Rimsky-Korsakov - midshipman, composer, teacher in the spotlight of Presidential Library’s materials

The 175th birth anniversary of an outstanding Russian composer, teacher, theorist Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, member of the famous “Mighty Handful” or “The Five” led by Mily Balakirev will be marked on March 18, 2019. This group of musical titans had a decisive influence on the composer’s personality and aesthetic views. You may read about this in a rare publication Musical Articles and Notes (1869–1907), primarily known to experts, which was written by members of the circle. The Presidential Library features this one as well as other rarities - electronic copies of rare publications about Rimsky-Korsakov, and books written by him in support of the new ways of development of musical art, like Chronicle of My Musical Life. They are available for study in the library’s Electronic Reading Room or in any of more than 900 centers of remote access to the institution’s resources located in all regions of Russia and 30 foreign countries.

Nikolay Andreyevich was born in a small town of Tikhvin, Novgorod Governorate (today it is the territory of Leningrad Region). Nikolay showed musical talent at an early age. The memoir of Rimsky-Korsakov reads in part: "I was not two years old yet when I began to tell the difference between all the melodies, which my mother sang to me; at the age of six I started to learn to play the piano. I played scales, light exercises and some little pieces."  At that time he took more interest in reading than in playing the piano. 

The Rimsky-Korsakov family however preferred "fundamental" occupations. His uncle Nikolay Petrovich was a famous admiral, Head of the Naval Corps. Thus the nephew entered the Naval Academy, too. Having graduated from it holding the rank of midshipman, Rimsky-Korsakov sailed to the shores of North America on the clipper ship Almaz as a member of the two-year Russian fleet expedition of 1863-1864. The campaign had an important strategic task – to ruin the plans of the armed coalition of European states against Russia. The presence of the Russian fleet as part of the so-called American expedition provided a significant support to the northern states of America and contributed to their victory in the Civil War, as well as to the subsequent establishment of the United States. The film The Russian Fleet by the Shores of America is available in the Presidential Library’s collections.

However, the midshipman’s thirst for music, hidden until then, became more and more insistent. On his return to St. Petersburg Nikolay took up piano lessons. There were many music teachers in the life of Rimsky-Korsakov, but it was Fyodor Kanille who played a decisive role in the development of his musical education.

Fyodor Kanille introduced Rimsky-Korsakov to Mily Balakirev, who immediately offered the talented young man to join his circle "The Five” (The Mighty Handful). César Cui and Modest Mussorgsky were members of the circle at that time. According to the author of the Chronicle, "I just found myself in some new, unknown world, among real, talented musicians, whom I just heard about before, associating with my amateur friends. It was really impressive."

In December 1865 at the concert of the Free Music School in the St. Petersburg City Duma building, an unknown 22-year-old naval officer Rimsky-Korsakov presented his first symphony. It was Balakirev who encouraged him to write it. An article by the musical and literary critic Vladimir Stasov in the above-mentioned collected works Musical Articles and Notes from the Presidential Library’s collections highlights detailed and vivid memories of that day.

The great Russian composer left a rich oeuvre of fifteen operas (Sadko, The Tsar’s Bride, Snow Maiden etc.), three symphonies, several orchestral works, and songs. He was also the author of revised versions of two collections of Russian folk songs, books and articles on various aspects of musical art.