Tchaikovsky's cycle-Mamontov's cycle-Belyayev's circle

Introduction- Tchaikovsky's cycle- Mamontov's cycle- Belyayev's cycle

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Russian music became one of the more advanced forms of musical art. In 1862, the circle of Balakirev opened a free conservatory (Haydarov). The classical Russian music scene emerged in the 1870s. The orchestral quartet developed (Haydarov). At the same time, two Kinds symphonic poems. 1) The poem as a color image and 2) The poem as a psychological drama (Haydarov). In 1869, the Tchaikovsky's circle as a reaction to the violence of Nechayev's organization. This team He organized the printing, publication and distribution of scientific and revolutionary literature. (Johnson).

In 1880-1890, a new development of Russian art began. Russian music universities were founded in different cities. Belyayev regularly organized Russian concerts, which became a foundation in the popularity of Russian music. At the same time, he formed the team Belyayev's circle ('Belyayev Circle'). In the same period, Shostakovich formed a philharmonic orchestra, which appeared in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Finally, Mamontov founded the Moscow Private Opera House (Haydarov). It was one of Russia's most important theatrical institutions at the dawn of the era of modernism. Among other things, 1) he helped launch Chaliapa's career, 2) gave Rachmaninov his first job as a conductor, and 3) served as a model for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (‘Mamontov’s Private Opera’). Diaghilev (1872–1929) was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Russian Ballets ('Sergei Diaghilev'). The company operated both as a commercial enterprise and as an experimental studio. It revolutionized opera directing and design (‘Mamontov’s Private Opera’). One of the plays performed in a performance of the company was Prince Igor of Borodin, which we will hear now.

Introduction- Tchaikovsky's cycle (1869)

The Tchaikovsky's circle, was a Russian literary society for self-education and revolutionary organization of the Narodniks. It is named after Nikolai Tchaikovsky, one of its prominent members (Wikipedia Contributors, ‘Circle of Tchaikovsky’). It was formed, in 1869, by Russian intellectuals as a reaction to the violence of Nechayev's organization (Johnson). The group set high moral standards for its members in the face of Nechayev's unconscionability (Wikipedia Contributors, ‘Circle of Tchaikovsky’). It brought together a diverse group of radical students linked together in the belief that some form of socialist revolution was needed to overthrow the tsarist system and reform Russia (Johnson). The group had a negative attitude towards the struggle for civil liberties, which, in their view, were beneficial only to the emerging bourgeoisie (Wikipedia Contributors, ‘Circle of Tchaikovsky’). Tchaikovsky, with the help of various publishers, organized the printing, publication and distribution of scientific and revolutionary literature. At the final stage of its activities, the circle brought revolutionary propaganda and organization directly to the peasants of Russia (Wikipedia Contributors, ‘Circle of Tchaikovsky’).

Mamontov's circle

In the late 1880s, private troupes began to appear, such as Mamontov (1885), who used famous Russian painters in avant-garde representations. The emergence of private troupes played a decisive role in Rimsky-Korsakov's success as a melodramatic composer. The performances were also performed in Paris, where the French admired Rimsky-Korsakov's music as well as the avant-garde sets and costumes (Romanou, 'RUSSIAN MUSIC I IN THE RUSSIA OF THE TSARS'). Mamontov's cycle helped significantly in the advancement of 1) stage design, 2) architecture, 3) painting, 4) decorative and 5) applied art. The carpentry and pottery workshops associated with Polenova and Vrubel in many ways set the tone for the development of Russian Art Nouveau (‘Minutiae of Life’ FROM PHOTOGRAPH TO 3D | The Tretyakov Gallery Magazine).

Moscow Private Opera House

In 1885, Savva Mamontov founded the Moscow Private Opera House, which he also financed and directed (Savva Mamontov | Russian Entrepreneur and Philanthropist | Britannica). In that decade, it was one of the most Innovative cultural institutions of Russia. It was built on Mamontov's idealistic vision of 'serving beauty' and became part of a fusion of emerging modernist trends in stage aesthetics. The artists tried in each production to create a complete work of art. They perfectly combined music, stage drama and visual design (Haldey). It was the birthplace of the leading school of national scenography (‘Minutiae of Life’ FROM PHOTOGRAPH TO 3D | The Tretyakov Gallery Magazine).

