Music calendar – August

August is the end of summer. This month is usually not rich in musical events, theater troupes take a break from tours, and you will hardly see premieres on theater stages. Nevertheless, he gave the world a lot of celebrities who left their mark on music. Among them are composers A. Glazunov, A. Alyabyev, A. Salieri, K. Debussy, vocalists M. Bieshu, A. Pirogov, conductor V. Fedoseev.

Rulers of the strings of the soul

10 August 1865 year composer came into the world Alexander Glazunov. A friend of Borodin, he completed the unfinished works of the master from memory. As a teacher, Glazunov supported the young Shostakovich during the period of post-revolutionary devastation. In his work, the connection between Russian music of the XNUMXth century and new Soviet music is clearly traced. The composer was strong in spirit, noble both in relations with friends and opponents, his purposefulness and enthusiasm attracted like-minded people, students, and listeners to him. Among the best works of Glazunov are symphonies, the symphonic poem “Stenka Razin”, the ballet “Raymonda”.

Among composers there are those who became famous thanks to one masterpiece. Such, for example, is born August 15, 1787 Alexander Alyabyev – the author of the famous and loved by millions romance “Nightingale”. The romance is performed all over the world, there is an arrangement for various instruments and ensembles.

The fate of the composer was not easy. During the war of 1812, he volunteered for the front, fought in the legendary regiment of Denis Davydov, was wounded, awarded a medal and two orders. However, after the war, there was a murder in his house. He was convicted, although no direct evidence was found. After a 3-year trial, the composer was sent into exile for many years.

In addition to the romance “The Nightingale”, Alyabyev left a rather large legacy – these are 6 operas, numerous vocal works of various genres, sacred music.

18 August 1750 year the famous Italian was born Antonio Salieri Composer, teacher, conductor. He left a mark on the fate of many musicians, among which the most famous are Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. A representative of the Gluck school, he achieved the highest mastery in the opera-seria genre, eclipsing many composers of his time. For a long time he was at the epicenter of the musical life of Vienna, was engaged in staging performances, led the Society of Musicians, exercised control over musical education in state institutions of the Austrian capital.

20 August 1561 year came into the world Jacopo Peri, Florentine composer, author of the first early opera that has come down to us – “Eurydice”. Interestingly, Peri himself became famous both as a representative of a new art form and as a singer, having performed the central part of Orpheus in his creation. And although the composer’s subsequent operas did not have such success, it is he who is the author of the first page in the history of opera.

22 August 1862 year a composer was born, who is often called the father of music of the XNUMXth century – Claude Debussy. He himself said that he was trying to find new realities for music, and those who called the direction of his work impressionism were fools.

The composer considered sound, tonality, chord as independent quantities capable of being combined into multicolored harmonies, not limited by any conventions and rules. It is characterized by love for the landscape, airiness, fluidity of forms, elusiveness of shades. Debussy did most of all in the genre of program suite, both piano and orchestral. The most famous among them are “Sea”, “Nocturnes”, “Prints”, “Bergamas Suite”

Stage Maestro

3 August 1935 year in the south of Moldova was born Maria Bieshu Opera and chamber soprano. Her voice is recognizable from the first sounds and has a rare expressiveness. It organically combines the sound of velvety full-sounding “bottoms”, sparkling “tops” and an unusual vibrating chest middle register.

Her collection includes the highest artistic awards and titles, success on the world’s leading opera stages, victories in the most prestigious international competitions. Her best roles are Cio-Cio-San, Aida, Tosca, Tatyana.

4 August 1899 year born in Ryazan Alexander Pirogov, Russian Soviet singer-bass. The fifth child in the family, he turned out to be the most talented, although he began to sing at the age of 16. Simultaneously with the musical, Alexander received a historical and philological education. After graduation, the singer worked in various theater companies until he joined the Bolshoi Theater in 1924.

Over the years of his service, Pirogov performed almost all the famous bass parts, and also participated in productions of modern Soviet opera performances. He is also known as a chamber singer, performer of Russian romances and folk songs.

5 August 1932 year an outstanding conductor of our time came to the world Vladimir Fedoseev. Under his leadership, the Grand Symphony Orchestra named after. Tchaikovsky has gained worldwide fame. At the turn of the 2000th-XNUMXst centuries, Fedoseev was a conductor of the Vienna Orchestra, in the XNUMXs he was a guest conductor of the Zurich Opera House and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He is constantly called to work with the world’s leading orchestras.

His work in opera performances is always highly appreciated, recordings of works by brilliant symphonists – Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Taneyev, operas by Dargomyzhsky, Rimsky-Korsakov are scattered throughout the collections of music lovers. Under his leadership, all 9 Beethoven symphonies were recorded.

Interesting events in the music world

On August 3, 1778, the theater La Scala was opened with the performance of 2 operas written especially for this event (one of them is “Recognized Europe” by A. Salieri).

On August 9, 1942, the most remarkable, heroic premiere of D. Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” symphony took place in besieged Leningrad. All the musicians who were there, not only professionals, but also amateurs, were called to perform it. Many performers were so emaciated that they could not play and were admitted to the hospital for enhanced nutrition. On the day of the premiere, all artillery crews of the city launched a heavy fire on the positions of the enemy, so that nothing could interfere with the performance. The concert was broadcast on the radio and heard by the whole world.

Claude Debussy – Moonlight

Author – Victoria Denisova