musorgsky and hartman

8/13/2019 Musorgsky and Hartman

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Musorgsky:Pictures at οn Εxhibiιion

a celebration of Russianµeatness and a veiledreference to the assassinationattempt reflectinga more general tendency of realistartisω to deal with.seditionand rebellion,?ι9

Realismis anti-romantic in so far as romanticismimpliesexaggeration,sentimentality,melodrameand concern ι,vith the composer,s self-expressionover the subject in hand, whilethe realist artist isalways by deΙinitionmoredetached. But it is also very much part of the Romanticage. Musorgsky is irsclearestmusicaladherent, but it is found inother composers'works that dealι,vith deep or violent emotions experienced by everyday people, notably Bizet'sCormenor the works of the ltalianverismo. ΑsDahlhaus tells us, reaΙism inmusic emerged against a background of romanticism's strong survivaluntilthe end of the century, after it had ceased to exist in other arts. Ιndeed,'Realismwas never more than a peripheralphenomenon in the music of thenineteenth century'.'o

Musorgskyond Hωrtmωn

Musorgskyin 1874

The year of Picturesat an Εrhibitionιryas a Strange mixture of pessimismandoptimismfor Musorgsky.Publicacclaimcame with the staging of BorisGodunoυ; but this \ilas also the year of the desolate, subiectiveSong cycleSunless. The death of VictorFΙarαnan in the previous summer depressed andangered him,and his closefriend NadezhdaOpochininawas to die in June 874. Bynow drinkhad a firmhold on Musorgsky;he ιryas prey to bouts ofillnessand his abilityto make sustained efforts at compositionwas curtailed.

But much was still achievedin 1874-5 includingextensiveιryorkonΚhoυanshchinaand SorochintsyFair,and the Sozgs οnd Dancesof Death. lnthe end the tιvo operas remained unfinished,but it is wrong to date the declinein his po\ryers as beginningin 187+, as Stasov does. His dogmatic condemna-tion of the ιι,orks of this periodas .obscure, mannered, more often incoherentand insipid'ιis ridiculousand says more about him being annoyed withMusorµky,sdrinkingand his straying from the path of Russianrealism thanit does about Musorgsky'sιryork.At this time too, Musorµkywas trying tohold doιryn a full-time,but thoroughly depressing and demoralising,clericaliob in the Foresrry Department of the Ministryof State Property.The 'MighryHandful',despite the efforts of Stasov, was breaking up.

Financialpressures had hit the Free MusicSchooland had precipitatedBalakirev,sιryithdrawalfrom musicallifeuntil 1876. Withthe exceptionofStasov, Musorgsky\ilas composing free from theinfluenceof his friends;indeed, his relationshipu,ith them had become difficult,since they regardedhis music as ιvayιJvardand sometimes illiterate.He was discontented with hisfellowcomposers, idealisticover-concern ιryith technique and tradition andtheir failure to push at the boundaries of art, something ιryhichforcedMusorgskyincreasinglytoιι,ards writers,philosophers,visualartists andpoets. }Ιe formed friendshipsιviththe poet ArsenyGolenischev-Kutuzov,thesculptorAntokolsky,the painter Repinand the architect VictorHartman.

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Musorgsky:Picluresaι an Εxhibition

Mιιsιlrgsky\,vantcd tο dcpictliΓe,not indulge in the ideaΙisticsonata-formwιlrldιlΓthe symphonists:

Ι am not against symphonies, just symphonists, incorrigibleconservatives. So don,t tellmc, dear gθnθralissime, why our musicianstalk more abοut technique than abοut goalsor historicalproblems . . .. Rut one thought stillclistresses me: Whydo the .Ιvans,

. . .

[Statues oΓΙvanΙVand Ιvan ΙΙΙ on horseback] ... oΓAntokolskyliγel Whydo Repin,s.ΙJoatmen, [i.e. the ΓamousBarge-Haulerspainting] livei ... Why do the degenerate boyin Ñerov,s .Rirdcatcher, and the first couple in his .The FΙunters, and also .TheVillageReligiousProcession,live? And they livein a ιγay that makes you feel, once youare acquainted with them, that .you arc exactly the one Ι wanted to see,. Whyis it thateverything that has bcen done in the most recent music,despite its excelΙent qualities,does not live in this wayi . . . Εxplainthis to me' only leave the boundaries oΓaπ aside_ Ι believe in thcrn only relativelybccaus c ιhe bοundαriesοf orι in the religionoΓanaπistmcan Stagnoιior(letter to Stasov |3 / Ζ5 July |87Ζ).

