Nikolai Medtner
Encyclopedia
Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (13 November 1951) was a Russia
n composer and pianist.
A younger contemporary of Sergei Rachmaninoff
and Alexander Scriabin
, he wrote a substantial number of compositions, all of which include the piano. His works include fourteen piano sonata
s, three violin sonata
s, three piano concerti
, a piano quintet
, three works for two pianos, many shorter piano pieces, and 108 songs including two substantial works for vocalise. His 38 piano pieces for which he appears to have invented the title Skazki (generally known as "Fairy Tales" in English but more correctly translated as "Tales") contain some of his most original music and are as central to his output as the piano sonatas.
then in use in Russia, Nikolai Medtner was born on Christmas Eve, 1879. He was born in Moscow, the youngest of five children. According to the Gregorian calendar
, in use in the west at the time, and by which all dates are calculated today, his date of birth is 5 January 1880.
Medtner first took piano lessons from his mother until the age of ten, when he entered the Moscow Conservatory
. He graduated in 1900 at the age of 20, taking the Anton Rubinstein
prize, having studied under Pavel Pabst
, Wassily Sapellnikoff
, Vasily Safonov and Sergei Taneyev
among others. Despite his conservative musical tastes, Medtner's compositions and his pianism were highly regarded by his contemporaries. To the consternation of his family, but with the support of his former teacher Taneyev, he soon rejected a career as a performer and turned to composition, partly inspired by the intellectual challenge of Ludwig van Beethoven
's late piano sonatas and string quartets. Among his students in this period was Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov
.
During the years leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution
, Medtner lived at home with his parents. During this time Medtner fell in love with Anna Mikhaylovna Bratenskaya, a respected violinist and the young wife of his older brother Emil. Later, when World War I broke out, Emil was interned in Germany where he had been studying. He generously gave Anna the freedom to marry his brother. Medtner and Anna were married in 1918.
Unlike his friend Rachmaninoff, Medtner did not leave Russia until well after the Revolution. Rachmaninoff secured Medtner a tour of the United States and Canada
in 1924; his recitals were often all-Medtner evenings consisting of sonatas interspersed with songs and shorter pieces. Medtner never adapted himself to the commercial aspects of touring and his concerts became infrequent. Esteemed in England, he settled in London in 1936, modestly teaching, playing and composing to a strict daily routine.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Medtner's income from German publishers disappeared, and during this hardship ill-health became an increasing problem. His devoted pupil Edna Iles
gave him shelter in Warwickshire
where he completed his Third Piano Concerto, performing it at a 1943 Promenade Concert.
In 1949 a Medtner Society was founded in London by His Highness Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur
, The Maharajah of Mysore. (Mysore is part of India
, now a state of Karnataka
.) His Highness was an honorary Fellow
of Trinity College of Music
, London, in 1945 and also the first president of the Philharmonia Concert Society
, London. He founded the Medtner Society to record all of Medtner's works. Medtner, already in declining health, recorded his three Piano Concertos and some sonatas, chamber music, numerous songs and shorter works before his death in London in 1951. In one of these recordings he partnered Benno Moiseiwitsch
in his two-piano work entitled "Russian Round-Dance", Op 58, No. 1; in another he accompanied Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
in several of his lied
er, including The Muse, a Pushkin
setting from 1913. These historic recordings demonstrate Medtner's forceful magnetic pianism and creative personality, generally undimmed by his undoubtedly failing health. In gratitude to his patron, Medtner dedicated his Third Piano Concerto to the Maharajah.
Medtner died at his home, 69 Wentworth Road, Golders Green
, London in 1951, and is buried in Hendon
Cemetery.
or Rachmaninoff, but nonetheless original. Medtner's craft gained subtlety and complexity in later years, but this work is already evidence of his mastery of musical structure. An opening Allegro, dramatic and imbued like much Russian music with a bell-like sonority, is separated by a rhythmic and forceful Intermezzo from a Largo divoto which reaches a Maestoso climax before plunging into the headlong Allegro risoluto finale.
The Second, Third and Fourth piano sonatas are unrelated one-movement works. They were written during the period 1904-7 and published as the "Sonata-Triad", Op. 11. The first of the trio, in A-flat, is an ecstatic work with attractive, lyrical themes, prefaced by a poem by Goethe
. The second, in D minor, is entitled "Sonate-Elegie". It opens slowly with one of Medtner's most memorable themes and closes with an animated coda (Allegro molto doppio movimento, in D major) based on the second subject. The third, in C, returns to the lyricism of the first.
The Fifth and formerly the most popular of his sonatas is the G minor, Op. 22, written in 1909–1910. The piece alternates a slow introduction with a three-theme, propulsive sonata movement
, one of whose themes was heard in the Introduction. The emotional center of this compact work (sixteen minutes in duration) is the Interludium: Andante lugubre: this comprises most of the development section and contains some of Medtner's loveliest harmonies. There are historic recordings by Moiseiwitch and Gilels.
The Sixth Sonata followed soon after, the first of two that comprise his Op. 25. It bears the title "Sonata-Skazka", usually translated as "Fairy Tale Sonata". This short work in C minor, written in 1910–11, is in three movements; the second and third are connected. The first movement is a compact sonata-form, the slow movement rondo-like (the similarity to a famous melody by Rachmaninoff is coincidental, as the latter was not written until some thirty years later!). A minatory final march with variations ends with a Coda that revisits earlier material. This was the only Medtner sonata that Rachmaninoff performed.
The other half of Op. 25 is entirely different. The Seventh Sonata in E minor, "Night Wind", after Fyodor Tyutchev
's 1832 poem "Of what do you howl, night wind...?" , an excerpt of which provides an epigraph, was completed in 1911 and dedicated to Sergei Rachmaninoff, who immediately recognised its greatness. It is a vast one-movement work, lasting almost 35 minutes, in two major parts: an Introduction and Allegro sonata-form, followed by a Fantasy capped by a shadowy but active Coda, the latter entirely and ingeniously based on material presented in the Introduction. Under the title "Sonata" Medtner added a note: "The whole piece is in an epic spirit" (Вся пьеса в эпическом духе). As Geoffrey Tozer put it, this work "has the reputation of being a fearsomely difficult work of extraordinary length, exhausting to play and to hear, but of magnificent quality and marvelous invention."
The Eighth "Sonata-Ballade" in F-sharp, Op. 27, began as a one-movement work and expanded into its present form over the period 1912–14. It comprises a Ballade, Introduction and Finale. The tonality and some of the material make passing reference to Chopin's Barcarole. The first movement opens with one of Medtner's lovely pastoral melodies. The finale, like the Piano Quintet, has a thematic connection with his Pushkin setting The Muse. Medtner himself recorded this work.
