St. Petersburg, Petrograd, Leningrad… These are all names of one and the
same city, each reflecting a major turning point in the three century-long
history of this magnificent city and Russia as a whole. At only 300
years, St. Petersburg is way younger than most of the world’s major capitals
but events-wise, it is definitely second to none!..
We are going back three centuries to the times of Emperor Peter the Great
who is justly considered the founding father of Russia’s northern capital…
On May 16, 1703, Czar Peter ordered the construction of a new fortress
on Zayachy Island in the mouth of the Neva River. That was the beginning
of what we now know as the city of St. Petersburg. Peter wanted to move
the Russian capital closer to the Baltic Sea - Russia’s gateway to Europe
– and make it beautiful on a par with the old European capitals.
The foundation stone was laid in a solemn ceremony with the big guns firing
a deafening salvo and a choir blaring a celebration song…
From Moscow Czar Peter had brought in a team of his much-loved royal choristers,
occasionally adding his mighty bass to their measured singing. Well
heeled in the intricate rules of church singing, Peter, if need be, could
even fill in as a choirmaster!
Under Peter the Great, Russia’s oldest choir saw its status elevated to
Royal and, accompanying the Emperor to St. Petersburg, it became the first
musical ensemble to grace the new capital…
The Emperor never parted with his beloved singers always having them by
his side whether he was tending to state affairs or fighting the enemy.
The choir performed during court celebrations and sang praises to the victorious
Russian army led by its daring supreme commander…
The Royal Court stayed by the Emperor also during diplomatic missions to
Poland, Germany, Holland and France acting as Russia’s very first musical
ambassador to Europe and stunning the local music lovers with their powerful
and perfectly pitched performance. The choir offered a wide array of laudatory
songs, and Russian folk songs that were literally astounding the Europeans…
Historians call Peter the Great a reformist Czar whose transformations
left an imprint on virtually every sphere of Russian life, including, of
course, music. It was during one of those trips abroad that the Emperor
familiarized himself with wind music and in 1711 he issued a decree to
set up wind orchestras here in Russia…
Peter the Great was a great lover of drums, being a virtuoso drummer himself,
and he also loved the trumpet. In fact, he liked just about every kind
of music provided it was loud, sonant and inspiring one to celebrate or
fight. Meaning that the trumpet’s clear and cheerful tone fit the
Emperor’s taste just fine…
The soft sound of viols, violas and cellos struck no chord in Czar Peter,
but much agreed with his wife, Catherine. She even had a string ensemble
all her own which played during the royal wedding…
Shaping the musical traditions of his new capital along European lines,
Peter the Great often went against his own tastes. Being very impartial
to Italian operas – he even dozed off listening to one of them – in 1716
Peter ordered the construction in Petersburg of an opera and concert house…
Peter’s sister Princess Natalya had her own musical theater, affordable
and open to all. There were several fine singers and dancers there
along with a big choir and a 16-strong orchestra.
Princess Natalya also deserves credit for importing Russia’s first organs,
commissioned in Holland and Germany.
Peter the Great also inaugurated the so-called Assemblies, a pastime he
had picked up in France. Just like in Paris, the Russian assemblies were
held either in the royal palace or other places owned by Russia’s high
and mighty. Notably, taking part in those gatherings were also craftsmen,
low rank military officers and foreign merchants, everyone was equal there…
Those coming to the assemblies were supposed to bring along their wives
and adult children, all dressed to the nines and donning European attire.
Any invitee who failed to show up risked being banished from the city.
Coming to an assembly, people played chess, shared the latest news and
listened to foreign music, above all by Telemann, Corelli and Tartini.
Dancing was an absolute must during those gathering and leafing through
an old tome, we find the following description of one such early-18th century
assembly:
“Standing in two rows along the entire length of a dancing hall facing
one another were ladies and gentlemen moving slowly to the strains of very
sad music. The gentlemen bowed low, the ladies curtsied, first looking
straight ahead, then turning right and left. This continued for about half
an hour. Finally, the master of ceremonies announced the ceremonial dances
over and called a Minuet, the most popular dance of the day, along with
the Polonaise and the Contredance.”
From virtually day one St. Petersburg became a legislator of musical and
other fashions in Russia, quickly spreading the idea of balls, concerts,
masquerades and assemblies to every part of the vast empire. Local
aristocrats quickly picked up the winds of change blowing from the Baltic
and started setting up their own choirs and orchestras…
After Peter’s death the assemblies started to wane out, but the habit of
people regularly meeting each other, socializing and listening to music
was already there… Their forms and names kept changing of course, but musical
education was now fast becoming an inalienable part of decent education
in Russia…
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