Composer A. S
Cycle of novels (1913-1927). Marcel Proust. Summary of the novel “In Search of Lost Time.”I. TOWARDS SWANN (Du cote de chez Swann)
Time slips away in the brief moment between sleep and awakening. For a few seconds, the narrator Marcel feels as if he has turned into what he read about the day before. The mind struggles to determine the location of the bedroom. Is this really his grandfather’s house in Combray, and Marcel fell asleep without waiting for his mother to come say goodbye to him? Or is it Madame de Saint-Au's estate in Tansonville? This means that Marcel slept too long after a day's walk: it was eleven o'clock - everyone had dinner! Then habit takes over and with skillful slowness begins to fill the habitable space. But the memory has already awakened: Marcel will not sleep that night - he will remember Combray, Balbec, Paris, Doncières and Venice.
In Combray, little Marcel was sent to bed immediately after dinner, and his mother came in for a minute to kiss him goodnight. But when guests came, mother did not go up to the bedroom. Usually Charles Swann, the son of his grandfather’s friend, came to see them. Marcel's relatives had no idea that “young” Swann was leading a brilliant social life, because his father was just a stockbroker. The inhabitants of that time, in their views, were not too different from the Hindus: everyone should move in their own circle, and the transition to a higher caste was even considered indecent. It was only by chance that Marcel’s grandmother learned about Swann’s aristocratic acquaintances from a friend at the boarding school, the Marquise de Villeparisis, with whom she did not want to maintain friendly relations because of her firm belief in the good inviolability of castes.
After an unsuccessful marriage to a woman from bad society Swann visited Combray less and less, but each of his visits was torment for the boy, because his mother’s farewell kiss had to be taken with him from the dining room to the bedroom. The greatest event in Marcel's life happened when he was sent to bed even earlier than usual. He did not have time to say goodbye to his mother and tried to call her with a note sent through the cook Françoise, but this maneuver failed. Deciding to achieve a kiss at any cost, Marcel waited for Swann to leave and went out onto the stairs in his nightgown. This was an unheard of violation of the established order, but the father, who was irritated by “sentiments,” suddenly realized his son’s condition. Mom spent the whole night in the sobbing Marcel’s room. When the boy calmed down a little, she began to read him a novel by George Sand, lovingly chosen for her grandson by her grandmother. This victory turned out to be bitter: mother seemed to have renounced her beneficial firmness.
For a long time, Marcel, waking up at night, remembered the past fragmentarily: he saw only the scenery of his going to bed - the stairs, which were so hard to climb, and the bedroom with a glass door into the corridor from where his mother appeared. In essence, the rest of Combray died for him, for no matter how strong the desire to resurrect the past, it always escapes. But when Marcel tasted the biscuit soaked in linden tea, flowers in the garden, the hawthorn in Swann's park, the water lilies of Vivona, the good people of Combray and the bell tower of the Church of St. Hilary suddenly floated out of the cup.
Aunt Leonia treated Marcel to this biscuit during the Easter and summer holidays in Combray. The aunt convinced herself that she was terminally ill: after the death of her husband, she did not rise from the bed that stood by the window. Her favorite pastime was watching passers-by and discussing local events with her cook Françoise, a woman kindest soul, who at the same time knew how to coolly wring a chicken’s neck and drive a dishwasher she didn’t like out of the house.
Marcel loved summer walks around the Combray area. The family had two favorite routes: one was called the “direction to Meséglise” (or “to Swann”, since the road passed by his estate), and the second was called the “direction of the Guermantes,” descendants of the famous Genevieve of Brabant. Childhood impressions remained in his soul forever: many times Marcel became convinced that only those people and those objects that he encountered in Combray truly pleased him. The direction to Méséglise with its lilacs, hawthorn and cornflowers, the direction to Guermantes with the river, water lilies and buttercups were created eternal image countries of fabulous bliss. Quite obviously, this was the cause of many mistakes and disappointments: sometimes Marcel dreamed of seeing someone only because this person reminded him of the flowering hawthorn bush in Swann's park.
All future life Marcel was connected with what he learned or saw in Combray. Communication with the engineer Legrandin gave the boy his first understanding of snobbery: this pleasant, amiable man did not want to greet Marcel’s relatives in public, since he had become related to aristocrats. The music teacher Vinteuil stopped visiting the house so as not to meet with Swann, whom he despised for marrying a cocotte. Vinteuil doted on his soul only daughter. When a friend came to visit this somewhat masculine-looking girl, they started talking openly in Combray about their strange relationships. Vinteuil suffered unspeakably - perhaps his daughter’s bad reputation brought him to an early grave. In the autumn of that year, when Aunt Leonia finally died, Marcel witnessed a disgusting scene in Montjouvin: Mademoiselle Vengeil's friend spat on a photograph of the late musician. The year was marked by another important event:
Françoise, initially angry at the “callousness” of Marseille’s relatives, agreed to go into their service.
summary, retelling briefly
Of all his schoolmates, Marcel gave preference to Blok, who was welcomed in the house, despite the obvious pretentiousness of his manners. True, the grandfather laughed at his grandson’s sympathy for Jews. Blok recommended that Marcel read Bergotte, and this writer made such an impression on the boy that he cherished dream began to get to know him. When Swann reported that Bergotte was friends with his daughter, Marcel’s heart sank - only an extraordinary girl could deserve such happiness. At the first meeting in Tansonville park, Gilberte looked at Marcel with an unseeing gaze - obviously, this was a completely inaccessible creature. The boy's relatives paid attention only to the fact that Madame Swann, in the absence of her husband, shamelessly received Baron de Charlus.
But Marcel experienced the greatest shock in the Combray church on the day when the Duchess of Guermantes deigned to attend the service. Outwardly, this lady with a big nose and blue eyes was almost no different from other women, but she was surrounded by a mythical aura - one of the legendary Guermantes appeared before Marcel. Having fallen passionately in love with the duchess, the boy thought about how to win her favor. It was then that dreams of a literary career were born.
