Great classical composers: a list of the best. Russian classical composers

World classical music is unthinkable without the works of Russian composers. Russia, a great country with a talented people and its own cultural heritage, has always been among the leading locomotives of world progress and art, including music. The Russian school of composition, the continuation of whose traditions were the Soviet and today's Russian schools, began in the 19th century with composers who combined European musical art with Russian folk melodies, linking together the European form and the Russian spirit.

A lot can be said about each of these famous people; all of them have difficult and sometimes tragic fates, but in this review we tried to give only a brief description of the life and work of the composers.

1.Mikhail Ivanovich GLINKA (1804—1857)

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka is the founder of Russian classical music and the first Russian classical composer to achieve world fame. His works, based on the centuries-old traditions of Russian folk music, were a new word in the musical art of our country.
Born in the Smolensk province, he received his education in St. Petersburg. The formation of the worldview and the main idea of Mikhail Glinka’s work was facilitated by direct communication with such personalities as A.S. Pushkin, V.A. Zhukovsky, A.S. Griboyedov, A.A. Delvig. The creative impetus for his work was added by a many-year trip to Europe in the early 1830s and meetings with the leading composers of the time - V. Bellini, G. Donizetti, F. Mendelssohn and later with G. Berlioz, J. Meyerbeer. Success came to M.I. Glinka after the production of the opera “Ivan Susanin” (“Life for the Tsar”) (1836), which was enthusiastically received by everyone; for the first time in world music, Russian choral art and European symphonic and operatic practice were organically combined, as well as a hero like Susanin appeared, whose image summarizes the best features of the national character. V.F. Odoevsky described the opera as “a new element in Art, and a new period begins in its history - the period of Russian music.”
The second opera is the epic “Ruslan and Lyudmila” (1842), work on which was carried out against the backdrop of Pushkin’s death and in the difficult living conditions of the composer, due to the deeply innovative nature of the work, it was received ambiguously by the audience and the authorities and brought difficult experiences to M.I. Glinka . After that, he traveled a lot, alternately living in Russia and abroad, without stopping composing. His legacy includes romances, symphonic and chamber works. In the 1990s, Mikhail Glinka's "Patriotic Song" was the official anthem of the Russian Federation.

Quote from M.I. Glinka: “To create beauty, you yourself must be pure in soul.”

Quote about M.I. Glinka: “The entire Russian symphonic school, like an entire oak tree in an acorn, is contained in the symphonic fantasy “Kamarinskaya”. P.I.Tchaikovsky

Interesting fact: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka was not in good health, despite this he was very easy-going and knew geography very well; perhaps, if he had not become a composer, he would have become a traveler. He knew six foreign languages, including Persian.

2. Alexander Porfirievich BORODIN (1833—1887)

Alexander Porfirievich Borodin, one of the leading Russian composers of the second half of the 19th century, in addition to his talent as a composer, was a chemist, doctor, teacher, critic and had literary talent.
Born in St. Petersburg, from childhood everyone around him noted his unusual activity, passion and abilities in various fields, primarily in music and chemistry. A.P. Borodin is a Russian composer-nugget; he did not have professional musician teachers; all his achievements in music were due to independent work on mastering the technique of composition. The formation of A.P. Borodin was influenced by the work of M.I. Glinka (as indeed all Russian composers of the 19th century), and the impetus for intensive study of composition in the early 1860s was given by two events - firstly, his acquaintance and marriage with the talented pianist E.S. Protopopova, and secondly, a meeting with M.A. Balakirev and joining the creative community of Russian composers, known as the “Mighty Handful”. In the late 1870s and 1880s, A.P. Borodin traveled and toured a lot in Europe and America, met with leading composers of his time, his fame grew, he became one of the most famous and popular Russian composers in Europe at the end of the 19th century. th century.
The central place in the work of A.P. Borodin is occupied by the opera “Prince Igor” (1869-1890), which is an example of a national heroic epic in music and which he himself did not have time to complete (it was completed by his friends A.A. Glazunov and N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov). In "Prince Igor", against the backdrop of majestic pictures of historical events, the main idea of the composer's entire work is reflected - courage, calm greatness, spiritual nobility of the best Russian people and the mighty strength of the entire Russian people, manifested in the defense of their homeland. Despite the fact that A.P. Borodin left a relatively small number of works, his work is very diverse and he is considered one of the fathers of Russian symphonic music, who influenced many generations of Russian and foreign composers.

Quote about A.P. Borodin: “Borodin’s talent is equally powerful and amazing in symphony, opera and romance. His main qualities are gigantic strength and breadth, colossal scope, swiftness and impetuosity, combined with amazing passion, tenderness and beauty." V.V. Stasov

Interesting fact: the chemical reaction of silver salts of carboxylic acids with halogens, resulting in halogenated hydrocarbons, which he was the first to study in 1861, is named after Borodin.

