gogol’s line in musical creativity. Talking about the unsuccessful love of a modest official for a general’s daughter, the composer paints a musical portrait akin to literary images of the “humiliated and insulted.”
The characters receive accurate and laconic characteristics already in the first part of the work (the song is written in two-part form): the poor timid official is depicted with careful second intonations of the piano, and the arrogant and domineering general’s daughter is depicted with decisive fourth forte moves. Chord accompaniment emphasizes these “portraits”.
In the second part, describing the development of events after an unsuccessful explanation, Dargomyzhsky uses simple but very precise means of expression: 2/4 time signature (instead of 6/8) and staccato piano depict the erratic dancing gait of the reveling hero, and the ascending, slightly hysterical jump to the seventh in The melody (“and drank all night”) emphasizes the bitter climax of this story.
"Titular Advisor"
Elena Obraztsova performs romances and songs by A. Dargomyzhsky.
Piano part - Vazha Chachava.
Elegy "I remember deeply", poems by Davydov
"My charming friend", to the verses of V. Hugo
“I still love him”, poems by Yu. Zhadovskaya
"Oriental Romance", poems by A. Pushkin
"Fever", folk words
"Do not judge good people", poems by Timofeev
“How sweet is her head,” poems by Tumansky
"I loved you", poems by A. Pushkin
"Vertograd" oriental romance, poems by A. Pushkin
Lullaby song "Bayu-bayushki-bayu", poems by Dargomyzhskaya
"Sixteen Years", poems by Delvig
Spanish romance
“I am here Inezilya”, poems by A. Pushkin
“We parted proudly,” poems by Kurochkin
"Night zephyr, ether flows", poems by Pushkin
"Like on our street" Olga's song from the opera Rusalka
"Oh dear maiden" Polish romance, poems by Mickiewicz
"Young Man and Maiden", poems by A. Pushkin
"I'm sad", poems by M. Lermontov
"My dear, my darling", poems by Davydov
“I am in love, beauty maiden,” poems by Yazykov
"On the expanse of heaven", poems by Shcherbina
Bolero "Dressed in the fogs of the Sierra Nevada", poems by V. Shirkov
“I won’t tell anyone”, poems by Koltsov
"At the Ball", poems by Virs
"Enchant me, enchant me", poems by Yu. Zhadovskaya
"Does he have Russian curls"
"Crazy, without reason", poems by Koltsov
"Are you jealous"
"My lovely friend", poems by V. Hugo