Only many years after his separation from Combray did Marcel learn about Swann’s love. Odette de Crécy was the only woman in the Verdurin salon, where only the “faithful” were accepted - those who considered Dr. Cotard a beacon of wisdom and admired the playing of the pianist, who was currently under the patronage of Madame Verdurin. The artist, nicknamed “Maestro Bish,” was supposed to be pitied for his rude and vulgar writing style. Swann was considered an inveterate heartthrob, but Odette was not at all his type. However, he liked to think that she was in love with him. Odette introduced him to the Verdurin clan, and gradually he got used to seeing her every day. One day he thought it resembled a Botticelli painting, and at the sound of Vinteuil’s sonata, real passion flared up. Having abandoned his previous studies (in particular, an essay on Vermeer), Swann stopped going out into the world - now all his thoughts were absorbed by Odette. The first intimacy came after he adjusted the orchid on her bodice - from that moment on, they acquired the expression “orchid.” The tuning fork of their love was Vinteuil’s wondrous musical phrase, which, in Swann’s opinion, could not possibly have belonged to the “old fool” from Combray. Soon Swann began to be incredibly jealous of Odette. The Comte de Forcheville, who was in love with her, mentioned Swann’s aristocratic acquaintances, and this overflowed the patience of Madame Verdurin, who always suspected that Swann was ready to “pull” her out of her salon. After his “disgrace,” Swann lost the opportunity to see Odette at the Verdurins’. He was jealous of all men and calmed down only when she was in the company of Baron de Charlus. Hearing Vinteuil's sonata again, Swann could hardly restrain a cry of pain: he could not return that wonderful time when Odette loved him madly. The obsession passed gradually. The beautiful face of the Marquise de Govaujo, née Legrandin, reminded Swann of the saving Combray, and he suddenly saw Odette as she was - not like the painting by Botticelli. How could it happen that he lost several years of his life for a woman who, in essence, he didn’t even like?
Marcel would never have gone to Balbec if Swann had not praised the church there in the “Persian” style. And in Paris, Swann became “Gilberte’s father” for the boy. Françoise took her pet for a walk to the Champs-Elysees, where a group of girls led by Gilberte played. Marcel was accepted into the company, and he fell in love with Gilberte even more. It is worth noting that he was admired by the beauty of Madame Swann, and the rumors circulating about her aroused curiosity. Once upon a time this woman was called Odette de Crecy.
III. AT THE GERMANTES (Le cote de Guermantes)
Marcel's family moved into an outbuilding of the Guermantes Mansion. Childhood dreams seemed to come to life, but never before had the border between the Saint-Germain suburb and the rest of the world seemed so insurmountable to the young man. Marcel tried to attract the attention of the Duchess, lying in wait for her every exit from the house. Françoise also showed big interest to the “lower ones,” as she called the owners of the house, and often talked about them with her neighbor, the vest-wearer Jupien. In Paris, Marcel came to the conclusion that snobbery is an integral feature of human nature: at all times people crave to get closer to " strong of the world this,” and sometimes this desire turns into mania.
Marcel's dreams took shape when he was invited by the Marquise de Villeparisis. The Guermantes magic circle opened before him. Waiting for it the most important event Marcel decided to visit Robert de Saint-Loup, whose regiment was stationed in Doncières.
Saint-Loup was still consumed by his passion for his actress. This woman moved in intellectual circles: under her influence, Robert became a fierce defender of Dreyfus, while other officers mostly blamed the “traitor.”
For Marcel, his stay in Doncières turned out to be beneficial. Exhausted unrequited love to the Duchess de Guermantes, he found a card of “Aunt Oriane” on Robert’s table and began to beg his friend to put in a good word for him. Robert agreed without unnecessary words- however, the nephew’s ardent recommendation did not make any impression on the duchess. And Marcel experienced one of the greatest shocks of his life when Robert finally introduced him to his mistress. It was Rachel, “Rachel, you were given to me,” whom Marcel did not even consider to be a person. In the brothel she had been given for only twenty francs, and now Saint-Loup was throwing thousands at her for the right to be tormented and deceived. Like Swann, Saint-Loup was unable to understand the true essence of Rachel and suffered cruelly because of a woman who was much lower than him both in development and in position in society.
At a reception with the Marquise de Villeparisis main theme The Dreyfus affair, which split the country into two camps, became the topic of conversation. Marcel saw in him another confirmation of the fluidity and variability of human nature. Madame Swann turned into an ardent anti-Dreyfusard when she realized that this The best way infiltrate the Faubourg Saint-Germain. And Robert de Saint-Loup announced to Marcel that he did not want to meet Odette, since this slut was trying to pass off her Jewish husband as a nationalist. But the most original approach was demonstrated by Baron de Charlus: since no Jew can become a Frenchman, Dreyfus cannot be accused of treason - he only violated the laws of hospitality. Marcel noted with interest that the servants were imbued with the views of their masters: for example, his own butler was strongly in favor of Dreyfus, while the butler Guermantes was anti-Dreyfusard.
Upon returning home, Marcel learned that his grandmother was very ill. Bergotte recommended contacting a famous neurologist, and he convinced relatives that the grandmother’s illness was caused by self-hypnosis. Mom very opportunely remembered Aunt Leonia, and grandmother was ordered to go for more walks. On the Champs Elysees she had a slight blow - it seemed to Marcel that she was fighting off an invisible angel. Professor E. gave her the correct diagnosis - it was a hopeless stage of uremia.
The grandmother was dying painfully: she was convulsing, suffocating, suffering from unbearable pain. She was given morphine and oxygen, cauterized, leeched, and forced to the point where she tried to jump out of the window. Marcel suffered from his impotence, and meanwhile life went on: relatives were talking about the weather, Françoise was taking measurements for a mourning dress in advance, and Saint-Loup chose this very moment to send a message to a friend angry letter, clearly inspired by Rachel. Only Bergotte, who was himself seriously ill, spent long hours in the house, trying to console Marcel. The dead face of the grandmother, as if transformed by the chisel of a death sculptor, struck Marcel - it was young, like a girl’s.
The Duke of Guermantes briefly expressed his condolences to the relatives of Marseille, and soon the young man received a long-awaited invitation to the house of his idols. Meanwhile, Robert de Saint-Loup finally broke with Rachel and made peace with his friend. Albertine re-entered Marcel's life, having changed and matured greatly after Balbec. From now on, one could hope for physical intimacy, which brought Marcel unspeakable pleasure - he seemed to be freed from all his worries.
