Aleksandr Serov - Revision history

Brett: Text replacement - "Solovyev" to "Solovyov"

2025-08-21T12:49:51Z

Text replacement - "Solovyev" to "Solovyov"

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:49, 21 August 2025
Line 29:		Line 29:
	In 1867, Serov rekindled the polemic with [[Stasov]] by publishing a long essay entitled ''"Ruslan and the Ruslanists"'' (Руслан и русланисты) in which he sharply criticized [[Glinka]]'s librettists for having chosen [[Pushkin]]'s youthful poem as the plot for a serious opera. Serov insisted that its fairy-tale subject was suitable only for a ballet or a comic-fantastic opera. Reversing somewhat his previous admiration for [[Wagner]], he also deplored the excessive dramaturgical importance of the orchestra in some parts of ''Ruslan and Lyudmila'', which seemed almost to anticipate [[Wagner]]'s 'symphonization' of opera <ref name="note20"/>. This was of course like a red rag to [[Stasov]] and the "Mighty Handful", as they were determined to see in ''Ruslan'' the basis for the development of a future independent Russian school of music! [[Laroche]], too, rushed to the defence of '' Ruslan'' against Serov's attacks (though for different reasons from the "Mighty Handful"), and Tchaikovsky supported him wholeheartedly in this enterprise, which resulted in [[Laroche]]'s first major article: '[[Glinka]] and his significance in music history' (Глинка и его значение в истории музыки), vindicating the merits of ''Ruslan''. How surprised he was therefore when five years later, in an article of 1872 ([[TH 263]]) Tchaikovsky, recapitulating the polemic between Serov and the advocates of ''Ruslan'', unequivocally sided with the former and declared ''A Life for the Tsar'' to be [[Glinka]]'s most artistically perfect opera <ref name="note21"/>.		In 1867, Serov rekindled the polemic with [[Stasov]] by publishing a long essay entitled ''"Ruslan and the Ruslanists"'' (Руслан и русланисты) in which he sharply criticized [[Glinka]]'s librettists for having chosen [[Pushkin]]'s youthful poem as the plot for a serious opera. Serov insisted that its fairy-tale subject was suitable only for a ballet or a comic-fantastic opera. Reversing somewhat his previous admiration for [[Wagner]], he also deplored the excessive dramaturgical importance of the orchestra in some parts of ''Ruslan and Lyudmila'', which seemed almost to anticipate [[Wagner]]'s 'symphonization' of opera <ref name="note20"/>. This was of course like a red rag to [[Stasov]] and the "Mighty Handful", as they were determined to see in ''Ruslan'' the basis for the development of a future independent Russian school of music! [[Laroche]], too, rushed to the defence of '' Ruslan'' against Serov's attacks (though for different reasons from the "Mighty Handful"), and Tchaikovsky supported him wholeheartedly in this enterprise, which resulted in [[Laroche]]'s first major article: '[[Glinka]] and his significance in music history' (Глинка и его значение в истории музыки), vindicating the merits of ''Ruslan''. How surprised he was therefore when five years later, in an article of 1872 ([[TH 263]]) Tchaikovsky, recapitulating the polemic between Serov and the advocates of ''Ruslan'', unequivocally sided with the former and declared ''A Life for the Tsar'' to be [[Glinka]]'s most artistically perfect opera <ref name="note21"/>.

	For his last opera, ''The Power of the Fiend'', Serov initially collaborated with the dramatist [[Aleksandr Ostrovsky]], but soon the two men quarrelled. It was a very ambitious and original work, and some scholars (notably Richard Taruskin) have defended it as Serov's finest achievement for its integration of Russian everyday life with music drama in a canvas of unprecedented realism <ref name="note22"/>. The composer died of a heart attack before he could finish the orchestration of the final act, and the score was completed by his wife [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina]] and the composer [[Nikolay ~~Solovyev~~]]. It was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre on 7/19 April 1871, but was not successful and soon dropped from the repertoire, although the great bass Feodor Chaliapin (1873–1938) would often perform Eremka's Song from the opera.		For his last opera, ''The Power of the Fiend'', Serov initially collaborated with the dramatist [[Aleksandr Ostrovsky]], but soon the two men quarrelled. It was a very ambitious and original work, and some scholars (notably Richard Taruskin) have defended it as Serov's finest achievement for its integration of Russian everyday life with music drama in a canvas of unprecedented realism <ref name="note22"/>. The composer died of a heart attack before he could finish the orchestration of the final act, and the score was completed by his wife [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina]] and the composer [[Nikolay Solovyov]]. It was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre on 7/19 April 1871, but was not successful and soon dropped from the repertoire, although the great bass Feodor Chaliapin (1873–1938) would often perform Eremka's Song from the opera.

	The son of Aleksandr Serov and [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina]] was the famous Russian portrait artist Valentin Serov (1865–1911).		The son of Aleksandr Serov and [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina]] was the famous Russian portrait artist Valentin Serov (1865–1911).

Brett at 18:45, 9 September 2023

2023-09-09T18:45:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:45, 9 September 2023
Line 21:		Line 21:
	Similarly, the public in general received ''Judith'' enthusiastically, and this was a great encouragement for Serov. With his financial position now more secure, he was able to marry his pupil [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina Bergman]] (1846–1924), who would later become Russia's first female composer and left some interesting memoirs about Tchaikovsky <ref name="note9"/>. In the spring of 1864, Serov gave some public lectures in [[Saint Petersburg]], which Tchaikovsky and [[Laroche]] attended, but according to the latter, his friend was not at all impressed by Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]] and the Conservatory, nor by the various Wagnerian phrases about "the spiritual content of music" and "organically constructed music drama" which the lecturer tried to drum into his audience <ref name="note10"/>. Later that year (in the autumn of 1864), [[Laroche]] took Tchaikovsky to one of Serov's soirées at his flat, and on that occasion it seems that the novelist [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]] was present, too. (Dostoyevsky]] was acquainted with Serov and in the journals he was editing at the time had published several of the latter's articles on music <ref name="note11"/>.) [[Laroche]] does not describe what happened at this soirée, except to say that Tchaikovsky made a favourable impression on Serov, but that this was not the case the other way round, so that Tchaikovsky subsequently visited the elder composer only two or three more times and never came to like his character. This is certainly borne out by Tchaikovsky's lengthy letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] in March 1878 (quoted below). Serov's wife, however, [[Valentina Serova]], did recall this meeting and wrote a fascinating account of it <ref name="note12"/>, from which one can see how already then Tchaikovsky was sceptical of high-sounding 'theories' or 'ideals' — something that would later inform his reflections on [[Wagner]] and the "Mighty Handful".		Similarly, the public in general received ''Judith'' enthusiastically, and this was a great encouragement for Serov. With his financial position now more secure, he was able to marry his pupil [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina Bergman]] (1846–1924), who would later become Russia's first female composer and left some interesting memoirs about Tchaikovsky <ref name="note9"/>. In the spring of 1864, Serov gave some public lectures in [[Saint Petersburg]], which Tchaikovsky and [[Laroche]] attended, but according to the latter, his friend was not at all impressed by Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]] and the Conservatory, nor by the various Wagnerian phrases about "the spiritual content of music" and "organically constructed music drama" which the lecturer tried to drum into his audience <ref name="note10"/>. Later that year (in the autumn of 1864), [[Laroche]] took Tchaikovsky to one of Serov's soirées at his flat, and on that occasion it seems that the novelist [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]] was present, too. (Dostoyevsky]] was acquainted with Serov and in the journals he was editing at the time had published several of the latter's articles on music <ref name="note11"/>.) [[Laroche]] does not describe what happened at this soirée, except to say that Tchaikovsky made a favourable impression on Serov, but that this was not the case the other way round, so that Tchaikovsky subsequently visited the elder composer only two or three more times and never came to like his character. This is certainly borne out by Tchaikovsky's lengthy letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] in March 1878 (quoted below). Serov's wife, however, [[Valentina Serova]], did recall this meeting and wrote a fascinating account of it <ref name="note12"/>, from which one can see how already then Tchaikovsky was sceptical of high-sounding 'theories' or 'ideals' — something that would later inform his reflections on [[Wagner]] and the "Mighty Handful".