The excitementand SucceSSoΓBorisGοdunοu,s staging on 8/}}Februa ry |874in the MaryinskyTheatre scems to have cncouraged Musorgskyin hisdrinkingand what RimskyrcΓcrs to as his .strange ways,:

Musorgskybegan to appear in our rnidst somewhat less Γrequentlythan beΓore, anda certain change bccamc noticcablcin him: he appeared mysterioussomehoιγ, pcrhapseven arrogant. Ι{isconccitgrcw trcmendοusly, and his vague, involvcd\ryay oΓexpressing himsclξwhichhad bccn characteristic oΓhim, intensifiedconsiderably.

On 6/ 18 MarchStasovscnt his daughter this portrait of Musorgsky'scondition:

he has cornpΙctely changed.He has bcgun to drink more and more, his face has swollenand turned dark red, his eyes have gonebad, and he hangs out at the Malyyaroslavetsalmοst all day, whcre that damncd carousing crowd gathers.So many efΓoπs have beenmade to drag him out oΓthere and joinιγithall of us again _ nothing helps.Andbcsides.he has bccome somchow pcttyand pusilΙanirnous.

orlova, ιγho inΓormsuS that the .MalyYaroslavets,was in fact quite ∆

respectable establishmcnt, is inclinedto think that Stasov may be exaggerar-ing. CertainlyGolenischev-Κutuzov,Sreminiscence (MarchI874) oΓsharinga fΙat ιvithMusorgskysho\ryS the composer in a quite diΓferent light: .At thattime he livedon Shpalernaya, Ι found tιvo rooms next to him; \rye opened thedoors dividingour Ιodging so that a smallapartment ιryaS formed in whichweset up our iointhousekccping. Allmorninguntilnoon (whenMusorgsky leftΓor the oΓfice)and all eveningwe spent together in the large room of ourhouse.'Latcrin the springΚutuzov\ryrotc to his mother expressing his desirc

Musοrgskyand Ιlarrman

tιl find a less cramped and warTner apartment. FΙe stillhoped that Musorgskyιvouldstay ιryithhim, so liΓecould not have becn too bad with the alcoholiccx-Guards'oΓficer.2

Count ArsenyGolenischev-Κutuzov,^

descendantof the Κutuzovιvhocommanded the RussianΓorces against Napoleonin 1812 and whο \ryas

immortalisedin Tolstoy,sWαrα'nd Peοce, had becοme ∆ closeΓriendoΓ

Musorgskyin 1873 and rhey had stayed with one another for short periodsbeΓoremovingin together; indeed, there has been speculation that Musorgskyhad an unΓulfilledhomosexualinclinationtowards him. ΙΓ speculationthatMusorgskywas a masochistwith .a vein oΓhomoscxuality', is corrcct, thenhis burst oΓ crcativityin l874_5may wellhave bccn stimulatedby his clοserelationshipwith Golenischev-Κutuzοv.

FΙartman,Sdeath and the cornpositionof Picιιιres

VictorFΙartman died on 23 Iν|y/4 August1873 oΓan ancurism. Ι{is carlydeath, at the age oΓ thirry-nine,came iust as he reached a pοintwhere he mighthave becn able to realise Somc oΓhis concepts. Τhisutter wastc of a talcnt

through early deathgreatly distressedMusorgskywho also reproached himself

Γornot rccognisingand actingon the signsof Hartman'S Γatalconditiοn.Ιfit \ryere not ΓorPicturesαt an ΕxhibitiοnHartman would no\ry be almostcοmpletelyΓοrgotten. LittleiΓany oΓhis architecturalwork now remains, andhis work as a painter, illustratorand designeris ephemeral. At the time oΓHartman's death Stasov \ryas attcnding the ViennaWorld F'air whereHartman,s moιΙel of his NationalTheatre in Moscowhad just earned him a

medal. Writingto his sistcr,Stasov appraiscd Hartman thus: .Ιn my cyes hcwas the mοst talented, the most original,the most adventurous, the boldestoΓall our architects,even those oΓ the new young school. . o. oΓcourse I

considered him rathcr inΓcriorto Musorgsky,Repinand Antokolsky,however,he was a talcnt - strong '.0Ιn Stasov,s absenccMusorgskyprovidedan obituaryΓor the Sankt

