Music calendar – July

July is the crown of summer, a time for rest, recuperation. In the music world, this month was not rich in events and high-profile premieres.

But there is one interesting fact: in July, famous singers were born – masters of vocal art, the fame of which is still alive – these are Tamara Sinyavskaya, Elena Obraztsova, Sergey Lemeshev, Praskovya Zhemchugova. The peak of summer is marked by the birth of famous composers and instrumental performers: Louis Claude Daquin, Gustav Mahler, Carl Orff, Van Cliburn.

Legendary Composers

4 July 1694 year born French composer, harpsichordist and organist Louis Claude Daquin. During his lifetime, he became famous as a brilliant improviser and virtuoso. Daken worked in the Rococo style, the researchers of his work believe that with his refined gallant works he anticipated the genre depiction of the classics of the XNUMXth century. Today the composer is familiar to performers as the author of the famous piece for harpsichord “The Cuckoo”, arranged for many instruments and ensembles of performers.

7 July 1860 year an Austrian composer came to the world, who is considered a harbinger of expressionism, Gustav Mahler. In his writings, he sought to determine the place of man in the world around him, ending the era of philosophical romantic symphonism. The composer said that he could not be happy knowing that others were suffering somewhere. Such an attitude to reality made it impossible for him to achieve a harmonious whole in music.

In his work, cycles of songs were closely intertwined with symphonic works, resulting in the composition of the symphony-cantata “Song of the Earth” based on Chinese poetry of the XNUMXth century.

10 July 1895 year came into being Carl Orff, a German composer, each new work of which caused a flurry of criticism and controversy. He sought to embody his ideas through eternal, understandable values. Hence the movement “back to the ancestors”, the appeal to antiquity. Composing his opuses, Orff did not adhere to either stylistic or genre standards. The success of the composer brought the cantata “Carmina Burana”, which later became the 1st part of the triptych “Triumphs”.

Carl Orff has always been concerned about the upbringing of the younger generation. He is the founder of the Munich School of Music, Dance and Gymnastics. And the institute of musical education, created in Salzburg with his participation, became an international center for the training of music teachers for preschool institutions, and then for secondary schools.

Virtuoso performers

6 July 1943 year a singer was born in Moscow, who is rightly called a noble prima donna, Tamara Sinyavskaya. She got an intern at the Bolshoi Theater very young, at the age of 20, and without a conservatory education, which was against the rules. But a year later, the singer had already entered the main cast, and after another five, she was a soloist on the best opera stages in the world.

A smiling, sociable girl who knew how to endure setbacks and fight hard against difficulties, she quickly became the troupe’s favorite. And her talent for impersonation and the ability to get used to the role made it possible to perform not only female parts, but also those male and youthful images that were written for mezzo-soprano or contralto, for example: Vanya from Ivan Susanin or Ratmir from Ruslan and Lyudmila .

7 July 1939 year a great singer of our time was born, Elena Obraztsova. Her work is recognized as an outstanding phenomenon in world music. Carmen, Delilah, Martha in her performance are considered the best incarnations of dramatic characters.

Elena Obraztsova was born in Leningrad in the family of an engineer. But soon the family moved to Taganrog, where the girl graduated from high school. At her own peril and risk, against the wishes of her parents, Elena made an attempt to enter the Leningrad Conservatory, which turned out to be successful. The singer made her debut on the stage of the Bolshoi, while still a student. And soon after a brilliant graduation, she began to tour all the leading venues in the world.

10 July 1902 year appeared to the world Sergey Lemeshev, who later became an outstanding lyric tenor of our time. He was born in the Tver province in the family of a simple peasant. Due to the early death of his father, the boy had to work hard to help his mother. The future singer began to engage in vocals by accident. The young man and his older brother grazed the horses and sang songs. They were heard by an engineer Nikolai Kvashnin passing by. He invited Sergei to take lessons from his wife.

In the direction of the Komsomol, Lemeshev becomes a student at the Moscow Conservatory. After graduation, he serves at the Sverdlovsk Opera House, and then at the Russian Opera in Harbin. Then there was Tiflis, and only then Big, where the singer was invited to audition. The brilliantly sung part of Berendey from The Snow Maiden opened the doors of the main stage of the country for him. He participated in more than 30 productions. His most famous role was the part of Lensky, which he performed 501 times.

12 July 1934 year in the small American town of Shreveport, a pianist was born who fell in love with millions of listeners in the USSR, Van Cliburn. The boy began to study the piano from the age of 4 under the guidance of his mother. The young pianist was greatly impressed by the performance of Sergei Rachmaninov, who gave one of his last concerts in Shreveport. The boy worked hard, and at the age of 13, after winning the competition, he received the right to perform with the Houston Orchestra.

To continue his education, the young man chose the Juilliard School of Music in New York. It was a great success for Cliburn that he got into the class of Rosina Levina, a famous pianist who graduated from the Moscow Conservatory at the same time as Rachmaninoff. It was she who insisted that Van Cliburn take part in the 1st Tchaikovsky Competition, held in the USSR, and even knocked out a nominal scholarship for him for the trip. The jury, headed by D. Shostakovich, unanimously gave the victory to the young American.

В last day of July 1768 in the Yaroslavl province in a family of serfs was born Praskovya Kovaleva (Zhemchugova). At the age of 8, thanks to her excellent vocal abilities, she was brought up in the estate of Martha Dolgoruky near Moscow. The girl easily mastered musical literacy, playing the harp and harpsichord, Italian and French. Soon, the talented girl began to perform at the Sheremetyev Theater under the pseudonym of Praskovia Zhemchugova.

Among her best works are Alzved (“The Village Sorcerer” by Rousseau), Louise (“The Deserter” by Monsigny), roles in operas by Paisello and the first Russian operas by Pashkevich. In 1798, the singer received her freedom and soon married the son of Count Peter Sheremetyev, Nikolai.

Louis Claude Daquin – Cuckoo

Author – Victoria Denisova