Vasily Kalinnikov

Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikow (Russian Василий Сергеевич Калинников, scientific transliteration Vasilii Sergeevič Kalinnikov; * 1.jul / January 13 1866greg in Woiny, Orel province, .. .. † December 29 1900jul / January 11 1901greg in Yalta ) was a Russian composer.

Life

Kalinnikow, the son of a police officer, came from a poor family. From 1879 he attended a theological seminary in Oryol, where he was allowed to direct a choir soon. In 1884 he began studying music at the Moscow Conservatory, but he had to stop for financial reasons. A scholarship enabled him in 1885 to study the subjects of composition and bassoon at the School of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, which he completed in 1892. In addition, he worked as Notenkopist and backup musician in various orchestras. In 1892 Kalinnikow received through the mediation Pyotr Tchaikovsky the conductor's post at the Little Theatre in Moscow. In 1893 he became assistant conductor at the Italian theater. However, due to its marked by great hardship circumstances he fell ill soon afterwards of tuberculosis. He spent his last years in the Crimea, where he hoped to alleviate his illness by the local climatic conditions. He lived on a small pension from the Moscow Philharmonic Society. His financial situation was mitigated somewhat towards the end of his life, because Sergei Rachmaninoff began for him and found a publisher for his works.

Tonal language

Kalinnikows style is profoundly marked by the Russian national movement; many of his themes have spoken folk-song -like traits. Although can be seen as role models Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Borodin, his music has a quite unique character. Kalinnikows talent comes mainly in its very imaginative and catchy melodies to bear. His orchestration is always colorful and full sounding. With his larger-scale works he laid emphasis on intensive cyclical combination of the individual sentences. Particularly striking that his music has a tremendously positive attitude and downright optimistic acts, even though they arose in the face of his terminal illness. During his lifetime Kalinnikow found some attention and was appreciated by important musicians such as Sergei Rachmaninoff and Chaliapin. After his death, his fame faded significantly. However, the early 1950s witnessed a renaissance Kalinnikow because his music coincided in many ways with the state- required aesthetics of Socialist Realism.

Works

• Orchestral works Symphony No. 1 in G minor (1895 )
• Symphony No. 2 in A major ( 1897)
• Suite in B Minor (1892 )
• " The Nymphs", symphonic picture (1889 )
• " Cedar and palm", symphonic picture (1898 )
• 2 interludes in A major (1896) and G major (1897 )
• Serenade in G minor for string orchestra (1891 )
• Bylina, Overture (ca. 1892)
• Music for the play "Tsar Boris " (1898 )

• " In 1812 ," unfinished opera ( 1899/1900 )
• Works for choir
• Songs

• Smaller pieces