It is quite obvious that the Guermantes were an absolutely special breed of people, and now Marcel could take a closer look at them, highlighting the characteristics inherent in each. The Duke constantly cheated on his wife: in essence, he loved only one type of female beauty and was in an eternal search for the ideal. The Duchess was famous for her wit and arrogance. But the most mysterious of all was the Duke's brother, Baron de Charlus. Already at a reception with the Marquise de Villeparisis, he invited the young man to his place, but the extremely alarmed mistress of the house opposed this. At Saint-Loup's request, Marcel nevertheless went to see the baron, who suddenly attacked him, accusing him of treachery and negligence. The enraged Marcel, not daring to raise a hand against a man older than himself, grabbed the cylinder lying on the chair and began to tear it, and then trampled it with his feet. De Charlus suddenly calmed down, and the incident was over.
After 2 months, Marcel was invited by Princess Guermantes and at first assumed that this was a certain cruel joke— the salon of the beautiful princess represented the pinnacle of the Saint-Germain suburb. Marcel tried to question the Duke, but he brushed off his request, not wanting to get into an awkward position. At the Duke, Marcel met Swann, who looked absolutely ill. To the invitation to go to Italy, he replied that he could not, because... unlikely to survive until summer. The Duke, who was getting ready for a costume ball, was very upset by Swann’s “tactlessness” - at the moment he was only worried about the fact that the Duchess was wearing red shoes with a black dress.
Composer, one of the founders of Russian. classic music. Follower of M.I. Glinka. Ch. The work - op. "Rusalka" (1855, based on the dramatic poem by A.S. Pushkin) marked the Birth of a new Russian genre. operas - adv. household psychol. drams. D.'s work expresses critical social trends (the songs “Old Corporal”, “Titular Advisor”, etc.).
Dargomyzhsky, Alexander Sergeevich - famous Russian composer. Born on February 14, 1813 in the village of Dargomyzh, Belevsky district, Tula province. Died on January 17, 1869 in St. Petersburg. His father, Sergei Nikolaevich, served in the Ministry of Finance, in a commercial bank;
Dargomyzhsky's mother, née Princess Maria Borisovna Kozlovskaya, married against the will of her parents.
She was well educated; Her poems were published in almanacs and magazines. Some poems she wrote for her children, mostly of an edifying nature, were included in the collection: “A Gift to My Daughter.”
One of Dargomyzhsky’s brothers played the violin beautifully, participating in a chamber ensemble at home evenings; one of the sisters played the harp well and composed romances.
Until the age of five, Dargomyzhsky did not speak at all, and his late-formed voice remained forever squeaky and hoarse, which did not prevent him, however, from subsequently moving him to tears with the expressiveness and artistry of his vocal performance at intimate gatherings.
Dargomyzhsky received his education at home, but thoroughly; he knew perfectly well French And French literature.
Playing puppet show, the boy composed small vaudeville plays for him, and at the age of six he began to learn to play the piano.
His teacher, Adrian Danilevsky, not only did not encourage his student’s desire to compose from the age of 11, but destroyed his compositional experiments.
His piano training ended with Schoberlechner, a student of Hummel. Dargomyzhsky also studied singing from Tseybikh, who gave him information about intervals, and violin playing at P.G. Vorontsov, participating in a quartet ensemble from the age of 14.
There was no real system in Dargomyzhsky’s musical education, and he owed his theoretical knowledge mainly to himself.
His earliest works - rondos, variations for piano, romances to words by Zhukovsky and Pushkin - are not found in his papers, but during his lifetime "Contredanse nouvelle" and "Variations" for piano were published, written: the first - in 1824, the second - in 1827 - 1828. In the 1830s, Dargomyzhsky was known in the musical circles of St. Petersburg as a “strong pianist”, and also as the author of several piano pieces of brilliant salon style and romances: “Oh, ma charmante”, “The Virgin and the Rose”, “I repent, uncle”, “You're pretty” and others, not much different from the style of romances by Verstovsky, Alyabyev and Varlamov, with an admixture of French influence.
Meeting M.I. Glinka, who gave Dargomyzhsky the theoretical manuscripts he had brought from Berlin from Professor Dehn, contributed to the expansion of his knowledge in the field of harmony and counterpoint; At the same time, he began to study orchestration.
Having appreciated Glinka’s talent, Dargomyzhsky chose, however, for his first opera “Esmeralda” a French libretto compiled by Victor Hugo from his novel “Notre Dame de Paris” and only after the end of the opera (in 1839) did he translate it into Russian.
"Esmeralda", which remains unpublished (the handwritten score, clavier, Dargomyzhsky's autograph, are stored in the central music library of the Imperial Theaters in St. Petersburg; a lithographed copy of the 1st act was also found in Dargomyzhsky's sheet music) - a weak, imperfect work that cannot be compared with "Life for the Tsar."
But Dargomyzhsky’s characteristics were already revealed in him: drama and the desire for expressiveness of the vocal style, influenced by familiarity with the works of Megul, Aubert and Cherubini. "Esmeralda" was staged only in 1847 in Moscow and in 1851 in St. Petersburg. “It was these eight years of vain waiting, even in the most intense years of my life, that laid a heavy burden on my entire artistic activity,” writes Dargomyzhsky. Until 1843, Dargomyzhsky served, first in control of the Ministry of the Court, then in the Department of the State Treasury; then he devoted himself entirely to music.
The failure of "Esmeralda" suspended Dargomyzhsky's operatic work; he began composing romances, which, together with earlier ones, were published (30 romances) in 1844 and brought him honorable fame.
In 1844 Dargomyzhsky visited Germany, Paris, Brussels and Vienna. Personal acquaintance with Auber, Meyerbeer and other European musicians influenced his further development.
He became close friends with Halévy and Fetis, who testifies that Dargomyzhsky consulted with him regarding his works, including “Esmeralda” (“Biographie universelle des musiciens”, St. Petersburg, X, 1861). Having left as an adherent of everything French, Dargomyzhsky returned to St. Petersburg much more than before, a champion of everything Russian (as happened with Glinka).