The one-movement Ninth Sonata in A minor, Op. 30, was published without a title but was known as the "War Sonata" among Medtner's friends; a footnote "during the war 1914-1917" appeared in the 1959 Collected Edition. It is a dark, terse and harmonically exploratory work of considerable power.
The Tenth "Sonata-reminiscenza" in A minor, Op. 38, No. 1, commences a set of eight pieces entitled "Forgotten Melodies (First Cycle)". Two further cycles followed, published as Opp. 39 and 40. Both this and the following sonata were completed in 1920, the year before Medtner emigrated. This single movement is one of Medtner's most poetic creations; as the title indicates, its character is nostalgic and wistful. Other pieces in opus 38 contain variants of the Sonata's opening theme, such as the concluding "Alla Reminiscenza". This sonata is nowadays the most often performed.
The Eleventh, "Sonata Tragica" in C minor, Op. 39, No. 5, concludes "Forgotten Melodies (Second Cycle)". There is some repetition of themes in this set as well— the piece which precedes the Sonata, "Canzona Matinata", contains a theme which recurs in the Sonata, and according to Medtner's wishes both pieces are to be played attacca — without pause. This is also a single movement sonata-form, but Allegro, dramatic and ferocious, with three themes of which one (the reminiscence from "Canzona Matinata") fails to return. A violent coda concludes. This sonata is well served by recordings, including one by Medtner in 1947.
The Twelfth Sonata, entitled "Romantica" in B-flat minor, Op. 53, No. 1, was written some years later, along with its twin. It was premièred in Glasgow in 1931, having been completed at the end of the previous year. Returning to a four-movement form, it consists of a Romance (B-flat minor), Scherzo
(E-flat minor), Meditazione (B minor,) and Finale (B-flat minor). The ending quotes his Sonata-Skazka, Op. 25, No. 1.
The Thirteenth Sonata, the "Minacciosa" in F minor, Op. 53, No. 2, is another one-movement work. It lives up to the "menacing" character of the title and is highly chromatic, with an impressive fugue. Medtner described it as "my most contemporary composition, for it reflects the threatening atmosphere of contemporary events". It is intellectually demanding for both listener and pianist: according to Marc-André Hamelin "the most concentrated 15 minutes of music one could ever hope to play or listen to; its rewards go far beyond initial impressions". It was dedicated to the Canadian pianist and pupil of Scriabin
, Alfred La Liberté
, one of Medtner's most loyal supporters.
The last of the sonatas, "Sonata-Idyll" in G major, Op. 56, was completed in 1937. This is a gentle, two-movement work — a short Allegretto cantabile Pastorale and a rondo
Allegro moderato e cantabile (sempre al rigore di tempo) with delicate harmonic colorings, in which the "cantabile" indications in both movements reflect the overall mood.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 50 (1920–27). Dedicated to Rachmaninoff, who dedicated his own Fourth Concerto to Medtner. In three movements: Toccata, and a Romanza from which follows a Divertimento. The first movement is propulsive with kinetic energy, and there is much dialogue between piano and orchestra (a subsidiary theme resembles the Fairy Tale from the Op. 14 (1906–07) pair, the March of the Paladin). The Romanza and Divertimento are each in their own way varied in character, the Divertimento particularly rich in inspiration.
Piano Concerto No. 3 in E minor "Ballade", Op. 60, 1940–43. The factors which led to the creation of this work are closely connected to the circumstances of his final years. It is dedicated to his generous patron, the Maharajah of Mysore. Three connected movements: the first, Con moto largamente, sustained and profound, slowly developing motion and energy; the second an Interludium, Allegro, molto sostenuto, misterioso quotes the first movement and prefigures the finale; a lengthy Allegro molto. Svegliando, eroico vigorously concludes the work. Medtner recorded all three Concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1947.
Violin Sonata No. 3 in E minor, Op. 57 (1938). Recorded by David Oistrakh
among others. A vast work in four movements, a counterpart to his "Night Wind" Piano Sonata, No. 7. Introduzione — Andante meditamente, Scherzo — Allegro molto vivace, leggiero, Andante con moto, Finale — Allegro molto. A motto theme in the Introduction juxtaposes chords quietly but insistently, joined by a melody on the violin. The melody becomes the first theme of the — lengthy — sonata-form movement that follows, juxtaposed with other themes including a march in imitation. The folksy and syncopated Scherzo in A minor, thematically related to the opening movement’s faster sections, is in Rondo-form. After a reminiscence of the motto, the Andante is a lament in F minor, extremely Russian in sentiment. The virtuoso Finale has thematic elements related to Russian Orthodox liturgical music (Medtner was born Lutheran but late in life converted to Orthodox).
The Piano Quintet in C major, Op. posth., was published after the composer's death. He worked on sketches of the work from 1903 until its completion in 1949. Medtner considered it the ultimate summary of his musical life and it contains some of his finest and most spiritual music. Medtner recorded the work in the last years of his life, but that recording has never been commercially released. There are a number of contemporary recordings in the catalogue.
Chamber music
2 Pianos
Piano
Vocal
Geoffrey Tozer
recorded almost all of Medtner's works for the piano including all the concertos and sonatas. Hamish Milne
has recorded most of the solo piano works, while Geoffrey Douglas Madge
and Konstantin Scherbakov
have recorded the three piano concertos. Other pianists who championed Medtner's work and left behind recordings include Benno Moiseiwitsch
, Sviatoslav Richter
, Edna Iles
, Emil Gilels
, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Earl Wild
and Malcolm Binns. In modern times, pianists noted for their advocacy include Marc-André Hamelin
, Irina Mejoueva, Nikolai Demidenko
, Boris Berezovsky
, Paul Stewart
, Dmitri Alexeev, Andrey Ponochevny and Yevgeny Sudbin
. The last 20 years have seen a big increase in recording activity, if not in live performances, and the solo piano and chamber music discography is looking quite healthy.
Far fewer singers have tackled the songs. Medtner himself recorded a selection with the sopranos Oda Slobodskaya, Tatiana Makushina, Margaret Ritchie and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
. In recent times Susan Gritton
and Ludmilla Andrew have recorded complete CDs with Geoffrey Tozer, as has Caroline Vitale with Peter Baur. The bass-baritone Vassily Savenko has recorded a considerable number of Medtner songs with Boris Berezovsky
, Alexander Blok and Victor Yampolsky. A handful of other singers have included Medtner songs in compilations; particularly notable are historic recordings by Zara Dolukhanova
and Irina Arkhipova. However many songs are not available on CD, and some await their first recording.
Medtner recorded piano rolls of some of his works for Welte-Mignon
in 1923 and Duo-Art
in 1925.
