19TH & 20TH CENTURY RUSSIAN

MUSIC
Tuba zer

Mikhail Glinka
The Mighty Five
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Sergey Rakhmaninov
Igor Stravinsky
Sergey Prokofiev
Dmitry Shostakovich

MIKHAIL IVANOVICH GLINKA (1804

1857)

First Russian composer being

recognized within his own
country.

A Life for the Tsar (Ivan

Susanin) :

Opera regarded as the starter

of the Russian National Music

Story of peasant and hero Ivan

Susanin

Based on pure Russian folk

songs or folk melodic
idioms.
Mikhail Glinka - A Life for the Tsar / II. Mazurka

THE MIGHTY FIVE / THE FIVE / THE

MIGHTY HANDFUL (1856 - 1870)

Mily Balakirev (leader)

Csar Cui

Modest Mussorgsky

Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov

Alexander Borodin

Glinka as the father of Russian music

Aiming at popularizing pure Russian

music

Using the music from village songs,

dances, church chants

Against European-style conservatory

training

Some of their compositions: the

operasThe Snow Maiden, Sadko, Boris
Godunov, Prince Igor, Khovanshchina,
and symphonic suite Scheherazade.

Rimsky Korsakov - Scheherazade

RUSSIAN MUSICAL SOCIETY

was found by composer-pianists Anton Rubinstein and

Nikolay Rubinstein. (1859)

regarded as the rival of The Five

conservative rather than national

established Russias first conservatories in St Petersburg

and in Moscow.

provided public to buy tickets and listen the concerts for the
first time.

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 1893)

Truly there would be a reason to go
mad were it not for music,- P. I.
Tchaikovsky

The most famous Russian composer in

19th century.

Civil servant for three years

Educated according to Westernoriented teaching in St Petersburg

Conservatory

Combines Russian melodies with

Western classical rules of composition

Some of his most famous works: Romeo

& Juliet, 1812 Overture, his three
ballets (Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty
and The Nutcracker) and Marche
Slave.
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Ballet Introduction

SERGEY RAKHMANINOV
(1873 1943)
"I write the music which I hear playing inside
me... I am a Russian composer, therefore my
temperament, outlook and music are
quintessentially Russian..." Rakhmaninov

Composer, conductor, pianist

One of the last great representatives of

Romanticism in Russian classical music.

Became famous with Prelude in C Sharp

Minor

Had influences from Tchaikovsky and

Rimsky Korsakov.

Rakhmaninov Prelude in C Sharp Minor

Piano featured as prominent for his

compositions

Some of his compositions: First Symphony ,

Piano Concerto No.2, Symphonic Dances,
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, The
Isle of the Dead, The Rock

19th century composers:

remained silent towards social changes

Complicated techniques & intense feelings

20th century composers: were inside the societys problems

Music reflecting the era

Simpler and more understandable

IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882 1971)

Composer, pianist and conductor

Considered to be the most

influential composer

Has stylistic diversity, reinventing

music

Famous for his three ballets, The

Firebird Petrushka and The
Rite of Spring.

The Rite of Spring as the most

famous and controversial piece

Influenced by Rimsky Korsakov

Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

Stravinsky The Firebird / Inferno Dance

SERGEY PROKOFIEV (1891

1953)
Composer, pianist and conductor

Achieving reputation with his

virtuosic works for piano

First major success regarded as

Scythian Suite
Opera as the greatest interest

Some of his works : operas The

Love for Three Oranges, The
Gambler, The Fiery Angel, the
suite Lieutenant Kij, the ballet
Romeo & Juliet and Peter and
the Wolf.

Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet No. 13 Dance of the Knights

DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH (1906 1975)

Composer and pianist

Educated in Petrogad Conservatory

Influenced by Prokofiev and

Stravinsky

Famous in Soviet Union

Attacked by Russian Association of

Proletarian Music (RAPM)

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

District regarded as Muddle
instead of music

Regaining reputation with the 5th

symphony

Some of his works : Lady

Macbeth
of Mtsensk
District,
Shostakovich
Symphony
No.1
The Second Waltz, symphonies,
operas,
preludes,
etc. Macbeth of Mtsensk (Interlude II)
Shostakovich
Lady
Shostakovich Waltz No.2

REFERENCES
lyasolu, Evin. Zaman inde Mzik. Remzi Kitabevi
http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/music
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Russia#18th_and_19th_c
entury:_Russian_classical_music