The Russian composer Glinka left a significant mark on world music, stood at the origins of a kind of Russian composer school. His life contained a lot: creativity, travel, joys and difficulties, but his main asset is music.

Family and childhood

The future outstanding composer Glinka was born on May 20, 1804 in the Smolensk province, in the village of Novospasskoye. His father, a retired captain, had a sufficient fortune to live comfortably. Glinka's great-grandfather was a Pole by birth, in 1654, when the Smolensk lands passed to Russia, he received Russian citizenship, converted to Orthodoxy and lived the life of a Russian landowner. The child was immediately given to the care of his grandmother, who raised her grandson in the traditions of that time: she kept him in stuffy rooms, did not develop physically, and fed him with sweets. All this had a bad effect on Mikhail's health. He grew up sickly, capricious and effeminate, he later called himself "mimosa".

Glinka learned to read almost spontaneously after the priest showed him the letters. From an early age, he showed musicality, he himself learned to imitate the ringing of bells on copper basins and sing along to the songs of the nanny. Only at the age of six does he return to his parents, and they begin to engage in his upbringing and education. A governess was invited to him, who, in addition to general education subjects, taught him to play the piano, later he still mastered the violin. At this time, the boy reads a lot, is fond of books about travel, this passion will then turn into a love of changing places, which will possess Glinka all his life. He also paints a little, but music is central to his heart. The boy in the serf orchestra learns many works of that time, gets acquainted with musical instruments.

Years of study

Mikhail Glinka did not live in the village for long. When he was 13 years old, his parents took him to the newly opened Noble Boarding House in St. Petersburg at the Pedagogical Institute. The boy was not very interested in studying, since he had already mastered most of the program at home. His tutor was the former Decembrist V.K.Kyukhelbeker, and his classmate was A.S. Pushkin's brother, with whom Mikhail first met at that time, and later became friends.

In his boarder years, he converges with the princes Golitsyn, S. Sobolevsky, A. Rimsky-Korsakov, N. Melgunov. During this period, he significantly expanded his musical horizons, got acquainted with opera, attends numerous concerts, and also studied with famous musicians of that time - Boehm and Field. He improves his pianistic technique and receives the first lessons in the composing profession.

The famous pianist S. Mayer studied with Mikhail in the 1920s, teaching him the work of a composer, correcting his first opuses, and giving him the basics of working with an orchestra. At the graduation party of the boarding house, Glinka, paired with Mayer, played a Hummel concert, publicly demonstrating his skills. Composer Mikhail Glinka graduated from the boarding school second in academic performance in 1822, but did not feel the desire to study further.

First writing experiences

After graduating from the boarding school, the composer Glinka was in no hurry to look for service, since his financial situation allowed him. The father did not rush his son with the choice of a place of work, but did not think that he would be engaged in music all his life. The composer Glinka, for whom music is becoming the main thing in life, got the opportunity to go to the waters in the Caucasus to improve his health and abroad. He does not leave music lessons, studies the Western European heritage and composes new motives, this becomes a constant internal need for him.

In the 1920s, Glinka wrote the famous romances "Don't tempt me unnecessarily" to the poems of Baratynsky, "Don't sing, beauty, with me" to the text of A. Pushkin. His instrumental works also appear: adagio and rondo for orchestra, string septet.

Living in the light

In 1824, the composer M.I. Glinka entered the service, became an assistant secretary in the Chancellery of Railways. But the service did not work out, and in 1828 he resigned. At this time Glinka acquires a large number of acquaintances, communicates with A. Griboyedov, A. Mitskevich, A. Delvig, V. Odoevsky, V. Zhukovsky. He continues to study music, participates in musical evenings in Demidov's house, writes many songs and romances, publishes Lyric Album with Pavlishchev, which contains works by various authors, including himself.

Overseas experience

Traveling was a very important part of Mikhail Glinka's life. He makes his first major foreign voyage after graduating from a boarding house.

In 1830 Glinka embarked on a long journey to Italy, which lasted for 4 years. The purpose of the trip was treatment, but it did not bring the desired result, and the musician did not do it seriously, constantly interrupting therapy courses, changing doctors and cities. In Italy, he met K. Bryullov, with outstanding composers of that time: Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Bellini, Donizetti. Impressed by these meetings, Glinka wrote chamber works on themes by foreign composers. He studies a lot abroad with the best teachers, improves his performing technique, studies the theory of music. He is looking for his strong theme in art, and this becomes homesickness for him, it pushes him to write serious works. Glinka creates "Russian Symphony" and writes variations on Russian songs, which will later be included in other major works.