Peterburgskiye υedemοsliNo.203. The obituaryis not an eulogy. LikeStasov,Musorgskyseems to have realised that FΙartman was a remarkable talent, butnot ∆ gcnius (despitc his reΓcrence to FΙartman withthis term in hisautobiography). Hcpoints to Hartman'sRussiannessand socialconcern,although the onlyexample oΓthe latter is the buildingoΓa theatre Stasοv andCount PaulSuzor, president of the Architects'Sociery, decided to markLΙarπnan,s ιΙcath with a memorialexhibitionoΓ as much οΓhis workas thcycouldgather up. Ιt οpcnecΙ during thc secondwcek oΓF.ebruaryl874,and ran

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Musorgsky:Pictures at on Εxhibiιion

and ιryaSabout to add the sixth. Whetherhe had fullyformulated ideas Γorthcother pieces is not clear, but ιryedo get the impressionthat the workwascomposed in its finalsequence.

The second halΓof Picturεs is described in a letter from Stasovto Rimskγ-Κorsakov:

Musoryaninhas positivelycompleted and wrinen rhe last stroke of his piecc onFΙartman. The second porι you don,t knowat alΙ, and there, Ι thinkare the vcrybcstthings. 'The LimogesGossipsat the Market' - an enchanting sche rz.inoand vcrypianistic.Thencomes.Baba.Y∆Eλ'_excellentand powerful, and in conclusion_.TheΚievBogatyr,s Gate, _ in the manner of a hymn or finale ιi lο ,S|avsiya, _ of coursca rnilliontimes ιryorse and weaker, but all the same a lovely,mighty and οriginalthing.There isa particularlylovelychurchmotiΓ: .Asyou are baptised in Christ,,and thcringingbells are in a completelynew style. Ιnthis secondpart λrea Γewunusually poeticlines.This[musicalquotation] is the music for LΙartman,s picrureof the .C-atacombs

of Ñaris, allmade oΓskulls.Musoryaninhas begun with a depiction oΓ a gloomyvault(long stretched chords, purelyorchestral, withgreat [pause mark]). Then rremolandocomes in

^minor key the theme oΓ the first promenade, _ these are faint lights

glimmering in ιhe skulls,and here suddenly issounded the magic,pocticalappcaloΓHartmanto Musorgsky.e

Stasov,Stone is slightlyderogatory: .Κiev,is not the equal of the hallowcdGlinka's.Slaγsiya'.But inpresentingMusorgsky'smusic to those outside thccirclehe wouldbe more positive.FΙe reported to Tchaikovsky in Scptcmber|874 that Musorgskyhas composed .Sixne\ry romances' οΓwhich two areabsolutelyfirst rate' and a large pianopiece ιvhichis unusuaΙlyoriginal,powerful and refined'.

Musorgsky,soperatic projects took years to bring to Γruition.The succcssΓulcompletionof Picturesin an extraordinary bοut oΓ concentrated activityindicates that the scale of the work, as with hissongs, \ryas commensurate withhis abilityto sustain concentration. Had he delayed bur a week things mighthave been difΓerent.on the29 June/l l JuΙy Nadezhdaopochinina(}. l821)died. opochininaιryaS the sister oΓAlexanderand Vladimiropοchinin.

Musorgskyhad livedwith the opochininΓamilyduringthe compositiοnοΓΒοrisand Alexanderhad assistedMusorgskyin findinggovernment employ-ment on severaloccasions. Musorgsky's relationshipwith NadezhdaOpoch-inina is, likehis relationshipsιryithwomen in general and his absolute horrοroΓmarriage, something of a mystery. Nad ezhdι \ryas eighteen yearshis seniorbut ∆ large number oΓ significantcompositionsare dedicatcd to her anιIMusorgskydid not make his dedications lightly.No correspondence exists tοhelp us establishtheir relarionship.

