Boris Asaf'ev and the Soviet Musicology - E-thesis

founders of socialist realism, writer Maxim Gorkij, painter Ilja Repin (1844–1930);
composer Aleksandr Glazunov (1865–1936) and the world famous bass singer of the
Marinskij Theatre, Fedor Šaljapin (1873–1938). 101 Asaf’ev graduated from the St.
Petersburg State University in 1908, having minors on history and a specialization on
Renaissance and the 19 th century Russia. Rimskij-Korsakov died at the same year and
left Asaf’ev with a crisis since he had hoped to study composition with the eminent
composer. 102 In 1909, Asaf’ev married Irina Hozjaševa. 103 Some sources claim that
Asaf’ev graduated from St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1910. 104 However, McQuere,
Krjukov and the official Soviet biography hint that he had some difficulties with Ljadov
and he ceased formal education in music already after Rimskij-Korsakov’s death in
1908 to work on his own. 105
Asaf’ev made his debut as a composer at those times. By 1910 he had composed
already a number of works including some large pieces such as the children’s opera
Snežnanja koroleva (The snow queen) composed in 1907 and produced in 1908. He also
secured his first professional position and started as a rehearsal pianist for the ballet
troupe of the Marinskij Theater. 106
The time Asaf’ev spent in Marinskij influenced obviously on him as a ballet composer.
There he made friends with a ballet dancer and a teacher Vaclav F. Nižinskij (1889–
1950), a ballet dancer and teacher Nikolaj G. Legat (1869–1937) and an Italian
conductor Riccardo E. Drigo (1846–1930). Asaf’ev also dreamed about becoming a
director at those times. It turned out to be unsuccessful. 107 He spent the summer of 1910
studying at the museums in France, Germany and Italy. These trips enabled him to
continue the broad intellectual and aesthetic development, which he had begun at the
university and under Stasov’s conduction. He was also interested in the members of Mir
101
Ibid., p. 47.
102
McQuere (Eds.) 1983, p. 218.
103
Biography 1984, pp. 31, 61.
104
Izbrannye Trudy I 1950, p. 6; Tull 1976, p. 8; see “Asaf’ev” in Balet. Russkij enciklopedija 1981;
Russkij balet enciklopedija 1997; The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2001.
105
Krjukov in Materialy 1982, pp. 7–8; McQuere (Ed.) 1983, p. 218; Biography 1984, p. 61; Asaf’ev
(1923) quoted in Haas 1998, p. 19.
106
Biography 1984, pp. 67–70.
107
Asaf’ev: Reminisces 1974; Biography 1984, p. 64.
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