3. Modest Petrovich MUSORGSKY (1839—1881)

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky is one of the most brilliant Russian composers of the 19th century, a member of the “Mighty Handful”. Mussorgsky's innovative work was far ahead of its time.
Born in the Pskov province. Like many talented people, he showed ability in music from childhood, studied in St. Petersburg, and was, according to family tradition, a military man. The decisive event that determined that Mussorgsky was born not for military service, but for music, was his meeting with M.A. Balakirev and joining the “Mighty Handful”. Mussorgsky is great because in his grandiose works - the operas "Boris Godunov" and "Khovanshchina" - he captured in music the dramatic milestones of Russian history with a radical novelty that Russian music had not known before, showing in them a combination of mass folk scenes and a diverse wealth of types, the unique character of the Russian people. These operas, in numerous editions by both the author and other composers, are among the most popular Russian operas in the world. Another outstanding work of Mussorgsky is the cycle of piano pieces "Pictures at an Exhibition", colorful and inventive miniatures permeated with a Russian theme-refrain and Orthodox faith.

Mussorgsky's life had everything - both greatness and tragedy, but he was always distinguished by genuine spiritual purity and selflessness. His last years were difficult - unsettled life, lack of recognition of creativity, loneliness, addiction to alcohol, all this determined his early death at the age of 42, he left relatively few works, some of which were completed by other composers. Mussorgsky's specific melody and innovative harmony anticipated some features of the musical development of the 20th century and played an important role in the formation of the styles of many world composers.

Quote from M.P. Mussorgsky: “The sounds of human speech, as outward manifestations of thought and feeling, must, without exaggeration and violence, become music that is truthful, accurate, but artistic, highly artistic.”

Quote about M.P. Mussorgsky: “The original Russian sounds in everything that Mussorgsky created” N.K. Roerich

Interesting fact: at the end of his life, Mussorgsky, under pressure from his “friends” Stasov and Rimsky-Korsakov, renounced the copyright to his works and donated them to Tertius Filippov

4. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840—1893)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, perhaps the greatest Russian composer of the 19th century, raised Russian musical art to unprecedented heights. He is one of the most important composers of world classical music.
A native of the Vyatka province, although his paternal roots are in Ukraine, Tchaikovsky showed musical abilities from childhood, but his first education and work was in the field of jurisprudence. Tchaikovsky was one of the first Russian “professional” composers; he studied music theory and composition at the new St. Petersburg Conservatory. Tchaikovsky was considered a “Western” composer, as opposed to the popular figures of the “Mighty Handful”, with whom he had good creative and friendly relations, but his work is no less permeated with the Russian spirit, he managed to uniquely combine the Western symphonic heritage of Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann with the Russians traditions inherited from Mikhail Glinka.
The composer led an active life - he was a teacher, conductor, critic, public figure, worked in two capitals, toured in Europe and America. Tchaikovsky was a rather emotionally unstable person; enthusiasm, despondency, apathy, hot temper, violent anger - all these moods changed in him quite often; being a very sociable person, he always strived for loneliness.
Selecting something best from Tchaikovsky's work is a difficult task; he has several equal works in almost all musical genres - opera, ballet, symphony, chamber music. The content of Tchaikovsky's music is universal: with inimitable melodicism it embraces images of life and death, love, nature, childhood, it reveals works of Russian and world literature in a new way, and reflects the deep processes of spiritual life.

Composer quote:
“I am an artist who can and should bring honor to my Motherland. I feel great artistic strength in myself, I have not yet done even a tenth of what I can do. And I want to do this with all the strength of my soul.”
“Life has beauty only when it consists of alternation of joys and sorrows, of the struggle between good and evil, of light and shadow, in a word - of diversity in unity.”
"Great talent requires great hard work."

Quote about the composer: “I am ready to stand as a guard of honor day and night at the porch of the house where Pyotr Ilyich lives - that is how much I respect him.” A.P.Chekhov

Interesting fact: Cambridge University awarded Tchaikovsky the title of Doctor of Music in absentia and without defending a dissertation, and the Paris Academy of Fine Arts elected him a corresponding member.

5. Nikolai Andreevich RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844—1908)

Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov is a talented Russian composer, one of the most important figures in the creation of an invaluable Russian musical heritage. His unique world and worship of the eternal all-encompassing beauty of the universe, admiration for the miracle of existence, unity with nature have no analogues in the history of music.
Born in the Novgorod province, according to family tradition he became a naval officer, and traveled around many countries in Europe and the two Americas on a warship. He received his musical education first from his mother, then taking private lessons from pianist F. Canille. And again, thanks to M.A. Balakirev, the organizer of the “Mighty Handful,” who introduced Rimsky-Korsakov into the musical community and influenced his work, the world has not lost a talented composer.
The central place in Rimsky-Korsakov's legacy is made up of operas - 15 works demonstrating the diversity of genre, stylistic, dramatic, compositional solutions of the composer, nevertheless having a special style - with all the richness of the orchestral component, the main ones are melodic vocal lines. Two main directions distinguish the composer’s work: the first is Russian history, the second is the world of fairy tales and epics, for which he received the nickname “storyteller.”
In addition to his direct independent creative activity, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov is known as a publicist, compiler of collections of folk songs, in which he showed great interest, and also as a completionist of the works of his friends - Dargomyzhsky, Mussorgsky and Borodin. Rimsky-Korsakov was the creator of a school of composition; as a teacher and director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, he trained about two hundred composers, conductors, and musicologists, among them Prokofiev and Stravinsky.

