Music calendar – December

December in musical history was marked by the birth of such famous composers as Beethoven, Sibelius, Berlioz, Puccini, Sviridov, Shchedrin and Kabalevsky, as well as several high-profile premieres.

Muses favorites born in December

8 декабря 1865 года was born in the small Finnish town of Hyamenliana Jean Sibelius. The composer was honored in his homeland with such an honor that hardly any other musician achieved during his lifetime. The sincerity of his music, the truthful display of the character of his people, made the musician famous far beyond the borders of his homeland. Sibelius often turned to the Finnish epic, weaving national motifs into his melodies.

11 декабря 1803 года in the town of La Cote-Saint-André near the French Grenoble was born Hector Berlioz. A typical self-taught, he learned all the wisdom of musical science on his own: his father forbade him to play the piano, fearing his son’s excessive passion for music. But his fears were confirmed: the son not only chose music as his profession, but also achieved worldwide recognition as a composer, innovator, creator of program symphony. With his work, he gave impetus to the entire further development of the romantic direction in music.

16 декабря 1770 года an event took place in Germany, the significance of which cannot be overestimated: in the city of Bonn, Ludwig van Beethoven. Despite a difficult childhood, many hours of classes organized by his father in an attempt to make a miracle child out of his son, Beethoven did not lose his love for music and became one of the masters of Viennese classicism, sharing this title with the great Haydn and Mozart. A brilliant symphonist, a rebel, in his work he invariably pursued the idea of ​​the victory of the power of the spirit over darkness and injustice. Many composers considered him their mentor, among whom are G. Berlioz, I. Brahms, G. Mahler, F. Liszt, S. Prokofiev, A. Schoenberg, D. Shostakovich, and this is only a small part of his followers.

In the same day, December 16, but 1915 a Russian composer, pianist and conductor appeared in the city of Fatezh Georgy Sviridov. His work is characterized by a close connection with folk sources, he has always positioned himself as the son of his land. The composer was a connoisseur of Russian painting and poetry, and admired Pushkin’s talent. All his work is filled with a passionate desire for goodness, justice, inner harmony, and at the same time, an understanding of the drama of the era, experiences.

Day 16 December was marked by the birth of another famous composer. December 16, 1932 came into the world Rodion Shchedrin. Music surrounded the future composer from childhood, since his father was a musicologist. The years of adolescence coincided with the great tragedy of the Soviet people, and the boy made several attempts to escape to the front. In the future, the pain from the experience was transformed into the creation of several significant works of military subjects. His way as a composer is to overcome prejudice, inertia, and listener misunderstanding. He always had his own point of view, he believed that one must live and create for the sake of the future, for the good of posterity.

22 декабря 1858 года came into the world Giacomo Puccini, the greatest master of Italian opera. Critics were not unanimous in assessing his work. Some called his music sugary, light, not worthy of taking a place among the world’s operatic masterpieces. Others considered her rude and even “bloodthirsty”. And only the public invariably admired his skill. Time has put everything in its place and today Puccini’s operas are invariably present in the repertoire lists of all opera houses in the world.

30 декабря 1904 года was born Dmitry Kabalevsky, composer, great musical educator, outstanding teacher, tireless public figure. He composed in almost all genres, giving preference to youth themes. He attracted the public by all means to the problems of aesthetic education of children and youth and created a whole concept of musical education, which formed the basis of the school music curriculum.

Premieres that made people talk about themselves

On December 9, with a difference of exactly 6 years, two events took place that became a turning point in the musical history of Russia. In 1836, the premiere of the 1st national opera, A Life for the Tsar by the great Mikhail Glinka, took place at the Mariinsky Theatre. And in 1842, on the same day, the master’s second opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila, took place on the same stage.

After the premiere of the first performance, Emperor Nicholas I granted Glinka his diamond ring as a token of his greatest approval. The original title of the opera “Ivan Susanin” remained almost until the premiere, but was changed to “Life for the Tsar” at the request of the composer with the permission of the head of state. Subsequently, the name was returned, since the second version did not correspond to the spirit of the young Soviet state, and it was impossible to stage the opera on the opera stages of the USSR with it.

Bayan’s first song from the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M.I. Glinka

The premiere of “Ruslan” was not so enchanting. By the fifth act, the imperial family had left the box, and the court followed. At the end, the audience did not applaud unanimously, as the author himself spoke about. Nevertheless, the opera ran for 32 performances in its first season. Interestingly, staged in Paris, the play was played exactly the same number of times.

In December, only already in 1892, there was another significant premiere. On the 18th, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker was presented to the public for the first time on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. Work on the creation of this masterpiece was carried out in close cooperation with the renowned choreographer Marius Petipa, who gave the composer detailed recommendations regarding the nature of the music. Criticism was mixed, but to this day the ballet is the most desired performance by the public.

Bayan’s second song from the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M.I. Glinka

Author – Victoria Denisova