	The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor Orlov with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).		The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor [[Dmitry Orlov\|Orlov]] with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).

	Despite Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]], it seems that his brother [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Nikolay]] was nevertheless keen to recruit the now famous composer as a teacher of harmony for the Conservatory which he was going to set up in [[Moscow]] in 1866. Serov, however, was infuriated at the way the theatres in [[Moscow]] had not shown much interest in staging ''Rogneda'', and turned down the offer. Thus it was that [[Nikolay Rubinstein]], acting on a recommendation from his brother, decided to invite the young Tchaikovsky instead, who was due to graduate from the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory very soon <ref name="note16"/>. It is interesting that Serov was present at the graduation concert in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 29 December 1865/10 January 1866 at which Tchaikovsky's cantata ''[[Ode to Joy]]'' was premiered. As [[Laroche]] recalled in his memoirs, Serov said of the younger composer's work: "No, the cantata isn't good — I had expected far more from Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note17"/>. In the detailed letter of 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] quoted below, Tchaikovsky notes how Serov had always treated him rather arrogantly and refused to acknowledge his talent. Whilst this is probably true on the whole, in Serov's defence it should be mentioned that in 1868 he wrote a very favourable review of Tchaikovsky's translation of François-Auguste Gevaert's ''Traité Général d'Instrumentation'', published by [[Jurgenson]] in 1866 as ''[[Handbook for Instrumentation (Gevaert)\|Handbook for Instrumentation]]'' (TH 329) <ref name="note18"/>.		Despite Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]], it seems that his brother [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Nikolay]] was nevertheless keen to recruit the now famous composer as a teacher of harmony for the Conservatory which he was going to set up in [[Moscow]] in 1866. Serov, however, was infuriated at the way the theatres in [[Moscow]] had not shown much interest in staging ''Rogneda'', and turned down the offer. Thus it was that [[Nikolay Rubinstein]], acting on a recommendation from his brother, decided to invite the young Tchaikovsky instead, who was due to graduate from the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory very soon <ref name="note16"/>. It is interesting that Serov was present at the graduation concert in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 29 December 1865/10 January 1866 at which Tchaikovsky's cantata ''[[Ode to Joy]]'' was premiered. As [[Laroche]] recalled in his memoirs, Serov said of the younger composer's work: "No, the cantata isn't good — I had expected far more from Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note17"/>. In the detailed letter of 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] quoted below, Tchaikovsky notes how Serov had always treated him rather arrogantly and refused to acknowledge his talent. Whilst this is probably true on the whole, in Serov's defence it should be mentioned that in 1868 he wrote a very favourable review of Tchaikovsky's translation of François-Auguste Gevaert's ''Traité Général d'Instrumentation'', published by [[Jurgenson]] in 1866 as ''[[Handbook for Instrumentation (Gevaert)\|Handbook for Instrumentation]]'' (TH 329) <ref name="note18"/>.
Line 97:		Line 97:
	<ref name="note12">See our website's entry for [[Valentina Serova]].</ref>		<ref name="note12">See our website's entry for [[Valentina Serova]].</ref>
	<ref name="note13">{{bib\|1980/89\|П. И. Чайковский в Петербургской консерватории}} (1980), p. 58.</ref>		<ref name="note13">{{bib\|1980/89\|П. И. Чайковский в Петербургской консерватории}} (1980), p. 58.</ref>
	<ref name="note14">From the 1910 memoirs of Aleksandra Sokolova (1836–1914). Quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 602. The tenor in question was Dmitry Orlov (1842–1919).</ref>		<ref name="note14">From the 1910 memoirs of Aleksandra Sokolova (1836–1914). Quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 602. The tenor in question was [[Dmitry Orlov]] (1842–1919).</ref>
	<ref name="note15">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|Opera and Drama in Russia — As Preached and Practiced in the 1860s}} (Rochester, NY, 1993), p. 131.</ref>		<ref name="note15">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|Opera and Drama in Russia — As Preached and Practiced in the 1860s}} (Rochester, NY, 1993), p. 131.</ref>
	<ref name="note16">See ''{{bib\|1973/112\|Tchaikovsky}}'' (1973), p. 42.</ref>		<ref name="note16">See ''{{bib\|1973/112\|Tchaikovsky}}'' (1973), p. 42.</ref>

Brett at 07:21, 22 August 2023

2023-08-22T07:21:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:21, 22 August 2023
Line 72:		Line 72:
	* [[wikipedia:Alexander_Serov\|Wikipedia]]		* [[wikipedia:Alexander_Serov\|Wikipedia]]
	* {{IMSLP\|Serov,_Aleksandr}}		* {{IMSLP\|Serov,_Aleksandr}}
			* {{viaf\|49438251}}

	==Bibliography==		==Bibliography==

Tony: Changed position of quotation marks

2022-11-21T10:00:04Z

Changed position of quotation marks

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:00, 21 November 2022
Line 27:		Line 27:
	Thus, it was indirectly as a result of Serov's wounded pride that Tchaikovsky was appointed to the staff of the [[Moscow]] Conservatory when it was opened in September 1866 — a very fortunate turn of events, given that after his resignation from the Ministry of Justice in April 1863 the young man's future had by no means been certain. When [[Ilya Tchaikovsky]] was informed of his son's decision to accept this teaching post at the Conservatory, he sent him a very moving letter, exhorting him to think well about the step he was taking, because it seemed hardly possible to earn a living in Russia as a musician. In this letter [[Ilya Tchaikovsky\|Ilya]] reminded his son in particular of how precarious Serov's situation had been, and how even the pension he had received from the Emperor for ''Rogneda'' was "barely enough to live on" <ref name="note19"/>.		Thus, it was indirectly as a result of Serov's wounded pride that Tchaikovsky was appointed to the staff of the [[Moscow]] Conservatory when it was opened in September 1866 — a very fortunate turn of events, given that after his resignation from the Ministry of Justice in April 1863 the young man's future had by no means been certain. When [[Ilya Tchaikovsky]] was informed of his son's decision to accept this teaching post at the Conservatory, he sent him a very moving letter, exhorting him to think well about the step he was taking, because it seemed hardly possible to earn a living in Russia as a musician. In this letter [[Ilya Tchaikovsky\|Ilya]] reminded his son in particular of how precarious Serov's situation had been, and how even the pension he had received from the Emperor for ''Rogneda'' was "barely enough to live on" <ref name="note19"/>.

