Composer Glazunov - “King of the Jews”

After the collapse in the middle of the 1870-s of the creative community of composers "The Mighty Handful" a new bright star appeared on the Russian musical horizon - Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov.
The cultural community enthusiastically met the young composer, seeing in him “the first great hope of new music” (V. V. Stasov). Glazunov fully met her expectations by creating many magnificent works that were included in the golden fund of Russian and world classics.
Alexander Konstantinovich received great satisfaction from teaching. For nearly thirty years he taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, of which 23 of the year (1905 – 1928) combined the positions of professor and director. A graduate of the conservatory M. Gnesin recalled: “Thanks to his unprecedented kindness and responsiveness, Glazunov gradually became a completely legendary figure. Of the thousands of former students of the Conservatory, it is difficult to name a person who would not be obliged to him. ”
But especially he was grateful to the applicants-Jews from the Pale. Arriving (often with one of the parents) to enter the conservatory, they faced great, often insurmountable difficulties in obtaining a residence permit in St. Petersburg. In these cases, the director Glazunov came to the rescue and, using his authority at the top, he successfully sought permission for them to live in the capital, and for those who especially needed it were scholarships. For this he was called the King of the Jews. (By the way, this nickname was far from accidental: the very mediocre play of Grand Duke K.K. Romanov was so called, to which Glazunov wrote wonderful music. The play was soon forgotten, but the music was often performed in concerts.) About Glazunov’s humanity and delight Conductor Emil Cooper, who talked with him a lot, said: “Everyone who knew him loved and appreciated him not only as one of the eminent and wonderful Russian composers, but also as a person of absolutely exceptionally kind and wonderful soul. It was not the case that Glazunov did not prove how easy it is to be kind in the broadest sense of the word. ”
He was born in 1865 in Petersburg in the family of book publishers. Already in early childhood, his unique abilities for musical composing were manifested, and his parents, wealthy people, invited well-known composers — first M. A. Balakirev and then N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov — to give him private lessons. Nikolai Andreevich with all his heart became attached to the charming, unusually gifted young man. Between them began a warm, friendly relationship, preserved until the end of the teacher's life.
For almost two years, Rimsky-Korsakov taught a diligent student musical skills. Classes with an experienced teacher marked the beginning of the formation of the creative and moral image of Glazunov. Along with music lessons, Alexander studied at a real school, which he graduated from in 1883 year.
At the age of sixteen, Glazunov was already the author of a number of romances, piano pieces and a symphony. It was performed with great success in March 1882. Rimsky-Korsakov called this day a great holiday for all St. Petersburg musicians. The young composer was enthusiastically greeted by V.V. Stasov, composer A.P. Borodin and other prominent musical authorities. Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov paid special attention to Glazunov. He was an amazing man, whose ebullient activity for the benefit of art is amazing. He was the ideological inspirer of The Mighty Handful, had a tremendous influence on the work of many famous musicians and artists, and also had a rare gift to discover talents. Stasov sheltered and sent young Samuil Marshak and the future sculptor Ilya Gintsburg to the right path. He believed in Glazunov's star, enthusiastically called him Eagle Konstantinovich. Years later, Glazunov said more than once that he owed everything he had achieved in life to Rimsky-Korsakov and Stasov. Both of them played a huge role in the formation of his ethical principles and democratic views, and also became for him an example of respect for the Jewish people.
The work of Glazunov covers almost all musical genres: symphonies, piano and violin concertos, chamber music, instrumental and vocal works, ballet, etc. At the initial stage of his work as a composer, mainly symphonic music attracted him. He wrote a poem "Stenka Razin", fantasies "Forest", "Sea", later pictures: "The Kremlin", "Spring", etc. And most importantly - he created eight symphonies (the Ninth is not over). Of these, the most significant are the latter, starting with the Fourth. The biggest success fell to the Eighth Symphony. Stasov said about her: “Yes, this is what Glazunov has not yet composed. New, original to infinity! This is a great thing! ”And the conductor A. B. Khesin summed up:“ Glazunov managed to bring the development of symphony to the highest peak ”. Ballet also occupied a prominent place in the composer's work. In the 1890-ies, he created one after another three ballets: "The Seasons", "Raymonda" and "The Young Lady-Peasant". The first performance of Raymonda staged by Marius Petipa took place in December 1897 on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and was a phenomenal success. According to critics, the ballet “Raymonda” is on a par with “Sleeping Beauty” by P. I. Tchaikovsky.
