Glinka: a short biography of the composer. M

08.12.2021

Hello curious student!

You are on the page dedicated to the great Russian composer Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka!

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka- Russian composer, founder of Russian classical music. The author of the operas A Life for the Tsar (Ivan Susanin, 1836) and Ruslan and Lyudmila (1842), which laid the foundation for two directions of Russian opera -folk musical drama and opera-fairy tale, opera-epic.

They laid the foundations of Russian symphony.A classic of Russian romance.

First, you need to get acquainted with the personality of the composer, for this I suggest you familiarize yourself with the biography of Mikhail Ivanovich.

Born June 1, 1804... in the village of Novospasskoye, Smolensk province, in the family of a landowner. In 1818 he entered the Noble Boarding School at the St. Petersburg Pedagogical Institute, which he graduated in 1822. At the boarding school, Glinka began to compose music and became popular as the author of wonderful romances. In total, he wrote 80 works for voice and piano, including masterpieces of vocal lyrics: the elegies “Do not tempt”, “Doubt”, the cycle “Farewell to St. Petersburg” and others.

After graduating from the boarding house, Glinka entered the Main Directorate of Railways, but soon left the service to devote himself entirely to music.

In 1830-1834. he undertook a long journey through Italy, Austria and Germany, getting acquainted with European musical traditions and improving his composing skills. Upon his return, he began to realize his cherished dream - to write a Russian opera. The plot was suggested by V. A. Zhukovsky - the feat of Ivan Susanin. Already in 1836Petersburg hosted the premiere of the opera"Life for the Tsar" ... After the success, Glinka set to work on a second opera, this time on a Pushkin story. The work went on, albeit with interruptions, for about six years. In 1842. held pre myra "Ruslana and Lyudmila", which became the first fairytale-epic opera in the history of r Russian music.

Glinka's work was highly valued by musicians - his contemporaries. Thus, F. Liszt transcribed for piano "March of Chernomor" from "Ruslan and Lyudmila" and very often performed it in his concerts.

In 1844-1847. Glinka traveled to France and Spain. The images of Spain were reflected in the overtures "The Aragonese Hunt" (1845) and "Night in Madrid" (1851). The composer also colorfully embodied the image of his native country in symphonic music. Being
in Warsaw, he wrote the orchestral fantasy "Kamarinskaya" (1848) on the theme of two Russian folk songs. PI Tchaikovsky said about this work that in it, "like an oak in an acorn, all Russian symphonic music is contained."

In 1856, Mikhail Ivanovich went to Berlin to study the polyphony of the old masters in order to revive the old Russian znamenny church tunes in his work. The plan was not realized: on February 15, 1857 Glinka died.

Now the time has come to acquaint you with two operas by M. Glinka, for this watch the presentation.

Two operas by M. Glinka

Listen to Susanin's Aria

YouTube video

This document presents the main significant works of the composer.

Glinka's works

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804 - 1857).
The founder of Russian classics, the first composer in the history of the country, with an extraordinary breadth and power to reveal the national character in his music. Mikhail Glinka raised the music of the Russian people to the highest heights of world art. It is no coincidence that Glinka is compared with the progenitor of new Russian literature, the poet A.S. Pushkin.

In his native village of Novospasskoye, Smolensk province, from childhood, the future composer absorbed the bright intonations and spiritual breadth of folk peasant songs. By the age of ten with his uncle's orchestra, where he mastered playing various instruments, classical music also entered his life.

Glinka began to receive musical education at the age of fourteen at the St. Petersburg Noble Boarding School, where he first turned to writing. Here he met the future Decembrists (one of Glinka's teachers was V.K.Küchelbecker) and communication with them had a great influence on the formation of the personality of the young musician.

Gradually, music becomes the work of his whole life. However, at that time in Russia there was still no systematic composer education and in order to improve his skills, the composer went to Germany, Austria and Italy for new impressions, which especially attracts the musician with its nature, historical monuments and perfection of melodies. The well-known overtures "Jota Aragonese" and "Night in Madrid", written later in the period 1845-1851, became the embodiment of the romantic images of this country.

Returning from a trip, under the influence of the poet V.A. Zhukovsky, Glinka began composing an opera, which became a breakthrough in the history of Russian art and marked the beginning of a new period in the development of Russian music. In 1936, the patriotic opera Ivan Susanin, originally titled A Life for the Tsar, was staged at the Bolshoi Theater of St. Petersburg. For the first time, the folk tune sounded in the "serious" opera genre.

Continuing the Russian theme in his work, Glinka turns to the plot of the poem of A.S. Pushkin "Ruslan and Lyudmila", on which he has been working for six years. In 1842, the premiere of the new opera took place with unchanged success. Like the poet himself, the composer was able to penetrate in her into the character and musical intonations of other peoples.
In 1856, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka again visits Berlin, intending to study the European school of polyphonic skill more deeply. His intentions are to resurrect ancient Russian church tunes. However, these plans were not destined to come true. In February 1857, the composer passed away, leaving behind a huge legacy of the Russian symphony school.

