Osip Kozlovsky
Encyclopedia
Osip Antonovich Kozlovsky (also Joseph, Iosif Kozlowsky , also Иосиф or Юзеф Polish
: Józef Kozłowski; (born 1757 Warsaw
died March 11 [OS February 27] 1831), St Petersburg) was a Russia
n composer of Polish
or Belarus
ian origin.
, for which he wrote most of his music. In Russia he became popular especially for his patriotic polonaises.
Born in Warsaw, he was a choir boy at St. John Cathedral. From 1775 he worked in Trakai
at the palace of Tadeusz Franciszek Ogiński
as a teacher of Michał Kleofas Ogiński (1765–1833) the statesman, rebel, and composer, known for his polonaise Pożegnanie Ojczyzny / Razvitannie z Radzimaj (Farewell to the Homeland).
He moved to Russia
in 1786, where he became involved in the war against Turkey
. He entered the army as aide-de-camp to Prince Dolgoruky. Soon he became known to Prince Grigory Potemkin, the prime minister (and accredited lover of Catherine II) between 1774 to 1776. Impressed by the musical talent of Kozlovski, Potemkin introduced him to the Court.
In 1791 he wrote the music for the unofficial Russian national anthem
of the late 18th and early 19th centuries Grom pobedy, razdavaysya! (Russian: Гром побе́ды, раздава́йся!; English translation: Let the thunder of victory sound), text by Gavrila Derzhavin. The second part of this polonaise was later quoted by Peter Tchaikovsky in the final scene of his opera The Queen of Spades
.
When the private theatre of Count Nikolai Sheremetev
was transferred from Kuskovo
to Ostankino, Kozlovsky’s opera (lyrical drama) Russian
: Зельмира и Смелон, или Взятие Измаила — (English translation
: Zelmira and Smelon, or the Capture of Izmail) to a text by Pavel Potemkin
, was premiered on July 22, 1795. The famous serf soprano Praskovya Zhemchugova
acted the role of the captive Turkish woman Zelmira. The opera was revived and performed again on August 28, 2004 at the same place in Ostankino.
Between 1799 and 1819 Kozlovsky supervised the theatre orchestras and the theatrical college at St Petersburg. Kozlovsky composed a famous Requiem Mass in E flat minor Missa pro defunctis for the death of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the King of Poland
(1732–1798), commissioned by the King himself before his death and performed on February 25, 1798 in St Petersburg. He wrote another requiem for the death of the Emperor Alexander I
. His considerable production included stage music for Edip in Afinakh (Oedipus in Athens, 1804), Fingal (tragedy by V. Ozerov, 1805), Tsar Edip (Oedipus Rex) (1816), Esphir (by Racine
1816), litugical music including the Te Deum
, cantatas, choruses, songs (including 28 Russian songs), about 70 polonaises and other dance music for the Court balls, etc.
Tchaikovsky quotes a polonaise by Kozlovsky in the ballroom scene of Pique Dame.
The tracks include the following works by Osip Kozlovsky:
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: Józef Kozłowski; (born 1757 Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
died March 11 [OS February 27] 1831), St Petersburg) was a Russia
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 of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
or Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian origin.
Biography
For the most part of his life Osip Kozlovsky was attached to the Russian Imperial CourtImperial Court
An Imperial Court is the noble court of an empire .For example:*The noble court of an Emperor of China, Emperor of Japan, Emperor of Ethiopia, Emperor of Austria, Emperor of India, Emperor of Persia, etc....
, for which he wrote most of his music. In Russia he became popular especially for his patriotic polonaises.
Born in Warsaw, he was a choir boy at St. John Cathedral. From 1775 he worked in Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
at the palace of Tadeusz Franciszek Ogiński
Tadeusz Franciszek Oginski
Prince Tadeusz Franciszek Andrzej Ogiński was a szlachcic from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.He was Grand Clerk of Lithuania since 1737, castellan of Trakai since 1744, voivode of Trakai since 1770, starost oszmiański, wierzbowski and przewalski....
as a teacher of Michał Kleofas Ogiński (1765–1833) the statesman, rebel, and composer, known for his polonaise Pożegnanie Ojczyzny / Razvitannie z Radzimaj (Farewell to the Homeland).
He moved to Russia
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...
in 1786, where he became involved in the war against Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. He entered the army as aide-de-camp to Prince Dolgoruky. Soon he became known to Prince Grigory Potemkin, the prime minister (and accredited lover of Catherine II) between 1774 to 1776. Impressed by the musical talent of Kozlovski, Potemkin introduced him to the Court.
In 1791 he wrote the music for the unofficial Russian national anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
of the late 18th and early 19th centuries Grom pobedy, razdavaysya! (Russian: Гром побе́ды, раздава́йся!; English translation: Let the thunder of victory sound), text by Gavrila Derzhavin. The second part of this polonaise was later quoted by Peter Tchaikovsky in the final scene of his opera The Queen of Spades
The Queen of Spades (opera)
The Queen of Spades, Op. 68 is an opera in 3 acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a Russian libretto by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, based on a short story of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. The premiere took place in 1890 in St...