Reviews from the foreign press regarding the performance of Dargomyzhsky's works at private meetings in Vienna, Paris and Brussels contributed to some change in the attitude of the theater management towards Dargomyzhsky. In the 1840s, he wrote a large cantata with choirs based on Pushkin's text "The Triumph of Bacchus."
It was performed at a concert of the management at the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg in 1846, but the author was refused to stage it as an opera, completed and orchestrated in 1848 (see "Autobiography"), and only much later (in 1867) it was staged in Moscow.
This opera, like the first, is weak in music and not typical for Dargomyzhsky. Distressed by the refusal to stage Bacchus, Dargomyzhsky again closed himself in a close circle of his admirers and admirers, continuing to compose small vocal ensembles (duets, trios, quartets) and romances, which were then published and became popular.
At the same time, he took up teaching singing. The number of his students and especially female students (he gave lessons for free) is enormous. L.N. stood out. Belenitsyn (after her husband Karmalina; the most interesting letters to her from Dargomyzhsky were published), M.V. Shilovskaya, Bilibina, Barteneva, Girs, Pavlova, Princess Manvelova, A.N. Purholt (after her husband Molas).
The sympathy and worship of women, especially singers, always inspired and encouraged Dargomyzhsky, and he used to say, half-jokingly: “If there were no singers in the world, it would not be worth being a composer.” Already in 1843, Dargomyzhsky conceived a third opera, “The Mermaid,” based on Pushkin’s text, but the composition progressed extremely slowly, and even the approval of friends did not speed up the progress of the work; Meanwhile, the duet of the prince and Natasha, performed by Dargomyzhsky and Karmalina, brought tears to Glinka’s eyes.
A new impetus to Dargomyzhsky’s work was given by the resounding success of a grandiose concert of his works, staged in St. Petersburg in the hall of the Assembly of the Nobility on April 9, 1853, according to the thoughts of Prince V.F. Odoevsky and A.N. Karamzin. Taking up “Rusalka” again, Dargomyzhsky completed it in 1855 and arranged it into four hands (the unpublished arrangement is kept in the Imperial Public Library). In "Rusalka" Dargomyzhsky consciously cultivated Russian musical style, created by Glinka.
What is new in “Rusalka” is its drama, comedy (the figure of the matchmaker) and bright recitatives, in which Dargomyzhsky was ahead of Glinka. But the vocal style of "Rusalka" is far from consistent; Along with truthful, expressive recitatives there are conventional cantilenas (Italianisms), rounded arias, duets and ensembles that do not always fit with the requirements of drama.
Weak side"Rusalka" is also from a technical point of view its orchestration, which cannot be compared with the rich orchestral colors of "Ruslana", and from an artistic point of view - the entire fantastic part is rather pale. The first performance of "The Mermaid" in 1856 (May 4) at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, with an unsatisfactory production, with old scenery, inappropriate costumes, careless execution, inappropriate notes, under the direction of K. Lyadov, who did not like Dargomyzhsky, was not successful .
The opera lasted only 26 performances until 1861, but renewed in 1865 with Platonova and Komissarzhevsky, it was a huge success and has since become a repertoire and one of the most beloved Russian operas. "Rusalka" was staged for the first time in Moscow in 1858. The initial failure of "Rusalka" had a depressing effect on Dargomyzhsky; according to the story of his friend, V.P. Engelhardt, he intended to burn the scores of “Esmeralda” and “Rusalka”, and only the formal refusal of the management to hand over these scores to the author, supposedly for correction, saved them from destruction.
Last period Dargomyzhsky's creativity, the most original and significant, can be called reformist. Its beginning, already rooted in the recitatives of "The Mermaid", is marked by the appearance of a number of original vocal plays, distinguished either by their comedy - or, rather, by Gogol's humor, laughter through tears ("Titular Councilor", 1859), or by their drama ("The Old Corporal", 1858; "Paladin", 1859), sometimes with subtle irony ("The Worm", based on the text by Beranger-Kurochkin, 1858), sometimes with the burning feeling of a rejected woman ("We parted proudly", "I don't care", 1859) and always remarkable for the strength and truth of vocal expressiveness.
These vocal pieces were a new step forward in the history of Russian romance after Glinka and served as models for the vocal masterpieces of Mussorgsky, who wrote a dedication to Dargomyzhsky, “the great teacher of musical truth,” on one of them. Dargomyzhsky's comic streak also manifested itself in the field of orchestral composition. His orchestral fantasies date back to the same period: “Little Russian Cossack”, inspired by Glinka’s “Kamarinskaya”, and completely independent ones: “Baba Yaga, or From the Volga nach Riga” and “Chukhon Fantasy”.
The last two, originally conceived, are also interesting in terms of orchestral techniques, showing that Dargomyzhsky had taste and imagination in combining the colors of the orchestra. Dargomyzhsky's acquaintance with the composers of the "Balakirev circle" in the mid-1850s was beneficial for both parties.
Dargomyzhsky's new vocal verse influenced the development of the vocal style of young composers, which especially affected the work of Cui and Mussorgsky, who, like Balakirev, met Dargomyzhsky earlier than the others. Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin were especially influenced by Dargomyzhsky’s new operatic techniques, which were the practical implementation of the thesis he expressed in a letter (1857) to Karmalina: “I want the sound to directly express the word; I want the truth.” An opera composer by vocation, Dargomyzhsky, despite the failures with the state directorate, could not withstand inaction for long.
In the early 1860s, he began to write the magical-comic opera "Rogdana", but wrote only five numbers, two solo ("Duetino of Rogdana and Ratobor" and "Comic Song") and three choral (choir of dervishes to the words of Pushkin "Rise up" , timid", stern oriental character and two women's choirs: “Quietly flow the streams” and “How the luminous star appears”; all of them were performed for the first time in concerts of the Free Music School in 1866 - 1867). Somewhat later, he conceived the opera “Mazeppa”, based on the plot of “Poltava” by Pushkin, but, having written a duet between Orlik and Kochubey (“You are here again, despicable man”), he settled on it.