After Medtner's death, the Mysore Foundation sponsored the publication of Medtner: A Memorial Volume, also titled Nicolas Medtner (1879-1951): A Tribute to his Art and Personality. It contains photographs and essays from his widow, friends, critics, musicians, composers, and admirers. A few of the contributors were: Alfred Swan, translator of Medtner's The Muse and the Fashion into English, Ivan Ilyin
, Ernest Newman
, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
, Marcel Dupré
, Russian music critic Leonid Sabeneev, Canadian pianist and close friend of the composer Alfred La Liberté
, singers Margaret Ritchie, Tatania Makushina and Oda Slobodskaya, and Medtner himself via extracts from Muse and the Fashion. The editor of the volume was Richard Holt.
Robert Rimm's The Composer-Pianists: Hamelin and the Eight (ISBN 1-57467-072-7) contains a chapter on Medtner and Rachmaninoff
.
In 2004, Natalia Konsistorum published, in Russian, Nikolai Karlovich Medtner: Portrait of a Composer (ISBN 3-89487-500-3). The book is available in a German translation by Christoph Flamm and is notable for the two CDs it contains with original recordings of a variety of Medtner's works.
There have been numerous dissertations on Medtner's music. One of the most influential is Der russische Komponist Nikolaj Metner : Studien und Materialien by Christoph Flamm. Originally presented as the author's Ph.D thesis (Heidelberg, 1995), it was published by Kuhn (ISBN 3-928864-24-6, 1995, out of print). It includes letters, reviews and other documents in German, Russian, English and French, a bibliography and partial discography.
In 2003, David J. Skvorak wrote a doctoral thesis Thematic unity in Nicolas Medtner's works for piano : Skazki, sonatas, and piano quintet at the University of Cincinnati, published by UMI. It contains theoretical analyses of several of Medtner's works.
For details of other publications, including dissertations at US Universities listed on the Wordcat library database, see www.medtner.org.uk
composed Variations and Fugue based on the theme in Medtner's Theme with Variations, Op. 55 in 2009.
The author Philip Pullman
declared Medtner as his favourite composer during a short interview available on the BBC website in September 2011 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15020676).
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 composer and pianist.
A younger contemporary of Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
and 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,...
, he wrote a substantial number of compositions, all of which include the piano. His works include fourteen piano sonata
Piano sonata
A piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement , two movements , five or even more movements...
s, three violin sonata
Violin sonata
A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, which is nearly always accompanied by a piano or other keyboard instrument, or by figured bass in the Baroque period.-A:*Ella Adayevskaya**Sonata Greca for Violin or Clarinet and Piano...
s, three piano concerti
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
, a piano quintet
Piano quintet
In European classical music, a piano quintet is a work of chamber music written for piano and four other instruments, most commonly piano, two violins, viola, and cello . Among the most frequently performed piano quintets are those by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, César Franck, Antonín Dvořák...
, three works for two pianos, many shorter piano pieces, and 108 songs including two substantial works for vocalise. His 38 piano pieces for which he appears to have invented the title Skazki (generally known as "Fairy Tales" in English but more correctly translated as "Tales") contain some of his most original music and are as central to his output as the piano sonatas.
Biography
According to the Julian calendarJulian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
then in use in Russia, Nikolai Medtner was born on Christmas Eve, 1879. He was born in Moscow, the youngest of five children. According to the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
, in use in the west at the time, and by which all dates are calculated today, his date of birth is 5 January 1880.
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 1900 at the age of 20, taking the Anton Rubinstein
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a Russian-Jewish pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival of Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos...
prize, having studied under Pavel Pabst
Pavel Pabst
Paul Pabst Russ: Pavel was a pianist, composer, and Professor of Piano at Moscow Conservatory.-Life and career:...
, Wassily Sapellnikoff
Wassily Sapellnikoff
Wassily Sapellnikoff , was a Russian pianist.A more true transliteration of his name is Vasily Lvovich Sapelnikov, however when he concertised in England he chose the above version....
, Vasily Safonov and Sergei Taneyev
Sergei Taneyev
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev , was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist and author.-Life:...
among others. Despite his conservative musical tastes, Medtner's compositions and his pianism were highly regarded by his contemporaries. To the consternation of his family, but with the support of his former teacher Taneyev, he soon rejected a career as a performer and turned to composition, partly inspired by the intellectual challenge of Ludwig van 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...
's late piano sonatas and string quartets. Among his students in this period was Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov
Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov
Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov was a Russian Soviet composer, the founder of the Alexandrov Ensemble, who wrote the music for the national anthem of the Soviet Union, which, in 2001, became the anthem of Russia . During his career, he also worked as a professor of the Moscow State Conservatory,...
.
During the years leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, Medtner lived at home with his parents. During this time Medtner fell in love with Anna Mikhaylovna Bratenskaya, a respected violinist and the young wife of his older brother Emil. Later, when World War I broke out, Emil was interned in Germany where he had been studying. He generously gave Anna the freedom to marry his brother. Medtner and Anna were married in 1918.
Unlike his friend Rachmaninoff, Medtner did not leave Russia until well after the Revolution. Rachmaninoff secured Medtner a tour of the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1924; his recitals were often all-Medtner evenings consisting of sonatas interspersed with songs and shorter pieces. Medtner never adapted himself to the commercial aspects of touring and his concerts became infrequent. Esteemed in England, he settled in London in 1936, modestly teaching, playing and composing to a strict daily routine.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Medtner's income from German publishers disappeared, and during this hardship ill-health became an increasing problem. His devoted pupil Edna Iles
Edna Iles
Edna Amy Iles was an English pianist.Iles began her studies in Birmingham with Appleby Matthews, making her debut as soloist with the City of Birmingham Orchestra at age 15 in the Liszt E flat Concerto...
gave him shelter in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
where he completed his Third Piano Concerto, performing it at a 1943 Promenade Concert.
In 1949 a Medtner Society was founded in London by His Highness Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur was the 25th and the last Maharaja of the princely state of Mysore from 1940 to 1950. He was a noted philosopher, musicologist, political thinker and philanthropist.-Biography:...
, The Maharajah of Mysore. (Mysore is part of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, now a state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
.) His Highness was an honorary Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
, London, in 1945 and also the first president of the Philharmonia Concert Society
Philharmonia
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
, London. He founded the Medtner Society to record all of Medtner's works. Medtner, already in declining health, recorded his three Piano Concertos and some sonatas, chamber music, numerous songs and shorter works before his death in London in 1951. In one of these recordings he partnered Benno Moiseiwitsch
Benno Moiseiwitsch
Benno Moiseiwitsch CBE was a Ukrainian-born British pianist.-Biography:Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Moiseiwitsch began his studies at age seven at the Odessa Music Academy. He won the Anton Rubinstein Prize when he was just nine years old. He later took lessons from Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna...
in his two-piano work entitled "Russian Round-Dance", Op 58, No. 1; in another he accompanied Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, DBE was a German-born Austrian/British soprano opera singer and recitalist. She was among the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century, much admired for her performances of Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, and Wolf.-Early life:Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike...
in several of his lied
Lied
is a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
er, including The Muse, a Pushkin
Aleksandr Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was a Russian author of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature....
setting from 1913. These historic recordings demonstrate Medtner's forceful magnetic pianism and creative personality, generally undimmed by his undoubtedly failing health. In gratitude to his patron, Medtner dedicated his Third Piano Concerto to the Maharajah.