Mamontov's goals were ambitious, and to achieve them, he needed first of all the attention of the press. For this reason, he began to have friendly relations with members of the theatrical journalistic corps and create enthusiasm for the company. In addition, he 1) bought expensive newspaper headlines and 2) delighted critics with a) season tickets, b) exclusive seats, and c) charity performances. At the same time, he advertised his company as both commercially viable and ideologically radical, with a noisy and anti-establishment stance. Despite the benefits of directing Russian operas, Mamontov changed his repertoire policy to ensure a better balance between native and Western works (Haldey).

After years of besieging the repertoire committee of the Bolshoi Theatre, with poor results, Moscow critics were surprised and delighted when Mamontov's new company opened its inaugural season with Snow White of Rimsky-Korsakov. This rarely performed masterpiece was followed by 1) the Prince Igor of Borodin, (2) the Maid of Pskov of Rimsky-Korsakov, 3) the much-hyped premiere of Mussorgsky's Hovanschina and, finally, 4) its highly staged world premiere Sadko of Rimsky-Korsakov that we will hear now (Haldey).

Belyayev's cycle (1885-1908)

In the 1880s, the group called Belyayev's circle. The team picked up where the Group of Five (Wikipedia Contributors, ‘Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and The Five’). The Belyayev cycle was a society of Russian musicians who met in St. Petersburg from 1885 to 1908. Members of the group included, among others, 1) Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, 2) Alexander Glazunov, 3) Vladimir Stasov, 4) Anatoly Lyadov, 5) Alexander Ossovsky, 6) Witold Malishevsky, 7) Nikolai Tserepnin, 8) Nikolai Sokolov, and 9) Alexander Winkler ('Belyayev Circle').

The cycle prevailed in musical life in St. Petersburg. Composers who desired the patronage, publication or public performance of their works through Belyayev were forced to write in musical style approved by Glazunov, Lyadov, and Rimsky-Korsakov. Several of the composers who believed in the philosophy of the circle became professors and heads of music conservatories in Russia. This expanded the group's influence both geographically and temporally ('Belyayev Circle').

Belyayev developed interest as a sponsor after hearing Glazunov's First Symphony, which we will hear now ('Belyayev Circle').

Belyayev's Circle - Music

The circle of Belyayev, based his Beliefs on her achievements Group of Five, which had preceded it. That is, the composers were nationalist in their views, and advocated a uniquely Russian style, which used folk music in combination with exotic, melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements. However, there were some important differences between Group of Five and Belyayev's circle.  Members of Belyayev's circle accepted the necessity for Western-style academic training. Oddly enough, this was an attitude that Rimsky-Korsakov passed on to the group, who had taught many of the composers of the cycle. In addition, in unlike the Five, the composers of the Belyayev cycle were not particularly concerned with folklore. They also did not travel to other parts of Russia to actively search for folk songs, as Balakirev had done. When the composers of the cycle produced folklore works, they "simply imitated the style of Balakirev or Rimsky-Korsakov." ('Belyayev Circle').

Another artistic movement with which Belyayev's circle contradicted his philosophy was the artistic movement and magazine the World of Art. The Art World, He identified with the artistic values of the Russian aristocracy, cosmopolitanism and his belief in a world culture. The composers of Belyayev's circle, as well as the Group of Five, believed in a national, realist form of Russian classical music, which had to stand out in its style and characteristics from Western European classical music. The second disagreement with the Art World, was that the composers of the Belyayev cycle practiced art for the sake of art, like a social program ('Belyayev Circle').