Great composer's work: operas by M. Glinka

In 1834, Mikhail's father dies, he gains material independence and begins writing an opera. While still abroad, Glinka realized that his task was to write in Russian, this was the impetus for the creation of an opera based on national material. At this time, he entered the literary circles of St. Petersburg, where Aksakov, Zhukovsky, Shevyrev, Pogodin visited. Everyone is discussing a Russian opera written by Verstovsky, this example inspires Glinka, and he starts sketches for an opera based on Zhukovsky's novella Maryina Roshcha. The idea was not destined to be realized, but this was the beginning of work on the opera "A Life for the Tsar" based on the plot suggested by Zhukovsky, based on the legend of Ivan Susanin. The great composer Glinka entered the history of music precisely as the author of this work. In it he laid the foundations of the Russian opera school.

The premiere of the opera took place on November 27, 1836, and it was a tremendous success. Both the public and critics took the composition extremely well. After that, Glinka was appointed Kapellmeister of the Court Choir Choir and became a professional musician. The success inspired the composer, and he began work on a new opera based on Pushkin's poem Ruslan and Lyudmila. He wanted the poet to write the libretto, but his untimely death prevented the implementation of these plans. In this work, Glinka demonstrates a mature composer's talent and the highest technique. But Ruslan and Lyudmila was received more coolly than the first opera. This upset Glinka very much, and he again was going to go abroad. The composer's operatic heritage is small, but it had a decisive influence on the development of the national school of composition, and to this day these works are a vivid example of Russian music.

Glinka's symphonic music

The development of the national theme was reflected in the author's symphonic music. The composer Glinka creates a large number of experimental compositions; he is obsessed with finding a new form. In his writings, our hero shows himself as a romantic and melodist. The works of the composer Glinka develop such genres in Russian music as folk-genre, lyric-epic, and dramatic. His most significant works are the overtures "Night in Madrid" and "Aragonese Jota", symphonic fantasy "Kamarinskaya".

Songs and Romances

The portrait of Glinka (the composer) will be incomplete without mentioning his songwriting. All his life he writes romances and songs, which become incredibly popular during the life of the author. In total, he wrote about 60 vocal works, of which the most notable are: "I remember a wonderful moment", "Confession", "Passing Song" and many others, which are still part of the classical repertoire of vocalists.

Private life

In his personal life, the composer Glinka was not lucky. He married a sweet girl Ivanova Marya Petrovna in 1835, hoping to find in her a like-minded person and a loving heart. But very quickly, a lot of disagreements arose between husband and wife. She led a stormy social life, spent a lot of money, so that even the income from the estate and payment for the musical works of Glinka was not enough for her. He was forced to take disciples. The final break occurs when, in the 1840s, Glinka is carried away by Katya Kern, the daughter of Pushkin's muse. He files for divorce, at this time it turns out that his wife secretly married the cornet Vasilchikov. But the separation drags on for 5 years. During this time, Glinka had to go through a real drama: Kern became pregnant, demanded drastic measures from him, he subsidized her to get rid of the child. Gradually, the heat of the relationship faded away, and when the divorce was obtained in 1846, Glinka no longer had the desire to marry. He spent the rest of his life alone, was fond of friendly feasts and orgies, which had a detrimental effect on his already poor health. On February 15, 1857, Glinka died in Berlin. Later, at the request of his sister, the ashes of the deceased were transported to Russia and buried at the Tikhvin cemetery in St. Petersburg.

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka(May 20 [June 1], Novospasskoye village, Smolensk province - February 3, Berlin; buried in St. Petersburg) - Russian composer. Glinka's works influenced the greatest Russian composers - A. Dargomyzhsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. P. Borodin, P. I. Tchaikovsky and others. In the words of V. V. Stasov, "both [Pushkin and Glinka] created a new Russian language - one in poetry, the other in music."

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  Mikhail Glinka was born on May 20 (June 1), 1804 in the village of Novospasskoye, Smolensk province, on the estate of his father, retired captain Ivan Nikolaevich Glinka (1777-1834). His mother was his father's second cousin - Evgenia Andreevna Glinka-Zemelka (1783-1851). The composer's great-grandfather was a nobleman from the Glinka clan of the Tshask coat of arms - Viktorin Władysław Glinka (Polish: Wiktoryn Władysław Glinka). After the Commonwealth lost Smolensk in 1654, V.V. Glinka took Russian citizenship and converted to Orthodoxy. The tsarist power retained for the Smolensk gentry land holdings and noble privileges, including the former coats of arms.