	In 1867, Serov rekindled the polemic with [[Stasov]] by publishing a long essay entitled ''"Ruslan" and the Ruslanists'' (Руслан и русланисты) in which he sharply criticized [[Glinka]]'s librettists for having chosen [[Pushkin]]'s youthful poem as the plot for a serious opera. Serov insisted that its fairy-tale subject was suitable only for a ballet or a comic-fantastic opera. Reversing somewhat his previous admiration for [[Wagner]], he also deplored the excessive dramaturgical importance of the orchestra in some parts of ''Ruslan and Lyudmila'', which seemed almost to anticipate [[Wagner]]'s 'symphonization' of opera <ref name="note20"/>. This was of course like a red rag to [[Stasov]] and the "Mighty Handful", as they were determined to see in ''Ruslan'' the basis for the development of a future independent Russian school of music! [[Laroche]], too, rushed to the defence of '' Ruslan'' against Serov's attacks (though for different reasons from the "Mighty Handful"), and Tchaikovsky supported him wholeheartedly in this enterprise, which resulted in [[Laroche]]'s first major article: '[[Glinka]] and his significance in music history' (Глинка и его значение в истории музыки), vindicating the merits of ''Ruslan''. How surprised he was therefore when five years later, in an article of 1872 ([[TH 263]]) Tchaikovsky, recapitulating the polemic between Serov and the advocates of ''Ruslan'', unequivocally sided with the former and declared ''A Life for the Tsar'' to be [[Glinka]]'s most artistically perfect opera <ref name="note21"/>.		In 1867, Serov rekindled the polemic with [[Stasov]] by publishing a long essay entitled ''"Ruslan and the Ruslanists"'' (Руслан и русланисты) in which he sharply criticized [[Glinka]]'s librettists for having chosen [[Pushkin]]'s youthful poem as the plot for a serious opera. Serov insisted that its fairy-tale subject was suitable only for a ballet or a comic-fantastic opera. Reversing somewhat his previous admiration for [[Wagner]], he also deplored the excessive dramaturgical importance of the orchestra in some parts of ''Ruslan and Lyudmila'', which seemed almost to anticipate [[Wagner]]'s 'symphonization' of opera <ref name="note20"/>. This was of course like a red rag to [[Stasov]] and the "Mighty Handful", as they were determined to see in ''Ruslan'' the basis for the development of a future independent Russian school of music! [[Laroche]], too, rushed to the defence of '' Ruslan'' against Serov's attacks (though for different reasons from the "Mighty Handful"), and Tchaikovsky supported him wholeheartedly in this enterprise, which resulted in [[Laroche]]'s first major article: '[[Glinka]] and his significance in music history' (Глинка и его значение в истории музыки), vindicating the merits of ''Ruslan''. How surprised he was therefore when five years later, in an article of 1872 ([[TH 263]]) Tchaikovsky, recapitulating the polemic between Serov and the advocates of ''Ruslan'', unequivocally sided with the former and declared ''A Life for the Tsar'' to be [[Glinka]]'s most artistically perfect opera <ref name="note21"/>.

	For his last opera, ''The Power of the Fiend'', Serov initially collaborated with the dramatist [[Aleksandr Ostrovsky]], but soon the two men quarrelled. It was a very ambitious and original work, and some scholars (notably Richard Taruskin) have defended it as Serov's finest achievement for its integration of Russian everyday life with music drama in a canvas of unprecedented realism <ref name="note22"/>. The composer died of a heart attack before he could finish the orchestration of the final act, and the score was completed by his wife [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina]] and the composer [[Nikolay Solovyev]]. It was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre on 7/19 April 1871, but was not successful and soon dropped from the repertoire, although the great bass Feodor Chaliapin (1873–1938) would often perform Eremka's Song from the opera.		For his last opera, ''The Power of the Fiend'', Serov initially collaborated with the dramatist [[Aleksandr Ostrovsky]], but soon the two men quarrelled. It was a very ambitious and original work, and some scholars (notably Richard Taruskin) have defended it as Serov's finest achievement for its integration of Russian everyday life with music drama in a canvas of unprecedented realism <ref name="note22"/>. The composer died of a heart attack before he could finish the orchestration of the final act, and the score was completed by his wife [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina]] and the composer [[Nikolay Solovyev]]. It was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre on 7/19 April 1871, but was not successful and soon dropped from the repertoire, although the great bass Feodor Chaliapin (1873–1938) would often perform Eremka's Song from the opera.

Tony at 09:03, 21 November 2022

2022-11-21T09:03:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:03, 21 November 2022
Line 23:		Line 23:
	The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor Orlov with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).		The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor Orlov with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).