Medtner died at his home, 69 Wentworth Road, Golders Green
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
, London in 1951, and is buried in Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
Cemetery.
Piano sonatas
The First Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 5, is a four-movement work from 1902–3 suggesting the style of ScriabinAlexander 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,...
or Rachmaninoff, but nonetheless original. Medtner's craft gained subtlety and complexity in later years, but this work is already evidence of his mastery of musical structure. An opening Allegro, dramatic and imbued like much Russian music with a bell-like sonority, is separated by a rhythmic and forceful Intermezzo from a Largo divoto which reaches a Maestoso climax before plunging into the headlong Allegro risoluto finale.
The Second, Third and Fourth piano sonatas are unrelated one-movement works. They were written during the period 1904-7 and published as the "Sonata-Triad", Op. 11. The first of the trio, in A-flat, is an ecstatic work with attractive, lyrical themes, prefaced by a poem by Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
. The second, in D minor, is entitled "Sonate-Elegie". It opens slowly with one of Medtner's most memorable themes and closes with an animated coda (Allegro molto doppio movimento, in D major) based on the second subject. The third, in C, returns to the lyricism of the first.
The Fifth and formerly the most popular of his sonatas is the G minor, Op. 22, written in 1909–1910. The piece alternates a slow introduction with a three-theme, propulsive sonata movement
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, one of whose themes was heard in the Introduction. The emotional center of this compact work (sixteen minutes in duration) is the Interludium: Andante lugubre: this comprises most of the development section and contains some of Medtner's loveliest harmonies. There are historic recordings by Moiseiwitch and Gilels.
The Sixth Sonata followed soon after, the first of two that comprise his Op. 25. It bears the title "Sonata-Skazka", usually translated as "Fairy Tale Sonata". This short work in C minor, written in 1910–11, is in three movements; the second and third are connected. The first movement is a compact sonata-form, the slow movement rondo-like (the similarity to a famous melody by Rachmaninoff is coincidental, as the latter was not written until some thirty years later!). A minatory final march with variations ends with a Coda that revisits earlier material. This was the only Medtner sonata that Rachmaninoff performed.
The other half of Op. 25 is entirely different. The Seventh Sonata in E minor, "Night Wind", after Fyodor Tyutchev
Fyodor Tyutchev
Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is generally considered the last of three great Romantic poets of Russia, following Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.- Life :...
's 1832 poem "Of what do you howl, night wind...?" , an excerpt of which provides an epigraph, was completed in 1911 and dedicated to Sergei Rachmaninoff, who immediately recognised its greatness. It is a vast one-movement work, lasting almost 35 minutes, in two major parts: an Introduction and Allegro sonata-form, followed by a Fantasy capped by a shadowy but active Coda, the latter entirely and ingeniously based on material presented in the Introduction. Under the title "Sonata" Medtner added a note: "The whole piece is in an epic spirit" (Вся пьеса в эпическом духе). As Geoffrey Tozer put it, this work "has the reputation of being a fearsomely difficult work of extraordinary length, exhausting to play and to hear, but of magnificent quality and marvelous invention."
The Eighth "Sonata-Ballade" in F-sharp, Op. 27, began as a one-movement work and expanded into its present form over the period 1912–14. It comprises a Ballade, Introduction and Finale. The tonality and some of the material make passing reference to Chopin's Barcarole. The first movement opens with one of Medtner's lovely pastoral melodies. The finale, like the Piano Quintet, has a thematic connection with his Pushkin setting The Muse. Medtner himself recorded this work.
The one-movement Ninth Sonata in A minor, Op. 30, was published without a title but was known as the "War Sonata" among Medtner's friends; a footnote "during the war 1914-1917" appeared in the 1959 Collected Edition. It is a dark, terse and harmonically exploratory work of considerable power.
The Tenth "Sonata-reminiscenza" in A minor, Op. 38, No. 1, commences a set of eight pieces entitled "Forgotten Melodies (First Cycle)". Two further cycles followed, published as Opp. 39 and 40. Both this and the following sonata were completed in 1920, the year before Medtner emigrated. This single movement is one of Medtner's most poetic creations; as the title indicates, its character is nostalgic and wistful. Other pieces in opus 38 contain variants of the Sonata's opening theme, such as the concluding "Alla Reminiscenza". This sonata is nowadays the most often performed.
The Eleventh, "Sonata Tragica" in C minor, Op. 39, No. 5, concludes "Forgotten Melodies (Second Cycle)". There is some repetition of themes in this set as well— the piece which precedes the Sonata, "Canzona Matinata", contains a theme which recurs in the Sonata, and according to Medtner's wishes both pieces are to be played attacca — without pause. This is also a single movement sonata-form, but Allegro, dramatic and ferocious, with three themes of which one (the reminiscence from "Canzona Matinata") fails to return. A violent coda concludes. This sonata is well served by recordings, including one by Medtner in 1947.
The Twelfth Sonata, entitled "Romantica" in B-flat minor, Op. 53, No. 1, was written some years later, along with its twin. It was premièred in Glasgow in 1931, having been completed at the end of the previous year. Returning to a four-movement form, it consists of a Romance (B-flat minor), Scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
(E-flat minor), Meditazione (B minor,) and Finale (B-flat minor). The ending quotes his Sonata-Skazka, Op. 25, No. 1.
The Thirteenth Sonata, the "Minacciosa" in F minor, Op. 53, No. 2, is another one-movement work. It lives up to the "menacing" character of the title and is highly chromatic, with an impressive fugue. Medtner described it as "my most contemporary composition, for it reflects the threatening atmosphere of contemporary events". It is intellectually demanding for both listener and pianist: according to Marc-André Hamelin "the most concentrated 15 minutes of music one could ever hope to play or listen to; its rewards go far beyond initial impressions". It was dedicated to the Canadian pianist and pupil of 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,...
, Alfred La Liberté
Alfred La Liberté
Alfred La Liberté was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. He was a disciple and close personal friend of Alexander Scriabin. He was also an admirer of Marcel Dupré and Nikolai Medtner. Dupré notably dedicated his Variations, Opus 22 for piano to him and Medtner...
, one of Medtner's most loyal supporters.
The last of the sonatas, "Sonata-Idyll" in G major, Op. 56, was completed in 1937. This is a gentle, two-movement work — a short Allegretto cantabile Pastorale and a rondo
Rondo
Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
Allegro moderato e cantabile (sempre al rigore di tempo) with delicate harmonic colorings, in which the "cantabile" indications in both movements reflect the overall mood.