  Childhood and adolescence

  Until the age of six, Mikhail was brought up by his grandmother (on his father's side) Fyokla Alexandrovna, who completely removed the mother from raising her son. He grew up as a nervous, suspicious and painful child-touchy - "mimosa", according to Glinka's own characteristics. After the death of Fyokla Alexandrovna, Mikhail again passed into the full control of his mother, who made every effort to erase the traces of his previous upbringing. At the age of ten, Mikhail began to study piano and violin. The first teacher of Glinka was the governess Varvara Fyodorovna Klammer, invited from St. Petersburg.

  In 1817, his parents brought Mikhail to St. Petersburg and placed him in the Noble boarding house (in 1819 it was renamed into the Noble boarding house at St. Petersburg University), where his tutor was the poet, Decembrist V.K. -1871) married G.A. Glinka (1776-1818), a cousin of the composer's father.

  In St. Petersburg, Glinka took private lessons from prominent music teachers, including Karl Zeiner and John Field. In 1822, Mikhail Ivanovich successfully (the second student) graduated from the course at the Noble Boarding School at the Imperial St. Petersburg University. At the boarding house, Glinka met A.S. Pushkin, who came there to see his younger brother Lev, a classmate of Mikhail. Their meetings resumed in the summer of 1828 and continued until the death of the poet.

  Periods of life and creativity

  1822-1835

  Glinka fell in love with music. After graduating from the boarding school, he studied intensively: he studied Western European musical classics, participated in home music making in the salons of the nobility, and sometimes led his uncle's orchestra. At the same time, Glinka tried himself as a composer, composing variations for harp or piano on a theme from the opera The Swiss Family by the Austrian composer Josef Weigl. From that moment on, Glinka pays more and more attention to composition and soon already composes a lot, trying her hand at a variety of genres. During this period, he wrote well-known today romances and songs: "Do not tempt me unnecessarily" to the words of E. A. Baratynsky, "Do not sing, beauty, with me" to the words of A. Pushkin, "Autumn night, night dear "to the words of A. Ya. Rimsky-Korsakov and others. However, he remains dissatisfied with his work for a long time. Glinka is persistently looking for ways to go beyond the forms and genres of everyday music. In 1823 he worked on a string septet, adagio and rondo for orchestra and two orchestral overtures. In the same years, Mikhail Ivanovich's circle of acquaintances expanded. He met V. A. Zhukovsky, A. S. Griboyedov, Adam Mitskevich, Anton Delvig, V. F. Odoevsky, who later became his friend.

  In the summer of 1823, Glinka made a trip to the Caucasus, visited Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk. Acquaintance with the music of the peoples of the Caucasus left a significant mark on the creative mind of the composer and was reflected in his later works on oriental themes. Thus, on the basis of the Azerbaijani folk song "Galanin Dibinde", the composer created the "Persian Choir" for his opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila". From 1824 to 1828, Mikhail worked as assistant secretary of the Main Directorate of Railways. In 1829 M. Glinka and N. Pavlishchev published "Lyric Album", where among the works of various authors were also plays by Glinka.

  At the end of April 1830, the composer set off for Italy, stopping along the way in Dresden and making a long journey through Germany, stretching out over the summer months. Arriving in Italy in early autumn, Glinka settled in Milan, which at that time was a major center of musical culture. In Italy, he met the outstanding composers V. Bellini and G. Donizetti, studied the vocal style of bel canto (Italian bel canto) and wrote a lot in the "Italian spirit" himself. In his works, a significant part of which consisted of plays on the themes of popular operas, there was no longer anything student-centered, all the compositions were performed masterfully. Glinka paid special attention to instrumental ensembles, having written two original compositions: Sextet for piano, two violins, viola, cello and double bass, and Pathetic Trio for piano, clarinet and bassoon. In these works, the features of Glinka's composer's style were especially clearly manifested.

  In July 1833 Glinka set off for Berlin, stopping for some time in Vienna on the way. In Berlin, under the guidance of German theorist Siegfried Den, Glinka studied polyphony and instrumentation. Having received the news of his father's death in 1834, Glinka decided to immediately return to Russia.