.
When the private theatre of Count Nikolai Sheremetev
Nikolai Sheremetev
Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev was a Russian count, the son of Petr Borisovich Sheremetev, notable grandee of the epoch of empresses Anna Ivanovna, Elizabeth Petrovna, and Catherine II. He was also the grandson of Boris Petrovich Sheremetev.His father P. B...
was transferred from Kuskovo
Kuskovo
Kuskovo was the summer country house and estate of the Sheremetev family. Built in the mid-18th century, it was originally situated several miles to the east of Moscow but now is part of the East District of the city. It was one of the first great summer country estates of the Russian nobility,...
to Ostankino, Kozlovsky’s opera (lyrical drama) Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Зельмира и Смелон, или Взятие Измаила — (English translation
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Zelmira and Smelon, or the Capture of Izmail) to a text by Pavel Potemkin
Pavel Potemkin
Count Pavel Sergeevich Potemkin, also Potyomkin , was a Imperial Russian statesman, soldier and writer.He was a cousin of Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin, a well-known military and political figure of Catherine II’s Russia. He took part in the wars with the rebel adventurer Pugachev, the Ottoman...
, was premiered on July 22, 1795. The famous serf soprano Praskovya Zhemchugova
Praskovya Zhemchugova
Praskovia Ivanovna Kovalyova-Zhemchugova also Kovaleva or Kovalyova, Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, Zhemchugova-Sheremeteva, and Sheremeteva or Sheremetyeva was a Russian serf actress and soprano opera singer.- Career :Praskovia was one of the best...
acted the role of the captive Turkish woman Zelmira. The opera was revived and performed again on August 28, 2004 at the same place in Ostankino.
Between 1799 and 1819 Kozlovsky supervised the theatre orchestras and the theatrical college at St Petersburg. Kozlovsky composed a famous Requiem Mass in E flat minor Missa pro defunctis for the death of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the King of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(1732–1798), commissioned by the King himself before his death and performed on February 25, 1798 in St Petersburg. He wrote another requiem for the death of the Emperor Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. His considerable production included stage music for Edip in Afinakh (Oedipus in Athens, 1804), Fingal (tragedy by V. Ozerov, 1805), Tsar Edip (Oedipus Rex) (1816), Esphir (by Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
1816), litugical music including the Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
, cantatas, choruses, songs (including 28 Russian songs), about 70 polonaises and other dance music for the Court balls, etc.
Tchaikovsky quotes a polonaise by Kozlovsky in the ballroom scene of Pique Dame.
Quotations
- “Among the authors of the most popular Russian songs was a musician who didn’t have a single drop of Russian blood in him – Pole Osip Kozlovsky. However, he did spend a major part of his life in Russia, and, judging by his musical endeavors, succeeded in fathoming its essence…” (1000 Years: Russian song)
- "Prince Grigory Potemkin celebrated the grant victory giving a ball in his palace in St Petersburg which opened with a polonaise dedicated to Alexander SuvorovAlexander SuvorovAlexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
. One of Suvorov’s musically endowed officers, Osip Kozlovsky, was commissioned by Potemkin to write this musical dedication which he diligently did exactly on time." Music Tales: Military Music
Recordings
- Music at the Court of St Petersburg, Vol. 2, Composers: Bortnyansky, Teplov, Kozlovsky, etc.; Performer: Iana Ivanilova; Label: Opus 111; Catalogue Number: OPS30179; Released: April 7, 1997; Audio CD DDD
The tracks include the following works by Osip Kozlovsky:
- Almen nel ciel pietoso (If only in merciful heaven)
- Polonaise, Pastorale
- Polonaise on a theme by Noccolo Piccini
- Milaya vechor sidela (In the evening, seated beside the stream)
- Polonaise, Fantaisie No 01
- Placiso zeffiretto (Gentle Breeze)
- I Long for You Constantly
- Please, Madam, polonaise (piano)
- I Want to Be a Little Bird (piano)
- Last Night My Darling was Sitting (piano)
- Ruby-Red Dawn is Already Glowing (piano)
- Where, o Where Can I Hide Myself (piano)
- Requiem in Latin and Salve ReginaSalve ReginaThe "Salve Regina", also known as the Hail Holy Queen, is a Marian hymn and one of four Marian antiphons sung at different seasons within the Christian liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The Salve Regina is traditionally sung at Compline in the time from the Saturday before Trinity...
(Реквием для солистов, хора и оркестра) - Galina Simkina, Lidya Tchernykh, Valentina Panina, Konstantin Lisovsky, Vladimir Motorin, Moscow State Choir, USSR Ministry of Culture SO, cond. Vladimir YesipovVladimir YesipovVladimir M. Yesipov was a Russian conductor active during the 1960s and 70s.He conducted a Tchaikovsky concert in Beijing in 1960. He was mentioned in Soviet Music along with Yuri Aranovich for his "creative energy"...
. Label: MelodiyaMelodiyaMelodiya is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company/label of the Soviet Union.-History:It was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya"...
, ADD, 1988.