	Despite Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]] it seems that his brother [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Nikolay]] was nevertheless keen to recruit the now famous composer as a teacher of harmony for the Conservatory which he was going to set up in [[Moscow]] in 1866. Serov, however, was infuriated at the way the theatres in [[Moscow]] had not shown much interest in staging ''Rogneda'', and turned down the offer. Thus it was that [[Nikolay Rubinstein]], acting on a recommendation from his brother, decided to invite the young Tchaikovsky instead, who was due to graduate from the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory very soon <ref name="note16"/>. It is interesting that Serov was present at the graduation concert in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 29 December 1865/10 January 1866 at which Tchaikovsky's cantata ''[[Ode to Joy]]'' was premiered. As [[Laroche]] recalled in his memoirs, Serov said of the younger composer's work: "No, the cantata isn't good — I had expected far more from Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note17"/> In the detailed letter of 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] quoted below, Tchaikovsky notes how Serov had always treated him rather arrogantly and refused to acknowledge his talent. Whilst this is probably true on the whole, in Serov's defence it should be mentioned that in 1868 he wrote a very favourable review of Tchaikovsky's translation of François-Auguste Gevaert's ''Traité Général d'Instrumentation'', published by [[Jurgenson]] in 1866 as ''[[Handbook for Instrumentation (Gevaert)\|Handbook for Instrumentation]]'' (TH 329) <ref name="note18"/>.		Despite Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]], it seems that his brother [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Nikolay]] was nevertheless keen to recruit the now famous composer as a teacher of harmony for the Conservatory which he was going to set up in [[Moscow]] in 1866. Serov, however, was infuriated at the way the theatres in [[Moscow]] had not shown much interest in staging ''Rogneda'', and turned down the offer. Thus it was that [[Nikolay Rubinstein]], acting on a recommendation from his brother, decided to invite the young Tchaikovsky instead, who was due to graduate from the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory very soon <ref name="note16"/>. It is interesting that Serov was present at the graduation concert in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 29 December 1865/10 January 1866 at which Tchaikovsky's cantata ''[[Ode to Joy]]'' was premiered. As [[Laroche]] recalled in his memoirs, Serov said of the younger composer's work: "No, the cantata isn't good — I had expected far more from Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note17"/>. In the detailed letter of 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] quoted below, Tchaikovsky notes how Serov had always treated him rather arrogantly and refused to acknowledge his talent. Whilst this is probably true on the whole, in Serov's defence it should be mentioned that in 1868 he wrote a very favourable review of Tchaikovsky's translation of François-Auguste Gevaert's ''Traité Général d'Instrumentation'', published by [[Jurgenson]] in 1866 as ''[[Handbook for Instrumentation (Gevaert)\|Handbook for Instrumentation]]'' (TH 329) <ref name="note18"/>.

	Thus, it was indirectly as a result of Serov's wounded pride that Tchaikovsky was appointed to the staff of the [[Moscow]] Conservatory when it was opened in September 1866 — a very fortunate turn of events, given that after his resignation from the Ministry of Justice in April 1863 the young man's future had by no means been certain. When [[Ilya Tchaikovsky]] was informed of his son's decision to accept this teaching post at the Conservatory, he sent him a very moving letter, exhorting him to think well about the step he was taking, because it seemed hardly possible to earn a living in Russia as a musician. In this letter [[Ilya Tchaikovsky\|Ilya]] reminded his son in particular of how precarious Serov's situation had been, and how even the pension he had received from the Emperor for ''Rogneda'' was "barely enough to live on" <ref name="note19"/>.		Thus, it was indirectly as a result of Serov's wounded pride that Tchaikovsky was appointed to the staff of the [[Moscow]] Conservatory when it was opened in September 1866 — a very fortunate turn of events, given that after his resignation from the Ministry of Justice in April 1863 the young man's future had by no means been certain. When [[Ilya Tchaikovsky]] was informed of his son's decision to accept this teaching post at the Conservatory, he sent him a very moving letter, exhorting him to think well about the step he was taking, because it seemed hardly possible to earn a living in Russia as a musician. In this letter [[Ilya Tchaikovsky\|Ilya]] reminded his son in particular of how precarious Serov's situation had been, and how even the pension he had received from the Emperor for ''Rogneda'' was "barely enough to live on" <ref name="note19"/>.

Tony at 08:54, 21 November 2022

2022-11-21T08:54:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:54, 21 November 2022
Line 19:		Line 19:
	The young Tchaikovsky's reaction was quite different. Although, as [[Herman Laroche]] would emphasize in his memoirs, Tchaikovsky was very sceptical of the Wagnerian theories being preached by Serov in the press, "he loved Serov's opera ''Judith'', and, moreover, he fell in love with it at once and with a loyalty that lasted all his life" <ref name="note5"/>. Just as was the case with [[Laroche]] himself, "both the subject and the music appealed to him [Tchaikovsky] immensely" <ref name="note6"/>. Immediately after the premiere of ''Judith'' at the Mariinsky Theatre, on 16/28 May 1863, Tchaikovsky apparently wrote down from memory the whole of ''Judith'''s monologue: "I shall dress myself in byssus / And go to our enemies" [Я оденусь в виссон. / И к врагам я пойду]. He later gave this musical sketch to the bass [[Bogomir Korsov]] as a present <ref name="note7"/>. From the detailed list of references quoted below (particularly interview [[TH 324]] which Tchaikovsky gave in 1892), it is clear that [[Laroche]] was not exaggerating: Tchaikovsky always retained the fondest memories of ''Judith''. A few years before Tchaikovsky's death the vocal-piano reduction of ''Judith'' was finally published, and, as [[Laroche]] recalled, his late friend had "purchased a copy at once and started playing the score through with the enthusiasm of the years of his youth, making me, too, share his delight and trying to convince me to write a long article about it" <ref name="note8"/>.		The young Tchaikovsky's reaction was quite different. Although, as [[Herman Laroche]] would emphasize in his memoirs, Tchaikovsky was very sceptical of the Wagnerian theories being preached by Serov in the press, "he loved Serov's opera ''Judith'', and, moreover, he fell in love with it at once and with a loyalty that lasted all his life" <ref name="note5"/>. Just as was the case with [[Laroche]] himself, "both the subject and the music appealed to him [Tchaikovsky] immensely" <ref name="note6"/>. Immediately after the premiere of ''Judith'' at the Mariinsky Theatre, on 16/28 May 1863, Tchaikovsky apparently wrote down from memory the whole of ''Judith'''s monologue: "I shall dress myself in byssus / And go to our enemies" [Я оденусь в виссон. / И к врагам я пойду]. He later gave this musical sketch to the bass [[Bogomir Korsov]] as a present <ref name="note7"/>. From the detailed list of references quoted below (particularly interview [[TH 324]] which Tchaikovsky gave in 1892), it is clear that [[Laroche]] was not exaggerating: Tchaikovsky always retained the fondest memories of ''Judith''. A few years before Tchaikovsky's death the vocal-piano reduction of ''Judith'' was finally published, and, as [[Laroche]] recalled, his late friend had "purchased a copy at once and started playing the score through with the enthusiasm of the years of his youth, making me, too, share his delight and trying to convince me to write a long article about it" <ref name="note8"/>.

