Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

'
SEROV SEEOV 421
eleven were composed by Claudin. Three chansons
one hand Serov pointed to the great musical
are in vol. 23, of the Publikation ' alterer movement in Western Europe ;
with the other
prakt.und theoret. Musikwerke,' Leipzig, 1899. he sought to blind the eyes of Russian society
Commer ('Coll. op. mus.' vol. xii.) reprints to the awakening which was taking place within.
three, the melodies of which were used for It was not until after his visit to Germany in
Psalms Ixxii., ciii., and cxxviii., in the ' Souter 1858, from which—in his own words—he returned
Liedekens,' Antwerp, 1640. Otto Kade in his
Wagner mad, ' ' that he took up a distinctly
book Die dltere Passionskomposition, Giitersloh, hostile attitude to the New Russian School
1893, treats very fully of Claudin's Passion which was striving to express in music the
music, published by Attaingnant in 1.534. c. a. spirit of the race. Then followed that long
SEROV, Alexander Nicholabvich, composer
polemic between Serov and Stassov which was
and critic, born Jan. 23, 1820, in St. only a side episode in that greater conflict
Petersburg, died in the same city, Feb. 1, between Western and Slavophil, the echo of
(Jan. 20, O.S.), 1871. The son of a government
which has hardly yet died away. In spite oS
official, he was educated at the School great popular authority, Serov's position ini
of Jurisprudence, where he only made one 1860 was in many respects an isolated andl
intimate friend, Vladimir Stassov, destined unenviable one. There was neither place noir
afterwards to be his stoutest opponent in matters need for an ardent Wagnerian propaganda in
of art. In his Reminiscences of the School of Russia. Between his ungenerous depreciation
Jurisprudence Stassov has given an interesting of the new school and his lukewarm attitude
account of Serov's student days. He left the towards Rubinstein, Serov's influence began to
institution with a decided hankering after an wane. Serov had passed his fortieth year before
artistic career, but accepted a clerkship in a he set to work upon his first opera ' Judith.'
government office in obedience to his father's With extraordinary energy and determination
wish. He found, however, some leisure for he surmounted all technical difficulties, and
musical pursuits, studied the violoncello and completed the opera in the spring of 1862. In
was busy with the project of composing an opera. March 1863 Wagner visited St. Petersburg,
From his correspondence with Stassov we gather
that he cherished vague, ambitious plans which
and Serov submitted to him the score of 'Judith.'
Wagner more particularly praised the orchestration,
were hindered by lack oif technical training, and
in which he cannot have failed to see the
by the unsympathetic attitude of his father. In reflection of his own influence.
' Judith ' was
1848 he was transferred from the capital to produced in the course of the season 1863-64,
the dull provincial town of Simferopol, which on a scale of magnificence hitherto unknown
proved fatal to his musical schemes. Nevertheless
in the production of national opera, and im-
his determination to acquire further mediately took the public by storm. The
technical knowledge was unshaken. Through subject was well adapted to Serov's opulent
Stassov he obtained an introduction to the and sensational manner. In general style the
famous theorist Hunke, then living in Petersburg,
work recalls the early Wagnerian operas with
who undertook to instruct him in counter-
some curious reminiscences of Meyerbeer. As
point by correspondence. The method was regards picturesque effect, 'Judith ' is admirable,
not very successful, and Serov's progress was although the dramatic colour is occasionally
slow. It is evident that he was often tempted to coarse and flashy. The many technical defects
throw up his official position for art's sake, but
his father sternly discountenanced such a proceeding.
were easily overlooked by the public in an opera
which made so direct an appeal to their sensuous
Nevertheless, his feeling for music con-
enjoyment. Serov's long apprenticeship to
tinued to assert itself, and as his ideas assumed musical criticism taught him what was attractive
more definite shape, he turned to. criticism, and practicable for the stage, just as he had
which at that time was at a low ebb in Russia. acquired from the study of Wagner a considerable
His first articles in the Russian Contemporary
power of effective orchestration.
'
Judith
in 1851 created something like a sensation,
because he brought to bear upon his aesthetic
criticism a highly cultivated intelligence, a
distinctive style, and an effective, if ponderous,
irony. His early articles dealt with Mozart,
Beethoven, Donizetti, Rossini, Meyerbeer, and
Spontini, and in discussing the last-named he
explained and defended the historical ideal of
the music -drama. Considering that at this
time Serov was practically ignorant of Wagner's
works, the conclusions which he draws do
credit to his reflection and foresight. His
vpritings have now lost much of their value
because of their polemical character. With
fascinated not only the uncritical public, but
many of the young musical generation, including
Tchaikovsky, who refers to it as one of his
'
first loves ' in music. It still holds its own
in the repertory of Russian opera.
Serov lost no time in following up his first
success, and ' Rogneda ' was completed and performed
in the autumn of 1865. Its success
was unprecedented. In ' Rogneda ' Serov almost
discards the Wagnerian influence for
that of Meyerbeer. We look in vain in this
work for the higher purpose, the eflbrt at
psychological delineation and comparative
solidity of execution which are occasional