Quote about the composer: “Rimsky-Korsakov was a very Russian man and a very Russian composer. I believe that this primordially Russian essence of his, his deep folk-Russian basis should be especially appreciated today.” Mstislav Rostropovich

The work of Russian composers of the late 19th - first half of the 20th century is a holistic continuation of the traditions of the Russian school. At the same time, the concept of an approach to the “national” affiliation of this or that music was named; there is practically no direct quotation of folk melodies, but the intonation Russian basis, the Russian soul, remains.

6. Alexander Nikolaevich SKRYABIN (1872 - 1915)

Alexander Nikolaevich Scriabin is a Russian composer and pianist, one of the brightest personalities of Russian and world musical culture. Scriabin's original and deeply poetic creativity stood out as innovative even against the backdrop of the birth of many new trends in art associated with changes in public life at the turn of the 20th century.
Born in Moscow, his mother died early, his father could not pay attention to his son, as he served as ambassador to Persia. Scriabin was raised by his aunt and grandfather, and showed musical talent from childhood. At first he studied in the cadet corps, took private piano lessons, and after graduating from the corps he entered the Moscow Conservatory, his classmate was S.V. Rachmaninov. After graduating from the conservatory, Scriabin devoted himself entirely to music - as a concert pianist-composer he toured in Europe and Russia, spending most of his time abroad.
The peak of Scriabin's compositional creativity was the years 1903-1908, when the Third Symphony ("Divine Poem"), the symphonic "Poem of Ecstasy", "Tragic" and "Satanic" piano poems, 4th and 5th sonatas and other works were released. "Poem of Ecstasy", consisting of several theme-images, concentrated Sryabin's creative ideas and is his brilliant masterpiece. It harmoniously combines the composer's love for the power of a large orchestra and the lyrical, airy sound of solo instruments. The colossal vital energy, fiery passion, and strong-willed power embodied in the “Poem of Ecstasy” makes an irresistible impression on the listener and retains the power of its impact to this day.
Another masterpiece of Scriabin is “Prometheus” (“Poem of Fire”), in which the author completely updated his harmonic language, departing from the traditional tonal system, and for the first time in history this work was supposed to be accompanied by color music, but the premiere, for technical reasons, was held without lighting effects.
The last unfinished “Mystery” was the plan of Scriabin, a dreamer, romantic, philosopher, to appeal to all of humanity and inspire it to create a new fantastic world order, the union of the Universal Spirit with Matter.

Quote from A.N. Scriabin: “I’m going to tell them (people) - so that they... do not expect anything from life except what they can create for themselves... I’m going to tell them that there is nothing to grieve about, that there is no loss "So that they are not afraid of despair, which alone can give rise to real triumph. Strong and powerful is the one who has experienced despair and defeated it."

Quote about A.N. Scriabin: “Scriabin’s work was his time, expressed in sounds. But when the temporary, transient finds its expression in the work of a great artist, it acquires permanent meaning and becomes enduring.” G. V. Plekhanov

7. Sergei Vasilyevich Rahmaninov (1873 - 1943)

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov is the world's largest composer of the early 20th century, a talented pianist and conductor. The creative image of Rachmaninoff the composer is often defined by the epithet “the most Russian composer,” emphasizing in this brief formulation his merits in uniting the musical traditions of the Moscow and St. Petersburg schools of composition and in creating his own unique style, which stands out in the world musical culture.
Born in the Novgorod province, at the age of four he began studying music under the guidance of his mother. He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, after 3 years of study he transferred to the Moscow Conservatory and graduated with a large gold medal. He quickly became known as a conductor and pianist, and composed music. The disastrous premiere of the innovative First Symphony (1897) in St. Petersburg caused a creative composer's crisis, from which Rachmaninov emerged in the early 1900s with a mature style that united Russian church song, outgoing European romanticism, modern impressionism and neoclassicism, all full of complex symbolism. During this creative period, his best works were born, including the 2nd and 3rd piano concertos, the Second Symphony and his most favorite work - the poem "Bells" for choir, soloists and orchestra.
In 1917, Rachmaninov and his family were forced to leave our country and settle in the USA. For almost ten years after leaving, he composed nothing, but toured extensively in America and Europe and was recognized as one of the greatest pianists of the era and a major conductor. For all his hectic activity, Rachmaninov remained a vulnerable and insecure person, striving for solitude and even loneliness, avoiding the annoying attention of the public. He sincerely loved and missed his homeland, wondering if he had made a mistake by leaving it. He was constantly interested in all the events taking place in Russia, read books, newspapers and magazines, and helped financially. His last works - Symphony No. 3 (1937) and "Symphonic Dances" (1940) were the result of his creative path, incorporating all the best of his unique style and a mournful feeling of irreparable loss and longing for his homeland.

Quote from S.V. Rachmaninov:
“I feel like a ghost wandering alone in a world that is alien to me.”
“The highest quality of all art is its sincerity.”
"Great composers have always and first of all paid attention to melody as the leading principle in music. Melody is music, the main basis of all music... Melodic inventiveness, in the highest sense of the word, is the main life goal of the composer.... By This is the reason why the great composers of the past showed so much interest in the folk melodies of their countries."

