Lyadov short biography. Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov: about music. Biography of Lyadov A.K.: student years

The future composer was born into the family of the famous Russian conductor Konstantin Lyadov.
He began receiving his first music lessons at the age of five from his father, and in 1870 he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory in piano and violin classes. Soon Lyadov became interested in theoretical disciplines and began to intensively study counterpoint and fugue. His first compositional experiments date back to the same time.

The talent of the young musician was highly appreciated by Modest Mussorgsky. Lyadov transferred to Rimsky-Korsakov's composition theory class, but in 1876 he was expelled from the conservatory for lack of attendance. Two years later, Lyadov returned to the conservatory and successfully graduated. In the same year, the composer received an invitation to the position of teacher of elementary music theory, harmony and instrumentation at the conservatory, where he worked until his death. A.K. Lyadov was one of the members of the Belyaev circle.

A.K. Lyadov was known for working very slowly on his works. So Sergei Lifar recalled that Sergei Diaghilev first of all turned to Lyadov with a request to write music for the ballet “The Firebird”. However, when he delayed the execution of the order, Diaghilev was forced to transfer the order to the young Igor Stravinsky.
A big fan of the work of A.K. Lyadov and a specialist in his musical heritage there was a composer and teacher N. N. Vilinsky, who also wrote “Four Miniatures in Memory of A. Lyadov,” op. 40 (1956).

He taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and the composer’s teaching activity began immediately after his graduation from the same conservatory. Among the students: B. V. Asafiev, M. F. Gnesin, N. Ya. Myaskovsky, S. S. Prokofiev, V. M. Belyaev, I. I. Chekrygin, A. V. Ossovsky, A. A. Olenin , Maykapar and others.

A significant part of Lyadov’s works were written for piano: “Spillkins”, “Arabesques”, “About Antiquity”, “Idyll”, plays, preludes, waltzes. The composer is considered one of the masters of the miniature genre - many of his works were written in simple forms and last several minutes (Musical Snuffbox).

Among Lyadov’s most famous works are the symphonic poems “Baba Yaga”, “Magic Lake”, “Kikimora”, “Dance of the Amazon”, “Sorrowful Song”.

Lyadov is also known as a folklorist - he compiled several collections of Russian folk songs. For voice and piano: 18 children's songs on folk words, collections of folk songs, romances, etc. For a cappella choir: “10 Russian folk songs”, “15 Russian folk songs”, 10 arrangements from Obikhod, etc.

Source: WIKIPEDIA The Free Encyclopedia

Anatoly Konstantinovich LYADOV: About Music

Anatoly Konstantinovich LYADOV(1855 - 1914) - Russian composer, conductor and teacher, professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory

You can hear the composer’s music on our website in the section

“There was a Chopin notebook on the table in front of us,” recalled student A.K. Lyadova A.V. Ossovsky about the spring exam at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1897 - “I did the oral harmonic analysis. A.K. He pointed with the end of a pencil at some note.

- What note is this? - A tone alien to the chord. Yes. A capricious note. And how delicious! The whole charm of art lies in the skillful breaking of rules, in these whims of fantasy.”

Outstanding teacher, master of musical miniatures and subtle artist Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov was one of the most prominent representatives of the younger generation of the “New Russian music school", a contemporary of Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, as well as Rachmaninov and Scriabin.

M. Gorky said: “Joyfully, to the point of insane pride, I am excited not only by the abundance of talents, born in Russia in the 19th century, but also their amazing diversity...”

Second half of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. - a period of unprecedented flowering of Russian culture. Nationality and realism distinguish the works of writers L. Tolstoy, A. Ostrovsky, I. Turgenev, A. Chekhov; artists Perov, Kramskoy, Repin, Shishkin; musicians Dargomyzhsky, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Balakirev.

It was in this atmosphere of cultural upsurge that the creative style of the young musician Anatoly Lyadov was formed.

Not being as prolific as many of his famous contemporaries, Lyadov, nevertheless, made his contribution to the development of Russian art, and his best miniatures became firmly established in the repertoire of our musicians.

Lyadov's legacy is small. The basis of his work consists of works of small forms - piano, orchestral and vocal. Deeply national in their images and musical language, they attract attention with their special grace and subtlety of design, melody of lines, and perfection of form.

