Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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568 SONG
Gurilev, Vassilev, and Dubuque arranged a
number of national airs, especially the so-called
gipsy tunes, to modern words in rhyme and
four-line stanzas, with a simple pianoforte accompaniment.
Glinka's songs stand on a higher
level, though they vary in merit ; some of the
earlier ones betray the Italian influence, and
have elementary accompaniments ; some are
in dance-rhythm pervaded by a local colouring ;
others are pure lyrics and very expressive, but
Ills finest effort is the powerful ballad 'The
Midnight Review.' Dargomijsky was nearly
Glinka's contemporary, and shai-ed the same
enthusiasm for his country's music. His songs
show more dramatic power ; many consist of
short declamatory phrases akin to recitative,
and all evince a high regard for the meaning and
metre of the words. Dargomijsky has, moreover,
caught the intense but languorous spirit
of the East. His ballads take high rank,
i
especially one called Knight Errant. '
' Rubinstein
is a strange paradox. More cosmopolitan
and western in feeling than any other Russian
composer, it is his eastern songs which are the
best. Many of his songs belong to the German
Lied, the accompaniments being ctearly based
on Schumann as a model, as for instance, '
Nun
die Sohatten dunkeln ' (Geibel), and Nacht
'
(Eichendorlf). Buthissettingsof MirzaSchaffy's
woVds are by far the most beautiful and original
of all his songs, and all are essentially vocal.
The following five composers may be said to
constitute the new school of Russian music
Borodin, Balakirev, Cui, Moussorgsky, and
Rimsky-Korsakov. They are frankly progressive
; their aims are high and, generally
speaking, they maintain their ideal. They
formulated certain principles of their art, one
of which directly concerns Song, that vocal
'
music should be in perfect accordance with the
meaning of the text.' And though each composer
with his individual tendencies produced
different work, they were unanimous on this
point, as may be seen on closer examination of
their songs. They were mostly cultivated
men, and with regard to the culte of their
native music they were directly under the
influence of Glinka and Dargomijsky. Borodin's
songs are of rare beauty and distinction. They
are original in form, and remarkable for certain
peculiarities of harmony. Borodin had a strong
predilection for the rhythms and modes of the
East.2 Balakirev, one of Glinka's true disciples,
wrote only twenty-five songs ; they are chiefly
lyrical in feeling, and all are scrupulously finished
and polished. For his words, he chose only
of this hymn, but merely took the melody of the trio of a OeKhvrtndmir$oh,
composed by F. fiogdanovltch Haaa, bandmaster of the
St. Petersburg regiment of the Guards, and published in a March
Collection In 182-2. The notes are identical, the only change being
made in the time.
> 0. Cui says of this ballad ; It is imposelble to put into adequate
words all tbe laconic strength, the picturescLue qualities and vivid
realism conveyed by this song. It breathes the spirit of the past
and appeals to the mind as vividly as a picture.'
^ See Borodin and Ligzt, by Alfred Habets, translated by Mrs.
Newmarch.
from the best Russian poets. His
'
Song of
the golden fish,' with its developed and interesting
accompaniment, is one of the most
perfect specimens of modern Russian songs.
Among C^sar Cui's best songs are those set to
French words, which may be explained by the
French blood in his veins. But he has a special
gift for song-writing, and among his numerous
songs—over 150 in number—not one is lacking
in melody, grace, and polish. Dargomijsky's
direct successor may be said to be Moussorgsky,
an interesting but unequal composer. Gloom,
tragedy, and grim humour are to be found in his
songs, but there also exist sincerity and pathos.
Rimsky - Korsakov's love for his country's
music and his valuable collections have been
already alluded to, and throughout his songs
this national spirit may be felt. His songs are
neither long nor numerous, and their beauty is
of a restrained kind. Their chief characteristics
are beautiful and ' uncommon harmonies and
elaborated accompaniments, by which he gives
relief to themelodicphrases.'^ Rimsky-Korsakov
has excelled in the composition of eastern
songs, and ' all are characterised by a certain
languid monotony, in keeping with the oriental
style of the words.'* Tchaikovsky cannot be
classed in any school ; he stands alone. He
was more cosmopolitan than the afore -mentioned
composers, and more individual than
national in his music. The emotional value
and the_ beautiful melodies of his songs compensate
for the inadequacy of ill-chosen words
and for the defects of a certain diffuseness of
treatment. But notwithstanding these artistic
demerits, as an expression of passion, tragic
or triumphant, his songs make a direct appeal
and elicit a direct response. To this quality
may be attributed his wide popularity in non-
Slavonic countries.
Sacred and spiritual songs are greatly sung
in Russia, and in connection with them Lvov,
Bortniansky, Bachmetiev, and Dmitriev's names
are well known. The eminent antagonistic
critics Stassov and Serov also deserve mention,
although song-writing was not their forte.
In conclusion it remains to give the names
of some other contemporary song -writers
Alpheraky, Antipov, Arensky, Artcibouchev,
S. and F. Blumenfeld, Davidov, Glazounov,
Gretchaninov, Grodsky, Kopylov, Liadov,
Liapounov, Rachmaninov, Rebikov, Scriabin,
Sokolov, Stcherbatchev, Wihtol, etc. Some of
these musicians are young, and their work varies
in merit, but it cannot be denied that in Russia,
Song, both the folk- and art-song, is regarded
as a serious branch of music, and treated with
care and reverence.
BiBLIOQKAPHY
The general histories of Russian music by Tonri von Arnold,
Famintsine (on old Slavonic music), Sacchetti, Beresovslcy,
Sokalskl (Folk -Song), etc.
3 Mrs. Nevmarch, TheArt-Songt qfjtuefta, SanvmetMndet I.M.G.
ill. 2. 1 IMd.