Quote about S.V. Rachmaninov:
“Rachmaninov was created from steel and gold: Steel is in his hands, gold is in his heart. I can’t think about him without tears. I not only admired the great artist, But I loved the person in him.” I. Hoffman
"Rachmaninov's music is the Ocean. Its waves - musical - begin so far beyond the horizon, and lift you so high and lower you so slowly... that you feel this Power and Breath." A. Konchalovsky

Interesting fact: during the Great Patriotic War, Rachmaninov gave several charity concerts, the proceeds from which he sent to the Red Army Fund to fight the Nazi occupiers.

8. Igor Fedorovich STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)

Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky is one of the most influential world composers of the 20th century, a leader of neoclassicism. Stravinsky became a “mirror” of the musical era; his work reflects a multiplicity of styles, constantly intersecting and difficult to classify. He freely combines genres, forms, styles, choosing them from centuries of musical history and subjecting them to his own rules.
Born near St. Petersburg, he studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, independently studied musical disciplines, took private lessons from N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, this was Stravinsky’s only composer school, thanks to which he mastered compositional technique to perfection. He began composing professionally relatively late, but his rise was rapid - a series of three ballets: “The Firebird” (1910), “Petrushka” (1911) and “The Rite of Spring” (1913) immediately brought him to the ranks of composers of the first magnitude.
In 1914 he left Russia, as it turned out, almost forever (in 1962 there were tours in the USSR). Stravinsky is a cosmopolitan, having been forced to change several countries - Russia, Switzerland, France, and eventually stayed to live in the USA. His work is divided into three periods - “Russian”, “neoclassical”, American “mass production”, the periods are divided not by the time of life in different countries, but by the author’s “handwriting”.
Stravinsky was a very highly educated, sociable person, with a wonderful sense of humor. His circle of acquaintances and correspondents included musicians, poets, artists, scientists, businessmen, and statesmen.
Stravinsky's last highest achievement - "Requiem" (Funeral Hymns) (1966) absorbed and combined the composer's previous artistic experience, becoming the true apotheosis of the master's work.
One unique feature stands out in Stavinsky’s work - “unrepeatability”, it was not without reason that he was called “the composer of a thousand and one styles”, constant change of genre, style, plot direction - each of his works is unique, but he constantly returned to designs in which Russian origin is visible, audible Russian roots.

Quote from I.F. Stravinsky: “I have been speaking Russian all my life, I have a Russian syllable. Maybe this is not immediately visible in my music, but it is inherent in it, it is in its hidden nature.”

Quote about I.F. Stravinsky: “Stravinsky is a truly Russian composer... The Russian spirit is indestructible in the heart of this truly great, multifaceted talent, born of the Russian land and closely connected with it...” D. Shostakovich

Interesting fact (fable):
Once in New York, Stravinsky took a taxi and was surprised to read his last name on the sign.
-Are you a relative of the composer? - he asked the driver.
- Is there a composer with such a surname? - the driver was surprised. - Hear it for the first time. However, Stravinsky is the name of the taxi owner. I have nothing to do with music - my last name is Rossini...

9. Sergei Sergeevich PROKOFIEV (1891—1953)

Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev is one of the largest Russian composers of the 20th century, pianist, and conductor.
Born in the Donetsk region, he became involved in music from childhood. Prokofiev can be considered one of the few (if not the only) Russian musical “prodigies”, from the age of 5 he was engaged in composing, at the age of 9 he wrote two operas (of course, these works are still immature, but they show a desire to create), at the age of 13 he passed the exams at St. Petersburg Conservatory, among his teachers was N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. The beginning of his professional career caused a storm of criticism and misunderstanding of his individual, fundamentally anti-romantic and extremely modernist style; the paradox is that, while destroying academic canons, the structure of his compositions remained faithful to classical principles and subsequently became a restraining force of modernist all-denying skepticism. From the very beginning of his career, Prokofiev performed and toured a lot. In 1918, he went on an international tour, including visiting the USSR, and finally returned to his homeland in 1936.
The country has changed and Prokofiev’s “free” creativity was forced to give in to the realities of new demands. Prokofiev's talent blossomed with renewed vigor - he wrote operas, ballets, music for films - sharp, strong-willed, extremely precise music with new images and ideas, laid the foundation for Soviet classical music and opera. In 1948, three tragic events occurred almost simultaneously: his first Spanish wife was arrested on suspicion of espionage and exiled to camps; a Resolution of the Poliburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was issued in which Prokofiev, Shostakovich and others were attacked and accused of “formalism” and the harm of their music; There was a sharp deterioration in the composer's health; he retired to his dacha and practically never left it, but continued to compose.
Some of the most striking works of the Soviet period were the operas “War and Peace” and “The Tale of a Real Man”; the ballets “Romeo and Juliet” and “Cinderella”, which have become a new standard of world ballet music; oratorio "Guardian of Peace"; music for the films "Alexander Nevsky" and "Ivan the Terrible"; symphonies No. 5,6,7; piano works.
Prokofiev's work is striking in its versatility and breadth of themes; the originality of his musical thinking, freshness and originality constituted an entire era in the world musical culture of the 20th century and had a powerful influence on many Soviet and foreign composers.