Musorgskyand FΙartman

The workof VictorHartrnanPartlybecause of his early death, the architect VictorAlexandrovichHartmanro is a rather minor figurein Russianart and there is littleevidencethat his life\ryas the passionate struggle someSovietcommentators havesuggested.llΙndeed, the opposite wasthe case. He seems to have lived∆

comΓortable, untroubled existence,able to travel throughout ΕuropeΓroml864 to 1868 indulginghimself inhis pcnchant fοr makingwater coloursandsketches of cathedrals andbuildingsoΓarchitecturalintcrest, and the scenesfrom lifethat inspired Musorgsky.Littleor nothing of FΙartman,s elaboratearchitecturenow remains; Mamontov thepublisher's countryhouse (nowdemolished)was typicaloΓ his architcctural srylc.The rooΓs were steeplypitchedand Surmounted ιryith elaborate filigrce wιlrkaS \ryere the Γascias.Thesymmetry inherentin this jewellery-typedecoration,in thc stecp-pitchcdroofs and in the elaborately decoratcd dormerwindows,\ryas οΓΓsetby theasymmetry oΓ the buildingitselΓwith its almosthaph ιzιrd|y placcd littlcwingsand porches. Asthe realist artist Κramskoyremarked: .When hc \ryas to buildcommonplace, utilityobjects FΙartman was a failure,Γor he nccdcdΓairy-talccastles and fantasticpalaces for whichthere were no precedents - here he couΙdcreate truly wonderful things'.''

Harαnanproduced ∆ number oΓfantastic, almostimpracticaldesigns foreveryday items such as that for a nutcrackcr, which inspired 'Gnomus', andthe design for ∆ clockin the Γorm oΓBaba-Yaga,shut on hen,s legs.Frankenstein ιryaSalso able to trace FΙartman's designs Γora prcsentation jugin the form of a chicken standingon a singleclawed foot, and a candelabrum.13Reflectingthe qualitiesof nature, Hartmanmixesregular and irregular,takingasymmetrical shapes and either drawing out oradorning themιryithpatternsand symmetries. Sometimesthis can have ∆ glibeΓfect, as with the twochickens'heads placed in mirror image at the top oΓBaba-Yaga,s clockor theSaιrytooth pattern oΓ the cock,s combon the top of the presentation Iug whichconnectswithdiamond shapes used in other additions.On the other hand,

the plaited, snake-like strands ofvaryingthicknesses on theupper part οf theplinthof the clockare better.MusorgskybefriendedFΙartman in l870.That year he dedicatcd .[n the

Corner, from The Nurser)/ to Harαnan whoadvocated pcrΓormingthe songswithsets and costumes; it \ryas Hartman ιryhoprevailedon the composertorestore the fountain Scene in ΒοrisGodunoυ.MindsoΓthe stature ofMusorgskyand Stasov \ryere attracted to Hartman,S ιryork by the Russiannessthat veneered it, whcther derivedΓrompeasant embroideryor country life in

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Musorgsky:Picluresot on Εxhibiιion

(l0) Bogatyrskievorota (vostol'nomgorode vo Κieve)(Russian: The Knight,sGate (in the AncientCapital,Κiev))Αllegroοllαbreυe (Mα,estoso con grα'ndezza) (J = 84), Eb major.Plate 6

Stasov: .The Bogatyr,s[Κnight,s]Gate (a gate designedby FΙartman Γor a

competitionat Κiev),in the .massiveold Russianstyle, with a cupοΙa in theform of a Slavonichelmet,. . . . .a majesticpicturein the manner oΓ ..Slavsya,,[a chorus in Glinka,s ΑLιfefοr the Tsοr with stronglynationalconnectionsand melodicshapes not unlike those of Musorgskyhere] and in the sryle ofGlinka,sRuslanMusic.,.Τhereis a particularlylovelychurch motifi..ASyouare baptized in Christ",and thc ringingbells - are in a complctelyncw srylc.'

