A. N

One of the most talented and very famous Russian composers, b. 18 Feb 1799 in Tambov province, on his father’s estate. He early discovered his musical abilities both as a performer and as a composer. Considered Field's best student, V. often performed in concerts. At the age of seventeen he composed music for the vaudeville shows “Grandma’s Parrots”, “Quarantine”, “Stanislav” and, in collaboration with A. A. Alyabyev, for the vaudeville show “New Prank”. The music turned out to be playful, melodic, and not lacking in freshness. Encouraged by success, V. took up more extensive works and wrote three vaudeville operas: “The Petitioner,” “The Shepherdess” and “The Old Sorceress.” During this youthful period, he also wrote music for Zhukovsky’s poems “Hesiod and Omir”, “Svetlana” (three songs), “The Hermit” and for Pushkin’s poems “Have You Heard” and “Black Shawl”. These small vocal works enjoyed great success in their time. In addition, during this time he wrote several pieces of sacred and ballet music. The opera "Pan Tvardovsky" (1828) opens the second period of V.'s composer activity, in which his talent reaches greater maturity and finally full flowering. This opera was staged in Moscow, on the stage of the Petrovsky Theater. The libretto was written by Zagoskin, and the plot was borrowed from an old Polish legend. The effect of the new work, which represented the first experience of folk opera, was enormous. Thanks to the lightness and relief of the melody, many excerpts from this opera have become favorites in different strata of society. They were sung everywhere, even in gypsy camps. The chorus “We live among dense fields and forests” was especially popular. This opera is imbued with that fantastic romanticism that then dominated the West and was transplanted onto Russian soil by Zhukovsky. The music shows a strong influence from Weber. The predominant form in this opera is the verse. There is almost no real dramatic musical element in the opera. Four years later, in 1832, V.’s second opera, “Vadim, or the Twelve Sleeping Virgins,” based on Shevyrev’s text, was staged in the same theater. This opera is similar in type to the previous one, although a little weaker. V. reached the apogee of his fame with his opera “Askold’s Grave,” staged in 1835. After Fomin, the composer of Catherine’s times, V. is in “Askold’s Grave” one of the first pioneers in the creation of a national Russian opera and Glinka’s predecessor. V.'s merit lies precisely in the fact that he strove for a national opera under conditions that apparently indicated a complete absence of such aspiration in society. Vaudeville with couplets, for which they took the music of famous Western composers, folk songs, operas of Italian, French and German composers - all of this fully satisfied the musical needs of the modern Western public. In his operas, passionately and talentedly written, especially in Askold's Grave, V. was not a compiler, but an independent talent. The chorus “Goy you Dnepr”, the aria “In the old days there lived grandfathers”, Toropka’s songs “How the breeze blows”, “Close to the city of Slavyansk”, “Charms were falling on the table”, due to their Russian character, entered the folk repertoire. The delight with which “Askold’s Grave” was greeted can only be compared with that which “Life for the Tsar” aroused shortly after. There is no continuous local color in Askold's Grave. Along with Russian or common Slavic music, there are scenes in the half-German, half-Italian opera genre; the orchestration is very weak and lacks symphonic development. Despite this, the above advantages give “Askold’s Grave” undoubted significance in the history of the development of Russian opera. V.'s next operas reveal a gradual decline in his talent. “Longing for the Motherland” with a text by Zagoskin, staged in 1839, was also a success thanks to the name of the author; but “Churova Dolina or a Waking Dream” with the text of Prince Shakhovsky failed. V.'s last opera, "Thunderbolt", with a text by Lensky, remained in the repertoire for several years; In terms of musical merits, it is slightly higher than the previous one. Between the last two operas, V. translated from French the play “Le mariage extravagant,” which he called “The Madhouse.” Respected as a composer and expert on theater, V. was appointed director of Moscow theaters in 1860; in this position he remained until his death (November 17, 1862). In 1827-1828 Verstovsky published the "Musical Album". V.'s operas were performed not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also on provincial opera stages. Wed. article by A. N. Serov "Verstovsky and its significance for Russian art" ("Illustration", 1862, No. 250).

N. Soloviev.

(Brockhaus)

Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich

Composer, b. February 18, 1799 in the family estate of Tambov province, d. November 5, 1862 in Moscow. In 1818 he graduated from the St. Petersburg course. Institute of Railway Engineers, where he continued to grow up as a musician. classes (started in childhood) with Steibelt and Field (ph.), F. Boehm and L. Maurer (violin), Brandt and Zeiner (general bass) and Tarquinius (singing). V., however, did not receive serious and thorough knowledge of music and was distinguished only by his great talent and skill from the amateur composers of that time (Alyabyev, Varlamov, etc.). At the age of 20, V. performed for the first time as a composer (vaudeville "Grandma's Parrots" 1819, St. Petersburg). Soon followed by a whole series of vaudevilles with the melodic music of V., which for a long time became a type of verse music in our country ("Quarantine", 1820; "New Prank", 1822, etc.). V. gained some fame and in 1823 was appointed to serve under Moscow. Imp. theaters (from 1824 inspector, from 1842 office manager). In 1841 he married the then famous dramatic artist Nadezhda Vasilyevna Repina (1809-1867), who left the stage shortly before her marriage. In Moscow, V. also (partly in collaboration with others) wrote music for the vaudevilles of Pisarev and others (“Meeting of Stagecoaches,” 1825; “30,000 People,” 1825; “The Old Lady, etc.”, 1827; the last vaudeville “Stanislav”, 1832). In Moscow, all six of V.’s operas were written and performed for the first time: “Pan Tvardovsky” (1828), “Vadim or the Twelve Sleeping Virgins” (1832), “Askold’s Grave” (story by Zagoskin, 1835: St. Petersburg 1841), “Longing for Motherland" (1835), "Churova Valley" (1841), "Thunderbolt" (1858). In the plots of all these operas, the magical-romantic element plays a significant role. In 1860, V. retired and soon, forgotten by his contemporaries, died. His grave is located at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. Of V.'s operas, only the first two, and partly the last, were successful; real glory was created by V. "Askold's Grave". Over the first 25 years, it had more than 400 performances in Moscow, more than 200 in St. Petersburg; it is still staged to this day, especially in the provinces (it was successful in Moscow and when the Private Moscow Opera revived it in 1897, while Thunderbolt went unnoticed there in 1899). Like V.'s other operas, "Askold's Grave" is essentially a vaudeville opera; singing gives way to conversation here; there is no broad development in music and the verse form dominates, which was more suitable for contemporaries; the weakest are the magical and dramatic episodes, in which the superficial influence of Freischütz is noticeable; the instrumentation is primitive. But all this was redeemed by the clarity and freshness of the melodies, the simplicity of the overall music. concept, and most importantly, the folk spirit that undoubtedly emanated from the best numbers of “Askold’s Grave.” In our time, this nationality seems uncontrolled and superficial, which of course does not take away from V. the importance of the most prominent of Glinka’s comrades in the creation of Russian opera. Serov also finds in V. the ability for humor, which Glinka was almost deprived of (Toropka’s songs, which became, as it were, folk); he also says that in the chorus “Ah, girlfriends” the soul of a Russian woman is reflected more deeply than in everything that Glinka’s heroines sing. In addition to 6 operas, 22 vaudevilles and operettas, V. wrote music for more than 10 dramatic scenes, melodramas, divertissements, etc. (“The Power of Chant,” 1827; “Hesiod and Omir,” 1827, etc.); 10 cantatas and choruses ("Singer in the camp of Russian warriors" 1827); 29 romances (the Black Shawl, The Bell, etc. were known at one time); several orchestral works, as well as a mass and 3 sacred concerts. In 1826 V. published the "Dramatic Album", in 1827-28 the "Musical Album"; Many of his small works are featured in the wallpaper. V. bequeathed all of his manuscripts to the Moscow branch of the I.R.M.O., where they are kept (30 volumes, of which only 24 exist). V.'s biography was written by N. Findeisen (2nd Supplement to the "Yearbook of Imperial Theaters" for 1896-97); see also "Russian Music. Gaz.", 1899, No. 1, which contains a complete list of V.’s surviving works, as well as a bibliography about him.

(E.).

Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich

(Polovtsov)

Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich

(1799-1862) - Russian composer. In 1818 he graduated from the engineering corps in St. Petersburg; studied piano with Filda, on violin and harmony with L. Maurer. V. became addicted to the theater early on and was both an actor and singer. In 1823, V. moved to Moscow and in 1824 was appointed inspector of the repertoire of Moscow theaters, and later (after the dismissal of Zagoskin) manager of the office of the same theaters (until 1860). V. had a great melodic gift, but very insufficient theoretical training for a composer. V. is characterized by a typically lordly, amateurish attitude towards art. V.'s orchestration is primitive (many of his operas were instrumental by Maypep and Vojacek). Of the six operas written by V., “Askold’s Grave” (1835) was an exceptional success.

In addition to operas, V. owns cantatas ("Black Shawl" according to Pushkin, "Three Songs", "Poor Singer" according to Zhukovsky, etc.), hymns, the dramatic picture "The Bard's Ransom", an overture, about 30 vaudeville operas and about 25 romances.

Together with A. Pisarev, V. published the “Musical-Dramatic Album” in 1826, and the “Musical Album” in 1827-28. The first contains an essay by V.: Excerpts from the history of dramatic music.

Lit.: Findeisen N., A. N. Verstovsky (1890, and in the "Weekly of the Imperial Theaters", book 2, 1896); Serov A. N., Collected Works, vol. III, St. Petersburg, 1892-95; Bibliography of V.'s correspondence - in the article by Z. Savelova - in the "Collection of the State Academy of Artistic Sciences", 1926; List of works by V., compiled by. N. Findeisen, see in "Russian Music Newspaper", No. 7, 1899.

Z. Savelova.

Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich

(born 1.III.1799 in the Seliverstovo estate, Tambov province, d. 17.IX.1862 in Moscow) - Russian. composer, theater activist He studied music at home from childhood, and later in St. Petersburg with D. Field, D. Shteibelt and others. In 1823 he moved to Moscow, where from 1825 he was an inspector of music, and from 1830 - of the repertoire of the Bolshoi and Maly Theaters. In 1848-60 ex. office of the directorate of the imp. theaters in Moscow. Musical and stage productions occupy a central place in V.'s work. - operas and vaudevilles with a pronounced romantic overtones.

Works: operas "Pan Tvardovsky" (1828), "Vadim, or the Awakening of the Twelve Sleeping Virgins" (1832), "Askold's Grave" (1835), "Homesickness" (1839), "Churova Valley" (1844), "Stormbreaker" (1857); St. 30 vaudevilles; cantatas, including “The Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors” (1827); wok productions, including the ballads “Black Shawl”, “Three Songs”, “Poor Singer” (all 3 - in 1823), songs; music for the show

Large biographical encyclopedia. 2009 .