Quote from S.S. Prokofiev:
“Can an artist stand aside from life?.. I adhere to the conviction that a composer, like a poet, sculptor, painter, is called upon to serve man and the people... He, first of all, is obliged to be a citizen in his art, to glorify human life and lead people to a bright future..."
"I am a manifestation of life, which gives me the strength to resist everything unspiritual"

Quote about S.S. Prokofiev: “... all facets of his music are beautiful. But there is one completely unusual thing here. Apparently, we all have some failures, doubts, just a bad mood. And in such moments “Even if I don’t play or listen to Prokofiev, but just think about him, I get an incredible charge of energy, I feel a great desire to live and act.” E. Kissin

Interesting fact: Prokofiev loved chess very much, and enriched the game with his ideas and achievements, including the “nine” chess he invented - a 24x24 board with nine sets of pieces arranged on it.

10. Dmitry Dmitrievich SHOSTAKOVICH (1906 - 1975)

Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich is one of the most important and performed composers in the world, his influence on modern classical music is immeasurable. His creations are true expressions of the inner human drama and chronicle of the difficult events of the 20th century, where the deeply personal is intertwined with the tragedy of man and humanity, with the fate of his native country.
Born in St. Petersburg, he received his first music lessons from his mother, graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, upon entering which its rector Alexander Glazunov compared him to Mozart - so he amazed everyone with his excellent musical memory, keen ear and gift for composition. Already in the early 20s, by the end of the conservatory, Shostakovich had a baggage of his own works and became one of the best composers in the country. World fame came to Shostakovich after winning the 1st International Chopin Competition in 1927.
Until a certain period, namely before the production of the opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk", Shostakovich worked as a free artist - an "avant-garde", experimenting with styles and genres. The severe demolition of this opera, organized in 1936, and the repressions of 1937 marked the beginning of Shostakovich’s subsequent constant internal struggle to express his views through his own means in the conditions of state imposition of trends in art. In his life, politics and creativity are very closely intertwined, he was praised by the authorities and persecuted by them, held high positions and was removed from them, he and his relatives were awarded and were on the verge of arrest.
A gentle, intelligent, delicate person, he found his form of expressing creative principles in symphonies, where he could speak the truth about time as openly as possible. Of all Shostakovich’s extensive creativity in all genres, it is the symphonies (15 works) that occupy the central place; the most dramatically intense are the 5, 7, 8, 10, 15 symphonies, which became the pinnacle of Soviet symphonic music. A completely different Shostakovich reveals himself in chamber music.
Despite the fact that Shostakovich himself was a “home” composer and practically never traveled abroad, his music, humanistic in essence and truly artistic in form, quickly and widely spread throughout the world and was performed by the best conductors. The magnitude of Shostakovich's talent is so immense that full comprehension of this unique phenomenon of world art is still ahead.

Quote from D.D. Shostakovich: “True music is capable of expressing only humane feelings, only advanced humane ideas.”

I usually write posts when something makes me think that it would be nice to write about it. This time, that’s exactly what happened. The other day I watched the latest version of Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright with a magnificent score by Dario Marionelli. I really liked the picture. But now the conversation is not about her. The fact is that Dario Marionelli uses the familiar melody “There was a birch tree in the field” in his music for the film. This is what prompted me to write this post.
It would be right to start with the words of D.B. Kabalevsky, who said that “Folk song, like a fabulous source of living water, gave composers strength and inspiration, taught them beauty and skill, taught them to love life and people.”
Classical music is closely related to folk music. Russian classical music also fed on folk tunes. Folk lyrical songs had a strong influence on the work of Russian composers. Composers widely used the lyrical melodies of existing folk songs and processed them. Often, the melody, born of the composer’s imagination, resembled a folk one. Russian composers loved lyrical song, learned from it, and sang its beauty in their masterpieces.
The history of Russian classical music begins with creativity M.I.Glinka. Glinka went down in the history of musical culture not only as a great composer, but also as the founder of the national style and nationality in Russian music.
The aristocratic society of his time treated folk songs with disdain, seeing in them the product of the rude, uncouth imagination of commoners. By challenging such preconceptions, the composer showed both creative courage and true innovation. Having embodied the spirit and intonation of a peasant song in his works, Glinka raised it to the level of high art, showing its amazing beauty and power.

M.I. Glinka. "Kamarinskaya"

Among his best works, written on a folklore basis, is the symphonic fantasy “Kamarinskaya”, in which, according to the composer P. I. Tchaikovsky, “like an entire oak tree in an acorn” the entire Russian symphonic school is contained. Glinke said that “the people write music, and we, composers, only arrange it.” The composer listened to songs performed by peasants and “was imbued with their unique structure.” Examples are fragments of the opera “Ivan Susanin” (Vanya’s song from Act III “How the mother was killed from a small chick...”; Susanin’s aria from Act III “You will rise, my dawn”).

M.I. Glinka. Ivan Susanin’s aria “You will rise, my dawn” from the opera “Ivan Susanin”

Other outstanding Russian composers also rushed along the “folklore” path laid by Glinka: A. P. Borodin, M. P. Mussorgsky, P. I. Tchaikovsky. N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, S.V. Rachmaninov. Some of them created brilliant arrangements of folk songs, while others decorated their compositions with folk melodies.

