Balakirev Mikhail Alekseevich. A mighty bunch of Russian composers: Balakirev

Miliy Alekseevich Balakirev

Balakirev Mily Alekseevich (1836-1910) - Russian musical and public figure, composer, conductor and pianist. Head of the creative association of Russian composers “New Russian School of Music"("Balakirevsky circle" or " Mighty bunch"), which arose in 1856 and took shape in the early 1860s.

In 1862, together with conductor G. Ya. Lomakin, he organized a free music school in St. Petersburg and was its director (1868-1873, 1881 - 1908). In 1883-94. - chief conductor Imp. Russian Musical Society, manager of the Court singing choir.

Popularized the legacy of M. I. Glinka in Russia and abroad. Author of music for W. Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear", two symphonies (1897,1908), symphonic poems "Tamara" (1882), "Rus" (1887), "In the Czech Republic" (1905), chamber instrumental works and romances .

Orlov A.S., Georgieva N.G., Georgiev V.A. Historical Dictionary. 2nd ed. M., 2012, p. 28.

Balakirev Mily Alekseevich (12/21/1836-05/16/1910), Russian composer, conductor, musical and public figure, head of the creative association of Russian composers “New Russian Musical School” (“Balakirev Circle”, or “Mighty Handful”), which arose in 1856 and took shape in n. 1860s.

In 1853 - 55 Balakirev was a volunteer student at the Faculty of Mathematics of Kazan University. In 1855 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he began to meet with M. I. Glinka And A. S. Dargomyzhsky, debuted as a composer and pianist. In 1862, together with conductor G. Ya. Lomakin, he organized a free music school in St. Petersburg and was its director (1868-73, 1881-1908). Chief conductor of the Russian Musical Society, director of the “Court Singing Chapel” (1883 - 94). As a conductor of the operas “A Life for the Tsar” and “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” Balakirev popularized the operatic heritage of M. I. Glinka in Russia and abroad. Balakirev is the author of music for Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”, symphonic poems “Tamara”, “Rus”, “In the Czech Republic”, oriental fantasy for piano “Islamey”, chamber instrumental works and romances, arranged a number of Russian folk songs.

V. A. Fedorov

BALAKIREV, MILIY ALEXEEVICH (1837–1910), Russian composer, pianist, conductor, head and inspirer of the famous “Five” - “The Mighty Handful” (Balakirev, Cui, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov), which personifies the national movement in Russian musical culture of the 19th century.

Balakirev was born on January 2, 1837 in Nizhny Novgorod, in an impoverished noble family. Brought to Moscow at the age of ten, he took lessons from John Field for some time; later, A.D. Ulybyshev, an enlightened amateur musician, philanthropist, author of the first Russian monograph on Mozart, took a great part in his fate. Balakirev entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Kazan University, but in 1855 he met in St. Petersburg with M.I. Glinka, who convinced the young musician to devote himself to composition in the national spirit, relying on Russian music - folk and church, on Russian plots and texts.

The “Mighty Handful” formed in St. Petersburg between 1857 and 1862, and Balakirev became its leader. He was self-taught and drew his knowledge mainly from practice, therefore he rejected the textbooks and methods of teaching harmony and counterpoint accepted at that time, replacing them with a wide acquaintance with the masterpieces of world music and their detailed analysis. The “Mighty Handful” as a creative association did not last long, but had a huge impact on Russian culture. In 1863, Balakirev founded the Free Music School - as opposed to the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the direction of which Balakirev assessed as cosmopolitan and conservative. He performed a lot as a conductor, regularly introducing listeners to early works your circle. In 1867 Balakirev became the conductor of concerts of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, but in 1869 he was forced to leave this post. In 1870, Balakirev experienced a severe spiritual crisis, after which he did not study music for five years. He returned to composition in 1876, but by this time he had already lost his reputation as the head of the national school in the eyes of the musical community. In 1882, Balakirev again became the director of concerts at the Free Music School, and in 1883, the director of the Court Choir (during this period he created a number of church compositions and transcriptions of ancient chants).