Anatoly Lyadov was born on May 11, 1855 in St. Petersburg in a very musical family. Among his ancestors there were quite a few professional musicians, and many were distinguished by truly extraordinary talent as a composer. Anatoly Lyadov’s grandfather, Nikolai Grigorievich Lyadov, was the conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society. And his father, composer Konstantin Nikolaevich Lyadov, served as conductor of the Imperial Russian Opera. His musical and educational activities had great importance for the development of Russian classical art, and numerous romances and dances were very popular in society.

Music surrounded Anatoly Lyadov from infancy. Having lost their mother early, she and her sister often disappeared at work for their overly busy father. And it is not surprising that opera became one of the boy’s first sources of musical impressions. According to Rimsky-Korsakov, “everyone, from the first singer to the last lamp maker, spoiled him like the bandmaster’s son. During rehearsals, he played pranks backstage and climbed on the boxes.”

And when the children grew up enough that they could join the life of the theater themselves, they began to participate in productions as extras. Thus, Anatoly and Valentina were involved in the operas “Ivan Susanin” by Glinka and “Judith” by Serov.

When Lyadov turned 11, he entered the preparatory department of the conservatory, with enrollment in an honorary personal scholarship named after his father. This was in 1867, and eleven years later, releasing the young composer into free swimming, his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov said: “Lyadov gave him a truly wonderful thing. ... He is very talented, and at the same time smart.”

However, Lyadov’s relationship with Rimsky-Korsakov was not always cloudless. The latter even excluded young man from the conservatory for “incredible laziness.” In Rimsky-Korsakov’s notes you can find the following: “Inseparable friends of A.K. Lyadov and G.O. Dutsch, my talented students at the conservatory, very young at that time, became incredibly lazy and completely stopped attending my class. The rector, having talked with me and seeing that there was no goodwill with them, decided to expel them...”

Fortunately, Lyadov was soon reinstated at the conservatory and even began to help M.A. Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov in the preparation of a new edition of the scores of Glinka's operas A Life for the Tsar and Ruslan and Lyudmila, becoming closer at this time to the composers of the Mighty Handful.

While studying at the conservatory, Lyadov wrote four romances, which were quite highly appreciated among musicians. Mussorgsky noted in a letter to Stasov: “... a new, undoubted, original and Russian young talent has appeared, the son of Konstantin Lyadov, a student at the conservatory... Truly a talent! He writes easily, artlessly, briskly, freshly and with force...”
In 1878, Anatoly Lyadov graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, but did not leave its walls. From that time on, the composer's teaching activity began, which continued until his death (since 1886 he was a professor at the conservatory). Among Lyadov’s students: B.V. Asafiev, M.F. Gnessin, N.Ya. Myaskovsky, S.S. Prokofiev, V.M. Belyaev, A.V. Ossovsky and others.

About Lyadov’s attitude towards his students E. Braudo in the article “A.K. Lyadov" wrote: "... observation and psychological instinct allowed Lyadov to completely accurately determine the musical individuality of his students. And no one knew how to develop in them a sense of grace and nobility of taste to the same extent as he.”

And here’s how one of Lyadov’s students described the teacher: “... A huge and clear theoretical mind, with clearly understood principles and a teaching plan, accuracy, precision and elegance of explanatory formulas, wise conciseness of presentation.”

In the 80-90s. Anatoly Lyadov, in addition to his teaching and writing activities, has repeatedly performed as a conductor in concerts of the St. Petersburg circle of music lovers, in the “Russian symphony concerts" About one of these concerts musical critic V.V. Stasov wrote: “... it is impossible not to mention, with deep gratitude, the excellent conducting of A.K. Lyadov, who not only prepared the choir and orchestra and generally led the whole affair, but was the first to suggest the idea of ​​organizing a concert in memory of Mussorgsky. Honor and glory to the young talented musician, eager to publicly honor his talented predecessor.”

In 1889, at the World Exhibition in Paris, Lyadov's works, among others, were performed in two symphony concerts composed of works by Russian composers.

In addition, Lyadov, on behalf of the Imperial Geographical Society, was engaged in the processing of folk songs collected during the expeditions and published several collections that were highly appreciated by researchers of Russian folklore.

In 1909, ballet impresario S.P. Diaghilev ordered Lyadov for the Paris Russian Seasons a ballet based on the Russian fairy tale about the Firebird, but the composer delayed completing the order for so long that the plot was transferred to the young composer Igor Stravinsky.

Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov - Russian composer, conductor, teacher. He was born on May 11, 1855 in St. Petersburg. Musical education he received at the St. Petersburg Conservatory; student of Yu. Ioganson, N. Rimsky-Korsakov.

In 1878, Lyadov was invited to work as a teacher at the conservatory, where he remained a professor until the end of his life (with a short break in 1905, when he left the conservatory in protest against the dismissal of Rimsky-Korsakov). In 1879 he began his conducting career, which lasted until 1910. Since 1884, Lyadov became a teacher in the instrumental classes of the Court Singing Chapel.

Lyadov was a member of the Belyaev circle. Lyadov's students included many Soviet composers: B. Asafiev, V. Deshevov, S. Maykapar, N. Myaskovsky, S. Prokofiev, V. Shcherbachev and others.

In terms of talent, the composer was outstanding master symphonic miniature. His creativity is marked by fidelity realistic principles Russian musical classics, connection with folk song and poetic art, grace of expression, perfection of form.

In Lyadov's music huge role Russian folk song is playing. He not only processed more than 150 folk melodies, but also created his own melodies based on the intonations of folk songs. Particularly famous is the suite “Eight Russian Folk Songs for Orchestra” (1905), where the composer extremely subtly and deeply conveyed the character and characteristics of Russian songs of various types.

Lyadov composed many pieces for piano, most often not large, but always laconic and skillfully finished. His play “About Antiquity” (1889), which depicts a folk storyteller playing the harp, is especially popular. The humorous play "Musical Snuff Box" recreates the sound of a musical toy. His "Children's Songs" are good folk texts- here Lyadov simply but very accurately sketched a number of live scenes: “”, “”, “” and others.

Lyadov developed in his works another line of creativity of his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov. He created a number of small fairy-tale pictures for the orchestra: “Baba Yaga” (1904), “Kikimora” (1910), “Magic Lake” (1909). They showed the remarkable talent of an artist, capable of drawing bright and original images with music, creating portraits fairy tale characters, fantastic landscapes.

WORKS:

Cantata in memory of M. Antokolsky for choir and orchestra. (together with A. Glazunov, 1902)

Polonaise in memory of Pushkin (1899)

- "Baba Yaga" (1904)

8 people songs for orc. (1906)

- "The Magic Lake" (1909)

- "Kikimora" (1910) and other productions. for orc.

Numerous plays for piano, incl. "Spillkins" (1876), "Arabesques" (1878), ballad "About Antiquity" (1889), "Musical Snuffbox" (1893), 3 bagatelles (1903), Variations on folklore. Polish theme (1901), preludes, mazurkas, etudes, intermezzos, etc.

4 romances (op. 1, 1873-74), 18 children's songs based on folk words (notebook 1, op. 14, 1887; notebook 2, op. 18, 1887; notebook 3, op. 22, published 1890);

Romances

Collection of Russian native songs (op. 43, published 1898), 35 songs of the Russian people for one voice with piano accompaniment from those collected in 1894-95 by I. V. Nekrasov and F. M. Istomin (published 1902), 50 songs of Russian for one voice with piano accompaniment from those collected in 1894-1899 and 1901 by I. V. Nekrasov, F. M. Istomin and F. II. Pokrovsky (published 1903), 35 songs of the Russian people collected in 1894, 1895 and 1902 by I.V. Nekrasov, F.M. Istomin and F.I. Pokrovsky in the provinces of Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Tver and Yaroslavskaya for one voice with piano accompaniment (publication of the Song Commission of the Russian Geographical Society, B.G.);

for choir a cappella:

10 Russian folk songs (arranged for women's voices, op. 45, published 1899), a hymn to A. Rubinstein on the day of the grand opening of the statue of A. G. Rubinstein in the St. Petersburg Conservatory (op. 54, 1902), 5 songs of the Russian people, set to voices (for women, men and mixed choirs, publication of the Song Commission of the Russian Geographical Society, 1902), 15 Russian folk songs for choir (op. 59, published 1907), 15 Russian folk songs for women's voices (1908), 10 arrangements from Obikhod (op. 61, published 1909?)

5 Russian songs (for women's choir, 1909-10);

for choir with instrumental accompaniment:

Slava (for women's choir accompanied by 2 harps and 2 pianos for 8 hands, op. 47, published 1899), Sister Beatrice (choir accompanied by harmonium for 4 hands, op. 60, 1906);

Orc. dept. numbers from Mussorgsky's opera "Sorochinskaya Fair" and others.