Other works
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 33 (1914–18). Dedicated to the composer's mother, this one-movement work opens with an exposition section setting out the material for the work, the opening pages of which erupt with fireworks from the piano against a memorable, surging orchestral statement of the subject. A set of variations make up the central development before the opening returns two thirds of the way through the piece. Eventually the coda sets out the romantic "big tune" before the final pages lead to an unexpectedly bittersweet ending.Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 50 (1920–27). Dedicated to Rachmaninoff, who dedicated his own Fourth Concerto to Medtner. In three movements: Toccata, and a Romanza from which follows a Divertimento. The first movement is propulsive with kinetic energy, and there is much dialogue between piano and orchestra (a subsidiary theme resembles the Fairy Tale from the Op. 14 (1906–07) pair, the March of the Paladin). The Romanza and Divertimento are each in their own way varied in character, the Divertimento particularly rich in inspiration.
Piano Concerto No. 3 in E minor "Ballade", Op. 60, 1940–43. The factors which led to the creation of this work are closely connected to the circumstances of his final years. It is dedicated to his generous patron, the Maharajah of Mysore. Three connected movements: the first, Con moto largamente, sustained and profound, slowly developing motion and energy; the second an Interludium, Allegro, molto sostenuto, misterioso quotes the first movement and prefigures the finale; a lengthy Allegro molto. Svegliando, eroico vigorously concludes the work. Medtner recorded all three Concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1947.
Violin Sonata No. 3 in E minor, Op. 57 (1938). Recorded by David Oistrakh
David Oistrakh
David Fyodorovich Oistrakh , , David Fiodorović Ojstrakh, ; – October 24, 1974, was a Soviet violinist....
among others. A vast work in four movements, a counterpart to his "Night Wind" Piano Sonata, No. 7. Introduzione — Andante meditamente, Scherzo — Allegro molto vivace, leggiero, Andante con moto, Finale — Allegro molto. A motto theme in the Introduction juxtaposes chords quietly but insistently, joined by a melody on the violin. The melody becomes the first theme of the — lengthy — sonata-form movement that follows, juxtaposed with other themes including a march in imitation. The folksy and syncopated Scherzo in A minor, thematically related to the opening movement’s faster sections, is in Rondo-form. After a reminiscence of the motto, the Andante is a lament in F minor, extremely Russian in sentiment. The virtuoso Finale has thematic elements related to Russian Orthodox liturgical music (Medtner was born Lutheran but late in life converted to Orthodox).
The Piano Quintet in C major, Op. posth., was published after the composer's death. He worked on sketches of the work from 1903 until its completion in 1949. Medtner considered it the ultimate summary of his musical life and it contains some of his finest and most spiritual music. Medtner recorded the work in the last years of his life, but that recording has never been commercially released. There are a number of contemporary recordings in the catalogue.
Works
Concertante- Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 33 (1914–1918)
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 50 (1920–1927)
- Piano Concerto No. 3 "Ballade" (Баллада) in E minor, Op. 60 (1940–1943)
Chamber music
- 3 Nocturnes (Три ноктюрна) for violin and piano, Op. 16 (1904–1908)
- Sonata No. 1 in B minor for violin and piano, Op. 21 (1904–1910)
- 2 Canzonas with Dances (Две канцоны с танцами; 2 Canzonen mit Tänzen) for violin and piano, Op. 43 (1922–1924)
- Sonata No. 2 in G major for violin and piano, Op. 44 (1922–1925)
- Sonata No. 3 "Epica" (Эпическая соната) in E minor for violin and piano, Op. 57 (1935–1938)
- Piano Quintet in C major, Op. posth. (1904–1948)
2 Pianos
- March (Марш; Marsch) in C major (1897)
- 2 Pieces, Op. 58 (1940–1945)
-
- Russian Round Dance (Русский хоровод) (1940)
- Knight Errant (Странствующий рыцарь) (1940–1945)
Piano
- Adagio funèbre (Траурное адажио) in E minor (1894–1895); unpublished
- 8 Mood Pictures (Восемь картин; 8 Stimmungsbilder), Oр. 1 (c.1895–1902)
- 3 Fantastic Improvisations (Три фантастические импровизации), Op. 2 (1896–1900)
- 3 Pieces (Три пьесы) (1895–1896); unpublished
-
- Pastorale (Пастораль) in C major
- Moment musical (Музыкальный момент; Musikalischer Moment) in C minor
- Humoresque (Юмореска) in F minor
- Prelude (Прелюдия; Präludium) in B minor (1895–1896); unpublished
- 6 Preludes (Шесть прелюдий) (1896–1897); unpublished
- Prelude (Прелюдия) in E major (1897); unpublished
- Impromptu alla mazurka (Экспромт в духе мазурки) in B minor (1897); unpublished
- Piece (Пьеса) (1897); unpublished
- Sonata in B minor (1897); unpublished
- 4 Pieces (Четыре пьесы; 4 Morceaux), Oр. 4 (1897–1902)
- Impromptu (Экспромт) in F minor (1898); unpublished
- Sonatina (Сонатина) in G minor (1898); published posthumously in 1981
- Sonata in F minor, Op. 5 (1895–1903)
- Album Leaf (Листок из альбома) (1900); unpublished
- 3 Arabesques (Три арабески), Op. 7 (1901–1904)
- 2 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Две сказки; 2 Märchen), Op. 8 (1904–1905)
- 3 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Три сказки; 3 Märchen), Op. 9 (1904–1905)
- 3 Dithyrambs (Три дифирамба), Op. 10 (1898–1906)
- Sonaten-Triade (Сонатная Триада), Op. 11 (1904–1907)
- Sonata in A major
- Sonata-Elegy (Соната-элегия) in D minor
- Sonata in C major
- 2 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Две сказки; 2 Märchen), Op. 14 (1905–1907)
- 3 Novellas (Три новеллы), Op. 17 (1908–1909)
- 2 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Две сказки; 2 Märchen), Op. 20 (1909)
- Sonata in G minor, Op. 22 (1901–1910)
- 4 Lyrical Fragments (Четыре лирических фрагмента), Op. 23 (1896–1911)
- 2 Cadenzas for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4Piano Concerto No. 4 (Beethoven)Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, was composed in 1805–1806, although no autograph copy survives.-Musical forces and movements:...
