Leonid Sabaneyev
Encyclopedia
Leonid Leonidovich Sabaneyev or Sabaneyeff or Sabaneev (1 November 18813 May 1968) was a Russian musicologist, music critic, composer and scientist.
in 1881 and his musical studies were under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
, Sergei Taneyev
, Nikolai Zverev
and Paul de Schlözer
at the Moscow Conservatory
. He graduated in mathematics
and physics from Moscow University in 1908. He wrote some early works, such as incidental music
to King Oedipus (1889), a Funeral March in Memory of Beethoven
, two trios (including a Trio-Impromptu for violin, cello and piano, Op. 4), piano pieces (including a Piano Sonata, Op. 15) and songs.
He then made a special study of Alexander Scriabin
, and became an authority on that composer (see synthetic chord
). His first book on Scriabin was published in 1916. In addition to his own original works, he transcribed Scriabin's Prometheus: The Poem of Fire for 2 pianos.
He founded the Moscow Institute of Musicology. He was both a conservative and a progressive; his ideas included a scale comprising 53 notes and hoped to create a "Laboratory of the Exact Science of Music".
Sabaneyev famously embarrassed himself in 1915 by publishing a scathing review of the premiere of Sergei Prokofiev
's Scythian Suite - a performance that had actually been canceled at the last minute. This prompted a response from Prokofiev stating that the supposed performance must have been a product of Sabaneyev's imagination, as the only copy of the score was in the composer's hands and thus the critic had not even been able to see it. However, later Prokofiev said that Sabaneyev had information about the Suite from his friends who had already heard the Suite and he probably wouldn't have changed a word in his review even if he had heard it in concert.
Sabaneyev left Russia in 1926, after publishing History of Russian Music (1924), The General History of Music (1925), and Music After October (on post-revolution music in Russia). History of Russian Music was translated into German (1926) and received very positive reviews from critics such as Maurice Cauchie. In his later years he lived in Paris
, London
, the United States
, and Nice
, where he is buried. His musicological works from this period include Modern Russian Composers (1927), a monograph on Taneyev (1930), and Music for the Films (1935). His students in Paris included the Swedish composers Dag Wirén
and Gösta Nystroem
.
His later musical works included a ballet, a symphonic poem, and the oratorio
The Revelation of St John (1940). He also wrote Variations on a Theme of Scriabin, for unknown forces.
He also had several science works on mathematics and zoology.
He died in Cap d'Antibes
, France
in 1968.
Biography
Leonid Sabaneyev was born in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1881 and his musical studies were under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
, Sergei Taneyev
Sergei Taneyev
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev , was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist and author.-Life:...
, Nikolai Zverev
Nikolai Zverev
Nikolai Sergeyevich Zverev was a Russian pianist and teacher known for his pupils Alexander Siloti, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, Konstantin Igumnov, Alexander Goldenweiser, and others.- Life :...
and Paul de Schlözer
Paul de Schlözer
Paul de Schlözer was an obscure Polish or Russian pianist and teacher of German descent. He was possibly also a composer, but the only two works attributed to him may have been written by Moritz Moszkowski....
at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
. He graduated in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics from Moscow University in 1908. He wrote some early works, such as incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
to King Oedipus (1889), a Funeral March in Memory of Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, two trios (including a Trio-Impromptu for violin, cello and piano, Op. 4), piano pieces (including a Piano Sonata, Op. 15) and songs.
He then made a special study of Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist who initially developed a lyrical and idiosyncratic tonal language inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. Quite independent of the innovations of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed an increasingly atonal musical system,...
, and became an authority on that composer (see synthetic chord
Synthetic chord
In music the mystic chord or Prometheus chord is a complex six-note chord, scale, or pitch collection, which loosely serves as the harmonic and melodic basis for some of the later pieces by Russian composer Alexander Scriabin...
). His first book on Scriabin was published in 1916. In addition to his own original works, he transcribed Scriabin's Prometheus: The Poem of Fire for 2 pianos.
He founded the Moscow Institute of Musicology. He was both a conservative and a progressive; his ideas included a scale comprising 53 notes and hoped to create a "Laboratory of the Exact Science of Music".
Sabaneyev famously embarrassed himself in 1915 by publishing a scathing review of the premiere of Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
's Scythian Suite - a performance that had actually been canceled at the last minute. This prompted a response from Prokofiev stating that the supposed performance must have been a product of Sabaneyev's imagination, as the only copy of the score was in the composer's hands and thus the critic had not even been able to see it. However, later Prokofiev said that Sabaneyev had information about the Suite from his friends who had already heard the Suite and he probably wouldn't have changed a word in his review even if he had heard it in concert.
Sabaneyev left Russia in 1926, after publishing History of Russian Music (1924), The General History of Music (1925), and Music After October (on post-revolution music in Russia). History of Russian Music was translated into German (1926) and received very positive reviews from critics such as Maurice Cauchie. In his later years he lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, where he is buried. His musicological works from this period include Modern Russian Composers (1927), a monograph on Taneyev (1930), and Music for the Films (1935). His students in Paris included the Swedish composers Dag Wirén
Dag Wirén
Dag Ivar Wirén was a Swedish composer.-Life and career:Wirén was born at Striberg near Nora. His father had a roller blind factory, and there were various musical activities in the family home; he took piano lessons, and was a student at the Karolinska school in Örebro, and played the bass drum...
and Gösta Nystroem
Gösta Nystroem
Gösta Nystroem was a Swedish composer.Nystroem, originally Nyström, was born in Silvberg, Sweden, a parish in the province of Dalarna, but spent most of his childhood in Österhaninge near Stockholm, at the time a small village but nowadays a suburban district. His father was a headmaster and an...
.
His later musical works included a ballet, a symphonic poem, and the oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
The Revelation of St John (1940). He also wrote Variations on a Theme of Scriabin, for unknown forces.
He also had several science works on mathematics and zoology.
He died in Cap d'Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1968.
List of main compositions
- Two trios for violin, cello and piano (1907 and 1924)
- Sonata for violin and piano
- Sonata "a memorie de Scriabine" (1916-1917)
- Chaconne for organ and orchestra) (op. 21, not later 1924)
- Ballet Aviatrice (1928)
- Tragic epopeia for orchestra (1928)
- Flots d'azur (symphonic poem) (1936)
- PassacagliaPassacagliaThe passacaglia is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used by contemporary composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often, but not always, based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre....
(for orchestra) (1935) - Suite for two pianos (1938)
- Apocalypse (for soloists, choir, organ and orchestra) (1940)
- Many romances for voice and piano
- Many small pieces for piano
Sources
- Grove's Dictionary of Music, 5th ed., 1954, Vol. VII, P. 343, Eric BlomEric BlomEric Walter Blom CBE was a Swiss-born British-naturalised music lexicographer, musicologist, music critic, music biographer and translator. He is best known as the editor of the 5th edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians .-Biography:Blom was born in Berne, Switzerland...
, ed. - V. L. Sabaneyeva-Lanskaya. "Leonid Leonidovich Sabaneyev" (in: L. L. Sabaneyev Reminiscences about Russia), Moscow: Klassika-XXI, 2005.