There was not enough determination to expend energy on big essay, whose fate seemed precarious. Traveling abroad in 1864-65 contributed to the rise of his spirit and strength, as it was very successful artistically: in Brussels, bandmaster Hansens appreciated Dargomyzhsky’s talent and contributed to the performance of his orchestral works in concerts (overtures to “The Mermaid” and “Cossack Woman” "), having huge success. But the main impetus for the extraordinary awakening of creativity was given to Dargomyzhsky by his new young comrades, whose talents he quickly appreciated. The question of operatic forms then became another issue.
Serov was engaged in it, intending to become opera composer and getting carried away by ideas opera reform Wagner. Members of the Balakirev circle, especially Cui, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, also worked on it, solving it independently, based largely on the features of Dargomyzhsky’s new vocal style. When composing his “William Ratcliffe,” Cui immediately introduced Dargomyzhsky to what he had written. Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov also introduced Dargomyzhsky to their new vocal compositions. Their energy was communicated to Dargomyzhsky himself; he decided to boldly embark on the path of operatic reform and began (as he put it) his swan song, setting about composing “The Stone Guest” with extraordinary zeal, without changing a single line of Pushkin’s text and without adding a single word to it.
Dargomyzhsky’s illness (aneurysm and hernia) did not stop his creativity; V last weeks he wrote while lying in bed with a pencil. Young friends, gathering at the patient’s place, performed scene after scene of the opera as it was created and with their enthusiasm gave the fading composer new strength. Within a few months the opera was almost finished; death prevented the completion of music only for the last seventeen verses. According to Dargomyzhsky’s will, he completed Cui’s “The Stone Guest”; he also wrote the introduction to the opera, borrowing thematic material from it, and orchestrated the opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. Through the efforts of friends, “The Stone Guest” was staged in St. Petersburg on the Mariinsky stage on February 16, 1872 and resumed in 1876, but it could not stay in the repertoire and is still far from being appreciated.
However, the significance of “The Stone Guest,” which logically completes Dargomyzhsky’s reform ideas, is undeniable. In The Stone Guest, Dargomyzhsky, like Wagner, strives to achieve a synthesis of drama and music, subordinating the music to the text. The operatic forms of The Stone Guest are so flexible that the music flows continuously, without any repetitions not caused by the meaning of the text. This was achieved by abandoning the symmetrical forms of arias, duets and other rounded ensembles, and at the same time by abandoning the solid cantilena, as it is not flexible enough to express the rapidly changing shades of speech. But here the paths of Wagner and Dargomyzhsky diverge. Wagner center of gravity of musical expression psychology characters transferred to the orchestra, and his vocal parts ended up in the background.
Dargomyzhsky focused musical expressiveness on vocal parts, finding it more appropriate for the characters themselves to speak about themselves. The operatic links in Wagner's continuously flowing music are leitmotifs, symbols of persons, objects, and ideas. The operatic style of The Stone Guest is devoid of leitmotifs; Nevertheless, Dargomyzhsky’s characteristics of the characters are vivid and strictly maintained. The words put into their mouths are different, but homogeneous for everyone. Denying the solid cantilena, Dargomyzhsky also rejected the ordinary, so-called “dry” recitative, little expressive and devoid of pure musical beauty. He created a vocal style that lies between cantilena and recitative, a special melodic or melodic recitative, elastic enough to be in constant accordance with speech, and at the same time rich in characteristic melodic bends, spiritualizing this speech, bringing into it a new, missing emotional element.
Dargomyzhsky’s merit lies in this vocal style, which fully corresponds to the peculiarities of the Russian language. The operatic forms of "The Stone Guest", caused by the properties of the libretto, the text, which did not allow the widespread use of choirs, vocal ensembles, independent performances of the orchestra, cannot, of course, be considered immutable models for any opera. Artistic problems allow for more than one or two solutions. But the solution to Dargomyzhsky’s opera problem is so characteristic that it will not be forgotten in the history of opera. Dargomyzhsky had not only Russian followers, but also foreign ones.
Gounod intended to write an opera based on The Stone Guest; Debussy, in his opera Pelléas et Mélisande, implemented the principles of Dargomyzhsky's operatic reform. - Dargomyzhsky’s social and musical activities began only shortly before his death: from 1860 he was a member of the committee for reviewing compositions submitted to competitions of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, and from 1867 he was elected director of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Society. Most of Dargomyzhsky's works were published by P. Jurgenson, Gutheil and V. Bessel. Operas and orchestral works are named above. Dargomyzhsky wrote few piano pieces (about 11), and all of them (except for the “Slavic Tarantella”, op. in 1865) belong to early period his creativity.
Dargomyzhsky is especially prolific in the field of small vocal pieces for one voice (over 90); he wrote 17 more duets, 6 ensembles (for 3 and 4 voices) and “Petersburg Serenades” - choirs for different voices(12 ©). - See letters from Dargomyzhsky ("Artist", 1894); I. Karzukhin, biography, with indexes of works and literature about Dargomyzhsky ("Artist", 1894); S. Bazurov "Dargomyzhsky" (1894); N. Findeizen "Dargomyzhsky"; L. Karmalina "Memoirs" ("Russian Antiquity", 1875); A. Serov, 10 articles about “Rusalka” (from a collection of critical works); C. Cui "La musique en Russie"; V. Stasov “Our music for the last 25 years” (in collected works). Grigory Timofeev.
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky, whose brief biography is presented in the article, is a great Russian composer who introduced a lot of new things into Russian classical music. The years of his life are 1813-1869. Dargomyzhsky was born on February 14, 1813. His biography begins in the village. Troitsky (Dargomyzhe) Tula province, where he was born. His father served as an official, and Alexandra’s mother was an amateur poetess.
How Dargomyzhsky spent his early childhood
Biography, summary of works, Interesting Facts about the composer - all this interests numerous fans of his work. Let's start from the very beginning and talk about the early childhood of the future composer.
Alexander Sergeevich spent it on his parents' estate, which was located in. After some time, the family moved to St. Petersburg. Got it here home education Alexander Dargomyzhsky. His biography of this time is marked by his studies in music, theater and literature. Alexander Dargomyzhsky's teachers were A. T. Danilevsky (pianist), P. G. Vorontsov (serf violinist), F. Schobernechler (Viennese composer and pianist), B. L. Tseybikh (singer).