See what “Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich” is in other dictionaries:

Russian composer and theater figure. From the age of 9 he performed in concerts in Ufa. In 1816 he moved to St. Petersburg, studied with J. Field and D. Steibelt (piano), F. ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia- (1799, Seliverstovo estate, now Tambov region 1862, Moscow), composer. From the nobles. He received his education in St. Petersburg. From 1823 in Moscow, in the service of the chancellery, from 1825 inspector of music of the Imperial Moscow theaters, from 1830... ... Moscow (encyclopedia)

- (1 III 1799, Seliverstovo estate, now Tambov region. 17 IX 1862, Moscow) A talented Russian musician, composer and theater figure A. Verstovsky was the same age as Pushkin and an older contemporary of Glinka. In 1862, after the death of the composer... ... Musical dictionary

A. N. Verstovsky ... Collier's Encyclopedia

(1.3.1799 - 17.9.1862) - Russian composer, theater figure. He studied music at home from childhood, and later in St. Petersburg with J. Field, D. Steibelt and others. In 1823 he moved to Moscow, where from 1825 he was an inspector of music, and from 1830 - of the repertoire of the Bolshoi and Maly theaters. In 1848-1860, manager of the office of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters in Moscow. The central place in Verstovsky's work is occupied by musical and stage works - operas and vaudevilles with a pronounced romantic overtones.

Essays.
Operas: "Pan Tvardovsky" (1828), "Vadim, or the Awakening of the Twelve Sleeping Virgins" (1832), "Askold's Grave" (1835), "Homesickness" (1839), "Churova Valley, or a Waking Dream" (1844 ), "Thunderbolt" (1857); over 30 vaudevilles; cantatas, including “The Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors” (1827); vocal works, including the ballad “Black Shawl”, “Three Songs of the Skald”, “Poor Singer” (all 3 in 1823), songs; music for performances.
Comments on the article:

The composer's father was the illegitimate son of General Seliverstov and a captured Turkish woman, who received a truncated surname, but he was assigned to the noble class as a native of the Polish nobility. Mother - Anna Vasilievna (nee Volkova) - came from a military environment. From childhood, Verstovsky was introduced to music, since his father maintained a serf orchestra and organized home musical gatherings. Together with his brother Vasily and sister Varvara, Verstovsky studied violin and piano. From the age of nine he performed in concerts in Ufa.

In 1816 he moved to St. Petersburg. There he was assigned to the Institute of the Corps of Railway Engineers, where he studied for one year, after which he entered the service and served in various institutions until 1823. Meanwhile, he continued his musical education, taking lessons from J. Field and D. Steibelt (piano), Tarquini (singing), F. Böhm and L. V. Maurer (violin), Brandt, K. T. Zeiner, Miller (theory compositions). During these same years, he began to be passionate about theater; among his St. Petersburg friends were outstanding theater figures: Prince Shakhovskoy, P. N. Arapov, A. A. Alyabyev, N. V. Vsevolozhsky, P. E. Mansurov, F. F. Yuryev. In addition, Verstovsky actively participated in amateur performances as a translator of plays, an actor, a singer and the author of music for theatrical productions. His first three vaudeville operas “Grandma's Parrots” (1819), “Quarantine” (1820), “A New Prank, or Theatrical Battle” (1822) were staged in St. Petersburg and were a great success. The texts of these works were created by Verstovsky’s friend, the playwright N. I. Khmelnitsky, popular in St. Petersburg at that time.

From 1823 until the end of his life, the composer’s fate was connected with Moscow. At first he was transferred to Moscow as an official of special assignments in the chancellery under Governor-General D.V. Golitsyn, then to the office of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters. From 1825 he held the position of music inspector of the Moscow Theater Directorate, from 1830 repertoire inspector, and from 1842 to 1859 he was manager of the Moscow theater office.

After many years of wandering around rented houses with his wife, the famous actress and singer N.V. Repina, in 1836 they bought their own house on Arbat, in Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane No. 16/24, where they lived until moving to Khlebny Lane in 1860. Here they were visited by F. Liszt (in 1843), R. Schumann and his wife Clara (in 1844) and, probably in 1847, G. Berlioz. This house was demolished in 1971.

The years of life in Moscow were filled for Verstovsky with active musical and social activities. The period when Verstovsky was the de facto leader of the city’s theatrical life was called by his contemporaries “the era of Verstovsky.” He showed himself not only to be an energetic administrator and a skillful leader, but also often acted as a director and teacher. He contributed in every possible way to enriching the repertoire, improving the work of the theater school, raising the artistic level of performances, and paid great attention to the selection and education of actors. Through his efforts, music classes were opened at the Directorate of Moscow Theaters, preparing orchestra players for future work in theater orchestras. In 1826, together with A.I. Pisarev, he published “Dramatic Album for Lovers of Theater and Music” (2 books were published). In 1829 he became a member of the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature. In 1833 he graduated from Moscow University as an external student. In parallel with this, intensive composing activity was going on.

Alexey Verstovsky died on November 5 (17), 1862 in Moscow. He was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery in Moscow.