  Glinka returned with extensive plans for a Russian national opera. After a long search for a plot for the opera, Glinka, on the advice of V. Zhukovsky, settled on the legend about Ivan Susanin. At the end of April 1835, Glinka married Marya Petrovna Ivanova, his distant relative. Soon after, the newlyweds went to Novospasskoye, where Glinka with great zeal began to write an opera.

  1836-1844

  1844-1857

  Hardly experiencing criticism of his new opera, Mikhail Ivanovich in the middle of 1844 undertook a new long trip abroad. This time he went to France and then to Spain. In Paris, Glinka met the French composer Hector Berlioz, who (later) became an admirer of his talent. In the spring of 1845, Berlioz performed at his concert works by Glinka: Lezginka from Ruslan and Lyudmila and Antonida's aria from Ivan Susanin. The success of these works prompted Glinka to give a charity concert of his works in Paris. On April 10, 1845, a large concert by the Russian composer was successfully held at the Hertz Concert Hall on Victory Street in Paris.

  On May 13, 1845 Glinka went to Spain. There Mikhail Ivanovich studied the traditional culture, customs, language of the Spanish people, recorded Spanish folk melodies. The creative result of this trip was two symphonic overtures written on Spanish folk themes. In the fall of 1845, Glinka completed the overture "Jota Aragonese", and in 1848, after returning to Russia - "Night in Madrid".

  In the summer of 1847, Glinka set off on the return journey to his ancestral village Novospasskoye. Glinka's stay in her native places was short-lived. Mikhail Ivanovich again went to St. Petersburg, but having changed his mind, he decided to spend the winter in Smolensk. However, invitations to balls and evenings that haunted the composer almost daily drove him to despair and to the point of deciding to leave Russia again [ ]. But Glinka was denied a foreign passport, therefore, having reached Warsaw in 1848, he stopped in this city. Here the composer wrote a symphonic fantasy "Kamarinskaya" on the themes of two Russian songs: the wedding lyric "From behind the mountains, high mountains" and a lively dance song. In this work, Glinka approved a new type of symphonic music and laid the foundations for its further development, skillfully creating an unusually bold combination of various rhythms, characters and moods. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky said this about Glinka's work:

  In 1851 Glinka returned to St. Petersburg, where he gave singing lessons, prepared operatic roles and a chamber repertoire with such singers as N.K. Ivanov, O.A. Petrov, A. Ya.Petrova-Vorobyova, A.P. Lodiy , D. M. Leonova and others. The Russian vocal school was formed under the direct influence of Glinka. Visited MI Glinka and AN Serov, who wrote down his Notes on Instrumentation in 1852 (published 4 years later). AS Dargomyzhsky often came.

  In 1852 Glinka set off on a journey again. He planned to get to Spain, but tired of traveling in stagecoaches and by rail, he stopped in Paris, where he lived for a little over two years. In Paris, Glinka began work on the Taras Bulba symphony, which was never completed. The beginning of the Crimean War, in which France opposed Russia, was an event that finally decided the issue of Glinka's departure to his homeland. On the way to Russia, Glinka spent two weeks in Berlin.

  In May 1854 Glinka arrived in Russia. He spent the summer in Tsarskoe Selo at the dacha, and in August he again moved to St. Petersburg. In the same 1854, Mikhail Ivanovich began to write memoirs, which he named "Notes" (published in 1870).

  In 1856 Glinka left for Berlin. There he studied the works of J.P. Palestrina and J.S. Bach. In the same year, Glinka wrote music for Church Slavonic liturgical texts: Litany and "May my prayer be corrected" (for 3 voices).

  Death

  Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka died on February 15, 1857 in Berlin and was buried in the Lutheran cemetery. In May of the same year, at the insistence of M.I.I. ) the ashes of the composer were transported to St. Petersburg and reburied at the Tikhvin cemetery.

  During the transportation of Glinka's ashes from Berlin to Russia, “FARFOR” was written on his coffin packed in cardboard. This is very symbolic if we recall the canon composed by Glinka's friends after the premiere of Ivan Susanin. On the grave of Glinka, there is a monument created according to the sketch of I.I.Gornostaev.

  In Berlin, at the Russian Orthodox cemetery, there is a monument that includes a tombstone from the original burial place of Glinka at the Lutheran Trinity cemetery, as well as a column-shaped monument with a bust of the composer erected in 1947 by the Military Commandant's Office of the Soviet sector of Berlin.

  Memory

  Main article: Memory of Mikhail Glinka

  The name was given to the Novosibirsk State Conservatory.