The creativity of M.I. Glinka

PLAN

1. The historical role of Glinka in music.

2. Researchers of Glinka's creativity.

3. The creative path. Characteristics of creativity.

4. Opera drama.

5. Symphonic music.

6. Chamber instrumental music.

7. Romances.

Glinka's historical role in music can be compared with the role of Pushkin in Russian literature. In the very nature of the talent of the two contemporaries, there is much in common. According to Belinsky, like Pushkin, Glinka was able to combine "an elegantly humane feeling with a plastically graceful form." It is this quality that made the poet's and composer's work an example of truly classical artistic creativity, which is based on the fusion of deep inner truth and breadth of content with harmonious clarity, harmony and completeness of form. Like Pushkin Glinka is universal ... In his work, he showed the diverse aspects of Russian life and Russian character. He creator of Russian classical opera and Russian classical romance ... He laid the foundations of classical Russian symphonism ... The great historical significance of Glinka was determined by another quality - a deeply national artist, he possessed the Gift of comprehending the psychology and way of thinking of other nationalities. His East, Italy, Spain is an example of creative recreation of genuine living images.

The flourishing of Glinka's creativity coincided with the era of romanticism in Europe. Glinka was close to the concept of romantics about national identity and specificity. But Glinka did not become a romantic, even in the fantastically colorful opera Ruslan and Lyudmila. He is not characterized by the specific features of romanticism - heightened attention to the personality, the subjective, skeptical attitude to the environment, pathetic expression of feelings. Alien to national narrow-mindedness, Glinka's work, for all its classicism, does not belong to either classicism or romanticism. But from romanticism he inherited progressive traits - the ability to find beauty in the ordinary. In the history of Russian music, he was the first to achieve perfection in the unity of the truthful and the beautiful, conveying images of the surrounding reality in an elegant, harmonious and perfect artistic form.

With the work of Glinka, musicology in Russia acquired a worthy object of research for the formulation of great musical and aesthetic problems, based on the analysis of his work, professional literature about music emerges. Glinka's works are examined in historical, aesthetic, musical and creative aspects. His works are the subject of critical articles devoted to the problems of musical theater and musical performance, the problems of opera drama, the principles of symphony, the specifics of the musical language. V.F.Odoevsky, A.N. Serov, V.V. Stasov, G.A. Laroche, P.P. Weinmarn, N.F.Findeisen, N.D. Kashkin, A.N. Rimsky-Korsakov, B.V.Asafiev, D.D.Shostakovich, V.V. Protopopov, T.N. Livanova - is a far from complete list of researchers of Glinka's work.

The creative life of M.I. Glinka was reflected in his "Notes", in which the composer divides his creative life into four periods:

1. Childhood and adolescence, the formation of creative principles (until 1830).

2. The path to mastery (1830-1836).

3. Central period (up to 1844).

4. Late period (1844-1854). -

His statements speak about the composer's amazing modesty, about strict requirements for himself, about sincerity and truthfulness.

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka was born in the Smolensk province, in the village of Novospasskoye. From childhood he listened to Russian folk songs, fell in love with them and throughout his life developed Russian folk music. Glinka's first acquaintance with professional music took place in early childhood. Russian songs, classical plays and dances formed the repertoire of his uncle's small serf orchestra. Learning to play the piano and violin begins from early childhood.

The years 1818-1822 were the years of Glinka's studies in St. Petersburg, where he received a thorough general education. Showing brilliant ability and interest in literature, theater, poetry, he is seriously engaged in music. A special role was played by the teacher Shch. Mayer, who not only gave a good pianistic school, but also helped in Glinka's first composing experiments. Glinka was greatly influenced by meetings with future participants in the Decembrist uprising and close communication with the Decembrist 8.K. Küchelbecker. The tragic events of December 14, 1825 made an indelible impression on the young Glinka; faith in his people and a desire to serve the Motherland were strengthened in his heart. After 1825, Glinka's vocation as a composer was finally determined, he completely devoted himself to creativity. Cycles of piano variations, sketches of overtures, chamber ensembles are the first experiments. Then there are significant romance works "Do not tempt", "Poor singer", "Do not sing, beauty, with me", variations on the theme of the Russian folk song "Among the flat valley." At the same time, his performing skills as a pianist and a singer are growing. By the end of the 1920s, Glinka's name was gaining wide popularity. He greedily absorbs all the best that the environment gives him. He was close with Pushkin, Griboyedov, Zhukovsky, Mitskevich, he plays music with Odoevsky, Varlamov, performs in the music salon of the Polish pianist Maria Shimanovskaya.

At the same time, Glinka feels dissatisfaction and seeks to get acquainted with the musical life of the West. In 1830 his first trip abroad will take place. He goes to Italy , where he lives in Milan, visits Naples, Rome, Venice. Then he goes to Austria and Germany ; he is fond of Italian opera culture and classical vocal performance, in which he sees a combination of classical harmony, clarity of performance with ease. A number of piano variations on Italian themes written by him in Italy speak of his passion for Italian art. During a trip abroad, Glinka gets acquainted with the best achievements of Western European culture. All this broadened the composer's horizons and gave new aspirations. A thorough acquaintance with the opera house helped Glinka to realize her true vocation. He decides to create a Russian opera. In Berlin, Glinka studies under the guidance of the theoretical musician Siegfried Dehn, with whom he put his theoretical knowledge in order and worked on the technique of polyphonic writing.