Creation
2018-02-25 21:34:25

The author of mainly musical and stage works - operas and vaudeville operas, as well as ballads. He created 6 operas - “Pan Tverdovsky” (1828), “Vadim, or the Awakening of the Twelve Sleeping Virgins” (1832), “Thunderbolt” (1854, staged 1857) and others. The best is considered to be “Askold’s Grave” (1835) based on the novel by M. N. Zagoskin, which was very popular. The extraordinary success of his best opera was noted by the outstanding critic A. Serov. In 1862, after the composer’s death, he wrote that “in terms of popularity, Verstovsky overpowers Glinka.”

He wrote more than 30 vaudeville operas - “Grandma’s Parrots” (text by N. I. Khmelnitsky, 1819), “Who is Brother, Who is Sister, or Deception after Deception” (text by A. S. Griboyedov and P. A. Vyazemsky, 1824) , “Two notes, or Guilty without guilt” (together with A. A. Alyabyev, text by A. I. Pisarev, 1827) and others.

He also became famous for his romances - “Have you heard the voice of the night behind the grove”, “Old husband, formidable husband” (based on poems by A. S. Pushkin; the last “gypsy romance” was repeatedly performed by P. Viardot-Garcia), cantatas, and sacred music. In Russian vocal lyrics, Verstovsky created a new genre - the ballad, or “dramatic cantatas,” as he himself called such works. These are narrative-dramatic works for a soloist with instrumental accompaniment, written in free form. The best ballads include “Black Shawl” (to the verses of A. S. Pushkin), “Poor Singer” and “Night View” (to the verses of V. A. Zhukovsky), “Three Songs of the Skald” and others.

Considered Field's best student, V. often performed in concerts.

At the age of seventeen he composed music for the vaudeville shows “Grandma’s Parrots”, “Quarantine”, “Stanislav” and, in collaboration with A. A. Alyabyev, for the vaudeville show “New Prank”. The music turned out to be playful, melodic, and not lacking in freshness.

Encouraged by success, V. took up more extensive works and wrote three vaudeville operas: “The Petitioner,” “The Shepherdess” and “The Old Sorceress.” During this youthful period, he also wrote music for Zhukovsky’s poems “Hesiod and Omir”, “Svetlana” (three songs), “The Hermit” and for Pushkin’s poems “Have You Heard” and “Black Shawl”. These small vocal works enjoyed great success in their time.

In addition, during this time he wrote several pieces of sacred and ballet music.

The opera "Pan Tvardovsky" (1828) opens the second period of V.'s composer activity, in which his talent reaches greater maturity and finally full flowering.

This opera was staged in Moscow, on the stage of the Petrovsky Theater.

The libretto was written by Zagoskin, and the plot was borrowed from an old Polish legend.

The effect of the new work, which represented the first experience of folk opera, was enormous.

Thanks to the lightness and relief of the melody, many excerpts from this opera have become favorites in different strata of society.

They were sung everywhere, even in gypsy camps.

The chorus “We live among dense fields and forests” was especially popular. This opera is imbued with that fantastic romanticism that then dominated the West and was transplanted onto Russian soil by Zhukovsky.

The music shows a strong influence from Weber.

The predominant form in this opera is the verse.

There is almost no real dramatic musical element in the opera.

Four years later, in 1832, V.’s second opera, “Vadim, or the Twelve Sleeping Virgins,” based on Shevyrev’s text, was staged in the same theater.

This opera is similar in type to the previous one, although a little weaker. V. reached the apogee of his fame with his opera “Askold’s Grave,” staged in 1835. After Fomin, the composer of Catherine’s times, V. is in “Askold’s Grave” one of the first pioneers in the creation of a national Russian opera and Glinka’s predecessor.

V.'s merit lies precisely in the fact that he strove for a national opera under conditions that apparently indicated a complete absence of such aspiration in society.

Vaudeville with couplets, for which they took the music of famous Western composers, folk songs, operas of Italian, French and German composers - all of this fully satisfied the musical needs of the modern Western public.

In his operas, passionately and talentedly written, especially in Askold's Grave, V. was not a compiler, but an independent talent.

The chorus “Goy you Dnepr”, the aria “In the old days there lived grandfathers”, Toropka’s songs “How the breeze blows”, “Close to the city of Slavyansk”, “Charms were falling on the table”, due to their Russian character, entered the folk repertoire.

The delight with which “Askold’s Grave” was greeted can only be compared with that which “Life for the Tsar” aroused shortly after. There is no continuous local color in Askold's Grave.

Along with Russian or common Slavic music, there are scenes in the half-German, half-Italian opera genre; the orchestration is very weak and lacks symphonic development.

Despite this, the above advantages give “Askold’s Grave” undoubted significance in the history of the development of Russian opera. V.'s next operas reveal a gradual decline in his talent. “Longing for the Motherland” with a text by Zagoskin, staged in 1839, was also a success thanks to the name of the author; but “Churova Dolina or a Waking Dream” with the text of Prince Shakhovsky failed.

V.'s last opera, "Thunderbolt", with a text by Lensky, remained in the repertoire for several years; In terms of musical merits, it is slightly higher than the previous one.

Between the last two operas, V. translated from French the play “Le mariage extravagant,” which he called “The Madhouse.” Respected as a composer and expert on theater, V. was appointed director of Moscow theaters in 1860; in this position he remained until his death (November 17, 1862). In 1827-1828 Verstovsky published the "Musical Album". V.'s operas were performed not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also on provincial opera stages.