  Glinka's addresses in St. Petersburg

  Glinka International Vocal Competition

  The second most important vocal competition in Russia is named after Mikhail Glinka - the Glinka International Vocal Competition, which was organized in 1960. From 1968 to 2009, the permanent chairman of the jury was a singer and teacher, People's Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the Lenin Prize and State Prizes of Russia, academician, professor Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova.

  Over the years, such outstanding artists as Vladimir Atlantov, Sergei Leiferkus, Yuri Mazurok, Evgeny Nesterenko, Elena Obraztsova, Maria Gulegina, Olga Borodina, Dmitry Khvorostovsky, Vladimir Chernov, Anna Netrebko, Askar Abdrazakov, Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga became laureates of the Glinka Competition. Trifonova, Elena Manistina, Mikhail Kazakov, Albina Shagimuratova, Vladimir Vasiliev, Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar and other singers.

  Major works

  Opera

  • A Life for the Tsar (Ivan Susanin) (1836)
  • Ruslan and Lyudmila (1837-1842)
  Symphonic works
  • Symphony on two Russian themes (1834, completed and orchestrated by Vissarion Shebalin)
  • Music to the tragedy of Nestor Kukolnik "Prince Kholmsky" (1842)
  • Spanish Overture No. 1 "Brilliant Capriccio on the Theme of the Aragonese Jota" (1845)
  • "Kamarinskaya", a fantasy on two Russian themes (1848)
  • Spanish Overture No. 2 "Memories of a Summer Night in Madrid" (1851)
  • "Waltz-Fantasy" (1839 - for piano, 1856 - expanded edition for symphony orchestra)
  Chamber instrumental compositions
  • Sonata for viola and piano (unfinished; 1828, finalized by Vadim Borisovsky in 1932)
  • Brilliant divertissement on themes from Vincenzo Bellini's opera La Sonnambula for piano quintet and double bass
  • Brilliant rondo on a theme from Vincenzo Bellini's opera "Capulet and Montague" (1831)
  • Large Sextet Es-dur for piano and string quintet (1832)
  • "Pathetic Trio" in d-moll for clarinet, bassoon and piano (1832)
  Romances and songs
  • Venetian Night (1832)
  • Patriotic song (was the official anthem of the Russian Federation from 1991 to 2000)
  • "I am here, Inesilla" (1834)
  • "Night Review" (1836)
  • Doubt (1838)
  • "Night Marshmallow" (1838)
  • "The fire of desire burns in the blood" (1839)
  • Wedding song "The Wonderful Tower Is Standing" (1839)
  • Vocal cycle "Farewell to St. Petersburg" (1840)
  • "Passing song" (from the cycle "Farewell to St. Petersburg")
  • "Lark" (from the cycle "Farewell to St. Petersburg")
  • "Recognition" (1840)
  • "Do I Hear Your Voice" (1848)
  • "Healthy Cup" (1848)
  • "Song of Margaret" from Goethe's tragedy "Faust" (1848)
  • Mary (1849)
  • Adele (1849)
  • "Gulf of Finland" (1850)
  • "Prayer" ("In a difficult moment of life") (1855)
  • "Don't Say It Hurts Your Heart" (1856)
  • "I remember a wonderful moment" (on a poem by Pushkin)

  Notes (edit)

  1. Levasheva O. E., Lebedeva-Emelina A. V. Glinka // Great Russian Encyclopedia. - M., 2007. - T.7. - S. 233-235.
  2. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
  3. Findeisen N.F.// Russian biographical dictionary: in 25 volumes. - SPb. - M., 1896-1918.
  4. Rozanov, A.S. M.I. Glinka. Album. The first period of life in Novospasskoye (unspecified) ... - M.: Music,. - "The domineering old woman," not very well "treated the serf servants, pampered her grandson" to an incredible degree. " Retrieved September 25, 2014. Archived September 25, 2014.
  5. // Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 4 volumes - St. Petersburg. , 1907-1909.
  6. Great friendship of the Azerbaijani and Russian peoples / Compiled by P. A. Azizbekova, Shikhali Kurbanov. Executive editor I. A. Guseinov. - B.: Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR, 1964. - P. 214.
  7. Karagicheva L. Kara Karaev. - M.: Soviet composer, 1960 .-- P. 9.
  8. Бәдәлбәјли Ә. B. M.I. Glinka (azerb.) // Әdәbiјјat vә inҹәsәnәt. - May 29, 1954.
  9. We are talking about the original piano version of the famous waltz-fantasy, known to everyone in the orchestral edition, one of the most striking works of Glinka with its heartfelt beauty
  10. Maria Petrovna Ivanova (Glinka) b. 1817. Record: 234301 (unspecified) ... Rodovid. - “April 26, 1835 marriage: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka; March 15, 1841 marriage: Nikolai Nikolaevich Vasilchikov; October 1846 divorce: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. Date of treatment June 5, 2014. Archived June 5, 2014.