One of the composers of the Belyayev cycle who continued the work of the Five in musical orientalism, using exotic melodies, harmonics and rhythmic elements to depict parts of the Eastern Russian Empire was Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. In the West he is best known for his two ensembles Caucasian sketches of where are we going to hear now? ('Belyayev Circle'), performed by the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev (Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov).

External influences

While Belyayev's circle was more tolerant of external influence to some extent than his predecessors, they continued to follow closely the compositional practices of the Five. Glazunov's attitude towards external influences was characteristic of Belyaev's circle. He studied Tchaikovsky's works and "found many that were new ... which he considered instructive for young musicians. It struck him that Tchaikovsky had introduced operatic elements into his symphonies. He admired the thematic material of his works less than 1) the inspired unfolding of his thoughts, 2) his temperament and 3) his craftsmanship ('Belyayev Circle').

At the suggestion of Rimsky-Korsakov, Belyayev founded his own concert series, the Russian Symphony Concerts, which were open only to Russian composers. Among the works written specifically for this concert series were the three works by Rimsky-Korsakov with which he is now best known in the West, namely 1) The Scheherazade, (2) the Spanish Caprice and 3) The Russian Easter Festival that we will hear now ('Belyayev Circle').

Bigotry

Musicologist Solomon Volkov reports that the Belyayev circle and the Group of Five shared mutual suspicion of compositions that did not follow their rule. This proved particularly true of Rachmaninov's First Symphony. Rimsky-Korsakov, whose musical tastes during his later years were not particularly progressive, may have sounded a warning in advance upon hearing the symphony in rehearsal when he told Rachmaninov, "Forgive me, but I find this music not at all pleasing." According to reports from many attendees, the rehearsal that Rimsky-Korsakov had heard under Glazunov's direction was both destructive as a performance and a terrifying parody of the score. The premiere didn't get any better. Cuie wrote in his review of the work, among other things, "If there were a conservatory in Hell, and one of his talented students was going to compose a programmatic symphony based on the story of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, and he was going to to compose a symphony like Mr. Rachmaninov's, then he would have fulfilled his task brilliantly and delighted the inhabitants of Hell." The symphony was not performed again during Rachmaninov's lifetime, and while the composer did not destroy or renounce the score, he suffered a psychological breakdown that led to a three-year creative hiatus ('Belyayev Circle').

Enchanted Lake – Lyadov (1909)

We continue with the project Enchanted Lake by Lyandov, subtitled "fairy tale scene". It premiered in 1909 in St. Petersburg under the baton of the consecrated Tserepnin. The duration of the piece is about seven and a half minutes (‘The Enchanted Lake (Lyadov)’).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJg27IWRTMc

Anatoly Lyadov (1855–1914) was a Russian composer, teacher and conductor (‘Anatoly Lyadov’). The project The Enchanted Lake It is a single project. It is not based on a musical theme. It is on the verge of symbolism and impressionism. André Liske said of the work that "The whole magnificent result is due to 1) the texture of the instruments, 2) the harmonic transformations and 3) the illustrations that translate the flickering of the water and the glow of the stars reflected there (‘The Enchanted Lake (Lyadov)’).

Modernism

Mays wrote that the composers who formed the Belyayev cycle have often been described as important links and pioneers for modernist Russian composers such as Stravinsky and Prokofiev. This, he claims, is actually a false assumption and suggested that modernism was the result of a gradual process. The extensive use of the octatonic scale by  Rimsky-Korsakov and other harmonic experiments "were a goldmine for those who were determined for modernist revolution," Mays wrote. "However, the power of renewal had not yet been freed from the clichés and routines into which the aesthetics of the cycle had been pressed." ('Belyayev Circle').

Legacy

The bias towards musical aesthetics practiced by the Belyaev cycle continued at the St. Petersburg Conservatory after Rimsky-Korsakov's retirement in 1906, with his son-in-law Steinberg responsible for composition classes at the Conservatory until the 1920s. Because of these individuals, Mays writes, "conservatories maintained a direct relationship with the aesthetics of the Belyaev cycle." ('Belyayev Circle').

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