Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is a name apart in the history of Russian music.
This composer of undeniable genius was also a great pedagogue, who taught
at Petersburg Conservatory for 37 years, bringing up a cascade of over
200 musicians.
Strange as it might seem, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov himself never received
a music education in the  classical
sense. In line with family tradition, in his youth he trained for a Naval
officer’s career, and viewed music as no more than a hobby interest. However,
phenomenal talent and a thirst for knowledge propelled him onwards, to
a composing career. His first few large-scale composing efforts were convincing
proof of what a serious Master this was.
In 1871 Rimsky-Korsakov was just 27 when most unexpectedly for him, he
received invitation to take on a professor’s position at Petersburg Conservatory.
Later, the musician admitted: “If I had known more at the time, of course
I would never have dared accept the offer, and only sheer ignorance spurred
me onto this mad path. To save myself from total disgrace in front of my
pupils, I buried my head deep in text books, nights on end studying music
theory.”
In a few years time, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was one of the country’s most
highly-educated musicians.
Conservatory students learned not only at the Maitre’s lectures, but his
concerts, too. Every composition by Rimsky-Korsakov became a true revelation
for them, where free, uninhibited flight of imagination was bolstered by
the composer’s vast knowledge.
One of the peculiarities of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s gift was a color
perception of sound. He associated every tonality with a specific color
shade, thanks to which his music invariably gained in striking imagery
and vivid visual impact.
An infusion of color imagery became a distinguishing feature of works by
Rimsky-Korsakov’s best pupils, too, such as Anton Arensky. He was one of
the first students of the young Professor, and received a big Gold Medal
at the end of his Conservatory studies.
Very soon, Arensky became one of Russia’s most popular composers. “Arensky
is a riveting personality in music!” – said Pyotr Tchaikovsky. While Leo
Tolstoy echoed: “Of all the new authors, Arensky is the best – he is all
about simplicity and great melody.”
In Rimsky-Korsakov’s class, under his guidance, Arensky mastered the main
artistic principles: his music was noted for its beauty, inspiration and
filigree precision. Following in his Mentor’s footsteps, Arensky wrote
some excellent compositions in the opera genre. Among them – the opera
“Raphael”, dedicated to the great artist of the epoch of the Renaissance.
Just like Rimsky-Korsakov, Arensky was a genius at orchestral efforts:
his symphonic compositions, ballet scores – are genuine tableaux in sound…
Anton Arensky revealed admirable pedagogical skills. For many years he
led a class at Moscow Conservatory. Among his pupils – Sergei Rakhmaninoff
and Alexander Scriabin, who could very well refer to themselves as Nikolai
Rimsky-Korsakov’s “grandchildren”.
One can come across such “musical relatives” of the Maitre practically
all over the world. Rimsky-Korsakov’s numerous pupils have spread far and
wide all across the territory of the former Russian empire. In the Caucasus,
Georgia, we find Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. In 1882, a latter-day student
of Petersburg Conservatory, he came to Tiflis (now Tbilisi) to set up a
branch of the Russian Music Society. The spellbinding beauty of Georgia,
its folk customs and melodies caught the young impressionable 23-year-old’s
fancy. Inspired, he wrote a series of vividly striking compositions, which
were in the spirit of Oriental musical illustrations, written by Rimsky-Korsakov
and other Russian classics.
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov went on to become an excellent pedagogue, too.
The knowledge he had gleaned in Rimsky-Korsakov’s class was now put to
good use for the benefit of his pupils in Georgia, and later – in Moscow.
In 1893 the composer became a professor, and 13 years later – the 1st elected
Director of Moscow Conservatory.
Successfully juggling composing and teaching efforts was yet another of
Rimsky-Korsakov’s pupils – Nikolai Cherepnin. Just out of Petersburg Conservatory,
the young composer became one of its Professors, and later – just like
Ippolitov-Ivanov – set off for Georgia, where for several years he headed
the newly-opened Conservatory there. In 1921, after emigrating to the west,
Cherepnin founded the Russian Conservatory in Paris. Among the hundreds
of pupils brought up by the Maitre, who taught in diverse educational establishments,
was the great Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.
A no less brilliant conductor, Cherepnin organized the first in Russia
conducting department. He stood at the helm of the best orchestras of Russia,
led a cycle of historic concerts, and was conductor at the “Russian seasons”
in Paris and London, masterminded by entrepreneur Sergei Diaghilev. Featured
in these programmes were Nikolai Cherepnin’s own compositions, too, such
as his ballet music.
Similarly to Rimsky-Korsakov, in many of his works Cherepnin turned to
legends, fables and tales of magic. He cleverly interlaced reality with
fantasy motifs, to produce stunningly beautiful musical pictures.
