Pianist Nikolai Rubinstein: Biography, Creativity and Interesting Facts

Nikolay Rubinstein is a popular Russian composer and conductor. Known as one of the creators of the Moscow Conservatory (he served as the first director).

short biography

Nikolay Rubinstein was born on June 14, 1835 in Moscow in the family of a small manufacturer. Previously, the family of Nicholas lived in the small village of Vykhvatyntsa (Pridneprovye), but three years before the birth of the boy his parents decided to move to the future capital of Russia.

In the period from 1844 to 1846 Nicholas, along with his older brother Anton and his mother lived in Berlin.

At the age of 12, Rubinstein and his family return to Moscow again, where the future musician lived for the rest of his life.

Who was Nikolai Grigorievich Rubinstein by profession? At the age of 20, the young man graduated from Moscow University and received the profession of a lawyer.

As the whole life of the young man was permeated with music, he toured in parallel with training for a lawyer, and in 1858 (3 years after receiving the profession) he decided to devote himself entirely to concert activity.

In 1859, Nicholas made every effort to open a special branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society in Moscow.

The reader from the first lines of the article became aware that Nikolai Grigorievich Rubinstein founded. In 1866, the man took the post of director of the same Moscow Conservatory. He held the post until the end of his life.

Fruitful for the pianist was in 1872, at this time he played a well-known concert in Vienna and organized a concert at the World Music Exhibition in Paris.

The death of this outstanding musician was recorded in 1881 on the territory of the capital of France, but they buried a man in Moscow, in the vastness of the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Relationship with brother

Rubinstein (Anton and Nikolai) have always been quite friendly, because both did not imagine their lives without music.

When Nicholas turned 9 years old, he and his brother Anton were transported to Germany, to Berlin, where the boys studied music. At that time, they toured almost all European cities.

Nikolai always took an example from his elder brother, even the Moscow Conservatory he created was an attempt to repeat his brother's success. After all, Anton opened a conservatory in St. Petersburg for 14 years earlier.

Musical activity

Nikolai Rubinstein, whose interesting facts you can learn from this article, began at the age of 4 under the strict control of his mother, and already at the age of 7 the boy and his brother were invited to perform all kinds of concerts in Russia and abroad In the countries of Europe.

During his stay in Berlin, the boy studied with such outstanding people as Theodore Kullak (studied the basics of piano and piano) and Siegfried Den (studied the theoretical foundations of music). In Moscow, he moved to the well-known Russian music teacher Vasily Villuan.

At the age of 23, the young man has already fully determined his life goal and left the legal sphere for the sake of regular concert activity.

In 1859, Nicholas received the post of conductor of symphony orchestras in the department of the Imperial Russian Musical Society.

In 1866, he took up the post of piano teacher at the Moscow Conservatory.

For his whole life Rubinstein spent about 250 concerts in the role of a conductor. Concerts were held both in Moscow and in other cities of Russia.

And in 1870 Nikolai spent 33 concerts, and all the proceeds of the finances were donated to the Red Cross.

Abroad, the man did not like to hold concerts, the only countries for which he made exceptions were Austria and France. But even speaking at concerts abroad, he still preferred Russian music, for which he was nicknamed the ardent propagandist.

Nikolai preferred to perform already well-known musical works. During his life he composed only a few plays and romances for playing the piano.

Unusual sociability musician

Pianist Nikolai Rubinstein always had a special talent: he could come together with any person, regardless of his age, sex and views on life. That is why, in his younger years, the musician was invited to join the "young editorial office" of the magazine Moskvityanin published by Pogodin. And then the young man became a member of the artistic circle, whose members were the most outstanding creative personalities of the time.

It is noted that in 1859, when Botkin, Tolstoy and Obolensky were developing the Chamber Music Society project in Moscow, it was Rubinstein who was seen in his chapter. Unfortunately, or fortunately, life has developed in such a way that Nicholas devoted himself to the Moscow Conservatory.

The development of the Moscow Conservatory under the leadership of Rubinstein

When in 1866 Nikolai Rubinshtein, whose biography is full of interesting facts, contributed to the opening of the Moscow Conservatory in Moscow and took the post of its director, practically no one (even his brother) believed that in this way the man would at least move the musical sphere to the masses.

But in a few years, thanks to the special managerial and organizational skills of the man, the conservatory has become the best musical institution not only in Moscow, but also practically throughout Russia.