Wed. article by A. N. Serov "Verstovsky and its significance for Russian art" ("Illustration", 1862, No. 250). N. Soloviev. (Brockhaus) Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich - composer, b. February 18, 1799 in the family estate of Tambov province, d. November 5, 1862 in Moscow.

In 1818 he graduated from the St. Petersburg course. Institute of Railway Engineers, where he continued to grow up as a musician. classes (started in childhood) with Steibelt and Field (ph.), F. Boehm and L. Maurer (violin), Brandt and Zeiner (general bass) and Tarquinius (singing). V., however, did not receive serious and thorough knowledge of music and was distinguished only by his great talent and skill from the amateur composers of that time (Alyabyev, Varlamov, etc.). At the age of 20, V. performed for the first time as a composer (vaudeville "Grandma's Parrots" 1819, St. Petersburg). Soon followed by a whole series of vaudevilles with the melodic music of V., which for a long time became a type of verse music in our country ("Quarantine", 1820; "New Prank", 1822, etc.). V. gained some fame and in 1823 was appointed to serve under Moscow. Imp. theaters (from 1824 inspector, from 1842 office manager).

In 1841 he married the then famous dramatic artist Nadezhda Vasilyevna Repina (1809-1867), who left the stage shortly before her marriage.

In Moscow, V. also (partly in collaboration with others) wrote music for the vaudevilles of Pisarev and others (“Meeting of Stagecoaches,” 1825; “30,000 People,” 1825; “The Old Lady, etc.”, 1827; the last vaudeville “Stanislav”, 1832). In Moscow, all six of V.’s operas were written and performed for the first time: “Pan Tvardovsky” (1828), “Vadim or the Twelve Sleeping Virgins” (1832), “Askold’s Grave” (story by Zagoskin, 1835: St. Petersburg 1841), “Longing for Motherland" (1835), "Churova Valley" (1841), "Thunderbolt" (1858). In the plots of all these operas, the magical-romantic element plays a significant role. In 1860, V. retired and soon, forgotten by his contemporaries, died.

His grave is located at the Vagankovskoye cemetery.

Of V.'s operas, only the first two, and partly the last, were successful; real glory was created by V. "Askold's Grave". Over the first 25 years, it had more than 400 performances in Moscow, more than 200 in St. Petersburg; it is still staged to this day, especially in the provinces (it was successful in Moscow and when the Private Moscow Opera revived it in 1897, while Thunderbolt went unnoticed there in 1899).

Like V.'s other operas, "Askold's Grave" is essentially a vaudeville opera; singing gives way to conversation here; there is no broad development in music and the verse form dominates, which was more suitable for contemporaries; the weakest are the magical and dramatic episodes, in which the superficial influence of Freischütz is noticeable; the instrumentation is primitive.

But all this was redeemed by the clarity and freshness of the melodies, the simplicity of the overall music. concept, and most importantly, the folk spirit that undoubtedly emanated from the best numbers of “Askold’s Grave.” In our time, this nationality seems uncontrolled and superficial, which of course does not take away from V. the importance of the most prominent of Glinka’s comrades in the creation of Russian opera. Serov also finds in V. the ability for humor, which Glinka was almost deprived of (Toropka’s songs, which became, as it were, folk); he also says that in the chorus “Ah, girlfriends” the soul of a Russian woman is reflected more deeply than in everything that Glinka’s heroines sing.

In addition to 6 operas, 22 vaudevilles and operettas, V. wrote music for more than 10 dramatic scenes, melodramas, divertissements, etc. (“The Power of Chant,” 1827; “Hesiod and Omir,” 1827, etc.); 10 cantatas and choruses ("Singer in the camp of Russian warriors" 1827); 29 romances (the Black Shawl, The Bell, etc. were known at one time); several orchestral works, as well as a mass and 3 sacred concerts.

In 1826 V. published the "Dramatic Album", in 1827-28 the "Musical Album"; Many of his small works are featured in the wallpaper.

V. bequeathed all of his manuscripts to the Moscow branch of the I.R.M.O., where they are kept (30 volumes, of which only 24 exist). V.'s biography was written by N. Findeisen (2nd Supplement to the "Yearbook of Imperial Theaters" for 1896-97); see also "Russian Music. Gaz.", 1899, No. 1, which contains a complete list of V.’s surviving works, as well as a bibliography about him. (E.). (Riman) Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich p. p., composer, director of music Moscow. theaters; R. 18 Feb 1799, † 5 Nov. 1866 Addition: Verstovsky, Al. Nikolaev., † 5 Nov. 1862 (Polovtsov) Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich (1799-1862) - Russian composer.

In 1818 he graduated from the engineering corps in St. Petersburg; he studied piano with Field, violin and harmony with L. Maurer.

V. became addicted to the theater early on and was both an actor and singer.

In 1823, V. moved to Moscow and in 1824 was appointed inspector of the repertoire of Moscow theaters, and later (after the dismissal of Zagoskin) manager of the office of the same theaters (until 1860). V. had a great melodic gift, but very insufficient theoretical training for a composer.

V. is characterized by a typically lordly, amateurish attitude towards art.

V.'s orchestration is primitive (many of his operas were instrumental by Maypep and Vojacek).

Of the six operas written by V., “Askold’s Grave” (1835) was an exceptional success. In addition to operas, V. owns cantatas ("Black Shawl" according to Pushkin, "Three Songs", "Poor Singer" according to Zhukovsky, etc.), hymns, the dramatic picture "The Bard's Ransom", an overture, about 30 vaudeville operas and about 25 romances.

