Josef Paleček and Aleksandr Khimichenko: Difference between pages

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{{picture|file=Josef Paleček.jpg|caption='''Josef Paleček''' (1842-1915)}}
{{picture|file=Aleksandr_Khimichenko.jpg|caption='''Aleksandr Khimichenko''' (1856–1948)}}
Czech singer (bass), director and teacher (b. 6/18 September 1842 in Jestřabí Lhota, near Kolín; d. 11/24 February 1915 in [[Petrograd]]); known in Russia as '''''Osip Osipovich Palechek''''' (Осип Осипович Палечек) or '''''Iosif Iosifovich Palechek''''' (Иосиф Иосифович Палечек).
Ukrainian flute player and teacher (b. 30 July/11 August 1856 in Korsun; d. 17 May 1948 in Lvov), born '''''Aleksandr Vasilyevich Khimichenko''''' (Александр Васильевич Химиченко).


He studied music in [[Prague]] as an organist and singer, and in 1864 he became one of the leading soloists at the city's Provisional Theatre. Here he was the first to sing the part of Susanin in [[Glinka]]'s opera ''A Life for the Tsar'' on the Czech stage. In 1869 he joined the Italian Opera company in [[Moscow]], but the following year he transferred to the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]], where he eventually became choirmaster (from 1882), and then stage director (from 1900). During this period he frequently returned to give recitals in [[Prague]] and provincial Russian cities. In 1888, he founded an opera class at the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory, becoming its professor in 1912.
Khimichenko studied the flute under Ferdinand Büchner at the [[Moscow]] Conservatory, where he was also a member of Tchaikovsky's harmony class. After his graduation from the conservatory in 1879, he became an instructor in the flute and music theory in the music school at [[Kiev]], and later a professor at the [[Kiev]] State Conservatory.


Paleček was the director for the first production at the Mariinsky Theatre of Tchaikovsky's opera ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]'' in 1884, as well as for the premieres of ''[[The Queen of Spades]]'' and ''[[Iolanta]]'', which took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1890 and 1892 respectively.
In his memoirs of Tchaikovsky, Khimichenko describes the composer's frequent visits to [[Kiev]] and refers to an incident which inspired one of the most well-known numbers in ''[[The Nutcracker]]'':
 
{{quote|The most memorable visit by Pyotr Ilyich was that of 1891, when he conducted three [''sic''] concerts in [[Kiev]] <ref name="note1"/>. The preliminary rehearsals were directed by [[Josef Přibík|Přibík]], but I wasn't playing in the orchestra then. However, when Pyotr Ilyich arrived he expressed the wish that I should play first flute. I couldn't refuse, of course. During one of the rehearsals Pyotr Ilyich was resting in the director's office. I went up to him and we started talking about the Conservatory. Pyotr Ilyich recalled how in [[Saint Petersburg]] he, too, had once learnt to play the flute, but said that after so many years he had forgotten everything. He lamented this and asked me to demonstrate 'some real corker' from the interesting tricks which one can achieve with the flute. I played him the variations from Ciardi's ''Carnaval russe'' <ref name="note2"/> and made use of the effect which is known as ''frullato''. Pyotr Ilyich was fascinated by it and asked me to repeat once more this trick which consists of playing a chromatic scale of trilled notes across the flute's entire register, and which produces the effect of a cascade (the sound resembles that of our Ukrainian ''sopilka''). Soon after Pyotr Ilyich's departure from [[Kiev]] I received from him a signed photograph with a letter <ref name="note3"/> in which he asked me to describe in detail the device I had demonstrated to him and to send him some music examples, since he wanted to use ''frullato'' in his new ballet ''[[The Nutcracker]]'' <ref name="note4"/>.}}
 
Tchaikovsky deployed this striking effect for the piccolo in ''Tea: Chinese Dance'', one of the Act II divertissements in ''[[The Nutcracker]]''.


==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky==
==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky==
3 letters from Tchaikovsky to Josef Paleček have survived, dating from 1891, all of which have been translated into English on this website:
2 letters have survived from Tchaikovsky to Aleksandr Khimichenko, dating from 1889 and 1892, both of which have been translated into English on this website::
* '''[[Letter 4396]]''' – 3/15 June 1891, from [[Maydanovo]]
* '''[[Letter 3939]]''' – 15/27 September 1889, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 4407]]''' – 14/26 June 1891, from [[Maydanovo]]
* '''[[Letter 4633]]''' – 3/15 March 1892, from [[Saint Petersburg]]
* '''[[Letter 4529]]''' – 28 October/9 November 1891, from [[Moscow]]


One letter from Paleček to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1891, is preserved in the [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.
2 letters from Khimichenko to the composer, dating from 1889 and 1892, are preserved in the {{RUS-KLč}} at [[Klin]] (Nos. 4560–4561).