Even in Nikolai Cherepnin’s later works, which received broad acclaim in
Europe, and served the new aesthetic principles of the 20th century, we
can easily discern elements he inherited from his great Teacher – Nikolai
Rimsky-Korsakov.
No matter what genre Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov worked in, he at all times
remained excellent in color, an unrivalled master of tone painting. His
‘sound tableaux’ of wind-blown woods, birds singing, the sea heaving and
sighing, rocking waves, the flight of a bumble-bee…- all seem to come alive…
A phenomenal skill when it came to orchestral sound timbres was to become
a distinctive peculiarity of the great Maitre’s best pupils, among them
– Igor Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov’s most audacious and celebrated pupil.
He was adroit at selecting the timbres, and then, mixing and juxtaposing
them, obtaining still new, ever more vibrant sound pictures…
From his very first symphonic opuses Stravinsky declared his original artistic
vision; however for a long time his music was to bear distinct witness
to the creative advice offered by his Mentor, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Even the absolutely revolutionary, so far removed from the aesthetics of
the 19th century “The Rite of Spring” it was as if the author could sense
the fixed gaze of his strict teacher.
There is yet another, so to say ‘external’ peculiarity that the Professor
and his pupil share in their art – an interest in Russian fairy tales.
Rimsky-Korsakov imbued the opera genre with fairytale motifs, while Stravinsky
continued this in ballet. The “Firebird”, the magical plumage of which
brought the young Russian author unheard-of success in Europe, was a direct
projection of the fairytale characters that Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera’s were
so liberally seasoned with.
One of the characteristic features of Rimsky-Korsakov’s art is the use
of Russian folklore motifs and quotations. The classic was adept at harmoniously
injecting his works with folk themes. Thus, in Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera
“The Tale of Tsar Sultan” the magic squirrel cracks golden nuts to the
melody of a Russian round dance song.
However, we can find a similarity in the young Stravinsky’s case. Thus,
in his ballet “Petrushka” the fairground scene suddenly features the characteristic
“barrel organ” tune. The composer made use of a quote from a 19th century
typically Petersburg song.
Igor Stravinsky never finished Conservatory studies. The son of a well-known
opera soloist of the Imperial theatre, since childhood he was in the throng
of musical and stage impressions. The young composer had no intention of
systematizing them at a State educational establishment, and limited himself
to private lessons that he took from the very best Professors of the capital.
Stravinsky was twenty years old when he met Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Curiously,
the future composer had made the acquaintance of the classic’s sons much
earlier. Stravinsky demonstrated his first opuses to Rimsky-Korsakov, and
the latter, while giving the young man’s obvious talent its due, drew his
attention to the need to develop an ear for harmony. The Maitre recommended
Stravinsky some excellent teachers and offered to take a look at his works
from time to time. In the course of the following five years the young
author and mature composer met regularly. Their encounters were not limited
to just lessons and professional consultations. The classic and the youth
quite often embarked on lengthy discussions on topics far removed from
art.
Very soon the young musician became a welcome guest at the house on Zagorodny
Prospect in Petersburg, where the famous Professor resided. At times Rimsky-Korsakov
summoned Stravinsky to act as interpreter because the latter spoke fluent
German. The celebrated musician’s apartment was frequented by foreign guests.
It was there that the young composer met many outstanding foreign touring
musicians – conductors, composers, instrumentalists. Years later they were
to recognize in the incredibly popular all across Europe Russian composer
the modest bespectacled youth who had once helped them colloquize with
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
In 1905 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov formed an acquaintance with Sergei Diaghilev.
The energetic young entrepreneur felt stifled within the limits of Russia,
and harbored ambitious plans of conquering the world. In 1906 he set up
an autumn arts salon in Paris, augmented by a concert of Russian music.
A year on, in 1907, the French capital had already hosted five Russian
concerts featuring Rimsky-Korsakov himself. This was the beginning of the
celebrated Paris Seasons.
In 1908, after attending at Rimsky-Korsakov’s invitation a Petersburg concert
featuring music of the up and coming Stravinsky, Diaghilev realized that
this flash new composer was worth getting to know better in the future.
Thus, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was privy to their long-term artistic union,
as though passing over the baton to his talented pupil. Who carried it
off to Europe, America, and then all over the world.
Stravinsky’s most memorable premieres were linked with the Sergei Diaghilev
troupe. Almost every year he wrote new ballet scores, where he developed
in avant-garde style the artistic principles advocated by his legendary
teacher.
Igor Stravinsky lived a long life. His aesthetic principles underwent change
on many occasions, for which he was dubbed a “composer of a thousand styles”.
However, in latter-day opuses of the composer who emigrated long time ago
we can discern Russian roots, indelibly linked with the art of the great
Rimsky-Korsakov.
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