(Две каденции к Четвёртому фортепианному концерту Бетховена) (1910) - 2 Sonatas, Op. 25 (1910–1911)
- Sonata-Skazka (Sonata-Fairy Tale; Соната-сказка) in C minor
- Sonata "Night Wind" (Ночной ветер) in E minor
- 4 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Четыре сказки), Op. 26 (1910–1912)
- Etude (Этюд) in C minor (1912)
- Etude (Этюд) in E minor (1912?); unpublished
- Sonata-Ballada (Соната-баллада) in F major, Op. 27 (1912–1914)
- Sonata in A minor, Op. 30 (1914)
- 3 Pieces (Три пьесы), Op. 31 (1914)
- Fairy Tale (Skazka) (Сказка) in D minor (1915)
- Andante con moto in B (1916); unpublished
- 4 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Четыре сказки), Op. 34 (1916–1917)
- 4 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Четыре сказки), Op. 35 (1916–1917)
- Forgotten Melodies, Cycle I (Забытые мотивы; Vergessene Weisen), Op. 38 (1919–1922)
- No. 1 Sonata reminiscenza (Соната-воспоминание) in A minor
- Forgotten Melodies, Cycle II (Забытые мотивы; Vergessene Weisen), Op. 39 (1919–1920)
- No. 5 Sonata tragica (Трагическая соната) in C minor
- Forgotten Melodies, Cycle III (Забытые мотивы; Vergessene Weisen), Op. 40 (1919–1920)
- 3 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Три сказки), Op. 42 (1921–1924)
- Improvisation No. 2 "In the Form of Variations" (Вторая импровизация в форме вариаций), Op. 47 (1925–1926)
- 2 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Две сказки; 2 Märchen), Op. 48 (1925)
- 3 Hymns of Toil (Три гимна труду; 3 Hymnen an die Arbeit), Op. 49 (1926–1928)
- 6 Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Шесть сказок), Op. 51 (1928)
- 2 Sonatas, Op. 53 (1929–1931)
- Sonata romantica (Романтическая соната) in B minor (1929–1930)
- Sonata minacciosa (Грозовая соната) in F minor (1929–1931)
- 2 Easy Piano Pieces (Две лёгких фортепианных пьесы) in B major and A minor (1931?); unpublished
- Romantic Sketches for the Young (Романтические эскизы для юношества; Romantische Skizzen für die Jugend), Op. 54 (1931–1932)
- Theme and Variations (Тема с вариациями; Tema con variazioni), Op. 55 (1932–1933)
- Sonata-Idyll (Соната-идиллия) in G major, Op. 56 (1935–1937)
- 2 Elegies (Две элегии), Op. 59 (1940–1944)
Vocal
- Prayer (Молитва) for voice and piano (1896); words by Mikhail LermontovMikhail LermontovMikhail Yuryevich Lermontov , a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucasus", became the most important Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin's death in 1837. Lermontov is considered the supreme poet of Russian literature alongside Pushkin and the greatest...
; unpublished - The Angel (Ангел) for voice and piano, Op. 1bis (1901–1908); word by Mikhail LermontovMikhail LermontovMikhail Yuryevich Lermontov , a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucasus", became the most important Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin's death in 1837. Lermontov is considered the supreme poet of Russian literature alongside Pushkin and the greatest...
; reworking of the Mood Picture, Op. 1 No. 1 - 3 Romances (Три романса) for voice and piano, Op. 3 (1903); word by Mikhail LermontovMikhail LermontovMikhail Yuryevich Lermontov , a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucasus", became the most important Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin's death in 1837. Lermontov is considered the supreme poet of Russian literature alongside Pushkin and the greatest...
, Alexander Pushkin and Afanasy FetAfanasy FetAfanasy Afanasyevich Fet , was a Russian poet regarded as one of the finest lyricists in Russian literature.-Origins:...
after GoetheJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long... - 9 Songs after Goethe (Девять песен Гёте; Goethe-Lieder) for voice and piano, Op. 6 (c.1901–1905); words by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
- 3 Poems after Heine (Три стихотворения Гейне) for voice and piano, Op. 12 (1907); words by Heinrich HeineHeinrich HeineChristian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
- 2 Songs (Две песни) for voice and piano, Op. 13 (1901–1907); words by Alexander Pushkin and Andrei BelyAndrei BelyAndrei Bely was the pseudonym of Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev , a Russian novelist, poet, theorist, and literary critic. His novel Petersburg was regarded by Vladimir Nabokov as one of the four greatest novels of the 20th century.-Biography:...
- 12 Songs after Goethe (Двенадцать песен Гёте) for voice and piano, Op. 15 (1905–1907); words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- 6 Poems after Goethe (Шесть стихотворений Гёте) for voice and piano, Op. 18 (1905–1909); words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- 3 Poems after Nietzsche (Три стихотворения Ницше) for voice and piano, Op. 19 (1907–1909); words by Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich NietzscheFriedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
- 2 Poems after Nietzsche (Два стихотворения Ницше) for voice and piano, Op. 19a (1910–1911); words by Friedrich Nietzsche
- 8 Poems after Tyutchev and Fet (Восемь стихотворений Тютчева и Фета) for voice and piano, Op. 24 (1911); words by Fyodor TyutchevFyodor TyutchevFyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is generally considered the last of three great Romantic poets of Russia, following Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.- Life :...
and Afanasy FetAfanasy FetAfanasy Afanasyevich Fet , was a Russian poet regarded as one of the finest lyricists in Russian literature.-Origins:... - 7 Poems after Fet, Bryusov and Tyutchev (Семь стихотворений Фета, Брюсова, Тютчева) for voice and piano, Op. 28 (1913); words by Afanasy FetAfanasy FetAfanasy Afanasyevich Fet , was a Russian poet regarded as one of the finest lyricists in Russian literature.-Origins:...
, Valery BryusovValery BryusovValery Yakovlevich Bryusov was a Russian poet, prose writer, dramatist, translator, critic and historian. He was one of the principal members of the Russian Symbolist movement.-Biography:...
and Fyodor TyutchevFyodor TyutchevFyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is generally considered the last of three great Romantic poets of Russia, following Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.- Life :... - 7 Poems after Pushkin (Семь стихотворений Пушкина) for voice and piano, Op. 29 (1913); words by Alexander Pushkin
- 6 Poems after Pushkin (Шесть стихотворений Пушкина) for voice and piano, Op. 32 (1915); words by Alexander Pushkin
- 6 Poems after Pushkin (Шесть стихотворений Пушкина) for voice and piano, Op. 36 (1918–1919); words by Alexander Pushkin
- 5 Poems after Tyutchev and Fet (Пять стихотворений Тютчева и Фета) for voice and piano, Op. 37 (1918–1920); words by Fyodor TyutchevFyodor TyutchevFyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is generally considered the last of three great Romantic poets of Russia, following Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.- Life :...
and Afanasy FetAfanasy FetAfanasy Afanasyevich Fet , was a Russian poet regarded as one of the finest lyricists in Russian literature.-Origins:... - Sonata-Vocalise (Соната-вокализ) for voice (without words) and piano, Op. 41 No. 1 (1922)
- Suite-Vocalise (Сюита-вокализ) for voice (without words) and piano, Op. 41 No. 2 (1927)
- 4 Poems (Четыре стихотворения) for voice and piano, Op. 45 (1922–1924); words by Alexander Pushkin and Fyodor TyutchevFyodor TyutchevFyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is generally considered the last of three great Romantic poets of Russia, following Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.- Life :...