In 1834 Glinka returned to his homeland and began to embody the idea of a national opera writing opera "Ivan Susanin". He dreams of a great heroic opera. The plot was suggested by the poet Zhukovsky. The work went on with great enthusiasm, but difficulties were due to the fact that there was no libretto. The writing of the text was entrusted to G.F. Rosen, a poet close to the court. The original title of the opera "Ivan Susanin" was changed to "A Life for the Tsar". By means of music, Glinka embodied the main idea of the folk tragedy - to show the greatness of the feat of a peasant who gave his life for his homeland.

The opera premiered on November 27, 1836. The opera was perceived as a huge historical event by Pushkin, Gogol, Odoevsky. Secular music lovers had the opposite opinion, calling the opera "coachman's music". Pushkin predicted the great future of Glinka.

A new period of the composer's creative life began - a period of brilliant creative flowering. His art is recognized at home and abroad. Glinka begins work on a new opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" and at the same time over the music to the tragedy of NK Kukolnik "Prince Kholmsky", the cycle of romances "Farewell to St. Petersburg". Romances of this period are known: "Doubt", "Night View", "I remember a wonderful moment." The opera Ruslan and Lyudmila was staged on November 27, 1842. At the premiere, the emperor and his retinue left the hall even before the end of the performance, but music critics praised the opera. In the 40s Glinka was a mature artist with well-formed aesthetic views and big plans. But the external conditions of life were unfavorable. As a composer of the court chapel, he was burdened by the role of a court servant. The envy and petty quibbles of the chapel distracted the composer from his creative work. Unsuccessful was the marriage to M.P. Ivanova, a secular young lady, far from the creative interests of her husband. All this forced Glinka to break off her previous ties in the aristocratic world.

In 1844 Glinka again went abroad, to France and Spain. In Paris he meets Hector Berlioz. A concert of works by Glinka was held with great success in Paris. The composer spent two years in Spain. Using recordings of folk dances, in 1845 he wrote a concert overture "Jota Aragonese", in 1848 already in Russia overture "Night in Madrid". Then it was written symphonic fantasy "Kamarinskaya".

In recent years M.I. Glinka lived in St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Paris, Berlin. Poets, singers, writers, composers, actors, young musicians, Balakirev, music critics Serov and Stasov gathered in the composer's house. Glinka died in Berlin in 1887. His ashes were transported to St. Petersburg.

Characteristics of creativity.

M.I. Glinka, having absorbed the achievements of Western European musical culture, perfectly mastered high skill, developed his own system of aesthetic views, to which his style is subordinated. He created the national style and language of Russian classical music, which was the foundation of the entire future development of the Russian classical school.

The defining element of his music is the melody. The melody is characterized by chanting, smoothness, typical revolutions: sixth and hexachord (six-sounding) tunes, humming of the fifth (fifth degree of the fret) tone, descending movement from the fifth to the tonic of the fret. Song character is characteristic of his vocal and instrumental compositions, where "singing harmony" permeates the entire orchestral fabric.

MI Glinka deeply penetrated the very nature of folk music, understanding the essential features of folk musical thinking, folk melody, harmony and rhythm. The language of the folk song became his own, native language for him.

The smoothness of the voice leading, the relief of the melodic pattern - all these are the indigenous traditions of folk polyphony under the voice. Freedom of voice leading, characteristic of Glinka's harmonious and polyphonic thinking, his technique of layering voices, love for transparent two and three voices - all this is associated with the style of folk polyphony. Glinka was fluent in the method of variant development. Glinka's polyphony is both similar and not similar to classical samples. The composer uses classical Western European forms of fugue, canon, imitation, moving counterpoint, but they are of a national-Russian character. Following Glinka, the methods of variant-singing development were used by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and many other composers of the next generations.

Glinka poetically transformed the Russian folk color, using original fret turns, the principle of modal variability, typical modes of a Russian folk song - Mixolydian major, natural minor.

Opera creativity. Glinka created two leading operatic genres of Russian music - the folk historical musical drama "Ivan Susanin" and the fabulous epic opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila".

"Ivan Susanin" opens the mature period of Glinka's work. The plot of the opera was proposed by Zhukovsky and is based on a historical fact - the heroic feat of the peasant Ivan Osipovich Susanin in 1612, when Russia was occupied by invaders. Moscow has already been liberated. But one of the remaining Polish troops entered the village of Domnino. The peasant Ivan Susanin, agreeing to be a guide, took them into a deep forest, thereby ruining them and himself. Glinka was inspired by the idea of patriotism of the Russian people.

The idea of love for the fatherland is a pervasive one in the opera. The sequential development of the conflict is fully reflected in the musical composition.

Opera begins overture ... The overture is all built on themes found in the opera, and embodies the main idea of the opera in a generalized form. It is written in the form of a sonata allegro with an introduction. The main part (in G minor) is a disturbing, impetuous theme of the folk chorus from the finale of Act III, where the people are shown in a patriotic impulse. In the development of the overture, this theme takes on a dramatically intense] character. A side theme - Vanya's theme “How the Mother Was Killed” The exposition has already given an opposition - a connecting part in a three-beat meter with mazurka intonations represents the Poles. The same theme sounds in the opera in the scene of the arrival of the Poles in Susanin's hut. Thus, the "arch" is thrown to one of the climaxes of the opera. In the code, the juxtaposition is even brighter - the disturbing motives of the main part pass into frozen chords, which will sound in Susanin's answers to the Poles in the forest. Further, mazur phrases sound like a threat to the Poles. These phrases grow, but the three-part is replaced by the two-part, and this translates into bell chimes. The theme of the main part in G major sounds victorious. Thus, the entire course of the opera is shown in the overture.