	Similarly, the public in general received ''Judith'' enthusiastically, and this was a great encouragement for Serov. With his financial position now more secure, he was able to marry his pupil [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina Bergman]] (1846–1924), who would later become Russia's first female composer and left some interesting memoirs about Tchaikovsky <ref name="note9"/>. In the spring of 1864, Serov gave some public lectures in [[Saint Petersburg]], which Tchaikovsky and [[Laroche]] attended, but according to the latter, his friend was not at all impressed by Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]] and the Conservatory, nor by the various Wagnerian phrases about "the spiritual content of music" and "organically constructed music drama" which the lecturer tried to drum into his audience <ref name="note10"/>. Later that year (in the autumn of 1864) [[Laroche]] took Tchaikovsky to one of Serov's soirées at his flat, and on that occasion it seems that the novelist [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]] was present, too. (Dostoyevsky]] was acquainted with Serov and in the journals he was editing at the time had published several of the latter's articles on music) <ref name="note11"/>. [[Laroche]] does not describe what happened at this soirée, except to say that Tchaikovsky made a favourable impression on Serov, but that this was not the case the other way round, so that Tchaikovsky subsequently visited the elder composer only two or three more times and never came to like his character. This is certainly borne out by Tchaikovsky's lengthy letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] in March 1878 (quoted below). Serov's wife, however, [[Valentina Serova]], did recall this meeting and wrote a fascinating account of it <ref name="note12"/>, from which one can see how already then Tchaikovsky was sceptical of high-sounding 'theories' or 'ideals' — something that would later inform his reflections on [[Wagner]] and the "Mighty Handful".		Similarly, the public in general received ''Judith'' enthusiastically, and this was a great encouragement for Serov. With his financial position now more secure, he was able to marry his pupil [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina Bergman]] (1846–1924), who would later become Russia's first female composer and left some interesting memoirs about Tchaikovsky <ref name="note9"/>. In the spring of 1864, Serov gave some public lectures in [[Saint Petersburg]], which Tchaikovsky and [[Laroche]] attended, but according to the latter, his friend was not at all impressed by Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]] and the Conservatory, nor by the various Wagnerian phrases about "the spiritual content of music" and "organically constructed music drama" which the lecturer tried to drum into his audience <ref name="note10"/>. Later that year (in the autumn of 1864), [[Laroche]] took Tchaikovsky to one of Serov's soirées at his flat, and on that occasion it seems that the novelist [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]] was present, too. (Dostoyevsky]] was acquainted with Serov and in the journals he was editing at the time had published several of the latter's articles on music <ref name="note11"/>.) [[Laroche]] does not describe what happened at this soirée, except to say that Tchaikovsky made a favourable impression on Serov, but that this was not the case the other way round, so that Tchaikovsky subsequently visited the elder composer only two or three more times and never came to like his character. This is certainly borne out by Tchaikovsky's lengthy letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] in March 1878 (quoted below). Serov's wife, however, [[Valentina Serova]], did recall this meeting and wrote a fascinating account of it <ref name="note12"/>, from which one can see how already then Tchaikovsky was sceptical of high-sounding 'theories' or 'ideals' — something that would later inform his reflections on [[Wagner]] and the "Mighty Handful".

	The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor Orlov with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).		The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor Orlov with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).

Tony at 20:21, 20 November 2022

2022-11-20T20:21:57Z

Brett: 1 revision imported

2022-07-12T11:12:51Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 13:12, 12 July 2022
(No difference)

Brett: Text replacement - "piano-vocal score" to "vocal-piano reduction"

2020-02-20T16:29:30Z

Text replacement - "piano-vocal score" to "vocal-piano reduction"

Show changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:45, 9 September 2023
Line 21:		Line 21:
	Similarly, the public in general received ''Judith'' enthusiastically, and this was a great encouragement for Serov. With his financial position now more secure, he was able to marry his pupil [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina Bergman]] (1846–1924), who would later become Russia's first female composer and left some interesting memoirs about Tchaikovsky <ref name="note9"/>. In the spring of 1864, Serov gave some public lectures in [[Saint Petersburg]], which Tchaikovsky and [[Laroche]] attended, but according to the latter, his friend was not at all impressed by Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]] and the Conservatory, nor by the various Wagnerian phrases about "the spiritual content of music" and "organically constructed music drama" which the lecturer tried to drum into his audience <ref name="note10"/>. Later that year (in the autumn of 1864), [[Laroche]] took Tchaikovsky to one of Serov's soirées at his flat, and on that occasion it seems that the novelist [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]] was present, too. (Dostoyevsky]] was acquainted with Serov and in the journals he was editing at the time had published several of the latter's articles on music <ref name="note11"/>.) [[Laroche]] does not describe what happened at this soirée, except to say that Tchaikovsky made a favourable impression on Serov, but that this was not the case the other way round, so that Tchaikovsky subsequently visited the elder composer only two or three more times and never came to like his character. This is certainly borne out by Tchaikovsky's lengthy letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] in March 1878 (quoted below). Serov's wife, however, [[Valentina Serova]], did recall this meeting and wrote a fascinating account of it <ref name="note12"/>, from which one can see how already then Tchaikovsky was sceptical of high-sounding 'theories' or 'ideals' — something that would later inform his reflections on [[Wagner]] and the "Mighty Handful".		Similarly, the public in general received ''Judith'' enthusiastically, and this was a great encouragement for Serov. With his financial position now more secure, he was able to marry his pupil [[Valentina Serova\|Valentina Bergman]] (1846–1924), who would later become Russia's first female composer and left some interesting memoirs about Tchaikovsky <ref name="note9"/>. In the spring of 1864, Serov gave some public lectures in [[Saint Petersburg]], which Tchaikovsky and [[Laroche]] attended, but according to the latter, his friend was not at all impressed by Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]] and the Conservatory, nor by the various Wagnerian phrases about "the spiritual content of music" and "organically constructed music drama" which the lecturer tried to drum into his audience <ref name="note10"/>. Later that year (in the autumn of 1864), [[Laroche]] took Tchaikovsky to one of Serov's soirées at his flat, and on that occasion it seems that the novelist [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]] was present, too. (Dostoyevsky]] was acquainted with Serov and in the journals he was editing at the time had published several of the latter's articles on music <ref name="note11"/>.) [[Laroche]] does not describe what happened at this soirée, except to say that Tchaikovsky made a favourable impression on Serov, but that this was not the case the other way round, so that Tchaikovsky subsequently visited the elder composer only two or three more times and never came to like his character. This is certainly borne out by Tchaikovsky's lengthy letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] in March 1878 (quoted below). Serov's wife, however, [[Valentina Serova]], did recall this meeting and wrote a fascinating account of it <ref name="note12"/>, from which one can see how already then Tchaikovsky was sceptical of high-sounding 'theories' or 'ideals' — something that would later inform his reflections on [[Wagner]] and the "Mighty Handful".