The competition\ryas Γor a designfοr a grand entrance to the city of Kiev,to commemorate Τsar AΙexander ΙΙ,s escape from assassinationby , Nihilistthere on 4 Aprill866.The event encouragcd the return oΓreprcssionfor thcremainder οf Alexander,S reign.The competition\ryas calledοff and no gatewas built, but Hartman's design causcd a stir, and he regarded it as his finestwork. The exhibitioncatalogue Ιistssix viewsand pΙans. The one ιrye knoιrytoday is describedas .Stone ciry-gates for Κiev,

Russianstyle, with a smallchurch inside. The archιryayrests on granite pillars,three-quartcrs sunkinto the ground. Ιts head is decorated with a huge headpiece of Russiancarveddesigns, with the RussianState eagle abovc thc peak. To the right is a belΓryin three stories with a cupolain the shapc oΓa slavonichelmet., Stasovtellsus that the tower is decorated by bricksbearing all sorrs of ancicntRussianfigureson the edge and corner. Τhe old Slavοnicinscriptiοnon the arch oΓthe gateway reads: .Blessed is he that cometh in the namc of the Lοrd,.Thefigureof St Michaelappears on the shield on thc bonnet-likewoocΙenheadpiece (kokoshnik);kokoshnikand slavonichelmet represent female andmale. observe too the ιryrought-iron\ryork, the figures on the staincd glass andthe bells that are to be so promincntin Musorµky,ssetting. For Stasov,Hartman's design passed muster because it had two essential qualitics:ancientRussiannessand originality.Ιt gave thc impression oΓ the .oldherοicRussia'.The columns,he ιryrote,.seem sunk into thc earth as though weighted downwith old age, and as though God knowshowmany centuries ago they had becnbuiΙt. Above,instead of a cupolais a Slaγonic\ryar helmet with pointcdpcak.The ιryallsare dccorated ιryitha, pattern of colouredbrick FΙoworiginalisthis 're The idea of a columnhalf sunk into the groundhad occurred toFΙartman beΓore, he had used it as a studcnt in designinga monument to anarchitect; the design \ryon him ι prize.

Synopsis

Κiev\ryas the birthplaceof Christianityin Russia where inAD988 Vladimirof Κevbecame Christianand οrdercda mass baptismof his people in theDnieper. The roots of ancient Russianchurch music lie in the Ιinks betιveenKievand Βyzιntium.Musorgsky,s picce includesa reιvorkingof the Russianhymn identified byStasov above, but his scttingdoes not reveal a very deepunderstanding of what ancient RussianChurchmusic ιvas like (see Chapter6). This hymn has nothing todo withMusorgsky'sfaith, or lack ofit, it isthere because of associationswith Russianhistory and culture and because ofthe chapel in Hartman's design.

Musorgsky'spiece matches the grandncss of Hartman's concept.'Kiev'isa collage of hymn and bell soundswhichmovcs to a mightyclimax onlyfullyattainable in the orchestra. The kcyis Ε}, the pitchassociated in Bοris withthe .impendingdeath of the tsar'2o (a dcathΙy rcfercnce to this key alreadyoccurred towards theend oΓ.Catacombs,). Thc opening processional melodymust be playedwith poιver,but somethingshould beleft in reserve for thefinalpages. The first forty-sixbars are remarkable for their completelyunadorned chordalwriting andlack of pianisticfiguration.Musorgsky'smethod of constructionis typicalΙyRussian.The openingprocessionaltune

is presented in three guises, first plainly,then adorned withpeaΙing bells andfinallyit is given ∆ climactictriplet rhythm.Ιn between ιrye get the starkStatementsof .Asyou are baptised in Christ,(marked Senza esñressione) aπdone massive interludeof Russianbell sounds(bars 8t-l l2) whichincorporatesthe return of the opening'Promenade'theme. The bell sounds form

^pulsating, dissonantmass (each layer of ιryhichshouldbe played equally). Bellsounds are employedelsewhere in MusorgskY,notably in BorisGοdunου.z|Pedals are very much part of this piece and no more so thanin the finalcodafor ιvhichthe greatest weightshouldbe reserved. Ιn 1875, perhaps influencedby .Κev,,StasovSuggested the death oΓa fanatical monkin his cell to theaccompanimentof distant bellsas a scenariofor a song to MusorgskyandΚutuzov;they did not take up the idea. The influenceof this piece iswidespread, and can be stronglyfelt in Borodin's'AuCouvent'(lSS5)andDebussy,s .LaCathθdraleengloutie,(t9t0).

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musorgsky and hartman

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