The opera has four acts and an epilogue. V first action the characteristics of the Russian people and the main characters of the opera are given. This is Ivan Susanin, his daughter Antonida, adopted son Vanya, Antonida's fiancé - warrior Sobinin, the people. Act 1 opens with a monumental choral scene-introduction. In the introduction, two choirs alternate several times - male and female. The theme of the male choir is close to the peasant and soldier songs of the heroic-epic character ("You rise, the sun is red"). For the first time in Russian art, the music of a pronounced folk style conveys a lofty heroic pathos.

The melody of the second chorus - female - sounds first in the orchestra, and a little later appears in the vocal part. Lively, joyful, it resembles the round dance songs of peasant girls dedicated to the spring awakening of nature.

The main melodic images of the introduction are in contrast to each other. Thus, the introduction shows different aspects of the image of the people: its will and cordiality, its courageous perseverance and loving perception; native nature.

After the monumental choral introduction, Glinka gives a musical portrait of one of the characters - Susanin's daughter Antonida.

Antonida's aria consists of two sections: cavatina and rondo. Slow brooding cavatina is sustained in the spirit of Russian lyric songs. Delicate cavatina gives way to lively, "graceful rondo. Its light, fresh music also has a song character."

Antonida answers Susanin. This is an "exposition" of the main image of the opera. Susanin's recitatives are typical of Glinka's style. They are melodious, they have many smooth moves at wide intervals, chants on separate syllables. Thus, the composer immediately shows the organic unity of Susanin and “the people.

A new hero of the opera also appears - Bogdan Sobinin. The main feature of Sobinin is his “daring character”. It is revealed with the help of ardent and sweeping song phrases with an elastic, clear rhythm, sustained in the spirit of valiant soldiers' songs.

The final I of the action is sustained in a marching movement and is full of patriotic enthusiasm. Susanin, Antonida and Sobinin act as lead singers and soloists of the choir

II action presents a stark contrast to the former. Instead of simple peasants on the stage, there are pans feasting in the castle of the Polish king. Four dances: polonaise, krakowiak, waltz and mazurka form a large dance suite. The main theme of Krakowiak, thanks to the syncopated rhythm, is particularly elastic; the waltz on 6/8 is graceful, the presence of syncopation on the second beat makes it akin to a mazurka, giving it a Polish flavor as well. The waltz is distinguished by a particular subtlety and transparency of orchestration. The polonaise and the final mazurka are of a completely different character. Polonaise sounds proudly, ceremoniously and belligerent. His intonations are reminiscent of fanfare calls. A carefree, bravura mazurka with a sweeping melody and sonorous chords is full of dashing and splendor.

With the intonations and rhythms of this dance, Glinka paints a portrait of the Polish invaders, whose outward splendor hides greed, arrogance and reckless vanity.

Before Glinka, dance numbers were introduced into the opera, but usually only in the form of a plug-in divertissement, but they were not directly related to the action. Glinka, for the first time, gave dances an important dramatic meaning. They became a means of figurative characterization of the characters. Russian classical ballet music originates from the “Polish” scenes in Act II.

III action can be divided into two halves: the first - before the arrival of enemies, the second - from the moment they appear. The first half is dominated by a calm and light mood. Shown here is the character of Susanin - a loving father with his family.

The action begins with a song by Susanin's adopted son Vanya. The song is close to Russian folk songs with its simplicity and natural melodiousness. At the end of the song, Susanin's voice is included in it and the song goes into the stage, and then into the duet. The duet is dominated by marching intonations and rhythms; in him the patriotic enthusiasm of father and son finds expression.

The dramatic culmination of the entire opera is the scene with the Poles in IV act ... Here the fate of the main character of the opera is decided.

The picture begins with a chorus of Poles wandering in the darkness of the night through a dense forest covered with snow. To characterize the Poles, Glinka uses the rhythm of the mazurka. Here it is devoid of bravura and belligerence, sounds gloomy, conveying the oppressed state of mind of the Poles, their premonition of imminent death. Unstable chords (increased triad, decreased 7th chord) and dull orchestral timbres heighten the feeling of darkness and melancholy.

The main features of the hero's appearance at the decisive hour of his life are revealed in his dying aria and the subsequent recitative monologue. The opening short recitative "They Feel the Truth" is based on the wide, unhurried and confident intonations of the song warehouse, which are usual for Susanin. This is one of the best examples of Glinka's melodious recitative (example No. 8). In the aria itself ("You will come, my dawn ...") the mood of deep sorrowful meditation prevails. Susanin retains his inherent masculinity, sublimity and fortitude. There is no melodrama in this. Susanin's aria is a vivid example of Glinka's innovative approach to folk song. It is here, on the basis of Russian folk song intonations, that music, imbued with genuine tragedy, first appears. This aria includes the words of Odoevsky that Glinka "managed to create a new unheard-of character, elevate the folk tune to a tragedy."