- 7 Poems (Семь стихотворений) for voice and piano, Op. 46 (1922–1924); words by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
, Joseph Freiherr von EichendorffJoseph Freiherr von EichendorffJoseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet and novelist of the later German romantic school.Eichendorff is regarded as one of the most important German Romantics and his works have sustained high popularity in Germany from production to the present day.-Life:Eichendorff was born at Schloß...
and Adelbert von ChamissoAdelbert von ChamissoAdelbert von Chamisso was a German poet and botanist.- Life :He was born Louis Charles Adélaïde de Chamissot at the château of Boncourt at Ante, in Champagne, France, the ancestral seat of his family... - 7 Songs on Poems of Pushkin (Семь песен на стихотворения А. С. Пушкина) for voice and piano, Op. 52 (1928–1929); words by Alexander Pushkin
- 8 Songs on Russian and German Poems (Восемь песен на стихи русских и немецких поэтов; 7 hinterlassene Lieder) for voice and piano, Op. 61 (1927–1951); words by Joseph Freiherr von EichendorffJoseph Freiherr von EichendorffJoseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet and novelist of the later German romantic school.Eichendorff is regarded as one of the most important German Romantics and his works have sustained high popularity in Germany from production to the present day.-Life:Eichendorff was born at Schloß...
, Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail LermontovMikhail LermontovMikhail Yuryevich Lermontov , a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucasus", became the most important Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin's death in 1837. Lermontov is considered the supreme poet of Russian literature alongside Pushkin and the greatest...
and Fyodor TyutchevFyodor TyutchevFyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is generally considered the last of three great Romantic poets of Russia, following Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.- Life :...
-
- No. 6 Midday (Полдень; Polden) (1936); words by Fyodor TyutchevFyodor TyutchevFyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is generally considered the last of three great Romantic poets of Russia, following Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.- Life :...
; initially published separately as Op. 59 No. 1- Wie kommt es? for voice and piano (1946–1949); words by Hermann HesseHermann HesseHermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
; unpublished
- Wie kommt es? for voice and piano (1946–1949); words by Hermann Hesse
- No. 6 Midday (Полдень; Polden) (1936); words by Fyodor Tyutchev
Legacy
Whether Medtner’s music makes inroads into the wider repertoire or remains the territory of a few performers and listeners depends on whether it is true that he sacrificed melodic interest, beauty, and communicativeness (or enough of them) on the altar of complexity, the sonata form, and counterpoint. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that Medtner possessed considerable skill in writing heartfelt melody of rare beauty and an uncanny skill in developing thematic material. Imbued with a restless quality that demands repeated listenings to penetrate, Medtner's music often has a psychologically intense, almost demonic character. The piano works in particular are notoriously difficult to sight-read and require enormous technical and intellectual resources to perform. Yet Medtner's best melodies speak to the listener on a direct emotional level. It may be that some of his works are better advocates for him in this respect—his songs and concertos are more directly communicative than the solo piano music, the violin sonatas more extroverted—but it is also true that his music is now that of a cult composer, at least in reputation and possibly in fact.Geoffrey Tozer
Geoffrey Tozer
Geoffrey Tozer was an Australian classical pianist and composer. As a child prodigy, he composed an opera at the age of eight, and became the youngest recipient of a Churchill Fellowship award at 13...
recorded almost all of Medtner's works for the piano including all the concertos and sonatas. Hamish Milne
Hamish Milne
Hamish Milne is a British pianist known for his advocacy of Nikolai Medtner.Milne studied at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury and then at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he now teaches, and later in Italy under Guido Agosti...
has recorded most of the solo piano works, while Geoffrey Douglas Madge
Geoffrey Douglas Madge
Geoffrey Douglas Madge is an Australian classical pianist and composer.Madge performed long and arduous works, he has twice recorded Sorabji's Opus clavicembalisticum, one of the longest and most difficult works ever written for the piano...
and Konstantin Scherbakov
Konstantin Scherbakov
Konstantin Scherbakov is a Russian pianist. He was the winner of the first Rachmaninov Competition in 1983...
have recorded the three piano concertos. Other pianists who championed Medtner's work and left behind recordings include Benno Moiseiwitsch
Benno Moiseiwitsch
Benno Moiseiwitsch CBE was a Ukrainian-born British pianist.-Biography:Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Moiseiwitsch began his studies at age seven at the Odessa Music Academy. He won the Anton Rubinstein Prize when he was just nine years old. He later took lessons from Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna...
, Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter was a Soviet pianist well known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Childhood:...
, Edna Iles
Edna Iles
Edna Amy Iles was an English pianist.Iles began her studies in Birmingham with Appleby Matthews, making her debut as soloist with the City of Birmingham Orchestra at age 15 in the Liszt E flat Concerto...
, Emil Gilels
Emil Gilels
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.His last name is sometimes transliterated Hilels.-Biography:...
, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Earl Wild
Earl Wild
Royland Earl Wild was an American pianist widely recognized as a leading virtuoso of his generation. Harold C. Schonberg called him a "super-virtuoso in the Horowitz class". He was known as well for his transcriptions of classical music and jazz...
and Malcolm Binns. In modern times, pianists noted for their advocacy include Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin, OC, CQ, is a French Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Marc-André Hamelin began his piano studies at the age of five. His father, a pharmacist by trade who was also a pianist, introduced him to the works of Alkan, Godowsky, and Sorabji when he was...
, Irina Mejoueva, Nikolai Demidenko
Nikolai Demidenko
Nikolai Demidenko is a Russian pianist.Demidenko studied at the Moscow Gnessin School with Anna Kantor and at the Moscow Conservatoire under Dmitri Bashkirov. Demidenko was a medallist at the 1976 Montreal International Piano Competition and the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Competition...
, Boris Berezovsky
Boris Berezovsky (pianist)
- Biography :Berezovsky studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Eliso Virsaladze and privately with Alexander Satz. Following his London début at the Wigmore Hall in 1988, The Times described him as "an artist of exceptional promise, a player of dazzling virtuosity and formidable power."In May 2005...
, Paul Stewart
Paul Stewart (concert pianist)
Paul Stewart is a Canadian pianist. Brought up in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, he started learning piano at the age of five. He initially studied with a local teacher, and subsequently with Tietje Zonnefeld in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the age of 18 he moved to attend McGill University in Montreal,...
, Dmitri Alexeev, Andrey Ponochevny and Yevgeny Sudbin
Yevgeny Sudbin
Yevgeny Sudbin is a Russian concert pianist. He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. After his family emigrated to Berlin when he was age 10, he won several German piano competitions, and studied at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. He was a pupil of Christopher Elton at...