Balakirev played a huge role in the formation of the national music school, but he himself composed relatively little. In symphonic genres, he created two symphonies, several overtures, music for Shakespeare's King Lear (1858–1861), symphonic poems Tamara (c. 1882), Rus' (1887, 2nd edition 1907) and In the Czech Republic (1867, 2nd edition edition 1905). For piano he wrote a sonata in B flat minor (1905), a brilliant fantasy Islamey (1869) and a number of pieces in different genres. Romances and adaptations of folk songs are of high value. Musical style Balakireva rests on one side on folk origins and the traditions of church music, on the other hand, on the experience of new Western European art, especially Liszt, Chopin, Berlioz. Balakirev died in St. Petersburg on May 29, 1910.

Materials from the encyclopedia "The World Around Us" were used.

Literature:

M.A. Balakirev: Research. Articles. L., 1961

Balakirev M.A. Memories and letters. L., 1962

M.A. Balakirev: Chronicle of life and creativity. L., 1967

Mily Alekseevich Balakirev - Russian composer, pianist, conductor, musical and public figure, p.Born on January 2, 1837 in Nizhny Novgorod into an impoverished noble family.

Mily Balakirev studied at the Nizhny Novgorod gymnasium and the Nizhny Novgorod Alexander Noble Institute.

Balakirev discovered his musical abilities in early childhood- mother and elder sister taught him to play the piano. Seeing musical talent son, his mother took him to Moscow, where he studied with famous pianist Dubuque. He also took lessons from John Field for a time.

For financial reasons, classes in Moscow did not last long, the boy returned to Nizhny Novgorod and began taking music lessons from the conductor of the local theater orchestra, Karl Eisrich, who not only gave him basic information on music theory, but also introduced him to the local philanthropist Ulybyshev (author of the first Russian monograph about Mozart), who had a magnificent library. Balakirev was able to meet the best examples classical world literature. In addition, he had the opportunity to work with Ulybyshev’s home orchestra and learn the basics of instrumentation in practice and gain initial conducting skills.

In 1853-1855, Balakirev was a volunteer student at the Faculty of Mathematics of Kazan University, earning his living by giving piano lessons.

In 1855 Balakirev met in St. Petersburg with Glinka, who convinced young composer devote himself to composing music in the national spirit. Leaving for Berlin, Glinka gave him his portrait.

On February 12, 1856, Balakirev made a brilliant debut in St. Petersburg at a university concert as a pianist and composer, with his concert Allegro (fis-moll). The orchestra was conducted by Carl Schubert. “Balakirev is a rich find for our Russian music“,” Serov wrote, impressed by his performance.

The name of the young composer immediately becomes famous in the musical circles of St. Petersburg. They write about him in the newspapers. Representatives of the nobility willingly invite him to their home concerts. However, he is not attracted to the role of a fashionable virtuoso fulfilling the whims of noble patrons. He decisively breaks off secular ties, although he thereby dooms himself to a life full of need and deprivation. His main source of livelihood remains private music lessons. That's it. At the same time, he devotes all his energy, all his strength to the struggle for meaningful, highly ideological musical art.

Balakirev became close friends with Stasov, in whom he found a sensitive, loving friend and ideological inspirer. Acquaintance with Dargomyzhsky also influenced him.

From the end of 1858 to 1861, Mily Balakirev was busy composing music for Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear". The impetus was new production tragedy on the stage of the Alexandria Theater. Balakirev's music for "King Lear", which, according to Stasov, belongs to "among the highest and most capital creatures new music» , is distinguished by deep penetration into the character of Shakespearean drama, relief musical images and an organic connection with stage drama. However, in the theater this music is neverNotwas performed, and the overture, which acquired the character of a completely finished, independent work, became the first example of Russian program symphonism.