The opera ends with a grandiose scene of a folk celebration on Red Square in Moscow.

Epilogue consists of three sections: 1) the chorus "Glory" in the first presentation; 2) scenes and trio of Vanya, Antonida and Sobinin "Oh, not me, poor ..." with a chorus; and 3) the final, a new, final presentation "Glory".

In the ingenious "Glory" with the utmost convexity and clarity, the heroic image of the victorious people is embodied.

Ivan Susanin is the first Russian opera based on continuous musical development; there is not a single spoken dialogue in it. Glinka implements the principle of symphony in the opera and lays the foundations for the leitmotif method, later developed with such skill by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Together with Ivan Susanin, Russian music embarked on the path of symphonic development ... The pinnacle of Russian dramatic symphony is the scene in the forest, an example of a deep symphonic disclosure of the psychological subtext of a drama.

In describing her characters, Glinka uses a variety of forms - from an arious recitative to a complex multi-part aria of the classical type. A specific feature of the opera is the presence of Polish scenes of end-to-end development, which actively promote the action of the drama. But the aria is an important center of opera composition, in the aria it is the characterization of the character.

Glinka's high skill manifested itself in the ensembles, in which the principles of classical polyphony are combined with the nature of the folk-Russian polyphonic style. In the finale of act I in the trio “Don't Tomi, Dear”, Glinka uses the form of polyphonic variations in a new way, with a gradual layering of voices. In the funeral trio from the epilogue, the techniques of Russian folk polyphony are used. The monumental quartet from Act III approaches a symphonic cycle - an introduction, anedgeo, a slow movement and a fast ending,

In the opera "Ivan Susanin" there is a truly symphonic method of cross-cutting development. The meaning of Glinka's dramatic comparison of the two opposing forces is not only in the national-genre contrast - Russian and Polish, song and dance, vocal and instrumental, symphonic beginning as the main means of characterization. The meaning of contrast is also in another - the image of the people is interpreted as the main character of the tragic history - the defender of the Motherland. Hence the different approach and different scales in the interpretation of both groups. Polish gentry are shown in a generalized way. And the Russian people are shown in a variety of ways; That is why the folk song language of the opera is so rich. The opera's choral scenes define the national style of Glinka's opera. The basis is Russian song in all its genre varieties. The finest features of the intonation and modal structure of Russian folk songs were first fully embodied only by Glinka, which was expressed, for example, in the five-beat rhythm of the girls 'choir, in the flexible modal variability in the rowers' chorus. Folk intonations are freely developed, being re-implemented in the classically harmonious forms of Glinka's music. The variation form corresponding to the character of Russian folk themes is widely used by the composer.

The main role is played by two choral scenes. The people in them appear as a "great personality", united by one feeling, one will. These folk choirs, with their oratorical style, were unparalleled at the time.

The final scene of the opera, the epilogue, expresses a scene of popular rejoicing. Glinka's contemporary Serov wrote: "In its Russian originality, in its faithful transmission of the historical moment, this chorus is a page of Russian history."

The chorus theme combines the features of chanting and movement. Its entire figurative structure conveys the leisurely pace of the people's procession.

The origins of the choir are diverse. Here there is a folk song, and the style of choral part singing, a solemn edging of the 18th century. In the general composition of the choral scene, Glinka uses her favorite form of variation and polyphonic methods of development.

To achieve a general impression of joy, celebration, Glinka also uses coloristic techniques - a full symphony orchestra and a brass one on stage take part in the finale, a group of basses and bells join the main choir, the diatonic (C major) is enriched with harmonic colors (E major, B major). All means are applied with a sense of proportion, harmony and beauty of form.

V opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" Glinka used a traditional fairy tale plot with feats, fantasy, and magical transformations to show various characters, complex relationships between people, creating a whole gallery of human types. Among them are the knightly noble and courageous Ruslan, the gentle Lyudmila, the inspired Bayan, the ardent Ratmir, the faithful Gorislava, the cowardly Farlaf, the kind Finn, the insidious Naina, the cruel Chernomor.

The overall composition of the opera is subject to the strict principle of symmetry. Typical for Glinka's methods of reprisal and completeness of form determine the individual elements of the opera and its entire composition as a whole. The prologue and epilogue frame the piece, which is in keeping with the epic cast of the opera. The slenderness of the operatic form is created by means of musical framing: the thematic material of the overture is repeated again in the finale of Act V, in the solemn concluding chorus in the same key in D major. The extreme acts paint majestic pictures of Kievan Rus. Between them contrasting scenes of the hero's magical adventures in the kingdom of Naina and Chernomor unfold, a 3-part is formed. This principle will become typical for fairy-tale and epic operas of Russian lyrics. At the same time, the opera is symphonic, the conflicting, intensely dramatic development is replaced by the principle of contrast.

The new genre of fairytale-epic opera determines the peculiarities of the musical drama of Ruslana and Lyudmila. Based on the classical tradition of closed, complete numbers, Glinka creates her own type of narrative operatic drama of an epic plan. The unhurried narrative course of development with wide thematic arches at long distances, the slowness of the stage action, the abundance of themes made it difficult to perceive the work.