Lit.: Findeisen N., A. N. Verstovsky (1890, and in the “Weekly Journal of the Imperial Theaters”, book 2, 1896); Serov A. N., Collected Works, vol. III, St. Petersburg, 1892-95; Bibliography of V.'s correspondence - in the article by Z. Savelova - in the "Collection of the State Academy of Artistic Sciences", 1926; List of works by V., compiled by.

N. Findeisen, see in "Russian Music Newspaper", No. 7, 1899. Z. Savelov.

Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich (born 1.III.1799 in the Seliverstovo estate, Tambov province, d. 17.IX.1862 in Moscow) - Russian. composer, theater activist

He studied music at home from childhood, and later in St. Petersburg with D. Field, D. Shteibelt and others. In 1823 he moved to Moscow, where from 1825 he was an inspector of music, and from 1830 - of the repertoire of the Bolshoi and Maly theaters.

In 1848-60 ex. office of the directorate of the imp. theaters in Moscow.

Musical and stage productions occupy a central place in V.'s work. - operas and vaudevilles with a pronounced romantic overtones.

A talented Russian musician, composer and theater figure, A. Verstovsky was the same age as Pushkin and an older contemporary of Glinka. In 1862, after the composer’s death, the outstanding music critic A. Serov wrote that “in terms of popularity, Verstovsky overpowers Glinka,” referring to the unusually lasting success of his best opera, Askold’s Grave.

Having entered the musical field in the late 1810s, Verstovsky was at the center of the musical and theatrical life of Russia for more than 40 years, actively participating in it both as a prolific composer and as an influential theater administrator. The composer was closely acquainted with many outstanding figures of Russian artistic culture. He was on friendly terms with Pushkin, Griboyedov, Odoevsky. Close friendship and joint creativity connected him with many writers and playwrights - primarily A. Pisarev, M. Zagoskin, S. Aksakov.

The literary and theatrical environment had a noticeable influence on the formation of the composer’s aesthetic tastes. His closeness to the figures of Russian romanticism and Slavophiles was reflected in Verstovsky’s commitment to Russian antiquity, and in his attraction to “diabolical” fantasy, to fiction, whimsically combined with a loving reproduction of the characteristic features of national life, real historical persons and events.

Verstovsky was born on the Seliverstovo estate in the Tambov province. The composer's father was the illegitimate son of General A. Seliverstov and a captured Turkish woman, and therefore his surname - Verstovsky - was formed from part of the family surname, and he himself was assigned to the nobility as a native of the “Polish nobility”. The boy's musical development took place in a favorable environment. The family played a lot of music; my father had his own serf orchestra and a large music library for those times. From the age of 8, the future composer began performing in amateur concerts as a pianist, and soon his penchant for musical composition manifested itself.

In 1816, by the will of his parents, the young man was assigned to the Institute of the Corps of Railway Engineers in St. Petersburg. However, after studying there for only one year, he left the institute and entered the public service. The gifted young man was captivated by the musical atmosphere of the capital, and he continues his musical education under the guidance of the most famous St. Petersburg teachers. Verstovsky took piano lessons from D. Steibelt and J. Field, studied violin, studied music theory and the basics of composition. Here, in St. Petersburg, his passion for theater was born and grew stronger, a passionate supporter of which he would remain for the rest of his life. With his characteristic ardor and temperament, Verstovsky takes part in amateur performances as an actor, translates French vaudevilles into Russian, and composes music for theatrical performances. Interesting acquaintances are made with prominent representatives of the theater world, poets, musicians, and artists. Among them are the young writer N. Khmelnitsky, the venerable playwright A. Shakhovskoy, the critic P. Arapov, and the composer A. Alyabyev. Among his acquaintances was also N. Vsevolozhsky, the founder of the literary and political society “Green Lamp”, which included many future Decembrists and Pushkin. Verstovsky also attended these meetings. Perhaps it was at this time that his first acquaintance with the great poet took place.

In 1819, the twenty-year-old composer gained fame, which was brought to him by staging the vaudeville “Grandma’s Parrots” (text by Khmelnitsky). Inspired by success, Verstovsky decides to devote himself entirely to serving his beloved art. The first vaudeville was followed by “Quarantine”, “The first debut of the actress Troepolskaya”, “Madhouse, or Strange Wedding”, etc. Vaudeville, transferred from the French stage and converted to Russian customs, became one of the favorite genres of the Russian public of that time. Witty and cheerful, full of life-affirming optimism, it gradually absorbs the traditions of Russian comic opera and develops from an entertaining play with music into a vaudeville opera, in which music plays an important dramatic role.

Contemporaries highly valued Verstovsky, the author of vaudevilles. Griboyedov, in the process of working together on the vaudeville “Who is Brother, Who is Sister, or Deception after Deception” (1823), wrote to the composer: “I have no doubt at all about the beauty of your music and I congratulate myself on it in advance.” A strict adherent of high art, V. Belinsky wrote: This is not ordinary musical chatter without meaning, but something animated by the life of strong talent. Verstovsky owns music for more than 30 vaudeville acts. And although some of them were written in collaboration with other composers, it was he who was recognized as the founder of this genre in Russia, the creator, as Serov wrote, of “a kind of code of vaudeville music.”