During the same period, the community of composers “The Mighty Handful” was formed. Back in 1856, Balakirev met the young military engineer Cui, with whom he quickly became friends based on common musical interests. In 1857 there was a meeting with a graduate of the military school Mussorgsky, in 1861 - with a seventeen-year-old naval officer Rimsky-Korsakov, and in 1862 - with Borodin, a professor at the Medical-Surgical Academy in the Department of Chemistry. This is how the circle formed. According to Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev “they obeyed unquestioningly, for his personal charm was terribly great. Young, with wonderful, moving, fiery eyes, with a beautiful beard, speaking decisively, authoritatively and directly; every minute ready for wonderful improvisation at the piano, remembering every bar known to him, memorizing instantly the compositions played to him, he had to produce this charm like no one else.”.

Balakirev built his classes with his fellow students according to the method of free exchange of creative thoughts. The works of all members of the circle were played and discussed together. By criticizing the writings of his friends, Balakirev not only pointed out how individual shortcomings should be corrected. He often wrote entire pieces of music himself, orchestrated and edited them. He generously shared his creative ideas and experiences with his friends, and suggested themes and plots to them. Great place analysis also took part in the classes outstanding works classics and contemporary composers circle. As Stasov wrote, Balakirev’s conversations “For his comrades they were like real lectures, a real gymnasium and university music course. It seems that no musician equaled Balakirev in the power of critical analysis and musical anatomy.” Disputes that arose in the circle often went far beyond the purely musical issues. Problems of literature, poetry, and social life were hotly discussed.

Mily Balakirev was the first Russian musician to undertake an expedition trip to record songs on the Volga (summer 1860). He went by steamer from Nizhny Novgorod to Astrakhan together with the poet Shcherbina, a researcher and expert on Russian folklore. Shcherbina wrote down the words, Balakirev - the melodies of folk songs.

A.K. Glazunov and M.A. Balakirev.

The first creative result of the trip was a new overture (or picture) on the themes of three Russian songs from those recorded on the Volga. Balakirev gave it the name “1000 Years”, and later, in 1887, after reworking it, he called it the symphonic poem “Rus”. The external reason for the composition was the opening in 1862 in Novgorod of the monument “Millennium of Russia”.

Miliy Alekseevich created new type musical arrangements reproducing original artistic means features of folk song art. In these treatments, as in own writings on folk themes, he boldly combined the clear diatonicism of a peasant song with the coloristic richness of contemporary romantic harmony, found unusual instrumental colors, new interesting techniques developments that emphasized the originality of Russian song and recreated characteristic paintings folk life, nature.

A valuable contribution to the field of Russian musical ethnography is the “Collection of Russian Folk Songs”, published by Balakirev in 1866.

Balakirevvisited the Caucasus three times: in 1862, 1863 and 1868. Impressed by these travels, he wrote the piano fantasy “Islamey”, main theme which became the melody of a Kabardian dance heard during his travels. As a result of these travels, Balakirev began working on the symphonic poem “Tamara”.

March 18, 1862 Balakirev together with choral conductor Lomakin founded the “Free Music School”. In the early days of its existence, this school developed a wide range of activities. In concerts organized by this school, vocal and choral pieces were conducted by Lomakin, and orchestral pieces by Balakirev. On January 28, 1868, after Lomakin refused to manage the school, Balakirev, as one of its founders, took over this work and, as director, managed the school until the fall of 1874.

Wagner, being in Russia and hearing Balakirev's performance, spoke with great praise of his conducting art and added that he saw in him his future Russian rival.

In 1867, Balakirev acted as a conductor in Prague, where he first introduced the Czech public to Glinka’s “Ruslan and Lyudmila”: “Ruslan” finally captivated the Czech public. The enthusiasm with which it was received does not diminish even now, although I have already conducted it 3 times.” Prague listeners presented Balakirev with wreaths, and he decided to take one of them to Glinka’s grave. Czech newspapers recognized Balakirev as a worthy student of Glinka, a successor of his work

From the autumn of 1867 to the spring of 1869, Mily Balakirev conducted symphony concerts Imperial Russian Musical Society (in 1867 together with Berlioz), in which, mainly, works by Berlioz, Liszt and orchestral works by Russian composers: Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Mussorgsky were performed.