In addition, Dargomyzhsky met M.I. Glinka (his portrait is presented above), who gave him theoretical manuscripts brought from Professor Dehn from Berlin. They contributed to the expansion of Alexander Sergeevich’s knowledge in the field of counterpoint and harmony. At the same time, Dargomyzhsky began to study orchestration. His biography continues with the creation of his first independent works.
First works, students of Dargomyzhsky
The first piano plays and romances were published in the 1830s. The greatest artistic value have romances created on the words of Pushkin: “Night Zephyr”, “Vertograd”, “Young Man and Maiden”, “I Loved You”, etc. And in subsequent years vocal music was one of the main creative interests of Alexander Dargomyzhsky, who happily gave vocal lessons, and for free. The number of his students is enormous. Among them, L.N. stands out. Belenitsyna (Karmalina), Bibibina, Shilovskaya, Girs, Barteneva, Purgolt (Molas), Princess Manvelova. Dargomyzhsky was always inspired by women's sympathy, especially singers. About the latter, he half-jokingly said that, without them, it would not have been worth becoming a composer.
Opera "Esmeralda"
The opera "Esmeralda" (years of creation - 1837-41) is considered the first serious work of Alexander Sergeevich. The libretto for it was previously created by Hugo himself. famous novel This work, despite its immaturity (it was written like a French opera), testifies to Dargomyzhsky’s realistic aspirations. Esmeralda was never published. In St. Petersburg, in the library of the Imperial Theaters, the clavier, the handwritten score and Dargomyzhsky’s autograph are kept. A few years later this work was staged. The premiere took place in St. Petersburg in 1851, and in Moscow in 1847.
Romances by Dargomyzhsky
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky was dissatisfied with the production of the opera. His biography is marked by a turn in his work. "Esmeralda", apparently, disappointed the composer. Dargomyzhsky again began to compose romances, whose biography was marked by their writing before. Together with the earlier works, new ones (30 romances in total) were published in 1844. They brought Dargomyzhsky fame. The best romances of the 1840s are considered to be works based on poems by Pushkin: “Night Zephyr”, “Tear”, “Wedding”, “I Loved You”. In 1843, Dargomyzhsky’s cantata “The Triumph of Bacchus” was created based on the verses of the same poet. This work was presented in 1846 at the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theater at a concert by the directorate. However, the author was denied the opportunity to stage The Triumph of Bacchus as an opera, created in 1848. Only much later, only in 1867, was the work created by the composer Dargomyzhsky presented in Moscow. His biography continues with the next period of creativity.
Travel and new trends in the composer’s work
New trends in Dargomyzhsky's work appeared in the second half of the 1840s - early 1850s. They were associated with the emergence and flourishing in our country of the so-called natural school in art and literature. Alexander Sergeevich began to be attracted mainly folk stories. In addition, his interest in folklore became even greater. Dargomyzhsky began processing a peasant song. We can say that the aggravation of national consciousness at this time is due to the fact that the composer was abroad in the period from 1844 to 1845. He visited Germany, Vienna, Brussels and Paris. Dargomyzhsky went there as a fan of everything French, and returned to St. Petersburg as an adherent of Russian, as in the case of Glinka.
It was at this time that the final design of “intonation realism”, the composer’s creative method, dates back (reproduction of speech intonations is the main means by which images are created). The composer said that he strives to ensure that the sound expresses the word. In the song "Melnik" the principle professed by Alexander Dargomyzhsky was put into practice. His short biography is marked by the active implementation of “intonation realism.” From “Melnik,” songs based on Pushkin’s poems, threads stretch to “The Stone Guest,” an opera in which the principles of musical declamation were embodied. “Musical speech” appears in the romances “You will soon forget me” and “Both boring and sad.”
Opera "Rusalka"
The opera "Rusalka", created in 1855 based on the drama by A.S. Pushkin, is central work of this period. It truthfully describes the tragic fate of a peasant girl who was deceived by the prince. Dargomyzhsky in this work created a genre that raised the problem of social inequality (folk musical drama). On May 4, 1856, “Rusalka” was first presented at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater. It was staged with old scenery, sloppy performances, inappropriate costumes, and inappropriate notes. It is not surprising that this opera was not a success. By the way, the production took place under the direction of K. Lyadov, who did not like Dargomyzhsky. Until 1861, "Rusalka" had only 26 performances. However, in 1865 it was resumed by Komissarzhevsky and S. Platonova. In its new version, the opera was a huge success. It was included in the repertoire of many theaters and became one of the most beloved Russian operas.
Musical and social activities
How much do you know about such a composer as Dargomyzhsky? The biography in the table placed in textbooks contains only the most basic information about him. Meanwhile, Dargomyzhsky was not only a composer. The musical and social activities of Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky began in the late 1850s. In 1859, the composer became a member of the RMS (Russian Musical Society) committee. By participating in the commission that reviewed the compositions sent to the competition, he contributed to the development of Russian music. Dargomyzhsky also participated in the creation of the charter of the first conservatory in our country. At the same time, Alexander Sergeevich became close to composers who later became members of the " Mighty bunch"(Balakirevsky circle"). The result was mutual creative enrichment.
Cooperation with Iskra
Dargomyzhsky, whose biography and work were closely connected throughout his life, collaborated with Iskra in 1859. It was an influential satirical magazine at the time. Cooperation left its mark on further creativity composer. Alexander Sergeevich created music based on poems by P. I. Weinberg and V. S. Kurochkin, poets who were published in Iskra. Dargomyzhsky’s innovative romances dating back to this time are permeated with social content: “The Worm”, “The Titular Councilor”, “The Old Corporal”. At the same time, the composer continued his studies with amateur singers, and lyrical romances were created: “I remember deeply,” “What’s in your name,” “We parted proudly.”
Dargomyzhsky's last opera
Composer's attention last years his life was again riveted to the opera. Having decided to carry out a radical reform, Dargomyzhsky in 1866 began working on “The Stone Guest” based on the work of A. S. Pushkin. He wanted to write music without changing Pushkin's text. Dargomyzhsky abandoned historically established opera forms: vocal ensembles, extended arias. His goal was continuity of musical action. Recitative-ariosa recitation was taken as a basis, that is, the opera is almost entirely built on melodic recitative. The piece was almost completed several months later. Dargomyzhsky's death prevented him from creating music only for the last 17 verses. Ts. Cui completed “The Stone Guest” according to the composer’s will. He also created the introduction to this opera, which was orchestrated by N. Rimsky-Korsakov.