"Most lazy classic Russian music" -

Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov

Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov [(May 11, 1855 - August 28, 1914)
The personality is bright and original. He did not compose many works, but some! Russian epic in music is the main direction in his work. Contemporaries said that he surpassed Rimsky-Korsakov.

Contemporaries reproached Lyadov for his lack of creative productivity.

One of the reasons for this is Lyadov’s financial insecurity, who is forced to do a lot of teaching work. It must be said that as a teacher Lyadov achieved considerable success. Among his students are Prokofiev, Asafiev, Myaskovsky. Teaching took at least six hours a day. Lyadov composed, in his own words, “in the cracks of time,” and this very depressing for him. “I compose little and I compose slowly,” he wrote to his sister in 1887. - Am I really just a teacher? I really wouldn't want that! And it seems that I’ll end up with this...”

D. Matsuev.

"Arabesque"

The pinnacle of the chamber form were Lyadov's preludes.
He can well be called the founder of the Russian piano prelude. This genre was especially close to the aesthetic worldview of Lyadov the miniaturist. It is not surprising that it was in it that the individual, specific features of his handwriting were most clearly manifested.

A special place is occupied by “Eight Russian Folk Songs for Orchestra”, in which Lyadov masterfully used genuine folk tunes - epic, lyrical, dance, ritual, round dance, expressing different sides spiritual world Russian person.
8 Russian folk songs for orchestra.

Symphonic miniatures by A.K. Lyadov appeared in the mature period of the composer’s work. There are few of them, and they are all software. And some of them have a specific literary program outlined by the author. Music researchers usually do not classify “Eight Russian Folk Songs” as program music Lyadov, but also to adaptations of folk songs, of which he has more than 200. What's the catch here? Let's figure it out.
The work is a cycle of miniatures for orchestra. Own name he doesn’t, but each play has its own “name” according to the genre of folk songs. Some of these songs have already been published previously in collections of arrangements of Lyadov’s folk songs for one voice and piano. But the composer again decided to turn to these genuine melodies, only in instrumental form. But why did he need this? After all, you can’t erase a word from a song... But he did it freely, without remorse... Did he really have nothing to orchestrate?
As always, with geniuses everything is simple, but not so primitive...
As history tells, Lyadov lived a “double” life. In winter he taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and spent the whole summer at his dacha in the village of Polynovka. What's surprising? Many works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and other composers were written at the dachas. But Lyadov did not just live in the country. He lived in a village. He spent a lot of time communicating with the family of the peasant Ivan Gromov, walking around the neighborhood and recording folk songs. Of course, he was completely imbued with the spirit of Russian folklore. He knew not only peasant life(especially loved to mow and chop wood), but also understood the type of thinking “ ordinary people", their morals and characters, attitude to the land, to life. At the same time, he was well-educated, “well-read” and deeply thinking person. And this combination of intelligence and rustic simplicity was reflected in his work. It was in “Eight Russians” folk songs"he connected two disjoint ones into ordinary life things - a village choral song and Symphony Orchestra. Other Russian composers did this - Mussorgsky and Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Tchaikovsky, and even Scriabin. But Lyadov did it in his own unique way.
Yes, the author uses genuine folk melodies that previously had words. But this is not just another “arrangement”, and his idea is not to “attribute” orchestral accompaniment to the folk melody. It’s about using the rich means of the orchestra to express what is between the words, between the lines, which is not customary to talk about in words.
Yes, he, too, like his colleagues, combined folk melodies with European principles of harmonization and used instrumental techniques in the orchestra folk instruments(sorry, balalaika); used folk genres and drew fairy tale characters. But in Eight Songs he went further and deeper.
This cycle contains a capacious reflection of the soul of the people in symbolic manifestation. There is no literary program here, as in his other symphonic films. But if Lyadov himself did not copy out the plot from Russian fairy tales, this does not mean that it is not there at all. The program is embedded in the genres of songs themselves, which were chosen by the author not by chance, not just for “diversity” and not by chance arranged in this and not any other order.
How can it be? Genre is just a classification of songs according to certain characteristics.
In science - yes. But not in folklore tradition. Not a single song in the village is sung “just like that.” She is always on point. And “by the time.” It's about not only about "timed songs" that are associated with calendar ritual, and which happens at a certain time of the year (Carols - on New Year's Eve, calls - in the spring, Kupala - in the summer, and so on). Dance, drinking, wedding, and comic songs also correspond to their action. In a word, behind each song there is a whole fairy tale. Therefore, the composer did not have to comment on the songs. Each genre speaks for itself. Lyadov apparently just liked the fact that a very deep thought could be expressed briefly and concisely.
Each song from the cycle is a character. Not so much a portrait of a character as an expression of a state of mind. This soul is multifaceted. And each play is its new facet.
Now more about each play and what it means in Lyadov’s unwritten program.