By the end of the sixties, friendly ties between Balakirev and Tchaikovsky began. Composers maintain a lively correspondence. Balakirev, with his advice, greatly helps the development of Tchaikovsky’s programmatic symphonic creativity, and he, in turn, helps to popularize Balakirev’s works in Moscow.

By this time, heavy blows were already beginning to rain down on Balakirev one after another.

In the spring of 1869, representatives of the court clique rudely removed him from conducting concerts of the Imperial Russian Musical Society. This caused deep indignation among the progressive music community. Tchaikovsky published an article in the Modern Chronicle in which he expressed the attitude of all honest musicians to the fact of unceremonious expulsion from the highest musical institution a person who is the pride and adornment of Russian musical culture. Tchaikovsky wrote: “Balakirev can now say what the father of Russian literature said when he received the news of his expulsion from the Academy of Sciences: “The Academy can be separated from Lomonosov, but Lomonosov cannot be separated from the Academy.”

By this time it had become very unstable financial situation"Free music school" She was on the verge of closing. Balakirev took this very hard.

Serious troubles also arose in his personal life: the death of his father entailed the need to take care of supporting his unmarried sisters, while the composer himself had no means of subsistence.

By the early seventies they changedand Balakirev’s relationship with members of the “Mighty Handful”. Balakirev’s pupils became mature, fully-fledged composers and no longer needed his daily care. There was nothing unnatural in such a phenomenon, and one of the members of the circle - Borodin - gave this the correct explanation, although dressed in a humorous form: “While everyone was in the position of eggs under the hen (meaning Balakirev by the last one), we were all more or less alike . As soon as the chick hatched from the eggs, it grew feathers. Everyone's feathers were necessarily different; and when the wings grew, each one flew where he was drawn by nature. The lack of similarity in direction, aspirations, tastes, nature of creativity, etc., in my opinion, is a good and not at all a sad side of the matter.” However, painfully proud, seriously wounded by failures, Balakirev could not come to terms with the loss of his former influence on his recent students.

Mily Alekseevich's failures ended with an unsuccessful concert in Nizhny Novgorod, conceived to improve his financial situation.

Difficult experiences caused an acute mental crisis. At one time, Balakirev was obsessed with the idea of ​​suicide. Forced to earn money to join the board of Warsaw as an ordinary employee railway, he distances himself from his former friends and refuses any musical activities for a long time.

Only towards the end of the seventies did he gradually revive his interest in music. He again takes up the interrupted composition of the symphonic poem “Tamara”. Balakirev's return to musical activity The efforts of his friends contributed greatly. In particular, Shestakova played a significant role, inviting him to take part in editing Glinka’s scores that were being prepared for publication. Balakirev actively set to work on this work, inviting Rimsky-Korsakov and his student Lyadov to help.

But Balakirev returned to musical life no longer the same “eagle”, as Dargomyzhsky once called him. Soul powers he was broken, a painful isolation appeared. Friends were especially struck by Balakirev’s appeal to religion.

From 1883 to 1894 Balakirev was the manager of the Court Singing Chapel. All music business he concentrated the singing choir in his hands, and he developed a program of scientific classes. He introduced Rimsky-Korsakov, who held the position of inspector of music classes, to work in the chapel. Balakirev paid special attention to the development of the orchestra class at the chapel.

The latter dates back to 1894 public speaking Balakirev as a pianist. It was at celebrations in Zhelazova Wola, Chopin’s homeland, where, on Balakirev’s initiative, a monument to the great Polish composer was unveiled.