The meaning of "Stone Guest"
“The Stone Guest”, through the efforts of Alexander Dargomyzhsky’s friends, was staged on February 16, 1872 on the Mariinsky stage in St. Petersburg. In 1876, the opera was resumed, but did not remain in the repertoire. To this day, it is still not appreciated. Not only among Russian composers (Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky) did the innovative principles of Alexander Sergeevich’s final opera find followers. She was appreciated and foreign musicians. In particular, C. Gounod wanted to create his own opera, taking “The Stone Guest” as a model. In the work "Pelleas and Melisandre" C. Debussy relied on the principles of the reform that Dargomyzhsky carried out. His short biography would be incomplete if we did not talk about orchestral works Alexander Sergeevich.
Orchestral works by Dargomyzhsky
The brightest among them can be considered “Baba Yaga”, “Chukhon Fantasy” and “Little Russian Cossack”. The everyday images of these works are aggravated by the composer with the help of a grotesquely exaggerated interpretation. This is precisely where the novelty of the artistic techniques. They were continued in the works of such Russian composers as A. Lyadov, M. Mussorgsky and others. On January 17, 1869, Dargomyzhsky died in St. Petersburg (his grave is shown in the photo below).
His short biography is studied today in all music schools in Russia. And the works of Alexander Sergeevich are performed in the best theaters our country to this day. There are not many among our compatriots who have never heard of such a composer as Dargomyzhsky. The biography for children and adults presented in this article concerns only his main works and achievements. We will be glad if you would like to continue your acquaintance with Russian classical music. A very interesting representative of it is Dargomyzhsky (biography and creativity). Now you can tell us briefly about his life and legacy.
I don't intend to reduce...music to fun. I want the sound to directly express the word. I want the truth.
A. Dargomyzhsky
At the beginning of 1835, a young man appeared in the house of M. Glinka, who turned out to be a passionate music lover. Short, outwardly unremarkable, he was completely transformed at the piano, delighting those around him with his free playing and excellent sight-reading of notes. It was A. Dargomyzhsky, in the near future the largest representative of Russian classical music. The biographies of both composers have a lot in common. Early childhood Dargomyzhsky passed on his father’s estate not far from Novospassky, and he was surrounded by the same nature and peasant way of life, as well as Glinka. But he ended up in St. Petersburg in a more early age(the family moved to the capital when he was 4 years old), and this left its mark on his artistic tastes and determined his interest in the music of urban life.
Dargomyzhsky received a home-based, but broad and varied education, in which poetry, theater, and music occupied the first place. At the age of 7 he was taught to play the piano and violin (later he took singing lessons). Early on he discovered a desire for musical writing, but it was not encouraged by his teacher A. Danilevsky. Dargomyzhsky completed his pianistic education with F. Schoberlechner, a student of the famous J. Hummel, studying with him in 1828-31. During these years he often performed as a pianist, took part in quartet evenings and showed all his more interest to the composition. Nevertheless, Dargomyzhsky still remained an amateur in this area. Not enough theoretical knowledge Moreover, the young man plunged headlong into the whirlpool of social life, “he was in the heat of youth and in the claws of pleasure.” True, even then there was not only entertainment. Dargomyzhsky attends musical and literary evenings in the salons of V. Odoevsky, S. Karamzina, and hangs out with poets, artists, performers, and musicians. However, a complete revolution in his fate was accomplished by his acquaintance with Glinka. “The same education, the same love for art immediately brought us closer together... We soon became friends and sincerely became friends. ...For 22 years in a row, we were constantly on the shortest, most friendly terms with him,” Dargomyzhsky wrote in his autobiographical note.
It was then that Dargomyzhsky first truly faced the question of the meaning of composer’s creativity. He was present at the birth of the first classical Russian opera “Ivan Susanin”, took part in its stage rehearsals and was convinced with his own eyes that music is intended not only to delight and entertain. Music playing in salons was abandoned, and Dargomyzhsky began to fill the gaps in his musical theoretical knowledge. For this purpose, Glinka gave Dargomyzhsky 5 notebooks containing notes of lectures by the German theorist Z. Dehn.
In his first creative experiments, Dargomyzhsky already showed great artistic independence. He was attracted by images of the “humiliated and insulted”; he strives to recreate various human characters in music, warming them with his sympathy and compassion. All this influenced the choice of the first opera plot. In 1839, Dargomyzhsky completed the opera “Esmeralda” to the French libretto by V. Hugo based on his novel “The Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris" Its premiere took place only in 1848, and “these eight years vain expectations,” wrote Dargomyzhsky, “laid a heavy burden on my entire artistic activity.”
Failure also accompanied the next major work - the cantata "The Triumph of Bacchus" (at the station by A. Pushkin, 1843), revised in 1848 into an opera-ballet and staged only in 1867. "Esmeralda", which was the first attempt to embody a psychological drama " little people”, and “The Triumph of Bacchus”, where it took place for the first time as part of a large-scale composition of the windy with the brilliant Pushkin poetry, with all the imperfections they were a serious step towards “Rusalka”. Numerous romances also paved the way to it. It was in this genre that Dargomyzhsky somehow immediately easily and naturally reached the top. He loved vocal music and was involved in teaching until the end of his life. “...By constantly being in the company of singers and singers, I practically managed to study both the properties and bends of human voices, and the art of dramatic singing,” wrote Dargomyzhsky. In his youth, the composer often paid tribute to salon lyricism, but even in his early romances he came into contact with the main themes of his work. Thus, the lively vaudeville song “I repent, uncle” (Art. A. Timofeev) anticipates the satirical songs and skits of later times; hot topic of freedom human feeling finds embodiment in the ballad “Wedding” (Art. A. Timofeev), so beloved later by V. I. Lenin. In the early 40s. Dargomyzhsky turned to Pushkin’s poetry, creating such masterpieces as the romances “I Loved You,” “Young Man and Maiden,” “Night Zephyr,” and “Vertograd.” Pushkin's poetry helped overcome the influence of the sensitive salon style and stimulated the search for a more subtle musical expressiveness. The relationship between words and music became ever closer, requiring the renewal of all means, and first of all, melody. Musical intonation, capturing the bends of human speech, helped to sculpt a real, living image, and this led to the formation in Dargomyzhsky’s chamber vocal work of new varieties of romance - lyrical and psychological monologues (“I’m sad”, “Both boring and sad” in Art. M Lermontov), theatrical genre-everyday romances and sketches (“Melnik” at Pushkin Station).