  The founder of Russian classical music, Russian bel canto. M.I. Glinka was born on June 1, 1804 in the village of Novospasskoye, on the estate of his parents, which belonged to his father - retired captain Ivan Nikolaevich Glinka - located a hundred versts * from Smolensk and twenty versts * from the small town of Yelnya. Glinka lived in St. Petersburg from 1817. He studied at the Noble Boarding School at the Main Pedagogical School (his tutor was the poet, Decembrist V.K.Kyukhelbeker). He took piano lessons from J. Field and C. Mayer, violin - from F. Boehm; later he studied singing with Belloli, theory of composition - with Z. Dehn. In the 20s. In the 19th century he was famous among Petersburg music lovers as a singer and pianist. In 1830-33. Glinka traveled to Italy and Germany, where he met outstanding composers: G. Berlioz, V. Bellini, G. Donizetti. In 1836 Glinka was the conductor of the Court Singing Chapel (retired from 1839).
  Mastering the experience of domestic and world musical culture, the impact of progressive ideas that spread during the Patriotic War of 1812 and the preparation of the Decembrist uprising, communication with prominent representatives of literature (A.S. Pushkin, A.S. Griboyedov, etc.), art, art criticism contributed to expanding the composer's horizons and developing innovative aesthetic foundations of his work. The creativity of Glinka, folk-realistic in its aspiration, influenced the further development of Russian music.
  In 1836, Glinka's heroic and patriotic historical opera Ivan Susanin was staged at the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theater. Contrary to the concept imposed on the composer (the libretto was compiled by Baron G. F. Rosen in the spirit of monarchical officiousness, at the insistence of the court the opera was called “Life for the Tsar”), Glinka emphasized the folk principle of the opera, glorified the patriotic peasant, the greatness of character, courage and unbending staunchness of the people ... In 1842 the premiere of the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila took place at the same theater. In this work, colorful pictures of Slavic life are intertwined with fairy-tale fiction, pronounced Russian national features with oriental motifs (this is where Orientalism begins in Russian classical opera). Reconsidering the content of Pushkin's playful, ironic youthful poem, taken as the basis of the libretto, Glinka brought to the fore the stately images of Ancient Rus, the heroic spirit and multifaceted emotionally rich lyrics. Glinka's operas laid the foundation and outlined the paths for the development of Russian opera classics. "Ivan Susanin" is a folk musical tragedy based on a historical plot, with a tense, effective musical and dramatic development, "Ruslan and Lyudmila" is a magic oratorio opera with a measured alternation of wide, closed vocal and symphonic scenes, with a predominance of epic, narrative elements. Glinka's operas affirmed the world significance of Russian music. In the field of theatrical music, Glinka's music to N. V. Kukolnik's tragedy "Prince Kholmsky" (post. 1841, Alexandria Theater, St. Petersburg) is of great artistic value. In 1844-1848. the composer conducts in France and Spain. This trip confirmed the European popularity of the Russian genius. Berlioz became a great admirer of his talent, performing in the spring of 1845 Glinka's works at his concert. Glinka's author's concert in Paris was a success. In the same place, in 1848, he wrote the Kamarinskaya symphonic fantasy with Russian folk themes. This is an unusually cheerful fantasy full of humor, enjoying which associations with Russian folk holidays, folk instruments and folk choral singing arise. Kamarinskaya is also a brilliant masterful orchestration. In Spain, Mikhail Ivanovich studied the culture, customs, language of the Spanish people, recorded Spanish folk melodies, observed folk festivals and traditions. The result of these impressions were 2 symphonic overtures: "Jota Aragonese" (1845) and "Remembrance of Castile" (1848, 2nd edition - "Remembrance of a summer night in Madrid", 1851 ).
  Glinka's musical art is characterized by the fullness and versatility of the coverage of life phenomena, the generalization and convexity of artistic images, the perfection of architectonics and the general light, life-affirming tone. His orchestral writing, combining transparency and impressive sound, has a vivid imagery, brilliance and richness of colors. The mastery of the orchestra manifested itself in many ways in stage music (overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila) and in symphonic pieces. Waltz-Fantasy for orchestra (originally for piano, 1839; orchestral versions 1845, 1856) is the first classical example of a Russian symphonic waltz. "Spanish Overtures" - "Aragonese Jota" (1845) and "Night in Madrid" (1848, 2nd edition 1851) - laid the foundation for the development of Spanish musical folklore in world symphonic music. The Kamarinskaya Scherzo for Orchestra (1848) synthesized the wealth of Russian folk music and the highest achievements of professional skill.