Until the end of his life, Balakirev maintained an ardent love for Glinka. In 1885 in Smolensk, he took part in the opening ceremony of the monument to the great composer and conducted two concerts there. In 1895, he achieved the installation of a memorial plaque on the house in Berlin in which Glinka died, he himself went to the celebrations as part of the Russian delegation and conducted his symphony in Berlin. And in 1906, in honor of the opening of the monument to Glinka in St. Petersburg (the initiator this time was Balakirev), a solemn cantata composed by him was performed.

Balakirev was directly involved in the creation of Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Cui opera works, helping them in choosing subjects and working on music, promoted Russian operas as a conductor and publicist. Balakirev’s activities in the field of popularizing Glinka’s operas in Russia and abroad were especially significant.

Mily Alekseevich Balakirev died on May 16, 1910 in St. Petersburg, in his apartment on Kolomenskaya Street, 7. According to his will, Lyapunov completed a number of works he had not completed, including a piano concerto in E-flat major.

Balakirev was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In 1936, during the reconstruction of the Necropolis of Art Masters, Balakirev’s ashes were moved from the southern fence of the cemetery closer to the wall of the former Tikhvin Church, and buried on the Composer’s Path next to Rimsky-Korsakov, who died in 1908.

Mily Balakirev played a huge role in the formation of the national music school, although he himself composed relatively little. In symphonic genres, he created two symphonies, several overtures, music for Shakespeare’s “King Lear”, symphonic poems “Tamara”, “Rus”, “In the Czech Republic”. For piano, he wrote a sonata in B-flat minor, a brilliant fantasy “Islamey” and a number of plays in different genres. Romances and adaptations of folk songs are of high value. Balakirev’s musical style is based, on the one hand, on folk origins and traditions church music, on the other hand, on the experience of new Western European art, especially Liszt, Chopin, Berlioz.

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Every new discovery was true happiness and delight for him, and he carried along with him, in a fiery impulse, all his comrades.
V. Stasov

M. Balakirev had an exceptional role: to open new era in Russian music and lead an entire direction in it. At first, nothing foreshadowed such a fate for him. Childhood and youth were spent far from the capital. Balakirev began to study music under the guidance of his mother, who, convinced of her son’s extraordinary abilities, specially went with him from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow. Here, a ten-year-old boy took several lessons from the then famous teacher - pianist and composer A. Dubuk. Then again Nizhny, early death mother, studying at the Alexander Institute at the expense of the local nobility (father, a minor official, having married a second time, lived in poverty with his large family) ...

Of decisive importance for Balakirev was his acquaintance with A. Ulybyshev, a diplomat, as well as an excellent music connoisseur, the author of a three-volume biography of V. A. Mozart. His house, where an interesting society gathered and concerts were held, became for Balakirev a real school artistic development. Here he conducts an amateur orchestra, whose performance program includes various works and among them Beethoven's symphonies, acts as a pianist, at his service is a rich library of sheet music, in which he spends a lot of time studying the scores. Maturity comes to to the young musician early. Having entered the mathematics department of Kazan University in 1853, Balakirev left it a year later to devote himself exclusively to music. The first creative experiments dated back to this time: piano works, romances. Seeing Balakirev’s extraordinary successes, Ulybyshev takes him to St. Petersburg and introduces him to M. Glinka. Communication with the author of “Ivan Susanin” and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” was short-lived (Glinka soon went abroad), but meaningful: having approved of Balakirev’s initiatives, great composer gives advice regarding creative activities, talks about music.

In St. Petersburg, Balakirev quickly gained fame as a performer and continued to compose. Brightly gifted, insatiable in knowledge, tireless in work, he was eager for new achievements. Therefore, it is natural that when life brought him together with C. Cui, M. Mussorgsky, and later with N. Rimsky-Korsakov and A. Borodin, Balakirev united and headed this small Music band, which went down in the history of music under the name “Mighty Handful” (given to him by V. Stasov) and the “Balakirev circle”.