The music critic Stasov, possessing an exceptional breadth of artistic views, was able to see in Glinka's music a whole direction of Russian art - an interest in folk epic, folk poetry. The epic style of Glinka's opera gave rise to a system of images and dramatic techniques that retain their significance in Russian lyric poetry of subsequent times.

Symphonic creativity. Glinka has written a small number of works for symphony orchestra. Almost all of them belong to the genre of one-part overtures or fantasies. The main ones are "Kamarinskaya", Spanish overtures "Aragonese Jota" and "Night in Madrid", "Waltz-fantasy", music to the tragedy "Prince Kholmsky". However, their historical role turned out to be so significant that they can be considered the basis of Russian classical symphony. Essential, new principles of symphonic development are laid down in the general principles of Glinka's aesthetics. The accessibility and true nationality of the musical language, the principle of generalized programming are the features of his symphonic overtures. Glinka developed a concise, laconic form of the overture. In each individual case, the form is uniquely new, it is always determined by the general artistic concept. "Kamarinskaya" begins in the form of double variations, in "Aragonese Jota" there is a sonata structure, "Waltz - Fantasy" in the form of a rondo. All compositional features were prompted by the very nature of the material.

Romances and songs. Glinka turned to the genre of romance throughout his entire career. He has written over 70 romances. Various feelings are expressed in them: love, disappointment, delight, emotional impulse. Some romances depict pictures of nature and everyday life. Glinka embraces all types of contemporary everyday romance: "Russian song", elegy, serenade, ballad, household dances - waltz, mazurka, polka. He turns to genres characteristic of the music of other peoples: to the Spanish bolero, the Italian barcarole. The forms of romances are also diverse - a simple couplet form, a three-part form, a rondo, a complex form where different episodes change, connected by a single line of continuous dramatic development.

On May 20, 1804, the great Russian composer, founder of the national school of composition, Mikhail Glinka, was born. The works of this great musical genius had a huge impact on the work of P. Tchaikovsky, A. Dragomyzhsky and the Mighty Handful of Music Association.

Glinka led his family from an ancient Polish family, his great-grandfather, having taken Russian citizenship in 1654, changed his faith, becoming an Orthodox Christian. Mikhail grew up as a very sickly and suspicious boy, his grandmother, his father's mother, who did not trust her daughter-in-law, was involved in his upbringing. The composer, recalling his childhood, called himself mimosa.

The great composer became interested in music with 10 years of age, he studied piano and piano at the same time.
Glinka studied at the Noble Boarding School at the Main Pedagogical Institute. His first teachers were such music educators as John Field and Karl Zeiner.
While studying at the boarding house, Glinka met Alexander Pushkin, with whom he was friends until the poet's death.
In search of constant inspiration, Glinka approaches V. Zhukovsky, A. Griboyedov, V. Odoevsky. For a long time, the composer felt dissatisfied and considered his works to be unsuccessful.
Glinka's European tour began in 1830: he visited Italy, Germany and other European countries.
The idea for writing a Russian national opera in the form of a legend about the Russian hero Ivan Susanin to Mikhail Glinka was suggested by the poet V. Zhukovsky.
Glinka's wife Maria Ivanova, whom he married in 1835, was a distant relative of the composer.
The premiere of the opera A Life for the Tsar brought great success to the composer during his lifetime.
The composer's personal life was very unhappy. In 1840, Glinka had love - Ekaterina Kern. In 1841, the girl became pregnant by the composer, but was forced to have an abortion, for which Glinka reproached himself all his life, because it was he who insisted on this. In the end, the novel did not end with anything, the composer chose to break off relations with his mistress.
In 1825, the great Russian poet wrote a beautiful poem "I remember a wonderful moment ..." and dedicated it to his subject of adoration - Anna Kern, years later Glinka reworked the poem into a romance and dedicated it to his daughter Anna - his beloved Katenka Kern.
Glinka was also out of luck with his wife. She was carried away by the cornet N. Vasilchikov, with whom she secretly married. After the divorce, Glinka lived the rest of his life alone, as he was afraid to remarry.
Glinka's work was very often criticized. It was she who became the motivator for the implementation of the second European musical tour, which the composer began with France, then he went to conquer Spain.
In 1848, in Warsaw, the genius of Russian classical music created the Kamarinskaya symphonic fantasy, based on the motives of Russian folk songs. P. Tchaikovsky would later write that the entire Russian symphony school is concentrated in Glinka, like an oak in only one acorn.
In Paris, Glinka begins to work on the Taras Bulba symphony, which is an unfinished work.
Mikhail Glinka was fond of church tunes and tried to process them in the Russian style.
Until the end of the composer's life, his own elder sister Lyudmila was his faithful companion.
Glinka is the author of a musical opera based on the work of his friend A. Pushkin "Ruslan and Lyudmila".
Many of Glinka's contemporaries recalled that in his youth the composer had a wonderful voice. His tenor admired the audience. Once, Glinka's singing charmed Prince Castrioto Skandeberk so much that the young man was already close to fainting. When he was brought to his senses by the servant, he said that he had heard the singing of an angel and thought that the Last Judgment was beginning.
Glinka's mother-in-law always called him “my little Mozart” in front of strangers. When friends once asked the composer about whether his mother-in-law was a fan of Mozart, he replied that she did not even know about this man. Glinka's mother-in-law, hearing that Mozart had become a rich man thanks to music, believed that her son-in-law should certainly face a similar fate.
Glinka from the entire list of famous composers recognized only Chopin, Gluck and himself, along with his works he played the works of these composers. He simply could not stand the brilliant pianists of that time. Once he spoke negatively about the play of F. Liszt. Glinka said that Liszt's appearance is unremarkable, and that pregnant women have miscarriages from his play.