A.P. Borodin. Opera "Prince Igor". “You are alone, dear Lada, You alone will not blame, With a sensitive heart you will understand everything...”)

A.P. Borodin continues the traditions of M.I. Glinka. A striking example of the use of lyrics in creativity is a fragment of the lyrical melody of section II of the opera “Prince Igor” (“You are alone, Lada dove, You alone will not blame, With a sensitive heart you will understand everything...”). A.A.Rimsky - Korsakov affirms folk texts and melodies in classical music. Often the composer composes “in the genre of folk lingering tunes.” An example is Sadko’s song “Oh, you dark oak tree” from the opera “Sadko”. The expressive melody of the song contains chants typical of folk lyrical songs.

P.I. Tchaikovsky "Andante cantabile" from String Quartet No. 1

In the genre of folk lingering tunes he creates works and P.I.Tchaikovsky. When someone hears Tchaikovsky’s romance, based on I. Surikov’s poems “Was I in the field but not a grass…” for the first time, he often mistakes it for a folk song. Folk song in the works of P.I. Tchaikovsky is a “frequent guest”.

P.I. Chaikovsky. Symphony No. 4 - finale

For example, in the finale of Tchaikovsky’s 1st and 4th symphonies, the Russian songs “The Flowers Bloomed” and “In the Field the Birch Tree of the Table” are heard. You can remember his Andante cantabile from “String Quartet No. 1”, where the main theme is the song “Vanya was sitting”, the romance “Was I in the field but there was no grass ...”, a Ukrainian song“Come out, come out, Ivanka” in the finale of the composer’s First Piano Concerto.

S.V. Rachmaninov. Piano Concerto No. 3 (Spanish Van Cliburn)

In the wonderful 3rd concert for piano and orchestra S.V.Rachmaninov the piano, like a soloist, simply and quietly sings its melody, which is then, like a choir, picked up by the orchestra. “I wanted,” Rachmaninov wrote, “to sing a melody on the piano, as the singers sing it.”
One can list the features of Russian lyrical song - wide chanting, riddles of symbols, flexibility and beauty of musical language. The same features - expressiveness, melodiousness, consonance of voices and instrumental melodies - are present in the music of Russian composers.
Folk melodies, one might say, lie at the basis of many works by classical composers. Therefore, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that people who love folk music also love classical music, and vice versa. It is impossible to fully cover the topic of using Russian folk songs and melodies in the works of classical composers, it is so vast.
My post is not a lesson on this topic, but still, for those who want to consolidate the material, you can contact

What would our life be like without music? For many years, people have asked themselves this question and come to the conclusion that without the beautiful sounds of music, the world would be a very different place. Music helps us feel joy more fully, find our inner self and cope with difficulties. Composers, working on their works, were inspired by a variety of things: love, nature, war, happiness, sadness and much more. Some of the musical compositions they created will forever remain in the hearts and memories of people. Here is a list of ten of the greatest and most talented composers of all time. Under each composer you will find a link to one of his most famous works.

10 PHOTO (VIDEO)

Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer who lived only 32 years, but his music will live on for a very long time. Schubert wrote nine symphonies, about 600 vocal compositions, and a large amount of chamber and solo piano music.

"Evening Serenade"

German composer and pianist, author of two serenades, four symphonies, as well as concerts for violin, piano and cello. He performed at concerts from the age of ten, and gave his first solo concert at the age of 14. During his lifetime, he gained popularity primarily due to the waltzes and Hungarian dances he wrote.

"Hungarian Dance No. 5".

George Frideric Handel was a German and English composer of the Baroque era; he wrote about 40 operas, many organ concerts, and chamber music. Handel's music has been played at the coronations of English kings since 973, it is also heard at royal wedding ceremonies and is even used as the anthem of the UEFA Champions League (with a small arrangement).

"Music on the water"

Joseph Haydn is a famous and prolific Austrian composer of the classical era, he is called the father of the symphony, as he made significant contributions to the development of this musical genre. Joseph Haydn is the author of 104 symphonies, 50 piano sonatas, 24 operas and 36 concertos

"Symphony No. 45".

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is the most famous Russian composer, author of more than 80 works, including 10 operas, 3 ballets and 7 symphonies. He was very popular and known as a composer during his lifetime, and performed in Russia and abroad as a conductor.

"Waltz of the Flowers" from the ballet "The Nutcracker".

Frédéric François Chopin is a Polish composer who is also considered one of the best pianists of all time. He wrote many pieces of music for piano, including 3 sonatas and 17 waltzes.

"Rain waltz".

Venetian composer and virtuoso violinist Antonio Lucio Vivaldi is the author of more than 500 concertos and 90 operas. He had a huge influence on the development of Italian and world violin art.

"Elf Song"

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is an Austrian composer who amazed the world with his talent from early childhood. Already at the age of five, Mozart was composing short plays. In total, he wrote 626 works, including 50 symphonies and 55 concertos. 9.Beethoven 10.Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist of the Baroque era, known as a master of polyphony. He is the author of more than 1000 works, which include almost all significant genres of that time.

"Musical joke"

Classical composers are known all over the world. Each name of a musical genius is a unique individuality in the history of culture.