Every week, musician friends and Stasov gathered at Balakirev’s. They talked, read aloud a lot together, but devoted most of their time to music. None of the aspiring composers received any special education: Cui was a military engineer, Mussorgsky was a retired officer, Rimsky-Korsakov was a sailor, Borodin was a chemist. “Under the leadership of Balakirev, our self-education began,” Cui later recalled. - “We played four hands everything that was written before us. Everything was subjected to strict criticism, and Balakirev analyzed the technical and creative sides of the works.” The tasks given were immediately responsible: start straight with a symphony (Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov), Cui wrote operas (“ Prisoner of the Caucasus", "Ratcliffe"). Everything composed was performed at circle meetings. Balakirev corrected and gave instructions: “... a critic, a technical critic, he was amazing,” wrote Rimsky-Korsakov.

By this time, Balakirev himself had written 20 romances, including such masterpieces as “Come to Me,” “Song of Selim” (both 1858), “Song of the Goldfish” (1860). All romances were published and received high praise from A. Serov: “...Fresh healthy flowers on the soil of Russian music.” Balakirev's symphonic works were performed at the concerts: Overture on the themes of three Russian songs, Overture from the music to Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear". He also wrote many piano pieces and worked on a symphony.

Balakirev’s musical and social activities are connected with the Free Music School, which he organized together with the wonderful choirmaster and composer G. Lomakin. Here everyone could get involved in music by performing in the school’s choral concerts. Singing, musical literacy and solfeggio classes were also provided. The choir was conducted by Lomakin, and the guest orchestra was conducted by Balakirev, who included works by his circle comrades in the concert programs. The composer always acted as a faithful follower of Glinka, and one of the testaments of the first classic of Russian music was reliance on folk song as a source of creativity. In 1866, Balakirev’s Collection of Russian Folk Songs was published, and he spent several years working on it. A stay in the Caucasus (1862 and 1863) provided an opportunity to become acquainted with oriental musical folklore, and thanks to a trip to Prague (1867), where Balakirev was to conduct Glinka’s operas, he also learned Czech folk songs. All these impressions were reflected in his work: a symphonic picture on the themes of three Russian songs “1000 Years” (1864; in the 2nd edition - “Rus”, 1887), “Czech Overture” (1867), oriental fantasy for piano “Islamey” "(1869), the symphonic poem "Tamara", begun in 1866 and completed many years later.

Balakirev’s creative, performing, musical and social activities make him one of the most authoritative musicians, and A. Dargomyzhsky, who became the chairman of the Russian Musical Society, manages to invite Balakirev there to the position of conductor (seasons 1867/68 and 1868/69). Now the music of the composers of the “Mighty Handful” was also heard in the Society’s concerts, and the premiere of Borodin’s First Symphony was a success.

It seemed that Balakirev’s life was on the rise, that there was an ascent to new heights ahead. And suddenly everything changed dramatically: Balakirev was removed from conducting RMO concerts. The injustice of what happened was obvious. Tchaikovsky and Stasov, who spoke in the press, expressed their indignation. Balakirev switches all his energy to the Free Music School, trying to contrast its concerts with the Musical Society. But competition with a richly endowed, highly patronized institution turned out to be unbearable. One after another, Balakirev is haunted by failures, his financial instability turns into extreme need, and this is, if necessary, to support his younger sisters after the death of his father. There is no room for creativity. Driven to despair, the composer even has thoughts of suicide. There is no one to support him: his circle comrades moved away, each busy with his own plans. Balakirev’s decision to break with the art of music forever was like a bolt from the blue for them. Without listening to their calls and persuasion, he enters the Warsaw Railway Store Office. The fateful event, which divided the composer’s life into two strikingly different periods, occurred in June 1872...