Recognition after death

The great Russian composer found his death in 1857 in Germany, in Berlin. It was decided to bury Glinka at the Lutheran cemetery. However, through the efforts of his older sister Lyudmila, the ashes of the great musical genius were transported to their homeland.

It was thanks to Lyudmila that Glinka's works began to enjoy success after his death.

When Glinka's ashes were transported from Germany to Russia, his coffin was carefully packed in a cardboard box, on which it was written that porcelain was transported in it.

At the Russian Orthodox cemetery in Berlin, there is a tombstone dedicated to Mikhail Glinka, on which tourists can see a bust of the great composer, which was erected in 1947 by order of the Military Commandant's Office of the Soviet sector of the German capital.

RUSSIAN MAESTRO MIKHAIL GLINKA

He entered the history of world music as the founder of the Russian national opera. His talent as a composer was not always approved, sometimes criticized and ridiculed, but the composer passed all the tests with honor and took a well-deserved place in the galaxy of great musicians.

Polish nobleman

Homeland Mikhail Glinka was the Smolensk province, where his family lived in the village of Novospasskoye since the time of his great-grandfather, the Polish nobleman, who swore allegiance to the tsar and continued his military service in Russia.

Mikhail's parents were second cousins to each other. Therefore, Glinka's father, Ivan Nikolaevich, had to get the bishop's permission to marry his second cousin. The young were married and they lived for many years in happiness and harmony, raising nine children.

Hereditary Polish nobleman Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka was born on the estate of his parents in 1804. His father, who was a retired captain, did not spare money for the improvement of his village, for which the peasants loved him immensely. Over the course of several years, the settlement literally changed, streets with bridges appeared in it, a park in the English style, peasant houses were whitewashed with chalk, and the mansion itself was two-story and had 27 luxuriously furnished rooms.

However, no rich decoration of the house prevented Mikhail from penetrating simple rural life, communicate with peasants on an equal footing, understand their problems, honor traditions and gravitate towards simple folk art. According to critics of that time, the impressions of the childhood years spent in the village were reflected in the best works. Mikhail Glinka... The composer kept autobiographical notes, in which he himself confirmed that the songs he heard in childhood became the reason for his deep love for Russian music. Since childhood, he learned to play the violin and piano, even then he tried to compose music, sang remarkably and drew just as well.

Soon after the Patriotic War of 1812, the parents sent Mikhail to study in St. Petersburg. In the capital, the young man had the honor to meet famous people of his time. First of all, these were Yevgeny Baratynsky, Alexander Pushkin and Vasily Zhukovsky. And at the institute, the curator of Glinka's course was a friend of Pushkin from the time of the Lyceum, Wilhelm Kuchelbecker. A strong friendship was struck then between Mikhail Glinka and the writer and composer Vladimir Odoevsky.

Temptation by music

In those years, I realized that craving for music was not just a hobby. He began to take private lessons from famous teachers of that period - John Field and Karl Zeiner. Glinka studied European classical music, played music in famous salons, and began to try his hand at composing. Soon his efforts were crowned with success, he had works in different genres. Even then, in musical circles, his romances to the words of Baratynsky "Do not tempt me unnecessarily" and Pushkin's "Do not sing, beauty, with me" were known. But the composer himself was dissatisfied with what he did.

In 1823, Mikhail Ivanovich went to the Caucasus, got acquainted with the music of different peoples, then worked for several years in the management of communications, and at the age of 26 he decided to finally devote himself to creativity and went to the cradle of musical culture - Milan.

First opera

Imbued with the Italian spirit, the composer composes pieces based on famous operas and writes music for instrumental ensembles. In 1833 he moved to Germany, where, under the guidance of Siegfried Dehn, he began to study unknown pages of music theory. In Germany, he was caught by the news of the death of his father, and Glinka urgently left for his homeland, having plans to create a national opera.

When he shared his thoughts and ideas with Vasily Zhukovsky, he suggested that he take the plot about Ivan Susanin as a basis. At the same time, he made an offer to 17-year-old Marya Ivanova (to whom he dedicated the romance "I Just Recognized You"), in April 1835 they got married and left for the composer's native village, where he began to work on the future opera "A Life for the Tsar".

A year later, the work was ready, but putting it on stage was not an easy task. This was prevented by the director of the imperial theaters, Alexander Gedeonov. He submitted the score to the conductor Kavos, who had his own opera on a similar theme. But he acted nobly, wrote a flattering review of Glinka's work and removed his opera from the repertoire. But Gedeonov refused to pay a fee to Mikhail Ivanovich for his opera.

National epic of Mikhail Glinka

The premiere took place with tremendous success in November 1836. Glinka could not believe my happiness. The emperor himself expressed grateful words to him for a long time, and critics called Life for the Tsar a national heroic-patriotic epic.