An important role in Dargomyzhsky’s creative biography was played by a trip abroad at the end of 1844 (Berlin, Brussels, Vienna, Paris). Its main result is an irresistible need to “write in Russian,” and over the years this desire acquires an increasingly clear social orientation, echoing the ideas and artistic quests of the era. The revolutionary situation in Europe, the tightening of political reaction in Russia, growing peasant unrest, anti-serfdom tendencies among the advanced part of Russian society, increasing interest in folk life in all its manifestations - all this contributed to serious changes in Russian culture, primarily in literature, where by the mid-40s. The so-called “natural school” is emerging. Its main feature, according to V. Belinsky, was “a closer and closer rapprochement with life, with reality, a greater and greater proximity to maturity and manhood.” Themes and plots of the “natural school” - the life of the simple class in its unvarnished everyday life, psychology little man- were very consonant with Dargomyzhsky, and this was especially evident in the opera “Rusalka”, accusatory romances of the late 50s. (“Worm”, “Titular Councilor”, “Old Corporal”).
“Rusalka,” on which Dargomyzhsky worked intermittently from 1845 to 1855, opened a new direction in Russian opera. This is a lyrical and psychological everyday drama, its most remarkable pages are the extensive ensemble scenes, where complex human characters enter into acute conflict relationships and are revealed with great tragic force. The first performance of “The Mermaid” on May 4, 1856 in St. Petersburg aroused the interest of the public, but high society did not honor the opera with its attention, and the management of the imperial theaters treated it unkindly. The situation changed in the mid-60s. Revived under the direction of E. Napravnik, “Rusalka” was a truly triumphant success, noted by critics as a sign that “the views of the public... have radically changed.” These changes were caused by the renewal of the entire social atmosphere, the democratization of all forms public life. The attitude towards Dargomyzhsky became different. Over the past decade, his authority in musical world grew greatly, a group of young composers led by M. Balakirev and V. Stasov united around him. The composer's musical and social activities also intensified. At the end of the 50s. he took part in the work of the satirical magazine Iskra, from 1859 he became a member of the RMO committee, and participated in the development of the draft charter of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. So when in 1864 Dargomyzhsky undertook a new trip abroad, the foreign public welcomed him major representative Russian musical culture.
Where children get the opportunity creative development. And who Dargomyzhsky is and how he is connected with the Vyazemsk land can be found out by reading his biography.
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky (1813-1869)- Russian composer who left a significant mark on the development of music, creating one of the new directions - realistic. Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky once wrote in an autobiographical letter: “I want the sound to directly express the word. I want the truth,” and he did it very well, because it was not for nothing that Mussorgsky called him “the teacher of musical truth.”
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky short biography
Begins life path Dargomyzhsky and his short biography from birth. This happened in February 1913. That's when the world saw a little boy, who was born into a family of nobles, and was named Alexander, whose glorious biography began in the Trinity village Tula region. Immediately after Napoleon’s troops were expelled from Russian territory, the Dargomyzhskys settled on the estate that Dargomyzhsky’s mother inherited, on the Tverdunovo estate, in the Vyazemsky district. The future composer spent his first four years there, after which the whole family moved to St. Petersburg. Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky studies there musical education. He learns to play the violin, piano, learns to sing, and tried himself in writing his first romances and plays for piano.
Among his acquaintances there were many writers, among whom were Lev Pushkin, Vasily Zhukovsky, Pyotr Vyazemsky. The meeting and acquaintance with Glinka played a big role in Dargomyzhsky’s fate.
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky created music and his first big job there was work on the opera Esmeralda, which was not immediately staged, and when the author achieved its release, after the premiere it quickly left the stage and was rarely staged. Such a failure reflected pain and anxiety on Dargomyzhsky’s state of mind, but he continues to create and write a number of romances.
Mermaid creation story
Composer Dargomyzhsky goes abroad, so to speak, for inspiration. There he met musicologists and world composers, and upon returning to his homeland, Alexander began to become interested in folklore, whose echoes can be seen in many of his works, including his famous work, which brought great popularity to the author. And this is the work of Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky “Rusalka” based on the plot of Pushkin’s tragedy “Rusalka”. If we talk about the work of Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky “Mermaid” and its history of creation, then it is worth saying that it took the composer about seven years to write the work. He began writing it in 1848 and completed the work in 1855.The next opera that Dargomyzhsky conceived was the opera “The Stone Guest,” but it was written slowly due to the author’s experiences. creative crisis, which was caused by the withdrawal of his work “Rusalka” from the theater repertoire. Again, Dargomyzhsky goes abroad for inspiration. Upon arrival, he took up “The Stone Guest” again, but was unable to complete it.
Opera by A.S. Dargomyzhsky Rusalka
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky music
Dargomyzhsky - Melnik, sheet music
Melancholic Waltz by A. Dargomyzhsky
In 1869, Dargomyzhsky leaves our world. He was buried at the Tikhvin Cemetery in the Necropolis of Art Masters.
Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky interesting facts from life
Studying the biography of Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky, one can note such an interesting fact of his life as the completion of the opera “The Stone Guest”, which was completed by Cesar Cui.Dargomyzhsky left behind many works, including operas, chamber vocal works, songs of social and everyday content, romances, and works for piano.
During his life, Dargomyzhsky never met the one with whom he would start a family and raise children. In Vyazma, next to the art school, A.S. A monument to Dargomyzhsky was erected, and recently appeared.
Well, we invite you to get to know the composer better. After looking at the photo Dargomyzhsky Alexander Sergeevich, and you can also touch the work of Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky by listening to his works.