Although Balakirev did not serve long in the office, his return to music was long and internally difficult. He earns his living by giving piano lessons, but does not compose himself, and lives secluded and secluded. Only at the end of the 70s. he starts showing up at friends' houses. But this was a different person. The passion and ebullient energy of a man who shared - albeit not always consistently - the progressive ideas of the 60s, was replaced by sanctimonious, pious and apolitical, one-sided judgments. Healing after the crisis did not come. Balakirev again becomes the head of the music school he left behind, working on completing “Tamara” (based on Lermontov’s poem of the same name), which was first performed under the direction of the author in the spring of 1883. New ones appear, mainly piano pieces, new editions (Overture on the theme of the Spanish march, symphonic poem “Rus”). In the mid-90s. 10 romances are created. Balakirev composes extremely slowly. So, started in the 60s. The first symphony was completed only more than 30 years later (1897), in the Second Piano Concerto, planned at the same time, the composer wrote only 2 parts (it was completed by S. Lyapunov), work on the Second Symphony lasted for 8 years (1900-08). In 1903-04 a series of beautiful romances appears. Despite the tragedy he experienced and his distance from former friends, Balakirev’s role in musical life is significant. In 1883-94. he was the manager of the Court Singing Chapel and, in collaboration with Rimsky-Korsakov, changed it beyond recognition music training, putting it on a professional basis. The most gifted students of the chapel formed a musical circle around their leader. Balakirev was also the center of the so-called Weimar circle, which met with Academician A. Pypik in 1876-1904; here he performed with whole concert programs. Balakirev’s correspondence with foreign countries is extensive and informative. musical figures: With French composers and folklorist L. Bourgault-Ducoudray and critic M. Calvocoressi, with the Czech musical and public figure B. Kalensky.

Symphonic music Balakireva is gaining more and more fame. It sounds not only in the capital, but also in the provincial cities of Russia, and is successfully performed abroad - in Brussels, Paris, Copenhagen, Munich, Heidelberg, Berlin. His piano sonata is played by the Spaniard R. Vines, and “Islamea” is performed by the famous I. Hoffmann. The popularity of Balakirev’s music and his foreign recognition as the head of Russian music seem to compensate for his tragic isolation from the mainstream in his homeland.

Balakirev's creative heritage is small, but it is rich in artistic discoveries that fertilized Russian music of the second half of the 19th century V. Tamara is one of the pinnacle works of national-genre symphony and a unique lyric poem. In Balakirev's romances there are many techniques and textural finds that gave rise to germination outside the chamber vocal music- in the instrumental sound recording of Rimsky-Korsakov, in the operatic lyrics of Borodin.

The collection of Russian folk songs not only opened new stage in musical folklore, but also enriched Russian opera and symphonic music with many great topics. Balakirev was an excellent music editor: everything early writings Mussorgsky, Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov passed through his hands. He prepared for publication the scores of both operas by Glinka (together with Rimsky-Korsakov) and the works of F. Chopin. Balakirev lived great life, in which there were both brilliant creative ups and tragic defeats, but on the whole it was the life of a true innovative artist.

Miliy Balakirev began playing the piano when he was four years old. At the age of 25, he headed the “Mighty Handful” composers’ circle and directed the Free Music School. Balakirev's works were known in many cities of Russia and Europe.

“Healthy flowers on the soil of Russian music”

Mily Balakirev was born in 1837 in Nizhny Novgorod, his father was a titular councilor. Balakirev began to be interested in music in early childhood. Already at the age of four he learned to play the piano under the guidance of his mother, and later took lessons from the conductor Karl Eisrich, Spanish composer John Field and music teacher Alexander Dubuk.

The young pianist met Nizhny Novgorod philanthropist And famous writer Alexander Ulybyshev. In his house, Miliy Balakirev fell into creative environment: writers and artists met here, actors Mikhail Shchepkin and Alexander Martynov visited, for a long time composer Alexander Serov lived. In Ulybyshev's house, Mily Balakirev studied musical literature and scores, performed with the home orchestra - first as a pianist and then as a conductor.