Verstovsky's brilliant beginning as a composer was strengthened by his career. In 1823, in connection with his appointment to the office of the Moscow military governor-general D. Golitsyn, the young composer moved to Moscow. With his characteristic energy and enthusiasm, he joins the Moscow theater life, makes new acquaintances, friendly and creative contacts. For 35 years, Verstovsky served in the Moscow theater office, managing both the repertoire and the entire organizational and economic part, in fact heading the then unified opera and drama troupe of the Bolshoi and Maly theaters. And it is no coincidence that his contemporaries called the long period of his service to the theater “the era of Verstovsky.” According to the recollections of various people who knew him, Verstovsky was a very extraordinary person, combining the high natural talent of a musician with the energetic mind of an organizer - a practical theater practitioner. Despite his many responsibilities, Verstovsky continued to compose a lot. He was the author not only of theatrical music, but also of various songs and romances, which were successfully performed on stage and firmly entered into urban life. He is characterized by a subtle implementation of the intonations of Russian folk and everyday romance songs, reliance on popular song and dance genres, richness, and specificity of the musical image. A distinctive feature of Verstovsky’s creative appearance is his tendency to embody strong-willed, energetic, active mental states. Bright temperament and special vitality significantly distinguish his works from the work of most of his contemporaries, painted primarily in elegiac tones.

Verstovsky's talent was manifested most fully and originally in his ballad songs, which he himself called “cantatas.” These are “Black Shawl” (at Pushkin Station), “Three Songs” and “Poor Singer” (at V. Zhukovsky Station), composed in 1823, reflecting the composer’s attraction to a theatrical, dramatized interpretation of the romance. These “cantatas” were also performed in a staged form - with scenery, costumes and orchestral accompaniment. Verstovsky created large cantatas for soloists, choir and orchestra, various vocal and orchestral works “on occasion”, and sacred choral concerts. The most cherished sphere remained musical theater.

Verstovsky's creative heritage includes 6 operas. The first of them - “Pan Twardowski” (1828) - was written in libr. Zagoskin based on his “terrible story” of the same name, based on the West Slavic (Polish) version of the legend of Faust. The second opera, “Vadim, or the Awakening of the Twelve Sleeping Maidens” (1832), based on Zhukovsky’s ballad “Thunderbolt, or the Twelve Sleeping Maidens,” is based on a plot from the life of Kievan Rus. The third and most famous opera by Verstovsky, “Askold’s Grave” (1835), takes place in ancient Kyiv, based on the historical-romantic story of the same name by Zagoskin.

The public enthusiastically welcomed the appearance of the first three operas by Verstovsky, who consciously strove to create a national Russian opera based on historical and mythological events from the distant semi-legendary past and embodying the highly ethical and strongly national aspects of the people's character. The romanticized reproduction of historical events unfolding against the backdrop of detailed pictures of folk life, with its rituals, songs, and dances, corresponded to the artistic tastes of the era of romanticism. The contrast between the real life of popular heroes and dark demonic fantasy is also romantic. Verstovsky created a type of Russian song opera, in which the basis of the characteristics is the Russian-Slavic song-dance, elegiac romance, dramatic ballad. He considered vocalism and song lyricism to be the main means of creating lively, expressive characters and depicting human feelings. On the contrary, the fantastic, magical and demonic episodes of his operas are embodied by orchestral means, as well as with the help of melodrama, which was very characteristic of that time (i.e., recitation against the background of orchestral accompaniment). These are the “terrible” episodes of spells, witchcraft, and the appearance of “hellish” evil spirits. The use of melodrama was quite natural in Verstovsky’s operas, since they were still a kind of mixed musical and dramatic genre, including prosaic spoken dialogues. It is noteworthy that in “Vadim” the main role, intended for the famous tragedian P. Mochalov, was purely dramatic.

The appearance of Glinka's Ivan Susanin, staged a year after Askold's Grave. (1836), marked the beginning of a new stage in the history of Russian music, eclipsing everything that preceded it and pushing Verstovsky’s naive romantic operas into the past. The composer was painfully worried about the loss of his former popularity. “Of all the articles that I recognized as yours, I saw complete oblivion towards myself, as if I did not exist...” he wrote to Odoevsky. - “I am the first admirer of Glinka’s most beautiful talent, but I do not want and cannot give up the right of primacy.”

Unwilling to accept the loss of his authority, Verstovsky continued to compose operas. The opera “Longing for the Motherland” (1839), the fairy-tale-magical opera “A Waking Dream, or Churova Valley” (1844) and the great legendary-fantastic opera “Thunderbreaker” (1857) that appeared during the last period of its life - indicate creative searches both in relation to the operatic genre and in the stylistic sphere. However, despite some successful discoveries, especially in the last opera “Thunderbolt”, marked by the Russian-Slavic flavor characteristic of Verstovsky, the composer still failed to regain his former glory.

In 1860, he left his service in the Moscow theater office, and on September 17, 1862, having outlived Glinka by 5 years, Verstovsky died. His last composition was the cantata “The Feast of Peter the Great” based on poems by his favorite poet, A. S. Pushkin.