	The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor Orlov with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).		The subject of Serov's next opera, ''Rogneda'', which deals with the legendary world of pagan Russia, was suggested to him by the poet [[Yakov Polonsky]]. It was again packed with spectacular Grand Opera elements, wholly belying Serov's Wagnerian ideals, and, when it was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 27 October/8 November 1865, it proved to be an even more resounding success than ''Judith'' two years earlier. According to [[Laroche]], Tchaikovsky, too, was swept away to some extent by the general enthusiasm, although his feelings for the music of ''Rogneda'' soon cooled considerably (in contrast to his life-long admiration for ''Judith'') <ref name="note13"/>. Nevertheless, seven years later, when the opera was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in [[Moscow]] (see [[TH 263]]), a contemporary account describes how "Tchaikovsky was sitting there [at the performance of ''Rogneda''] as if hypnotised, and during the interval he rushed backstage and embraced the tenor [[Dmitry Orlov\|Orlov]] with these words: 'How fortunate you are that you were able to give life with your voice to such a wondrous musical dream!'" <ref name="note14"/>. Emperor [[Alexander II]], too, was delighted with the opera at its premiere and he awarded Serov an annual pension of 1,000 rubles. As for the members of the "Mighty Handful", they categorically rejected ''Rogneda'', with [[Cui]] writing a sarcastic review and [[Stasov]] nicknaming Serov "the Russian [[Meyerbeer]]" (on previous occasions he had also called his former friend a "German Slavophile" and an "agent of [[Wagner]]") <ref name="note15"/>. In their view Serov was just trying to please the public with all sorts of striking effects, and he did not even practice the Wagnerian principles he had preached in his high-flown articles. [[Modest Musorgsky]] would later include a parody of Serov's eclectic style and pretensions in his satirical song ''The Peep-Show'' (Раёк) (1870).

	Despite Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]], it seems that his brother [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Nikolay]] was nevertheless keen to recruit the now famous composer as a teacher of harmony for the Conservatory which he was going to set up in [[Moscow]] in 1866. Serov, however, was infuriated at the way the theatres in [[Moscow]] had not shown much interest in staging ''Rogneda'', and turned down the offer. Thus it was that [[Nikolay Rubinstein]], acting on a recommendation from his brother, decided to invite the young Tchaikovsky instead, who was due to graduate from the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory very soon <ref name="note16"/>. It is interesting that Serov was present at the graduation concert in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 29 December 1865/10 January 1866 at which Tchaikovsky's cantata ''[[Ode to Joy]]'' was premiered. As [[Laroche]] recalled in his memoirs, Serov said of the younger composer's work: "No, the cantata isn't good — I had expected far more from Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note17"/>. In the detailed letter of 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] quoted below, Tchaikovsky notes how Serov had always treated him rather arrogantly and refused to acknowledge his talent. Whilst this is probably true on the whole, in Serov's defence it should be mentioned that in 1868 he wrote a very favourable review of Tchaikovsky's translation of François-Auguste Gevaert's ''Traité Général d'Instrumentation'', published by [[Jurgenson]] in 1866 as ''[[Handbook for Instrumentation (Gevaert)\|Handbook for Instrumentation]]'' (TH 329) <ref name="note18"/>.		Despite Serov's attacks on [[Anton Rubinstein]], it seems that his brother [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Nikolay]] was nevertheless keen to recruit the now famous composer as a teacher of harmony for the Conservatory which he was going to set up in [[Moscow]] in 1866. Serov, however, was infuriated at the way the theatres in [[Moscow]] had not shown much interest in staging ''Rogneda'', and turned down the offer. Thus it was that [[Nikolay Rubinstein]], acting on a recommendation from his brother, decided to invite the young Tchaikovsky instead, who was due to graduate from the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory very soon <ref name="note16"/>. It is interesting that Serov was present at the graduation concert in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 29 December 1865/10 January 1866 at which Tchaikovsky's cantata ''[[Ode to Joy]]'' was premiered. As [[Laroche]] recalled in his memoirs, Serov said of the younger composer's work: "No, the cantata isn't good — I had expected far more from Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note17"/>. In the detailed letter of 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] quoted below, Tchaikovsky notes how Serov had always treated him rather arrogantly and refused to acknowledge his talent. Whilst this is probably true on the whole, in Serov's defence it should be mentioned that in 1868 he wrote a very favourable review of Tchaikovsky's translation of François-Auguste Gevaert's ''Traité Général d'Instrumentation'', published by [[Jurgenson]] in 1866 as ''[[Handbook for Instrumentation (Gevaert)\|Handbook for Instrumentation]]'' (TH 329) <ref name="note18"/>.
Line 97:		Line 97:
	<ref name="note12">See our website's entry for [[Valentina Serova]].</ref>		<ref name="note12">See our website's entry for [[Valentina Serova]].</ref>
	<ref name="note13">{{bib\|1980/89\|П. И. Чайковский в Петербургской консерватории}} (1980), p. 58.</ref>		<ref name="note13">{{bib\|1980/89\|П. И. Чайковский в Петербургской консерватории}} (1980), p. 58.</ref>
	<ref name="note14">From the 1910 memoirs of Aleksandra Sokolova (1836–1914). Quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 602. The tenor in question was Dmitry Orlov (1842–1919).</ref>		<ref name="note14">From the 1910 memoirs of Aleksandra Sokolova (1836–1914). Quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 602. The tenor in question was [[Dmitry Orlov]] (1842–1919).</ref>
	<ref name="note15">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|Opera and Drama in Russia — As Preached and Practiced in the 1860s}} (Rochester, NY, 1993), p. 131.</ref>		<ref name="note15">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|Opera and Drama in Russia — As Preached and Practiced in the 1860s}} (Rochester, NY, 1993), p. 131.</ref>
	<ref name="note16">See ''{{bib\|1973/112\|Tchaikovsky}}'' (1973), p. 42.</ref>		<ref name="note16">See ''{{bib\|1973/112\|Tchaikovsky}}'' (1973), p. 42.</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:21, 20 November 2022
Line 5:		Line 5:
	Like Tchaikovsky a generation later, Aleksandr Serov was enrolled by his father at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence ([[Saint Petersburg]]) in 1835, when he was fifteen. One vital difference, though, between the early years of Tchaikovsky and Serov was the fact that, unlike [[Ilya Petrovich Tchaikovsky]], Serov's father was determined that his son should follow a career in the civil service and had no sympathy whatsoever for his musical interests. Tchaikovsky refers to this sad circumstance in a long letter of March 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] (quoted in full below) in which he discusses mainly his attitude to Serov, but also mentions at the end how fortunate he was not to have had a "petty tyrant" for a father, as had been the case with Serov.		Like Tchaikovsky a generation later, Aleksandr Serov was enrolled by his father at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence ([[Saint Petersburg]]) in 1835, when he was fifteen. One vital difference, though, between the early years of Tchaikovsky and Serov was the fact that, unlike [[Ilya Petrovich Tchaikovsky]], Serov's father was determined that his son should follow a career in the civil service and had no sympathy whatsoever for his musical interests. Tchaikovsky refers to this sad circumstance in a long letter of March 1878 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] (quoted in full below) in which he discusses mainly his attitude to Serov, but also mentions at the end how fortunate he was not to have had a "petty tyrant" for a father, as had been the case with Serov.