Peter Ilyich had a significant impact on the work of Glazunov. They met when he was nineteen years old. His image of the time was captured by A. Hessin: “It was a charming combination of something childlike, modest, restrained and shy with a strong, courageous, healthy and young. His angular, clumsy figure wore, nevertheless, the imprint of some special good manners and gentleness. A deep thought, honesty and decency glowed in his expressive eyes. Tchaikovsky liked the handsome young man, and they soon became friends. As Nina Barberova writes, Glazunov was very dear to Peter Ilyich, and they soon switched to “you”. Until the last days of his life, an outstanding composer carefully followed his new compositions.
Mutual respect connected Glazunov with the genius pianist and composer A. G. Rubinstein, the founder of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Anton Grigorevich was among those who first welcomed the resounding success of seventeen Glazunov. He immediately believed in his composer talent and since then has shown his sincere favor in every possible way. Glazunov deeply revered the great musician and in 1893, he dedicated the Fourth symphony to him. There were many other representatives of the St. Petersburg cultural elite, with whom he had good relations. Even M. A. Balakirev, in the past, the head of the “Mighty Handful,” known for his unsociable disposition, dictatorial habits, and he showed amazing care for the young Glazunov. It was he who recommended Rimsky-Korsakov to train Alexander in composition. He also organized his first meeting with Tchaikovsky at home.
Glazunov’s like-minded friends were composers S. I. Taneyev and A. K. Lyadov. He became close to the latter in 1880-ies, when a rich timber merchant, passionate music lover MP Belyaev created a circle named after him led by Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov and Lyadov. Belyaevsky circle became, in fact, the successor of the "Mighty Handful". In a relatively short time, the Glinkov Prizes (1884) were instituted, Russian symphony concerts (1885), Russian Quartet Evenings (1891) were organized, which played a huge role in the further development of musical art in Russia. Belyaev died in 1904 year. He bequeathed to Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov and Lyadov to lead all his undertakings. Four years later, Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov did not become, and all his concerns about the Belyaevsky circle lay on the shoulders of his students.
The Moscow professor S. I. Taneyev, arriving in St. Petersburg, invariably attended the meetings of the Belyaevsky group and met with his friend Glazunov, who sincerely loved Taneyev. They are in many ways united by an amazing similarity of characters. Mutual affection, a sense of closeness were the basis of their long-standing, unshadowed relationship. In a sign of deep respect, Glazunov dedicated his Fifth Symphony to a friend.
For many years the composer was friends with the brilliant violin virtuoso Leopold Auer, the founder of the famous violin school from which outstanding musicians Kheifetz, Milshtein, Zimbalist, Polyakin, Elman, and others came. Glazunov consulted with him in the process of working on his violin works and trusted in solo at first their performances. He dedicated Leopold Auer to the quartet No. 5 and a violin concerto.
In 1899, Glazunov began teaching at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He taught students the instrumentation, reading scores, led the chamber ensemble and conducting school. And although he did not have to lead a class of composition, many graduates considered him to be their teacher.
The strike movement, which encompassed Russian educational institutions in the spring of 1905, spread to the Petersburg Conservatory. N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov was in the center of the confrontation of the Directorate and the striking students, who spoke with the demand to democratize the academic life at the conservatory. They were joined by part of the professorship. For the open support of students Rimsky-Korsakov was dismissed. In protest against his dismissal, a number of leading professors (Glazunov, Lyadov, Esipova, Blumenfeld, Verzhbilovich, and others) refused to teach. And only in the autumn of 1905, after the conservatory's artistic council approved the new charter and elected Glazunov as its director, the situation in it gradually returned to normal.
Having accepted the leadership of the conservatory, Glazunov devoted himself entirely to the work of updating the old order. Not all actions of the new director were approved in the Russian Musical Society, in whose subordination was the conservatory. So, he was charged with a noticeable increase in the number of students during his directorship. This was due to the fact that Glazunov, faithful to democratic principles, tried to introduce talented young people from poor families to music education. To this end, he created a fund to help needy students, and did not hesitate to apply to individuals for financial support from the fund. Yes, and he showed a hefty generosity. Rimsky-Korsakov talked about this: Glazunov, “without particularly needing money, once and for all refused the director's salary in favor of poor students of the conservatory. Who, except Glazunov, would do it? Of course, no one.
For Jewish applicants, the sticking point was obtaining a residence permit in the capital. Director Glazunov was directly involved in solving this problem. The way he solved it can be seen from the memoirs of composer Sergei Prokofiev, who was a student at the time in the conservatory. From time to time he and his mother visited a rich relative. Once in a conversation, she said: “My husband recently received an appointment as prosecutor of the judicial chamber in St. Petersburg. This is where Glazunov always goes to him for conservatory affairs: he will clap for the Odessa violinist, then for the Berdichev boy, in a word, out of respect for Glazunov, we do this for him now and then. ”
To be continued
Isaac DONDIC