A. K. Lyadov. Biography of the composer

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

A. K. Lyadov is one of the outstanding composers of Russia at the turn of two centuries, XIX and XX. He was a student, and later like-minded N. Rimsky-Korsakov, and he taught S. Prokofiev, N. Myaskovsky.

A. K. Lyadov. Biography: early life

The future composer was born in May 1855 in St. Petersburg. And all his subsequent life will be connected with this city. Anatoly's interest in music cannot be called an accident. His father was a conductor of the Russian opera and worked at the Mariinsky Theatre. Since childhood, the boy knew the entire repertoire, and in his youth he himself was an extra at performances. Anatoly was taught to play the piano by his maternal aunt, Antipova V. A. However, these were irregular classes. Lyadov's life as a child was very unsettled: when he was 6 years old, his mother died, his father led a rather chaotic life. This was the reason for the formation of not too good qualities in him: lack of will, lack of assembly. They had an extremely negative impact on the creative process in the future.

Biography of Lyadov A. K.: student years

From 1867 to 1878 Anatoly studied at the conservatorySt. Petersburg. His teachers were such celebrities as Y. Johansen, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Dubasov, F. Beggrov. He graduated from the conservatory Lyadov brilliantly. With the assistance of N. Rimsky-Korsakov, even in his student days, Anatoly maintained friendly relations with the "Mighty Handful" - the commonwe alth of composers. Here he joined the ideals of creativity and realized himself as a Russian composer. Soon this association broke up, and Lyadov moved to a new one - the Belyaevsky Circle. Together with Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov, he immediately began to lead the process: to select, edit and publish new works.

A. K. Lyadov. Biography: composer's conservatism

As an artist, Anatoly Konstantinovich was formed quite early. And in the future, all his activities are not marked by any abrupt transitions. Outwardly, Lyadov's life looked calm, stable, and even monotonous. He seemed to be afraid of some changes for the worse and therefore fenced himself off from the world. Perhaps he did not have enough strong impressions for creative activity. The smooth course of his life was disturbed by only two trips: in 1889 to Paris for the World Art Exhibition, where his compositions were also performed, and in 1910 to Germany.

A. K. Lyadov. Biography: personal life

The composer didn't let anyone in here. Even from his closest friends, he hid his own marriage to N. I. Tolkacheva in 1884. He did not introduce his wife to anyone, althoughsubsequently lived with her all his life and raised two sons.

A. K. Lyadov. Biography: creative productivity

Contemporaries reproached him for writing little. This was partly due to material insecurity and the need to earn money: he devoted a lot of time to teaching. In 1878, Lyadov was invited to the post of professor at the conservatory, and he worked in this educational institution until the end of his life. In addition, since 1884, the composer taught in the singing chapel at the court. His students were Myaskovsky, Prokofiev. Lyadov himself admitted that he composed in short intervals between teaching. From 1879 he also worked as a conductor. In the early period, the most original was the cycle "Spikers" created by him. By the end of the 80s, Lyadov proved himself to be a master of miniatures. The pinnacle of the chamber form can be considered his preludes. This genre was closest to his worldview. From 1887 to 1890 he wrote three notebooks of Children's Songs. Their basis was the ancient texts of jokes, spells, sayings. In the 1880s, the composer also began to study Russian folklore. In total, he processed 150 folk songs.

A. K. Lyadov is a composer. Biography: recent years

During this period of life, the composer's symphonic masterpieces appeared. They brilliantly confirmed his creative evolution. From 1904 to 1910 Lyadov created "Kikimora", "Magic Lake" and "Baba Yaga". They can be considered both as independent works and as an artistic triptych. In the field of symphonic music, the composer's last work, his "swansong", became "Sorrowful Song" ("Keshe"). It is associated with the images of Maeterlinck. This confession of the soul completed the work of Lyadov. And soon, in August 1914, his earthly journey ended.