	Nevertheless, at the School of Jurisprudence, where [[Vladimir Stasov]] was his classmate, Serov was able to take piano lessons with a German teacher and extend his knowledge of music. After graduating in 1840, he started working at the Ministry of Justice but continued to study music privately. With his great intelligence Serov eventually became an accomplished musical autodidact, but he lacked the means to travel to Western Europe, as [[Glinka]] had done, in order to receive more advanced training. While working in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1842–43 he was able frequently to meet [[Glinka]], whom he greatly admired, and [[Dargomyzhsky]]. After a few years Serov was posted to Simferopol (Crimea), but in 1850 he left his job and moved back to [[Saint Petersburg]], intending to devote himself entirely to music. His father, however, refused to give him any financial assistance, and, as he was unable to make ends meet working as a music critic, Serov had no choice but to return to government service in Simferopol. In 1855, he resigned from his post again and went to [[Saint Petersburg]]. This time he was able to earn a living as a music critic, and within a few years Serov had become Russia's leading authority in the field, writing important articles on [[Mozart]], [[Beethoven]], Spontini, [[Weber]], [[Meyerbeer]], and [[Donizetti]]. In later years he would also give public lectures on music.		Nevertheless, at the School of Jurisprudence, where [[Vladimir Stasov]] was his classmate, Serov was able to take piano lessons with a German teacher and extend his knowledge of music. After graduating in 1840, he started working at the Ministry of Justice but continued to study music privately. With his great intelligence, Serov eventually became an accomplished musical autodidact, but he lacked the means to travel to Western Europe, as [[Glinka]] had done, in order to receive more advanced training. While working in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1842–43 he was able frequently to meet [[Glinka]], whom he greatly admired, and [[Dargomyzhsky]]. After a few years Serov was posted to Simferopol (Crimea), but in 1850 he left his job and moved back to [[Saint Petersburg]], intending to devote himself entirely to music. His father, however, refused to give him any financial assistance, and, as he was unable to make ends meet working as a music critic, Serov had no choice but to return to government service in Simferopol. In 1855, he resigned from his post again and went to [[Saint Petersburg]]. This time he was able to earn a living as a music critic, and within a few years Serov had become Russia's leading authority in the field, writing important articles on [[Mozart]], [[Beethoven]], Spontini, [[Weber]], [[Meyerbeer]], and [[Donizetti]]. In later years he would also give public lectures on music.

	In 1852, Serov had read [[Wagner]]'s essays ''Das Kunstwerk der Zukunft'' (1849) and ''Oper und Drama ''(1851), causing him to become a fervent disciple of [[Wagner]] and the ideal of 'music drama'. When he was able to travel abroad for the first time, in 1858, he visited [[Dresden]] (attending a performance of '' Tannhäuser'') and Weimar, where he met [[Liszt]] and [[Wagner]] himself. On returning home, Serov was more determined than ever to be "[[Wagner]]'s apostle in Russia" <ref name="note1"/>.		In 1852, Serov had read [[Wagner]]'s essays ''Das Kunstwerk der Zukunft'' (1849) and ''Oper und Drama ''(1851), causing him to become a fervent disciple of [[Wagner]] and the ideal of 'music drama'. When he was able to travel abroad for the first time, in 1858, he visited [[Dresden]] (attending a performance of '' Tannhäuser'') and Weimar, where he met [[Liszt]] and [[Wagner]] himself. On returning home, Serov was more determined than ever to be "[[Wagner]]'s apostle in Russia" <ref name="note1"/>.

	As will soon become clear, Serov's championing of [[Wagner]] is important with regard to Tchaikovsky. It also led him to fall out with his former school-friend [[Stasov]] and subsequently incur the hostility of the "Mighty Handful". The origins of this quarrel were as follows: in 1857, [[Stasov]] had published an obituary-article on [[Glinka]] in which he had questioned some aspects of ''A Life for the Tsar'' (1836), namely its proximity to the state doctrine of 'official nationality'. (After the death of Nicholas I in 1855 and the relaxation of censorship it was possible to be more outspoken in the press). [[Stasov]] did praise [[Glinka]]'s choruses and recitative in this opera — especially the Epilogue with its famous ''Glory'' (Славься) chorus — but pointed out that all this made ''A Life for the Tsar'' more like a "patriotic oratorio" than a real opera. Serov could not accept such a verdict because in his view ''A Life for the Tsar'' satisfied perfectly the Wagnerian requirements of an "organically constructed music drama". In an essay of 1858 he threw down the gauntlet at [[Stasov]] by arguing that [[Glinka]]'s first opera was a greater achievement than ''Ruslan and Lyudmila'' (1842):		As will soon become clear, Serov's championing of [[Wagner]] is important with regard to Tchaikovsky. It also led him to fall out with his former school-friend [[Stasov]] and subsequently incur the hostility of the "Mighty Handful". The origins of this quarrel were as follows: in 1857, [[Stasov]] had published an obituary-article on [[Glinka]] in which he had questioned some aspects of ''A Life for the Tsar'' (1836), namely its proximity to the state doctrine of 'official nationality'. (After the death of Nicholas I in 1855 and the relaxation of censorship it was possible to be more outspoken in the press.) [[Stasov]] did praise [[Glinka]]'s choruses and recitative in this opera — especially the Epilogue with its famous ''Glory'' (Славься) chorus — but pointed out that all this made ''A Life for the Tsar'' more like a "patriotic oratorio" than a real opera. Serov could not accept such a verdict because in his view ''A Life for the Tsar'' satisfied perfectly the Wagnerian requirements of an "organically constructed music drama". In an essay of 1858, he threw down the gauntlet at [[Stasov]] by arguing that [[Glinka]]'s first opera was a greater achievement than ''Ruslan and Lyudmila'' (1842):