What is classical music

Classical music is enchanting melodies created by talented authors who are rightly called classical composers. Their works are unique and will always be in demand by performers and listeners. Classical, on the one hand, is usually called strict, deeply meaningful music that is not related to the following genres: rock, jazz, folk, pop, chanson, etc. On the other hand, in the historical development of music there is a period of the late XIII - early XX centuries, called classicism.

Classical themes are distinguished by sublime intonation, sophistication, variety of shades and harmony. They have a positive effect on the emotional worldview of adults and children.

Stages of development of classical music. Their brief description and main representatives

In the history of the development of classical music, the following stages can be distinguished:

Renaissance or Renaissance - early 14th - last quarter of the 16th century. In Spain and England, the Renaissance period lasted until the beginning of the 17th century.
Baroque - replaced the Renaissance and lasted until the beginning of the 18th century. The center of the style was Spain.
Classicism is the period of development of European culture from the beginning of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century.
Romanticism is a direction opposite to classicism. Lasted until the mid-19th century.
Classics of the 20th century - modern era.

Brief description and main representatives of cultural periods

1. Renaissance - a long period of development of all areas of culture. - Thomas Tallis, Giovanni da Palestina, T. L. de Victoria composed and left immortal creations for posterity.

2. Baroque - in this era new musical forms appear: polyphony, opera. It was during this period that Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi created their famous works. Bach's fugues are built in accordance with the requirements of classicism: obligatory adherence to the canons.

3. Classicism. Viennese classic composers who created their immortal creations in the era of classicism: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. The sonata form appears and the composition of the orchestra increases. and Haydn differ from the ponderous works of Bach in the simple construction and elegance of the melodies. It was still a classic, a striving for perfection. Beethoven's works are the border between romantic and classical styles. In the music of L. van Beethoven there is more sensuality and ardor than rational canon. Such important genres as symphony, sonata, suite, and opera emerged. Beethoven gave rise to the Romantic period.

4. Romanticism. Musical works are characterized by color and drama. Various song genres are being formed, for example, ballads. Piano works by Liszt and Chopin received recognition. The traditions of romanticism were inherited by Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Schubert.

5. Classics of the 20th century - characterized by the authors’ desire for innovation in melodies; the terms aleatorics, atonalism arose. Works by Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Glass are classified in the classical format.

Russian classical composers

Tchaikovsky P.I. - Russian composer, music critic, public figure, teacher, conductor. His compositions are the most performed. They are sincere, easily perceived, reflect the poetic originality of the Russian soul, picturesque pictures of Russian nature. The composer created 6 ballets, 10 operas, more than a hundred romances, 6 symphonies. The world-famous ballet “Swan Lake”, the opera “Eugene Onegin”, “Children’s Album”.

Rachmaninov S.V. - the works of the outstanding composer are emotional and cheerful, and some are dramatic in content. Their genres are varied: from small plays to concerts and operas. The author’s generally recognized works: the operas “The Miserly Knight”, “Aleko” based on Pushkin’s poem “The Gypsies”, “Francesca da Rimini” based on a plot borrowed from Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, the poem “The Bells”; suite “Symphonic Dances”; piano concerts; vocalise for voice with piano accompaniment.

Borodin A.P. was a composer, teacher, chemist, and doctor. The most significant creation is the opera “Prince Igor” based on the historical work “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, which the author wrote for almost 18 years. During his lifetime, Borodin did not have time to finish it; after his death, the opera was completed by A. Glazunov and N. Rimsky-Korsakov. The great composer is the founder of classical quartets and symphonies in Russia. The “Bogatyr” Symphony is considered the crown of world and Russian national-heroic symphony. The instrumental chamber quartets, the First and Second Quartets, were recognized as outstanding. One of the first to introduce heroic figures from ancient Russian literature into romances.

Great musicians

Mussorgsky M.P., about whom one can say, is a great realist composer, a brave innovator who touches on acute social problems, a magnificent pianist and an excellent vocalist. The most significant musical works are the opera “Boris Godunov” based on the dramatic work of A.S. Pushkin and “Khovanshchina” - folk musical drama, the main character of these operas is the rebel people from different social strata; creative cycle “Pictures at an Exhibition”, inspired by the works of Hartmann.

Glinka M.I. - famous Russian composer, founder of the classical movement in Russian musical culture. He completed the procedure for creating a school of Russian composers, based on the value of folk and professional music. The master’s works are imbued with love for the Fatherland and reflect the ideological orientation of the people of that historical era. The world-famous folk drama “Ivan Susanin” and the opera-fairy tale “Ruslan and Lyudmila” have become new trends in Russian opera. The symphonic works “Kamarinskaya” and “Spanish Overture” by Glinka are the foundations of Russian symphonism.

Rimsky-Korsakov N.A. is a talented Russian composer, naval officer, teacher, publicist. Two trends can be traced in his work: historical (“The Tsar’s Bride”, “Pskov Woman”) and fairy-tale (“Sadko”, “Snow Maiden”, suite “Scheherazade”). A distinctive feature of the composer's works: originality based on classical values, homophony in the harmonic structure of early works. His compositions have the author's signature: original orchestral solutions with unusually constructed vocal scores, which are the main ones.