Spiritual verse- this is the character of the passers-by. In the old days, on green Christmastide (the week before Easter), wandering musicians came to the house and sang spiritual poems. Each song contains stories about “heavenly” life, the afterlife, the soul, and so on. In this cycle it is a symbol of prayer. And this “spirituality”, in fact, sets the tone for all the other plays.
***
Kolyada-Malyada- these are winter Christmastide, the week before Christmas, when mummers came to the house, danced with the owners of the house, sang majestic (that is, laudatory) songs to them, showed them puppet show(nativity scene) on biblical story. Perhaps these are the puppets lighting the star of Bethlehem and bringing gifts to the baby Jesus? Everything in the orchestration is “puppet-like”, “tiny” - quiet steps pizzicato, soft trumpets - the voices of dolls, but the character is still solemn.
***
Drawing- this is the most colorful expression of the suffering of the people. As the poet said, “we call this groan a song.” Undoubtedly, lingering ones were meant. Each such song tells about a difficult fate, a woman’s lot, or some kind of heartbreaking story with sad ending... We will not even look for the original words of this song, because the composer expressed even more through the orchestra... I would like to draw attention to how the cello ensemble performs the main melody in imitation of the ensemble of choir voices. The cellos here are especially soulful...
***
Comic- “I danced with a mosquito.” The depiction of mosquito squeaks is not the play's main attraction. Sound visualization is an integral part of the author’s style, but by doing this he only distracts attention, wanting to cheer up the listener a little after such deep grief as in the previous play. Let’s remember what the expression “so that a mosquito doesn’t sharpen your nose” means... Or how did Lefty shoe a flea? All these symbols are subtlety, sharpness of mind, wit. A funny joke - what could be a better distraction from grief and sadness?
***
An epic about birds is a special conversation.
Bylina- this is some kind of reality, that is, a story about what happened. She usually talks about the exploits of Russian heroes. And the music is usually of a narrative nature, slow, calm, “epic.” And the attitude towards birds in ancient times was special. Birds were revered in Rus' as sacred. In the spring, they “called” the larks, and in the fall they escorted the cranes to the south. But the author did not use stoneflies, but wrote “epics,” which speaks of some kind of myth.
Fairy tales often mention crows, eagles, doves, and swallows, which can speak in a human voice. There is also a sign that if a bird hits the window, then wait for news. According to legends, the bird is a symbol human soul, flying from the “other” world, that is, from the afterlife. It’s as if our distant ancestors are telling us something very important.
At the same time, the music of this epic is far from being of a narrative nature. The composer remained true to himself, choosing the sound-depicting path: all the time there are grace notes of woodwinds, which depict the flight of birds and fluttering from branch to branch; at the beginning of the piece, the bird seems to be knocking on the window (pizzicato), and, judging by the music, it brings bad news... It rushes about, moans, and at the very end, the low unisons of the strings seem to pronounce a harsh sentence from Fate. And, most likely, it is inevitable...
***
Lullaby- a logical continuation of the “sentence”. Traditional lullabies for children are usually very soothing. But here - not everything is so straightforward. If anyone rocks the cradle, it is not the good mother, but Death himself. She was the one knocking on the door last play. And now he groans and sighs. It's like someone is saying goodbye forever to dear person. But this is not a funeral song, but a lullaby! Everything is correct. When a person dies a natural death, he gradually falls asleep and never wakes up. And now death sings this plaintive lullaby, as if enveloping you in its fog, dragging you along with you into a damp grave. “Sleep, sleep... eternal sleep...”
***
But here - Plyasovaya- the shepherd’s magic pipe, the flute, appeared. Communication with the afterlife in the village it was attributed to all the shepherds, because they knew the language of birds and animals, and livestock. And the pipes were made from “magic” grass that plays itself. This magical pipe is small, thin as a mosquito, can slip into the kingdom of death and bring a person back to “this” light. But he must not just walk, but dance. And then, having walked along a thin thread connecting “that” light and “this”, a person returns to life.
And what does he see first?
Light! That is the Sun!
And people - friends and family.
***
Round dance- this is when everyone holds hands together and walks in a circle. The circle is a symbol of the sun. And the sun is warmth, abundance and wealth. The last play is a victory over death and a joyful hymn to Her Majesty of Life.