It was Nikolai Rubinshtein who contributed to the fact that the Conservatory was given the right to teach on their own curriculum - they were developed directly by teachers of the educational institution. In addition, there was created the only department of ancient Russian church singing in the whole of Russia.

In the collective of teachers of the conservatory were the best composers and musicians of that time.

Trial

Despite the high achievements of men in the musical plan, far from all representatives of the authorities of that time respected Rubinstein. For the slightest mistake, Nicholas was immediately reminded of his belonging to the Jewish nationality and low rank.

This attitude was particularly striking in the period from 1869 to 1870 during the trial. The court was connected with the fact that Rubinstein expelled from his office a student who violated all existing rules, some PK Shchebalskaya. At first glance, an insignificant situation was the subject of a trial because the student was the daughter of a general, and the musician was just a provincial secretary.

The decision of the court was not in favor of Nicholas. The court ruled that Rubinstein, as the lowest in rank, insulted the daughter of the general and now is obliged to pay them a fine of 25 rubles. If Nikolai did not have this money, then he would have to spend 7 days in prison.

According to newspaper clippings of that time, almost all Muscovites discussed this matter, and only thanks to the intervention of the Senate the verdict was canceled.

The second clash with the authorities

No sooner had Nikolai Rubinstein departed from the past shame, as he was branded in despotism.

In 1879, the Council of Professors of the Moscow Conservatory decided to forbid the teacher of the institution Shostakovskiy to speak in public in order not to disgrace himself or the conservatory.

But Shostakovsky did not agree with such a position and announced that Rubinstein was a despot and an envious person, since he did not want the pianist equal in strength to become famous. Shostakovskii's words were fixed by the fact that he was also the son of a general, and his family was under the auspices of his brother Alexander II.

And again everything went according to the second circle. The harassment of the musician began in the newspapers and behind the eyes. Again, the Senate had to intervene.

Nikolay Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky

Among the teachers of the Moscow Conservatory, who were among the friends of Rubinstein, there was a famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

When Peter Ilyich learned of the persecution of Rubinstein because of alleged despotism and envy, he simply could not tolerate such slander, so he wrote a letter to Russian art critic Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov, who almost the most insulted Rubinstein.

The letter included the following lines: "Where there is light before me, good and the greatest merit, you see only darkness, harm and even certain crimes. But I want to tell you that all your accusations directed at Rubinstein are groundless. I worked under his leadership for 12 years, and it's simply incredible for me to hear vile accusations towards a bright man. Such accusations can only lead to the fact that Nicholas will abandon his offspring. If to argue from his career, then this he only will move up, but I do not want to ruin the affairs so reverently created by him. "

Pedagogical abilities

Many students of Rubinstein claimed that he was an incredible teacher, especially in the following moments:

1. Rubinshtein believed that students should understand all musical spheres, and not focus only on one thing.
2. Nicholas demanded from the students expression of personality, and not an unconditional imitation of other outstanding personalities.
3. Was demanding. If the student was not ready for the lesson, he loaded him with such a stream of information and tasks that the next time such a mistake was made by no one.
4. I placed emphasis on enthusiasm. If a student really likes something, then he will succeed.

Sayings of Rubinstein's pupils

Despite all the strictness of the pianist, all the students were delighted with his teaching. This is manifested in some of their sayings:

1. E. Sauer: "He had a special flair that could reveal the strengths of each student. He argued: everyone - his own. Each individual talent requires an individual approach, and if it is provided, the talent will play in bright colors. "
2. A. Ziloti: "At the lessons, Nikolai Rubinshtein showed us such skill that he involuntarily wanted to achieve at least a small number of his abilities. At the same time, he played each of his pupils in different ways to touch on individual strings of the soul. "

Funeral of Rubinstein

Despite the ambiguous attitude to the pianist during the life of his funeral were indeed honorable.

As a sign of mourning in the whole of Moscow, street lights were lit. At the requiem people brought a huge number of wreaths from the laurel, near the coffin was stacked a myriad of flowers.

In order that Nikolai Rubinstein, whose brief biography was presented to your attention in the article, always remained in the memory and hearts of people, Tchaikovsky wrote in his honor the trio a-moll "In memory of the great artist".

This person is worthy of respect, and it really remains in the heart of every music connoisseur.