T. Korzhenyants

Verstovsky Alexey Nikolaevich

IN Erstovsky Alexey Nikolaevich - Russian composer. Born on February 18, 1799 in the Tambov province, into a landowner family. Completed a course at the Institute of Railway Engineers; studied music theory with Brandt and Zeiner. The earliest period of Verstovsky's musical creativity includes a piano sonata, songs, and couplets for vaudeville. He preferred a musical career to an engineering one and moved in the artistic world of St. Petersburg, often performing in private homes as an actor and singer. His opera-vaudeville "Grandma's Parrots" (translation from French by P.I. Khmelnitsky) was staged in 1819 in St. Petersburg; it was followed by vaudeville operas: “Quarantine” (1820), “A New Prank, or Theatrical Battle” (1882, in collaboration with and); "Madhouse, or Strange Wedding" (1822); "The Sentimental Landowner" (1822). The most successful was “The Madhouse,” which was performed on stage back in 1849. In 1822, Verstovsky moved to Moscow, joining the Moscow office of the imperial theaters. In 1825 he was appointed "inspector of repertoire and troupes", and in 1842 - manager of the Moscow office. Verstovsky had almost unlimited influence on theatrical affairs. His wife also had a great influence on theatrical life. In Moscow, during the first period of his activity, vaudevilles with his music were staged one after another: “Teacher and student, or a hangover at someone else’s feast” (1822), “The Troublemaker, or the Master’s Business is Afraid” in one act (1824), “Fun of the Caliph, or Jokes for One Day", "Meeting of Stagecoaches", "Thirty Thousand People", "Three Tens" (the last four - in 1825). At the opening of the Petrovsky Theater in Moscow (1825), the prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” was staged, in which the music of the anthem belonged to Verstovsky. The last vaudevilles with Verstovsky's music (sometimes in collaboration with Alyabyev) were staged in 1827 - 32 ("Shepherdess, Old Lady, Sorceress, or What Women Like", "A Means to Marry Daughters", "New Paris", "Stanislav" and "Roslavlev "). In the patriotic play "Kremnev", performed in 1839, Nastya's song belongs to Verstovsky (on its theme Vietant composed variations for the violin). In 1827, according to the idea, Verstovsky began composing the opera "Pan Tvardovsky" (on a libretto), staged in 1828 in Moscow with great success. The opera "Vadim, or the Twelve Sleeping Virgins", based on the professor's libretto from the poem of the same name (2nd part), was first performed in St. Petersburg in 1832. Verstovsky was given real fame by the opera "Askold's Grave" (libretto by Zagoskin), staged in Moscow on September 16 1835 , in St. Petersburg - August 27, 1841 with the famous in the role of the Unknown. Until the end of the 1860s, it was given in the imperial theaters - about 200 times in St. Petersburg, and more than 400 times in Moscow. The operas that followed - “Homesickness” (1839), “Churova Valley, or a Dream in reality” (1841) and “Thunderbolt” (1858; libretto based on the first part of “Vadim” by V.A. Zhukovsky) were far from successful "Askold's Tomb" and soon left the repertoire. Verstovsky also owns music for various dramatic works ("The Power of Songs", 1817; "Hesiod and Olaf", 1827); cantatas and choirs, including “Three Songs, or Oswald” and “Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors”, cantata to words by S.P. Shevyrev for the celebration of the anniversary of Moscow University in January 1855, an anthem for choir and orchestra “Great is the Lord,” two military anthems; several dozen romances; of these, “Black Shawl” () and “Bell” were performed on stage, and the gypsy romance “Old Husband, Terrible Husband” (Pushkin) was performed more than once; two Polish for orchestra; three masses with spiritual concerts (1830), performed in the University and Holy Ascension churches in Moscow (not published). In 1826, Verstovsky, together with him, published the "Dramatic Album for 1826." in two parts, musical and literary; the latter contains an article by Verstovsky (unfinished): “Excerpts from the history of dramatic music.” In 1827 - 1828 he published the "Musical Album". These albums also contain some of his musical compositions. With his retirement (1850), Verstovsky not only lost influence, but was also directly forgotten (except for “Askold’s Grave”). In a letter written in 1861, he complains about his fate: “For “Askold’s Grave” the Moscow directorate gave me two thousand in banknotes at a time - they collected one hundred thousand in silver in income from the opera, and now, being retired, I have to buy myself a place in the theater to look at my old sins..." He died on November 5, 1862. Verstovsky's importance in the history of Russian music is based mainly on his operas, of which the most typical is "Askold's Grave", and now appears occasionally in Russian scenes In Verstovsky's operas, music gives way to conversation, as in vaudeville. The compositional technique is imperfect. The music is not fully developed; vocal forms (solos, duets) are reduced to a series of verses with music repeated with each verse. The orchestra has no independent significance; the orchestration is primitive. She obviously made it difficult for the composer, and he often entrusted this work to the theater conductor. The central music library of the imperial theaters contains the score of "Askold's Grave" with Voyacek's orchestration. Verstovsky's operas reflected the romantic direction that dominated Russian literature at that time. The music is sometimes very naive, despite the influence of Mozart and Weber. Like the latter, Verstovsky also shows a penchant for fantasy, but this element is weakly expressed. There is almost no drama. But Verstovsky’s music also has stronger and more characteristic sides. He was no stranger to humor, which was also noticed. His melodic creativity is spontaneous, varied, typical and bears a national imprint; although the Russian style and harmonization are not consistent, this feature of his music makes him, together with Alyabiev, a predecessor in the creation of a national Russian school in music. Verstovsky's manuscripts are kept (according to his will) at the Moscow Conservatory. - Wed. , "A.N.V." ("Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters", 1896 - 97, 2nd supplement). In the "Russian Musical Newspaper", 1899, No. 1, a list of Verstovsky's works and a bibliography about him were published.

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