This is how short plays, literally, in “a few words,” contained the entire philosophy and poetry of the Russian people in the brilliant retelling of the miniaturist composer Anatoly Lyadov. Listen, and you will hear a part of yourself there as a truly Russian person.
Inna ASTAKHOVA

A brilliant confirmation of Lyadov’s creative evolution are his famous program miniatures - “Baba Yaga”, “Magic Lake”, “Kikimora”. Created in 1904-1910, they reflected not only the traditions of their predecessors, but also creative quest modernity. Orchestral fabulous paintings Lyadov, with all the independence of their plans, can be considered as a kind of artistic triptych, the outer parts of which (“Baba Yaga” and “Kikimora”) are bright “portraits” embodied in the genre of fantastic scherzos, and the middle one (“Magic Lake”) - a mesmerizing, impressionistic landscape.

Latest work in the field symphonic music- “Kesche” (“Sorrowful Song”), associated with the images of Maeterlinck.

“Sorrowful Song” turned out to be Lyadov’s “swan song”, in which, according to Asafiev, the composer “opened a corner of his own soul, from his personal experiences he drew material for this sound story, truthfully touching, like a timid complaint.”
This “confession of the soul” ended creative path Lyadov, whose original, subtle, lyrical talent as a miniature artist, perhaps, appeared somewhat ahead of his time.

Lyadov is completely unknown as an artist. He drew a lot for his children; the drawings were hung on the walls of the apartment, forming small family themed exhibitions. It was a vernissage of mythological creatures: strange little men, devils - crooked, lame, askew and even “pretty”, or caricatures of “ creative personality": writer, singer, dance teacher...

The cycle consists of fourteen miniature plays, of which the first and last, which serves as the finale, are based on the same musical material. Despite the contrast of individual plays, the work as a whole is painted in carefree, cheerful tones with a touch of some “childishness”, “toy-likeness” (which is reflected in the title of the cycle).
The middle movement of No. 1 is a graceful waltz. The waltz basis is also found in some other numbers of the cycle, sometimes acquiring a lyrical coloring (for example, in No. 3). Some plays are characterized by great mobility, motorism, sometimes with a touch of playful humor or cheerful, perky aspiration (see No. 4, 12, 13).
Two numbers of “Biryulek” are distinguished by the clearly expressed national-Russian character of intonations. These are No. 5 (B major), the opening chorus of which is inspired by the theme of “Walking” from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” and the five-beat No. 6 (E minor), reminiscent of the epic images of Borodin and Mussorgsky.

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 a like-minded person, of N. Rimsky-Korsakov, and he himself taught S. Prokofiev, N. Myaskovsky.

A.K. Lyadov. Biography: first years of life

The future composer was born in May 1855 in St. Petersburg. And his entire subsequent life will be connected with this city. Anatoly’s interest in music cannot be called an accident. His father was a conductor of Russian opera and worked at the Mariinsky Theater. 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, V.A. Antipova. However, these were irregular lessons. 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 became the reason for the formation in him of not too good qualities: lack of will, lack of composure. They had an extremely negative impact on creative process further.

Biography of Lyadov A.K.: student years

From 1867 to 1878, Anatoly studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. His teachers were such celebrities as Y. Johansen, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Dubasov, F. Beggrov. Lyadov graduated from the Conservatory brilliantly. With the assistance of N. Rimsky-Korsakov, even during his student days, Anatoly maintained friendly relations with “ A mighty bunch" - the community of composers. Here he became familiar with the ideals of creativity and realized himself as a Russian composer. Soon this association disintegrated, and Lyadov moved to a new one - the Belyaev Circle. Together with Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov, he immediately began to manage the process: selecting, editing and publishing new works.