  Glinka's vocal lyrics are noted for the harmony of the worldview. Diverse in themes and forms, she included, in addition to Russian song - the foundation of Glinka melody - also Ukrainian, Polish, Finnish, Georgian, Spanish, Italian motives, intonations, genres. Stand out his romances to the words of Pushkin (including "Don't sing, beauty, with me", "I remember a wonderful moment", "The fire of desire burns in the blood", "Night marshmallow"), Zhukovsky (the ballad "Night Review" ), Baratynsky ("Do not tempt me unnecessarily"), Puppeteer ("Doubt" and a cycle of 12 romances "Farewell to St. Petersburg"). Glinka created about 80 works for voice and piano (romances, songs, arias, canzonets), vocal ensembles, vocal studies and exercises, choirs. He owns chamber instrumental ensembles, including 2 string quartets, the Pathetique Trio (for piano, clarinet and bassoon, 1832).

  The following generations of Russian composers remained faithful to the main creative principles of Glinka, enriching the national musical style with new content and new expressive means. The Russian vocal school was formed under the direct influence of Glinka, a composer and vocal teacher. Glinka took singing lessons and prepared opera parts and a chamber repertoire with him by singers N.K. Ivanov, O.A. Petrov, A. Ya.Petrova-Vorobyova, A.P. Lodiy, S.S. M. Leonova et al. A. N. Serov wrote down his Notes on Instrumentation (1852, published 1856). Glinka left a memoir (Notes, 1854-55, published 1870).

  Born on May 20 (June 1), 1804 in the village of Novospasskoye, Smolensk province, on his father's estate.

  An important fact of Glinka's brief biography is the fact that his grandmother was involved in raising the boy, and his own mother was admitted to her son only after the death of his grandmother.

  M. Glinka began to play the piano and violin at the age of ten. From 1817 he began to study at the Noble Boarding School at the Pedagogical Institute of St. Petersburg. After graduating from the boarding house, he devoted all his time to music. At the same time, the first works of the composer Glinka were created. As a real creator, Glinka does not fully like her works; he seeks to expand the genre of everyday music.

  The flowering of creativity

  In the years 1822-1823 Glinka wrote well-known romances and songs: "Do not tempt me unnecessarily" to the words of E. A. Baratynsky, "Don't sing, beauty, with me" to the words of A. Pushkin and others. During these years he met the famous Vasily Zhukovsky, Alexander Griboyedov and others.

  After traveling to the Caucasus, he goes to Italy, Germany. Under the influence of Italian composers Bellini, Donizety Glinka changed her musical style. Then they worked on polyphony, composition, instrumentation.

  Returning to Russia, Glinka diligently worked on the national opera Ivan Susanin. Its premiere in 1836 at the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg turned into a huge success. The premiere of the next opera Ruslan and Lyudmila in 1842 was no longer so loud. Strong criticism pushed the composer to leave, he left Russia, going to France, Spain, and only in 1847 returned to his homeland.

  Many works in the biography of Mikhail Glinka were written during foreign trips. From 1851 in St. Petersburg he taught singing and prepared operas. Under his influence, Russian classical music was formed.

  Death and legacy

  Glinka left for Berlin in 1856, where he died on February 15, 1857. The composer was buried at the Lutheran Trinity cemetery. His ashes were transported to St. Petersburg and reburied there.

  There are about 20 songs and romances of Glinka. He also wrote 6 symphonic works, several chamber instrumental pieces, and two operas.

  Glinka's legacy for children includes romances, songs, symphonic fantasies, as well as the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila, which became even more fabulous after being embodied in music by the great composer.

  Music critic V. Stasov briefly noted that Glinka became for Russian music what Alexander Pushkin became for the Russian language: they both created a new Russian language, but each in his own sphere of art.