The opera premiere was not without intrigue. One of the spectators shouted loudly that this work is worthy only of coachmen. In response to this, in his autobiographical notes, Glinka noted that he agreed with this assessment, since the coachman is more efficient than many gentlemen.

Against the background of creative success, Mikhail's family relations with Marya worsened. He realized that he had fallen in love with the invented idealized image and quickly became disillusioned with his wife, who was more interested in balls and outfits than in the creative plans of her husband. The official divorce dragged on for six years. During this time, Marya managed to have an affair with a certain cornet, and Glinka's heart was healed of emotional wounds by Ekaterina Kern, the daughter of Pushkin's muse Anna Kern.

Inspired by Pushkin

Thanks to the successful production of A Life for the Tsar, he became a conductor at the court, and two years later he left for Ukraine to select the most talented choristers for the chapel. Among those who went back with the composer was Semyon Gulak-Artemovskiy, who later became a famous composer and author of the first Ukrainian opera "Zaporozhets beyond the Danube".

Mikhail Ivanovich conceived a new opera based on the plot of Pushkin's Ruslan and Lyudmila. He dreamed of working with the great poet, but the sudden death of Pushkin crossed everything out. Glinka worked for six years on the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila, constantly rehearsed with the artists, improved his creation, and in November 1842 he presented it to the public. Critics and elite were completely unfriendly to the work Mikhail Glinka, and Prince Mikhail Pavlovich even said that he was sending the guilty soldiers to listen to Glinka's opera as punishment.

European recognition of Mikhail Glinka

In defense of his friend, Vladimir Odoevsky stood up, who called the opera a luxurious flower based on Russian music. He also helped Mikhail Ivanovich in creating the scenery, especially for the stage of Chernomor. Glinka For a long time he pondered what should be in the fairy garden, until Odoevsky brought him a book by a German naturalist, in which microorganisms were depicted in a greatly enlarged form. This idea struck the composer, and the audience was delighted with the scenery they saw.

with sister

While on tour in St. Petersburg in 1843, to the theater for the opera Glinka The Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer specially came to "Ruslan and Lyudmila". For a long time he had shown an ardent interest in Russian music, so he came to feel it and understand it even deeper. Liszt was so impressed by what he saw and heard that he transcribed “March of Chernomor” for piano and brilliantly performed it at one of his performances. This recognition of the European composer played a significant role in his career Mikhail Glinka... Soon the composers met in person and often met in musical circles. Ferenc often asked Mikhail Ivanovich to sing romances, while he himself accompanied or played his works.

Glinka's sister asked Liszt for permission to write him a dedication when publishing her brother's works, to which Ferenc responded with sincere gratitude.

Fading wonderful moment

Glinka's life was filled not only with creativity, but also with personal tragedies and experiences. While the divorce proceedings were underway, he built a relationship with Catherine Kern. She dedicated the romance "I remember a wonderful moment" to the poems of Pushkin, which were written for her mother. The girl expected that they would be able to start a family just about. In 1841, Catherine became pregnant, the divorce was still not registered, the girl suffered and demanded from Glinka decisive action. Then the composer could not allow her to give birth to an illegitimate child and gave a lot of money for an abortion, which he later regretted very much. To prevent the whole situation from becoming the property of society, the girl left for almost a year in the city of Lubny, Poltava province. During this time, the composer's ardent feeling for Catherine faded away, and they could not renew the relationship, although Kern retained her love for Glinka until the end of her days.

Russian classic

Mikhail Ivanovich fell into despair. The opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" almost failed, relations with Kern suffered a fiasco, orders for new works did not appear, it seemed that the homeland simply turned its back on its composer. Then he decided to leave for Europe again. Traveling in France and Spain, he wrote The Aragonese Jota and the Night in Madrid overture. At the same time, the famous orchestral fantasy "Kamarinskaya" was created, in which, according to the apt expression of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the entire Russian symphony school was enclosed.

In February 1857, his opera A Life for the Tsar was a success in Berlin. Leaving the premiere on the cold winter wind, Mikhail Ivanovich caught a cold and fell ill with pneumonia. He died painfully, and at home no one even knew about it. The composer died in 1857. They learned about his death in Russia only three months later and transported the ashes to the St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

And only after the death of the composer, universal recognition came to him. Two of his operas were staged on all stages of the empire, and Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka was recognized as a classic of Russian music. For the first time, a Russian author appeared on the world musical Olympus, who formed the composer school of his country and became a big name in European culture.

FACTS

At the rehearsals of "Ruslan and Lyudmila", the performer of the part of Gorislava Emilia Lileeva could not exclaim "O!" before the phrase "my Ratmir". One day Mikhail Ivanovich quietly crept up to the singer and at the right moment strongly pinched her hand, from this the girl uttered a completely genuine "Oh!" Glinka asked her to continue singing like that.

Once "secretly" I accompanied the young singer Nikolaev. He learned that the maestro himself was in front of him only after he had performed almost all of his romances. When he learned that he sang to the author himself, he was embarrassed, but he heard a wonderful advice from the composer: never sing in the company of amateurs, because they can spoil you with praise and fall asleep with worthless criticism, and real musicians can only give useful instructions.

Updated: April 8, 2019 by the author: Elena