Lev Mey
Encyclopedia
Lev Aleksandrovich Mei was a Russia
n dramatist and poet
.
. His father was a German officer who was wounded in the Battle of Borodino
and died young. His mother was Russian. Mei completed his studies in Moscow in 1841 and served in the office of the Governor for 10 years. He became part of the "young editorial staff" of Mikhail Pogodin
's "Moskovityanin". For a time, he taught secondary school, but was forced to retire because of conflicts with his colleagues. He moved to Saint Petersburg
, where he was active in literary endeavors. It was during this period that he wrote "Reading Library", "Domestic Notes", "Son of the Fatherland", "Russian Word", "Russian Peace", and "Svetoch."
He wrote two historical drama
s, The Tsar's Bride
(1849) and The Maid of Pskov
(1859), both of which the composer Rimsky-Korsakov later used as the basis for opera
s.
Mei lived a dissipated and bohemian life
, with a great fondness for drink
, which led to his untimely death on 16/28 May 1862.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n dramatist and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Biography
Mei was born on 13/25 February 1822, 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...
. His father was a German officer who was wounded in the Battle of Borodino
Borodino
Borodino is a rural locality in Mozhaysky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located west of Mozhaysk.The village is famous as the location of the Battle of Borodino, which occurred in what is now known as the "Borodino Battlefield" . The State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve is...
and died young. His mother was Russian. Mei completed his studies in Moscow in 1841 and served in the office of the Governor for 10 years. He became part of the "young editorial staff" of Mikhail Pogodin
Mikhail Pogodin
Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin was a Russian historian and journalist who, jointly with Nikolay Ustryalov, dominated the national historiography between the death of Nikolay Karamzin in 1826 and the rise of Sergey Solovyov in the 1850s. He is best remembered as a staunch proponent of the Normanist...
's "Moskovityanin". For a time, he taught secondary school, but was forced to retire because of conflicts with his colleagues. He moved to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, where he was active in literary endeavors. It was during this period that he wrote "Reading Library", "Domestic Notes", "Son of the Fatherland", "Russian Word", "Russian Peace", and "Svetoch."
He wrote two historical drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s, The Tsar's Bride
The Tsar's Bride
The Tsar's Bride is an historical verse drama in four acts by Lev Mei from 1849. Fifty years later Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov used the play as the basis for his opera of the same name. As with Mei's other Russian historical drama, The Maid of Pskov , this play is set in the time of Ivan the...
(1849) and The Maid of Pskov
The Maid of Pskov
The Maid of Pskov , is an opera in three acts and six scenes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The libretto was written by the composer, and is based on the drama of the same name by Lev Mei. The story concerns the Tsar Ivan the Terrible and his efforts to subject the cities of Pskov and Novgorod to his...
(1859), both of which the composer Rimsky-Korsakov later used as the basis for opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s.
Mei lived a dissipated and bohemian life
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
, with a great fondness for drink
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
, which led to his untimely death on 16/28 May 1862.
Sources
- Golub, Spencer. 1998. "Russia and the Republics of the Former Soviet Union." In The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Ed. Martin Banham. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. 948-956. ISBN 0521434378.