  Pyotr Tchaikovsky gave the following characterization to one of Glinka's works: “The entire Russian symphony school, like the whole oak in an acorn, is enclosed in the Kamarinskaya symphonic fantasy”

  The Glinka Museum is located in Novospasskoye Selo, in the composer's native estate. Monuments to Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka were erected in Bologna, Kiev, Berlin. The State Academic Capella in St. Petersburg was also named after him.

  Other biography options

• • The birthplace of the great Russian composer is the small village of Novospasskoye in the Smolensk province. A large Glinka family lived there from the very time when their great-grandfather, a Polish nobleman, took the oath of allegiance to the Russian Tsar and continued to serve in the Russian army.
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Glinka 1856, shortly before his death

Talking about the Russian national school of composition, one cannot fail to mention Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. At one time, he had a considerable influence on the members of the Mighty Handful, who at that time formed the stronghold of composing art in Russia. He also had a considerable influence on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Childhood of Mikhail Ivanovich

Mikhail Ivanovich was born in 1804, on the estate of his father, in the village of Novospasskoye, in the Smolensk province. He had prominent ancestors. For example, the composer's great-grandfather was a Polish nobleman, Viktorin Vladislavovich Glinka, from whom his grandson inherited his family history and coat of arms. When the Smolensk region came under the rule of Russia as a result of the war, Glinka changed his citizenship and became a Russian Orthodox. He was able to maintain his power thanks to the power of the church.

Glinka the younger was brought up by his grandmother, Fekla Alexandrovna. The mother practically did not participate in raising her son. So Mikhail Ivanovich grew up like a kind of nervous touchy. He himself recalls these times, as if he grew up like a kind of "mimosa".

After the death of his grandmother, he moved under the wing of his mother, who put a lot of effort into completely re-educating her beloved son.

The little boy learned to play the violin and piano from about ten years old.

Life and art

Initially, the governess taught Glinka music. Later, his parents sent him to a noble boarding school in St. Petersburg, where he met Pushkin. He came there to visit his younger brother, a classmate of Mikhail.

1822-1835

In 1822, the young man graduated from a boarding school, but did not give up music lessons. He continues to play music in the salons of the nobility, and sometimes leads his uncle's orchestra. Around the same time, Glinka became a composer: he writes extremely much, while intensely experimenting in various genres. At the same time, he wrote some songs and romances that are well known today.

Among these songs, one can single out "Do not tempt me unnecessarily", "Do not sing, beauty, with me."

In addition, he intensively gets to know other composers. All this time, work is underway to improve their style. The young composer remained dissatisfied with his work.

At the end of April 1830, the young man moved to Italy. At the same time, he makes a long journey across Germany, which stretched out over all the summer months. During this time he tried his hand at the genre of Italian opera.

It is worth noting that at this time his compositions are already becoming not youthfully mature.

In 1833 he worked in Berlin. When the news of the death of his father arrives, he immediately returns to Russia. And at the same time, a plan to create a Russian opera is born in his head. For the plot, he chose the legends about Ivan Susanin. And soon after marrying his distant relative, he returned to Novospasskoye. There he, with fresh energy, begins work on the opera.

1836-1844

Around 1836, he completed work on the opera A Life for the Tsar. But it was already much more difficult to put it. The fact is that this was prevented by the director of the imperial theaters. But he also gave the opera to Caterino Cavos, who left the most flattering review about it.

The opera was received with extraordinary enthusiasm. As a result, Glinka wrote to his mother the following lines:

“Yesterday evening my desires were finally fulfilled, and my long labor was crowned with the most brilliant success. The audience received my opera with extraordinary enthusiasm, the actors lost their temper with zeal ... the sovereign-emperor ... thanked me and talked with me for a long time ... "

After the opera, Glinka was appointed Kapellmeister of the Court Choir Choir. He subsequently directed it for two years.

Exactly six years after the premiere of Ivan Susanin, Glinka presented Ruslana and Lyudmila to the public. He began work on it during the poet's lifetime, but he managed to finish it only with the help of minor poets.

1844-1857

The new opera has received a lot of criticism. Glinka was very upset by this fact, and decided to go on a long trip abroad. Now he decided to go to France and then to Spain, where he continues to work. So he traveled until the summer of 1947. At this time he is working on the genre of symphonic music.

He travels for a long time, he lived for two years in Paris, where he took a break from the constant traveling in stagecoaches and by rail. From time to time he returns to Russia. But in 1856 he left for Berlin, where he died on February 15.