From generation to generation: 7 famous Russian musical dynasties

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Much has been written and said about the acting and directing dynasties, but much less information about the continuity of generations in the families of composers, musicians and opera singers. However, often, studying the biographies of the famous composer, you can see that many grew up in musical families. And the first lessons in music or composition were received from parents or close relatives.

Shostakovich

The famous Soviet composer Dmitry Shostakovich inherited his love for music from his mother, Sophia Vasilievna, who graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory. However, if you delve into the history of the family, you can find information about the composer's maternal grandmother. Alexandra Petrovna Kokoulina instilled a love of music in her children, and in Boydabo, where she lived with her husband, she organized an amateur orchestra.

Dmitry Shostakovich left a rich musical heritage, his works continue to sound throughout the world today. The composer's son Maxim also devoted his life to music, becoming a famous conductor and pianist.

Alexandrovs

Alexander Alexandrov, who at one time wrote the music for the anthem of the USSR, began his creative activity in the church choir, later became the choir director in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Among the many works written by the elder Aleksandrov, there are symphonic works, but the most famous is the music written for patriotic songs that raised the morale of the people during the Great Patriotic War. The composer and conductor devoted most of his life to the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Soviet Army, which after his death was headed by his son Boris.

The three sons of the founder of the dynasty became composers. Boris became the author of the music for the film "Wedding in Malinovka". His two brothers, Alexander and Vladimir, also worked in the Ensemble, directed the orchestra. However, their children came here later. We can say that most of the representatives of the Aleksandrovs' clan have linked their lives with this collective.

READ ALSO: Alexander Alexandrov - the last choir director of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the leader of the main military orchestra of the USSR >>

Dunaevsky

Isaac Dunaevsky's grandfather was a cantor (presenter of services in the synagogue), and the future composer's mother sang and played the piano beautifully. Isaac Dunaevsky himself, at the age of five, picked up music by ear, and at the age of eight he took violin lessons. The composer's creative heritage includes operettas, music for ballets, performances, films, as well as over 100 songs. All four brothers of Isaac Dunaevsky (Boris, Mikhail, Semyon and Zinovy) were also musicians.

The son of Isaac Dunaevsky and ballerina Zoya Pashkova Maxim became a famous composer who writes songs and music for films.

Rostropovichi

Vitold Rostropovich, the grandfather of the famous musician, was a pianist and composer, his father Leopold Vitoldovich played the cello, and his mother Sofia Fedotova was an excellent pianist. It is not surprising that Mstislav Rostropovich got his acquaintance with the world of music and the first experience of playing the cello from his parents.

The wife of Mstislav Leopoldovich is Galina Vishnevskaya, an actress and an opera singer. Two daughters of Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya also received a musical education, Olga became a cellist, Elena - a pianist. Today Olga Mstislavovna heads the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation, which supports young talents in the field of music. Elena was a pianist, but now she is fully dedicated to the Vishnevskaya - Rostropovich Medical Foundation, which provides vaccinations for children around the world.

READ ALSO: Forced emigration of Mstislav Rostropovich: Why the famous musician was deprived of Soviet citizenship >>

Stravinsky

From childhood, the famous composer Igor Stravinsky heard his father, Fyodor Stravinsky, soloist of the Mariinsky Theater singing. The composer's mother was a talented pianist and accompanist for her husband. Igor Fedorovich could not imagine life without music, but at first his parents persuaded his son to enter the law faculty of the university. This did not become an obstacle to the study of music theory, and later Igor Stravinsky began to take private lessons from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, under whose leadership his first musical masterpieces were born.

In total, the composer wrote a great many pieces of music for theater, orchestra, chorus, piano, for chamber performers and vocalists, and also processed his own and other people's music.

One of Stravinsky's brothers, Gury, became, like his father, an artist of the Mariinsky Theater, and the composer's son Svyatoslav Sulima-Stravinsky became the successor of the musical dynasty. He brilliantly played the piano, in his youth he went on stage with his father. After the end of World War II, he emigrated to America, where he gave concerts, while teaching at a music school.

Scriabin

The composer-philosopher, symbolist, reformer who supplemented music with light and color, Alexander Scriabin got involved in music very early. At the age of five, he was surprised by his talented piano playing. The development of the boy's musical abilities was greatly facilitated by his aunt, who completely devoted herself to raising her nephew. Unfortunately, his mother, Lyubov Petrovna, a talented pianist, died very early, when his son was only a year old. Shurinka, as the future composer was called at home, first studied at the Moscow Cadet School, but during his studies he took music lessons and gave concerts, and later entered the conservatory.

Scriabin's seven children died at an early age, and Julian, who died tragically in 1919, managed to gain fame as a young genius and composer. The preludes written by him are still performed today.

Richters

The Richter family can rightfully be called hereditary musicians. The father of the famous pianist Svyatoslav Richter, Teofil Danilovich, was an organist and teacher at the Odessa Conservatory, he himself studied music at the Vienna Conservatory. Grandfather Daniil Daniilovich - was a master and tuner of musical instruments, great-grandfather had workshops for tuning instruments in Berezina and Zhitomir, he was also an organist.

The Russian land has always been rich in talented people. Writers and poets, sculptors and artists, along with educators and scientists, were the glory and pride of Russia. It is not surprising that skill in any area has been passed down from generation to generation. Among the creative dynasties, families of artists stand as a separate line. giving their paintings to grateful descendants for many years.