In 1854, Balakirev, at the insistence of his father, entered the mathematics department of Kazan University as a volunteer. After a year, he dropped out of school to pursue music. Mily Balakirev began to write his first works - romances and piano pieces. Soon the aspiring composer left with Alexander Ulybyshev for St. Petersburg, where he met Mikhail Glinka. On Glinka's advice, Balakirev began performing at concerts as a pianist and writing his own music with folk motifs. He composed overtures on Russian and Czech themes, music for Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear" and romances, which composer Alexander Serov called "fresh" healthy flowers on the basis of Russian music."

Balakirevsky circle and Free music school

During these years, Mily Balakirev met Cesar Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin. In 1862, they formed the “New Russian Music School” circle, which critic Vladimir Stasov nicknamed “The Mighty Handful.” Composers of the Balakirev circle studied folklore and church singing in order to use folk motives in essays. Fairy-tale and epic stories also appeared in symphonic works, and in chamber vocal creativity each member of the “Mighty Handful”. Balakirev traveled a lot in search of new topics. From a trip to the Volga he brought the idea of ​​the collection “40 Russian Songs”, and from the Caucasus - developments for the piano fantasy “Islamey” and the symphonic poem “Tamara”.

None of the composers in the circle studied at the conservatory: they did not exist then. Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky received military education, and Borodin was a chemist and had a doctorate in medicine. Mily Balakirev evaluated the works of his comrades and made recommendations. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote: “...a critic, a technical critic, he was amazing.” Balakirev at that time was considered an experienced composer and was the leader of the circle.

“They obeyed Balakirev unquestioningly, because his personal charm was terribly great. ... Every minute ready for wonderful improvisation at the piano, remembering every bar known to him, memorizing instantly the compositions played to him, he had to produce this charm like no one else.”

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

In the year of the formation of the “Mighty Handful,” Mily Balakirev, with conductor Gavriil Lomakin, opened the “Free Music School.” Residents of both capitals studied here without social and age restrictions “to ennoble their aspirations and to form decent church choirs from them... as well as to develop new talents from them through the preparation of soloists.” The students were taught singing, musical literacy and solfeggio. Concerts of “new Russian music” - Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Dargomyzhsky and composers of the “Mighty Handful” were held here. Proceeds from the concerts went towards the development of the school.

World famous soloist of the Weimar Circle

In the 1870s, Mily Balakirev became one of the most respected musicians in St. Petersburg. He was invited to conduct at the Imperial Russian musical society. Here, too, the music of the composers of the “Mighty Handful” was heard, and the premiere of Alexander Borodin’s First Symphony took place. However, two years later Balakirev had to leave his post as conductor: court circles were dissatisfied with the composer’s harsh statements about musical conservatism.

He returned to work at the Free Music School. Balakirev was haunted by material failures, and there were no opportunities left for creativity. At this time, the “Mighty Handful” broke up: Balakirev’s students became experienced and independent composers.

“While everyone was in the position of eggs under the hen (meaning Balakirev by the latter), we were all more or less alike. As soon as the chicks hatched from the eggs, they grew feathers. Everyone flew where he was drawn by nature. The lack of similarity in direction, aspirations, tastes, nature of creativity, etc., in my opinion, is a good and not at all a sad side of the matter.”

Alexander Borodin

Mily Balakirev decided to leave the art of music and took a job in the Warsaw Railway Administration. He earned money by giving piano lessons, but did not write music or perform at concerts, and lived a secluded and secluded life.

Only in the 1880s did the composer return to music school. During these years, he completed Tamara and the First Symphony, and wrote new piano pieces and romances. In 1883–1894, Balakirev directed the Court Singing Chapel and, together with Rimsky-Korsakov, organized professional training for musicians there. The composer was a member of the Weimar Circle, which met with academician Alexander Pypin. At these evenings Balakirev performed entire musical programms with your own comments. According to the recollections of the academician’s daughter, in 1898–1901 alone there were 11 such programs in his repertoire. The symphonic music of Miliya Balakirev in these years was known throughout Russia and abroad - in Brussels, Paris, Copenhagen, Munich, Heidelberg, Berlin.

Mily Balakirev died in 1910 at the age of 73. He was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.