Nikolai Rubinstein is a popular Russian composer and conductor. Known as one of the founders of the Moscow Conservatory (served as the first director).
short biography
Nikolai Rubinstein was born on June 14, 1835 in Moscow in the family of a small manufacturer. Previously, the Nikolai family lived in the small village of Vykhvatintsy (Dnieper), but 3 years before the birth of the boy, his parents decided to move to the future capital of Russia.
Between 1844 and 1846, Nikolai, together with his older brother Anton and his mother, lived in Berlin.
At the age of 12, Rubinstein and his family returned to Moscow, where the future musician lived almost until the end 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.
Since the whole life of the young man was riddled with music, he went on tour in parallel with his studies as a lawyer, and in 1858 (3 years after receiving the profession) he decided to devote himself completely to concert activities.
In 1859, Nikolai 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, a man took up the post of director of the same Moscow Conservatory. He held the post until the end of his life.
The year 1872 was fruitful for the pianist, at which 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 a man was buried in Moscow, in the vastness of the Novodevichy cemetery.
Relationship with brother
The Rubinsteins (Anton and Nikolai) were always quite friendly, since both could not imagine their life without music.
When Nikolai was 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 created by him was an attempt to repeat the success of his brother. After all, Anton opened the conservatory in St. Petersburg 14 years earlier.
Musical activity
Nikolai Rubinstein began his musical activity, interesting facts from whose life you can learn from this article, even at the age of 4 under the strict supervision of his mother, and from the age of 7, the boy and his brother were invited to various concerts both in Russia and in the countries of Europe.
During his stay in Berlin, the boy studied with such prominent people as Theodor Kullack (studied the basics of playing the piano and piano) and Siegfried Den (studied the theoretical foundations of music). In Moscow, he went to study with the famous Russian music teacher Vasily Villuan.
At the age of 23, the young man had already completely decided on his life goal and left the legal sphere for the sake of regular concert activity.
In 1859, Nikolai received the position of conductor of symphony orchestras in the department of the Imperial Russian Musical Society.
In 1866, he became a piano teacher at the Moscow Conservatory.
Throughout his life, Rubinstein held about 250 concerts as a conductor. Concerts were held both in Moscow and in other cities of Russia.
And in 1870, Nikolai held 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 called an ardent propagandist.
Nikolai preferred to perform well-known musical works. During his life, he composed only a few plays and romances for playing the piano.
Extraordinary sociability of the musician
The pianist Nikolai Rubinstein always had a special talent: he could get along with any person, regardless of his age, gender and outlook on life. That is why in his young years the musician was invited to join the "young edition" of the journal Moskvityan published by Pogodin. And then the young man became a member of the artistic circle, whose members were the most outstanding creative personalities of that time.
It is noted that in 1859, when Botkin, Tolstoy and Obolensky developed the project of the Chamber Music Society in Moscow, it was Rubinstein who was seen in his chapter. Unfortunately or fortunately, life turned out in such a way that Nikolai devoted himself entirely to the Moscow Conservatory.
The development of the Moscow Conservatory under the direction of Rubinstein
When in 1866 Nikolai Rubinstein, whose biography is full of interesting facts, contributed to the opening of a music conservatory in Moscow and took the post of its director, almost no one (even his brother) believed that in this way a man would at least slightly advance the musical sphere to the masses.
But after a few years, thanks to the special managerial and organizational abilities of men, the conservatory became the best music institution not only in Moscow, but in almost all of Russia.
It was Nikolai Rubinstein who contributed to the fact that the conservatory was given the right to teach according to its own curriculum - they were developed directly by the teachers of the educational institution. In addition, the only department of Old Russian church singing was created there throughout Russia.
The conservatory's teaching staff included the best composers and musicians of the time.
Trial
Despite the high achievements of men in terms of music, not all representatives of the authorities of that time respected Rubinstein. For the slightest mistake Nikolai was immediately remembered for his belonging to the Jewish nationality and low rank.
This attitude was especially vividly manifested between 1869 and 1870 during the trial. The court was connected with the fact that Rubinstein drove out of his office a student who violated all existing rules, a certain P.K.Schebalskaya. At first glance, the insignificant situation was the subject of litigation due to the fact that this student was the daughter of a general, and the musician was just a provincial secretary.
The court decision was made not in favor of Nicholas. The court ruled that Rubinstein, as the lowest in rank, had insulted the daughter of the general and was now obligated to pay them a fine of 25 rubles. If Nikolai did not have this money, then he would have been forced 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 sentence was canceled.
The second clash with power
Before Nikolai Rubinstein had time to move away from the past shame, he was branded despotism.
In 1879, the Council of Professors of the Moscow Conservatory decided to forbid the teacher of this institution to speak in public in order not to disgrace himself or the conservatory.
But Shostakovsky did not agree with this situation and announced that Rubinstein was a despot and envious, because he did not want a pianist of equal strength to become famous. Shostakovsky's words were reinforced 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 in the second round. Harassment of the musician in newspapers and behind the eyes began. The Senate again had to intervene.
Nikolai Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky
Among the teachers of the Moscow Conservatory, who were among Rubinstein's friends, was the famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
When Peter Ilyich learned about the persecution of Rubinstein because of alleged tyranny and envy, he simply could not tolerate such slander, so he wrote a letter to Russian art critic Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov, who almost offended Rubinstein most of all.
The letter included the following lines: “Where the light, the benefits and the greatest merits are revealed before me, you see only darkness, harm, and even some crimes. But I want to tell you that all your accusations against Rubinstein are unfounded. I worked for 12 years under his leadership, and it’s just incredibly insulting to hear the vile accusations towards a bright man. Such accusations can only lead to the fact that Nikolai will abandon his brainchild. If you argue from the side of his career, then he will only move up, but I don’t want the things so tremulously created by him to perish. ”
Pedagogical abilities
Many students of Rubinstein claimed that he was simply an incredible teacher, in particular this was manifested in the following points:
- Rubinstein believed that students should understand all musical fields, and not focus on just one thing.
- Nicholas demanded that the students express their individuality, and not implicitly imitate other outstanding personalities.
- 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 no one would make such a mistake.
- He focused on enthusiasm. If the student really likes something, then he will succeed.
Sayings of the pupils of Rubinstein
Despite the severity of the pianist, all students were delighted with his teaching. This is manifested in some of their sayings:
- E. Sauer: “He had a special flair that made it possible to identify the strengths of each student. He argued: to each - his own. Each individual talent requires an individual approach, and if it is provided, then the talent will sparkle with bright colors. ”
- A. Ziloti: “In the lessons, Nikolai Rubinstein showed us such skill that he involuntarily wanted to achieve at least a small number of his abilities. At the same time, he played differently for each of his students to touch individual strings of the soul. ”
Rubinstein's funeral
Despite the ambiguous attitude towards the pianist during his life, his funeral was indeed honorable.
As a sign of mourning, streetlights were lit throughout Moscow. People brought a huge number of wreaths from the laurel to the memorial service, and a myriad of flowers was laid near the coffin.
In order for Nikolai Rubinstein, whose brief biography was presented to your attention in the article, to always remain in the memory and hearts of people, Tchaikovsky wrote in his honor an a-moll trio “In memory of the great artist”.
This person is worthy of respect, and he really still remains in the heart of every music lover.