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
* {{bib|1913/43}} (1913)
* {{bib|1940/206}} (1940)
* {{bib|1965/16}} (1965)
* {{bib|1940/97}} (1940)
* {{bib|1994/113}} (1994)
* {{bib|1940/98}} (1940)
* {{bib|2003/105}} (2003)
* {{bib|1962/48}} (1962)
* {{bib|1973/47}} (1973)
* {{bib|1979/53}} (1979)
* {{bib|1980/73}} (1980)
 
==External Links==
* [[wikipedia:uk:Химиченко Олександр Васильович|Wikipedia]] (Ukrainian)
* {{viaf|74167863614522740779}}


[[Category:People|Paleček, Josef]]
==Notes and References==
[[Category:Correspondents|Paleček, Josef]]
<references>
[[Category:Singers|Paleček, Josef]]
<ref name="note1">In fact Tchaikovsky conducted only two concerts in [[Kiev]] that year: on 21 and 22 December 1891 {{OS}}. These two concerts had identical programmes and featured the [[Suite No. 3]], the ''Entr'acte and Dances of the Chambermaids'' from the opera ''[[The Voyevoda (opera)|The Voyevoda]]'' and the overture ''[[The Year 1812]]''.</ref>
<ref name="note2">The famous Italian flutist Cesare Ciardi (1818–1877) was based in Russia from 1853 and taught Tchaikovsky the flute at the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory: Tchaikovsky became highly proficient in this instrument and was able to take part in student concerts and chamber music soirées requiring the flute during his time at the Conservatory.</ref>
<ref name="note3">[[Letter 4633]] to Aleksandr Khimichenko, 3/15 March 1892.</ref>
<ref name="note4">Aleksandr Khimichenko's memoirs of Tchaikovsky were published for the first time in {{bib|1940/62|П. И. Чайковский на Украине}} (1940).</ref>
</references>
[[Category:People|Khimichenko, Aleksandr]]
[[Category:Correspondents|Khimichenko, Aleksandr]]
[[Category:Flutists|Khimichenko, Aleksandr]]
__NOTOC__

Latest revision as of 13:07, 15 August 2023

Aleksandr Khimichenko (1856–1948)

Ukrainian flute player and teacher (b. 30 July/11 August 1856 in Korsun; d. 17 May 1948 in Lvov), born Aleksandr Vasilyevich Khimichenko (Александр Васильевич Химиченко).

Khimichenko studied the flute under Ferdinand Büchner at the Moscow Conservatory, where he was also a member of Tchaikovsky's harmony class. After his graduation from the conservatory in 1879, he became an instructor in the flute and music theory in the music school at Kiev, and later a professor at the Kiev State Conservatory.

In his memoirs of Tchaikovsky, Khimichenko describes the composer's frequent visits to Kiev and refers to an incident which inspired one of the most well-known numbers in The Nutcracker:

The most memorable visit by Pyotr Ilyich was that of 1891, when he conducted three [sic] concerts in Kiev [1]. The preliminary rehearsals were directed by Přibík, but I wasn't playing in the orchestra then. However, when Pyotr Ilyich arrived he expressed the wish that I should play first flute. I couldn't refuse, of course. During one of the rehearsals Pyotr Ilyich was resting in the director's office. I went up to him and we started talking about the Conservatory. Pyotr Ilyich recalled how in Saint Petersburg he, too, had once learnt to play the flute, but said that after so many years he had forgotten everything. He lamented this and asked me to demonstrate 'some real corker' from the interesting tricks which one can achieve with the flute. I played him the variations from Ciardi's Carnaval russe [2] and made use of the effect which is known as frullato. Pyotr Ilyich was fascinated by it and asked me to repeat once more this trick which consists of playing a chromatic scale of trilled notes across the flute's entire register, and which produces the effect of a cascade (the sound resembles that of our Ukrainian sopilka). Soon after Pyotr Ilyich's departure from Kiev I received from him a signed photograph with a letter [3] in which he asked me to describe in detail the device I had demonstrated to him and to send him some music examples, since he wanted to use frullato in his new ballet The Nutcracker [4].

Tchaikovsky deployed this striking effect for the piccolo in Tea: Chinese Dance, one of the Act II divertissements in The Nutcracker.

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

2 letters have survived from Tchaikovsky to Aleksandr Khimichenko, dating from 1889 and 1892, both of which have been translated into English on this website::

2 letters from Khimichenko to the composer, dating from 1889 and 1892, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (Nos. 4560–4561).

Bibliography

External Links

Notes and References

  1. ↑ In fact Tchaikovsky conducted only two concerts in Kiev that year: on 21 and 22 December 1891 [O.S.]. These two concerts had identical programmes and featured the Suite No. 3, the Entr'acte and Dances of the Chambermaids from the opera The Voyevoda and the overture The Year 1812.
  2. ↑ The famous Italian flutist Cesare Ciardi (1818–1877) was based in Russia from 1853 and taught Tchaikovsky the flute at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory: Tchaikovsky became highly proficient in this instrument and was able to take part in student concerts and chamber music soirées requiring the flute during his time at the Conservatory.
  3. ↑ Letter 4633 to Aleksandr Khimichenko, 3/15 March 1892.
  4. ↑ Aleksandr Khimichenko's memoirs of Tchaikovsky were published for the first time in П. И. Чайковский на Украине. Материалы и документы (1940).
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