	{{quote\|One [''A Life for the Tsar''] is a miracle of inspiration, a magnificent creation, a model of organic wholeness from its general conception down to its minutest details. The other [''Ruslan and Lyudmila''] is a conglomeration of individual strokes of genius and brilliant, profound musical beauties, somehow strung upon one of the most pitiful libretti in the world" <ref name="note2"/>.}}		{{quote\|One [''A Life for the Tsar''] is a miracle of inspiration, a magnificent creation, a model of organic wholeness from its general conception down to its minutest details. The other [''Ruslan and Lyudmila''] is a conglomeration of individual strokes of genius and brilliant, profound musical beauties, somehow strung upon one of the most pitiful libretti in the world" <ref name="note2"/>.}}
Line 87:		Line 87:
	<ref name="note3">Quoted by Richard Taruskin, {{und\|[[Glinka]]'s Ambiguous Legacy and the Birth Pangs of Russian Opera}}, ''19th Century Music'', vol. 1 (1977), p. 154.</ref>		<ref name="note3">Quoted by Richard Taruskin, {{und\|[[Glinka]]'s Ambiguous Legacy and the Birth Pangs of Russian Opera}}, ''19th Century Music'', vol. 1 (1977), p. 154.</ref>
	<ref name="note4">Quoted by Richard Taruskin, {{und\|[[Glinka]]'s Ambiguous Legacy and the Birth Pangs of Russian Opera}}, ''19th Century Music'', vol. 1 (1977), p. 156.</ref>		<ref name="note4">Quoted by Richard Taruskin, {{und\|[[Glinka]]'s Ambiguous Legacy and the Birth Pangs of Russian Opera}}, ''19th Century Music'', vol. 1 (1977), p. 156.</ref>
	<ref name="note5">[[Herman Laroche]]'s foreword to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}}'' (1898). Here cited from Ernst Kuhn's German translation in {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxiv.</ref>		<ref name="note5">[[Herman Laroche]]'s foreword to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}}'' (1898). Here cited from Ernst Kuhn's German translation in {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxiv.''</ref>
	<ref name="note6">{{bib\|1980/89\|П. И. Чайковский в Петербургской консерватории}} (1980), p. 57.</ref>		<ref name="note6">{{bib\|1980/89\|П. И. Чайковский в Петербургской консерватории}} (1980), p. 57.</ref>
	<ref name="note7">See {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 33.</ref>		<ref name="note7">See {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 33.</ref>
Line 102:		Line 102:
	<ref name="note18">See {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 53.</ref>		<ref name="note18">See {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского}} (1940), p. 53.</ref>
	<ref name="note19">Letter from [[Ilya Tchaikovsky]] to his son, 30 December 1865/11 January 1866: "My dear Petia! Thank you for your nice letter, but I must say, my dear boy, that I am worried about you. I mean, look — you've now, thank God, completed your musical education as you so wanted, and what's going to come out of it for you? You say that you've been offered a post as a teacher. Well, that just means they'll call you a professor of music theory and give you a miserable salary! Is that what you deserve, is that what you've been striving for? Your bright little head, your wonderful education, your excellent character — is that what they deserve? As a father, it's possible I'm being partial, but you just go and ask all your friends and acquaintances if they think you have a bright little head, i.e. if you're intelligent, if you've really had a wonderful education, and what they make of your character. I'm sure they will all unanimously confirm my words. You aren't ambitious — that's fine by me, but that's not the point. What I'm thinking about is your merits and the work you're going to do, and, most importantly, what you'll be paid for it. Your passion for music is praiseworthy, but, my dear friend, it is a slippery path: the reward for a work of genius always comes a long, long time afterwards. Just look at Serov, that poor musician of genius. For all the passion he has been working with, all that he has managed to gain are silver hairs, not silver. He worked for fourteen years on ''Judith'', and the same on ''Rogneda'', and what has he earned from them? Glory, rated at 1,500 [sic] rubles a year, while he's alive — that's barely just enough to live on! I mean in our country it's only Italians like [[Verdi]] who can get fees of 30,000 rubles for their works. [[Glinka]] died in poverty, and all our other talents aren't valued highly either [...]" [[Ilya Tchaikovsky\|Ilya]] then exhorts his son to return to government service, but nevertheless ends the letter as follows: "Anyway, you're wise enough to decide for yourself. I just want to see you happy, healthy, and satisfied. I kiss your little eyes and all of you from top to toe." This letter is quoted in the commentary section of {{bib\|1955/37\|П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким. Избранное}} (1955), pp. 553–554.</ref>		<ref name="note19">Letter from [[Ilya Tchaikovsky]] to his son, 30 December 1865/11 January 1866: "My dear Petia! Thank you for your nice letter, but I must say, my dear boy, that I am worried about you. I mean, look — you've now, thank God, completed your musical education as you so wanted, and what's going to come out of it for you? You say that you've been offered a post as a teacher. Well, that just means they'll call you a professor of music theory and give you a miserable salary! Is that what you deserve, is that what you've been striving for? Your bright little head, your wonderful education, your excellent character — is that what they deserve? As a father, it's possible I'm being partial, but you just go and ask all your friends and acquaintances if they think you have a bright little head, i.e. if you're intelligent, if you've really had a wonderful education, and what they make of your character. I'm sure they will all unanimously confirm my words. You aren't ambitious — that's fine by me, but that's not the point. What I'm thinking about is your merits and the work you're going to do, and, most importantly, what you'll be paid for it. Your passion for music is praiseworthy, but, my dear friend, it is a slippery path: the reward for a work of genius always comes a long, long time afterwards. Just look at Serov, that poor musician of genius. For all the passion he has been working with, all that he has managed to gain are silver hairs, not silver. He worked for fourteen years on ''Judith'', and the same on ''Rogneda'', and what has he earned from them? Glory, rated at 1,500 [sic] rubles a year, while he's alive — that's barely just enough to live on! I mean in our country it's only Italians like [[Verdi]] who can get fees of 30,000 rubles for their works. [[Glinka]] died in poverty, and all our other talents aren't valued highly either [...]" [[Ilya Tchaikovsky\|Ilya]] then exhorts his son to return to government service, but nevertheless ends the letter as follows: "Anyway, you're wise enough to decide for yourself. I just want to see you happy, healthy, and satisfied. I kiss your little eyes and all of you from top to toe." This letter is quoted in the commentary section of {{bib\|1955/37\|П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким. Избранное}} (1955), pp. 553–554.</ref>
	<ref name="note20">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|[Glinka]]'s Ambiguous Legacy and the Birth Pangs of Russian Opera}}, '19th Century Music'' 1 (1977), p. 157. Taruskin notes that by then Serov had been able to study some parts of the ''Ring'' cycle and was not entirely happy with this practical realisation of [[Wagner]]'s theories.</ref>		<ref name="note20">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|<nowiki>[Glinka]]'s Ambiguous Legacy and the Birth Pangs of Russian Opera</nowiki>}}, '19th Century Music'' 1 (1977), p. 157. Taruskin notes that by then Serov had been able to study some parts of the ''Ring'' cycle and was not entirely happy with this practical realisation of [[Wagner]]'s theories.''</ref>
	<ref name="note21">[[Laroche]] describes his amazement at this unexpected declaration of Tchaikovsky's in the {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to his edition of his late friend's music review articles {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Here cited from the German translation in Ernst Kuhn (ed.), {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxv.</ref>		<ref name="note21">[[Laroche]] describes his amazement at this unexpected declaration of Tchaikovsky's in the {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to his edition of his late friend's music review articles {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Here cited from the German translation in Ernst Kuhn (ed.), {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxv.</ref>
	<ref name="note22">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|Opera and Drama in Russia — As Preached and Practiced in the 1860s}} (Rochester, NY, 1993), p. 238–239.</ref>		<ref name="note22">Richard Taruskin, {{und\|Opera and Drama in Russia — As Preached and Practiced in the 1860s}} (Rochester, NY, 1993), p. 238–239.</ref>