. The last 20 years have seen a big increase in recording activity, if not in live performances, and the solo piano and chamber music discography is looking quite healthy.
Far fewer singers have tackled the songs. Medtner himself recorded a selection with the sopranos Oda Slobodskaya, Tatiana Makushina, Margaret Ritchie and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, DBE was a German-born Austrian/British soprano opera singer and recitalist. She was among the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century, much admired for her performances of Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, and Wolf.-Early life:Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike...
. In recent times Susan Gritton
Susan Gritton
Susan Gritton is an English soprano.Susan Gritton was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of London, where she studied Botany....
and Ludmilla Andrew have recorded complete CDs with Geoffrey Tozer, as has Caroline Vitale with Peter Baur. The bass-baritone Vassily Savenko has recorded a considerable number of Medtner songs with Boris Berezovsky
Boris Berezovsky (pianist)
- Biography :Berezovsky studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Eliso Virsaladze and privately with Alexander Satz. Following his London début at the Wigmore Hall in 1988, The Times described him as "an artist of exceptional promise, a player of dazzling virtuosity and formidable power."In May 2005...
, Alexander Blok and Victor Yampolsky. A handful of other singers have included Medtner songs in compilations; particularly notable are historic recordings by Zara Dolukhanova
Zara Dolukhanova
Zara Dolukhanova was an Armenian mezzo-soprano who achieved fame performing on many lauded radio broadcasts of operas and works from the concert repertoire during the 1940s through the 1960s...
and Irina Arkhipova. However many songs are not available on CD, and some await their first recording.
Medtner recorded piano rolls of some of his works for Welte-Mignon
Welte-Mignon
M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York was a manufacturer of orchestrions, organs and reproducing pianos, established in Vöhrenbach by Michael Welte in 1832.-Overview:...
in 1923 and Duo-Art
Duo-Art
Duo-Art was one of the leading reproducing piano technologies of the early 20th century, the others being American Piano Company , introduced in 1913 too, and Welte-Mignon in 1905. These technologies flourished at that time because of the poor quality of the early Phonograph...
in 1925.
Publications
Medtner's one book, The Muse and the Fashion, being a defence of the foundations of the art of music (1935, reprinted 1957 and 1978) was a statement of his artistic credo and reaction to some of the trends of the time. He believed strongly that there were immutable laws to music, whose essence was in song. The English translation of The Muse and the Fashion by Alfred Swan (1951) is hard to find outside US libraries. Scans of both the Russian and English versions are downloadable from www.medtner.org.uk.Print sources
Barrie Martyn's Nicolas Medtner: His Life and Music (ISBN 0-85967-959-4) is a scholarly account of the composer's life and works. It provides the biographical context of every composition along with musical analysis or commentary. Extracts from letters, contemporary sources, and compositions are interspersed throughout the narrative, along with a good number of photographs.After Medtner's death, the Mysore Foundation sponsored the publication of Medtner: A Memorial Volume, also titled Nicolas Medtner (1879-1951): A Tribute to his Art and Personality. It contains photographs and essays from his widow, friends, critics, musicians, composers, and admirers. A few of the contributors were: Alfred Swan, translator of Medtner's The Muse and the Fashion into English, Ivan Ilyin
Ivan Ilyin
Ivan Alexandrovich Ilyin was a Russian religious and political philosopher, White emigre publicist and an ideologue of the Russian All-Military Union.-Young years:...
, Ernest Newman
Ernest Newman
Ernest Newman was an English music critic and musicologist. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians describes him as "the most celebrated British music critic in the first half of the 20th century." His style of criticism, aiming at intellectual objectivity in contrast to the more subjective...
, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer.-Biography:...
, Marcel Dupré
Marcel Dupré
Marcel Dupré , was a French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue.-Biography:Marcel Dupré was born in Rouen . Born into a musical family, he was a child prodigy. His father Albert Dupré was organist in Rouen and a friend of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who built an organ in the family house when...
, Russian music critic Leonid Sabeneev, Canadian pianist and close friend of the composer Alfred La Liberté
Alfred La Liberté
Alfred La Liberté was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. He was a disciple and close personal friend of Alexander Scriabin. He was also an admirer of Marcel Dupré and Nikolai Medtner. Dupré notably dedicated his Variations, Opus 22 for piano to him and Medtner...
, singers Margaret Ritchie, Tatania Makushina and Oda Slobodskaya, and Medtner himself via extracts from Muse and the Fashion. The editor of the volume was Richard Holt.
Robert Rimm's The Composer-Pianists: Hamelin and the Eight (ISBN 1-57467-072-7) contains a chapter on Medtner and Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
.
In 2004, Natalia Konsistorum published, in Russian, Nikolai Karlovich Medtner: Portrait of a Composer (ISBN 3-89487-500-3). The book is available in a German translation by Christoph Flamm and is notable for the two CDs it contains with original recordings of a variety of Medtner's works.
There have been numerous dissertations on Medtner's music. One of the most influential is Der russische Komponist Nikolaj Metner : Studien und Materialien by Christoph Flamm. Originally presented as the author's Ph.D thesis (Heidelberg, 1995), it was published by Kuhn (ISBN 3-928864-24-6, 1995, out of print). It includes letters, reviews and other documents in German, Russian, English and French, a bibliography and partial discography.
In 2003, David J. Skvorak wrote a doctoral thesis Thematic unity in Nicolas Medtner's works for piano : Skazki, sonatas, and piano quintet at the University of Cincinnati, published by UMI. It contains theoretical analyses of several of Medtner's works.
For details of other publications, including dissertations at US Universities listed on the Wordcat library database, see www.medtner.org.uk
Adaptations and citations
Bart BermanBart Berman
Bart Berman is a Dutch-Israeli pianist and composer, best known as an interpreter of Franz Schubert and 20th century music....
composed Variations and Fugue based on the theme in Medtner's Theme with Variations, Op. 55 in 2009.
The author Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
declared Medtner as his favourite composer during a short interview available on the BBC website in September 2011 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15020676).
External links
- Nicolas Medtner: Worklist, Discography, Publications and News
- International Medtner Foundation
- The skazki (fairy tales) of Nikolai Medtner: The evolution and characteristics of the genre with compositional and performance aspects of selected fairy tales.
Recordings
- Piano Rolls (The Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation)
- Medtner plays his Danza Festiva, Op. 38,, No. 3 Piano Roll c. 1925, New York. (ref)
- Nicolas Medtner: The complete solo recordings Vol.1 (Appian Publications and Recordings)
- Nicolas Medtner: The complete solo recordings Vol.2 (Appian Publications and Recordings)
- Nicolas Medtner: The complete solo recordings Vol.3 (Appian Publications and Recordings)
- The Medtner Collection (St-Laurent Studio)