Russian classical composers tried to reflect in their works the cognitive thinking and folklore characteristic of the nation.

European culture

Famous classical composers Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven lived in the capital of musical culture of that time - Vienna. The geniuses are united by masterful performance, excellent compositional solutions, and the use of different musical styles: from folk tunes to polyphonic developments of musical themes. Great classics are characterized by comprehensive creative mental activity, competence, and clarity in the construction of musical forms. In their works, intellect and emotions, tragic and comic components, ease and prudence are organically linked together.

Beethoven and Haydn gravitated towards instrumental compositions, Mozart masterfully succeeded in both operatic and orchestral compositions. Beethoven was an unsurpassed creator of heroic works, Haydn appreciated and successfully used humor and folk genre types in his work, Mozart was a universal composer.

Mozart is the creator of the sonata instrumental form. Beethoven improved it and brought it to unsurpassed heights. The period became a period of quartet heyday. Haydn, followed by Beethoven and Mozart, made a significant contribution to the development of this genre.

Italian masters

Giuseppe Verdi - an outstanding musician of the 19th century, developed traditional Italian opera. He had impeccable skill. The culmination of his composing activities were the operatic works “Il Trovatore”, “La Traviata”, “Othello”, “Aida”.

Niccolo Paganini - born in Nice, one of the most musically gifted personalities of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was a master of the violin. He composed caprices, sonatas, quartets for violin, guitar, viola and cello. He wrote concertos for violin and orchestra.

Gioachino Rossini - worked in the 19th century. Author of sacred and chamber music, composed 39 operas. Outstanding works are “The Barber of Seville”, “Othello”, “Cinderella”, “The Thieving Magpie”, “Semiramis”.

Antonio Vivaldi is one of the greatest representatives of violin art of the 18th century. He gained fame thanks to his most famous work - 4 violin concertos "The Seasons". He lived an amazingly fruitful creative life, composing 90 operas.

Famous Italian classical composers left an eternal musical legacy. Their cantatas, sonatas, serenades, symphonies, operas will bring pleasure to more than one generation.

Peculiarities of a child’s perception of music

Listening to good music has a positive effect on the psycho-emotional development of a child, according to child psychologists. Good music introduces people to art and shapes aesthetic taste, teachers say.

Many famous creations were created by classical composers for children, taking into account their psychology, perception and specifics of age, i.e. for listening, while others composed various plays for little performers that were easily perceived by ear and technically accessible to them.

“Children's Album” by P.I. Tchaikovsky. for little pianists. This album is a dedication to my nephew who loved music and was a very gifted child. The collection contains more than 20 plays, some of them based on folklore material: Neapolitan motifs, Russian dance, Tyrolean and French melodies. Collection “Children's Songs” by P.I. Tchaikovsky. designed for auditory perception by children. Songs of an optimistic mood about spring, birds, a blooming garden (“My Garden”), about compassion for Christ and God (“Christ had a garden as a child”).

Children's classics

Many classical composers worked for children, the list of whose works is very diverse.

Prokofiev S.S. “Peter and the Wolf” is a symphonic fairy tale for children. Thanks to this fairy tale, children get acquainted with the musical instruments of a symphony orchestra. The text of the fairy tale was written by Prokofiev himself.

Schumann R. “Children's Scenes” are short musical stories with a simple plot, written for adult performers, memories of childhood.

Debussy's piano cycle "Children's Corner".

Ravel M. “Mother Goose” based on the fairy tales of C. Perrault.

Bartok B. “First steps at the piano.”

Cycles for children Gavrilova S. “For the little ones”; "Heroes of Fairy Tales"; "Guys about animals."

Shostakovich D. “Album of piano pieces for children.”

Bakh I.S. "The music book of Anna Magdalena Bach." While teaching his children music, he created special pieces and exercises for them to develop technical skills.

Haydn J. is the progenitor of the classical symphony. He created a special symphony called “Children’s”. The instruments used: a clay nightingale, a rattle, a cuckoo - give it an unusual sound, childish and playful.

Saint-Saëns K. came up with a fantasy for orchestra and 2 pianos called “Carnival of Animals”, in which he masterfully conveyed the cackling of chickens, the roar of a lion, the complacency of an elephant and its manner of movement, and the touchingly graceful swan through musical means.

When composing compositions for children and youth, great classical composers took care of the interesting storylines of the work, the accessibility of the proposed material, taking into account the age of the performer or listener.

Composer quote:
“I am an artist who can and should bring honor to my Motherland. I feel great artistic strength in myself, I have not yet done even a tenth of what I can do. And I want to do this with all the strength of my soul.”
“Life has beauty only when it consists of alternation of joys and sorrows, of the struggle between good and evil, of light and shadow, in a word - of diversity in unity.”
"Great talent requires great hard work."

Quote about the composer: “I am ready to stand as a guard of honor day and night at the porch of the house where Pyotr Ilyich lives - that is how much I respect him.” A.P.Chekhov

Interesting fact: Cambridge University awarded Tchaikovsky the title of Doctor of Music in absentia and without defending a dissertation, and the Paris Academy of Fine Arts elected him a corresponding member.

P.I. Tchaikovsky. "Slavic March"