Nikolai Yakovlevich Afanasiev |

Nicolai Afanasiev

He studied music under the guidance of his father, violinist Yakov Ivanovich Afanasiev. In 1838-41 violinist of the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. In 1841-46 bandmaster of the serf theater of the landowner I. I. Shepelev in Vyksa. In 1851-58 violinist of the Petersburg Italian Opera. In 1853-83 he was a teacher at the Smolny Institute (piano class). Since 1846 he gave many concerts (in 1857 – in Western Europe).

One of the largest Russian violinists, a representative of the romantic school. The author of numerous works, among which stands out the string quartet “Volga” (1860, RMO Prize, 1861), based on the development of songs of the peoples of the Volga region. His string quartets and quintets are valuable examples of Russian chamber music in the period preceding the chamber compositions of A. P. Borodin and P. I. Tchaikovsky.

In his work, Afanasiev widely used folklore material (for example, the Jewish Quartet, the piano quintet Reminiscence of Italy, Tatar dances with a choir from the opera Ammalat-Bek). His cantata “The Feast of Peter the Great” was popular (RMO prize, 1860).

Most of Afanasiev’s compositions (4 operas, 6 symphonies, an oratorio, 9 violin concertos, and many others) remained in manuscripts (they are stored in the music library of the Leningrad Conservatory).

Brother Afanasiev – Alexander Yakovlevich Afanasiev (1827 – death unknown) – cellist and pianist. In 1851-71 he served in the orchestra of the Bolshoi (since 1860 Mariinsky) Theater in St. Petersburg. Participated in his brother’s concert trips as an accompanist.

Compositions:

operas – Ammalat-Bek (1870, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg), Stenka Razin, Vakula the Blacksmith, Taras Bulba, Kalevig; concert for vlc. with orc. (clavier, ed. 1949); chamber-instr. ensembles – 4 quintets, 12 strings. quartets; for fp. – sonata (Expanse), Sat. plays (Album, Children’s World, etc.); for skr. and fp. – sonata A-dur (reissue 1952), pieces, including Three Pieces (reissue 1950); suite for viol d’amour and piano; romances, 33 Slavic songs (1877), children’s songs (14 notebooks, published in 1876); choirs, including 115 choral songs for children and youth (8 notebooks), 50 children’s games with choirs (a cappella), 64 Russian folk songs (published in 1875); fp. school (1875); Daily exercises for the development of the mechanism of the right and left hands for one violin.

Literary works: Memoirs of N. Ya. Afanasiev, “Historical Bulletin”, 1890, vols. 41, 42, July, August.

References: Ulybyshev A., Russian violinist N. Ya. Afanasiev, “Sev. bee”, 1850, No 253; (C. Cui), Musical Notes. “Volga”, G. Afanasyev’s quartet, “SPB Vedomosti”, 1871, November 19, No. 319; Z., Nikolai Yakovlevich Afanasiev. Obituary, “RMG”, 1898, No 7, column. 659-61; Yampolsky I., Russian violin art, (vol.) 1, M.-L., 1951, ch. 17; Raaben L., Instrumental ensemble in Russian music, M., 1961, p. 152-55, 221-24; Shelkov N., Nikolai Afanasiev (Forgotten Names), “MF”, 1962, No 10.

I. M. Yampolsky