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

As an artist, Anatoly Konstantinovich formed quite early. And in the future, all his activities were not marked by any sharp transitions. Outwardly, Lyadov’s life looked calm, stable and even monotonous. It was as if he was afraid of some changes for the worse and therefore fenced himself off from the world. Perhaps he lacked strong impressions to creative activity. The smooth course of his life was disrupted by only two trips: in 1889 to Paris for the World War art exhibition, where his works were performed, and in 1910 - to Germany.

A.K. Lyadov. Biography: personal life

The composer did not allow anyone 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, although he subsequently 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 pedagogical activity. In 1878, Lyadov was invited to the position of professor at the conservatory, and he worked in this educational institution until the end of life. Additionally, since 1884, the composer taught in the singing choir at the court. His students were Myaskovsky and Prokofiev. Lyadov himself admitted that he composed in short intervals between teaching. Since 1879, he also worked as a conductor. IN early period The most original turned out to be the cycle “Spillkins” he created. By the end of the 80s, Lyadov showed himself as a master of miniatures. His preludes can be considered the pinnacle of the chamber form. This genre was closest to his worldview. From 1887 to 1890 he wrote three notebooks of "Children's Songs". They were based on ancient texts of jokes, spells, and sayings. In the 1880s, the composer also began to study Russian folklore. In total, he processed 150 folk songs.

A.K. Lyadov - composer. Biography: recent years

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

The composer continued his quest for his teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov. Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov. Together with his mentor, he taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1905, as a sign of protest against the dismissal, he, who sympathized with the revolutionary students, submitted, together with Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, a petition for expulsion from the professorship.

Lyadov did not write symphonies, operas, or large musical works in general. He was a principled miniaturist. But he finished each of his miniatures like a first-class jeweler.

You must have heard his “Music Box.” It can be seen performed by ballet dancers. Amazing play!

And his “Baba Yaga”, “Kikimora”, “Magic Lake”?

Kikimora

These are truly musical watercolors. They are written gracefully, subtly, with genuine poetry.

The orchestral colors of Lyadov’s miniatures are so rich that we seem to see not only the outlines of the picture that has arisen in our imagination, but also its color, its pattern, a surprisingly Russian ornament.

Lyadov smells of Russia not only in his adaptations of folk songs, but also where there is not a single quote from an original song composed by the people.

His orchestral miniature “Magic Lake” sounds like a Russian fairy tale. It is all woven from light, transparent sounds, and it seems that you need to listen to it without breathing, so as not to frighten away the charm of magic.

Lyadov searched for a long time for some description of the lake in Russian epics, trying to “rely” on it, but nowhere did he find what excited his imagination. And finally I discovered this lake very close, not far from the village in which I was born and where I loved to come in the summer.

Well, a simple Russian forest lake,” the composer admired, “and in its invisibility and silence it is especially beautiful.

The composer, enchanted, looked at this forest miracle:

You had to feel how many lives and how many changes in colors, light and shade, and air took place in the constantly changing silence and seeming stillness!

Lyadov transferred his impressions “to the unsteady speech of music, and it, the lake, became magical” (B. Asafiev).

A bewitching, thin, like a forest cobweb, melody appears barely audible, as if silence itself began to sound. The tremolo of the timpani is barely discernible, the bows of violins, violas and cellos lightly touch the strings, and the harps sound almost disembodied.

Suddenly a breeze passed, raising light ripples. Short phrases woodwind instruments, celestas and harps are like colorful reflections flickering on the water, or sparkles of stars flashing in the thick blue of the night sky.

Cellos enter, then flutes. The orchestra is becoming more and more animated. The undulating passages of the violins convey the increasing agitation of the lake. In the sound of the oboes one can hear, as it were, sighs, mysterious and indefinite, as if mermaids are emerging from the depths of the waters. They swim to the shore, swing on the branches of weeping willows...

The orchestra conveys this fabulous charm in some kind of flickering sounds. The violins sing warmer and warmer, their voices become more appealing. Sweet languor reaches its limit. And again the sounds fade, the lake calms down. It goes to sleep. The mermaids are disappearing. Silence is barely audible again...

Oh, how I love him! - exclaimed the composer. - How picturesque it is, pure, with stars and mystery in the depths!.. Just dead nature - cold, evil, but fantastic, like in a fairy tale.

And this fabulous charm of witchcraft forest lake Lyadov conveyed it in his orchestral miniature. The music of Lyadov’s “Magic Lake” is so airy, changeable and elusive that it is reminiscent of the works of the Impressionists.