Nikolai Medtner: “For creative work you need to be able to stop life...” Medtner N.K. “The daily work of a pianist and composer Concertos for piano and orchestra

The work of Nikolai Karlovich Medtner stands apart in Russian musical culture - he did not join any of the stylistic trends that existed in the first half of the twentieth century. In his style one can detect the influence German romantics- in particular, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, one can also talk about closeness to Sergei Taneyev.

The main place in Medtner's work is occupied by piano music, making up two-thirds of everything he wrote, because Medtner was a composer-pianist whose original concerts attracted the attention of the public no less than the performances of Alexander Nikolaevich Scriabin. At Medtner’s concerts, not only his own creations were heard, but his performing interpretations were distinguished by such depth that it seemed as if the music was born directly at the moment of performance: “His performance is always creative, always as if “the author’s” and always as if “for the first time”, - this statement by Medtner about Rachmaninov can quite reasonably be attributed to Nikolai Karlovich himself. The piano always remained the closest instrument for the composer - to such an extent that he experienced some uncertainty when working with orchestral scores, with instruments that he did not play (however, he argued that the images of his future piano works appeared to him initially in the orchestral presentation). Medtner's love for this instrument manifests itself even beyond the boundaries of piano music as such - in his violin sonatas the piano part is so developed that its performer must be not only an excellent accompanist with an exceptional sense of ensemble, but also a true virtuoso.

Perform in front of large audiences large halls he did not like, preferring chamber halls - this was explained by the nature of his talent, which gravitated towards intimacy. “Art always originates intimately, and if it is destined to be reborn, then it must become intimate again.” Although Medtner’s concerts, according to Marietta Shaginyan, “were a holiday for the listeners,” Nikolai Karlovich himself felt himself first and foremost a composer, and public speaking perceived as a kind of “creative reports”.

Medtner's piano texture has a lot in common with orchestral writing - for example, special touches associated with the sound of strings, or sustained pedals reminiscent of the sound of wind instruments. But at the same time, attention is always maintained to the features of the piano - for example, to the gradually fading sound.

Medtner's works always use a wide register range. Play a big role bass voices– they often contain melodic lines. However, the thematic development unfolds continuously in all elements of the texture, which leads to an increased role of the polyphonic principle - fugues are included in some of Medtner’s works.

The themes of Medtner's piano works embody two main figurative spheres - lyricism and drama. Lyrical themes - smooth, “soaring”, dramatic ones are characterized by a sharp, complex and rich rhythm, which echoes many of his contemporaries, especially Scriabin. A variety of rhythmic patterns and rhythmic interruptions already appear in the composer’s early works. In Medtner one can find both marching and dancing, but all this receives a unique interpretation, including the use of polyrhythms.

The complexity of the rhythm, sophistication and intensity of thematic development, combined with the texture of Medtner’s piano works, saturated with polyphonic elements, lead to the clarity of the graphic lines of the musical fabric, to the predominance of “pattern” rather than color in it - and this contrasts piano creativity Medtner to some contemporary movements, in particular, impressionism, whose representatives concentrated their creative searches precisely in the field of instrumental “colors”.

Medtner’s harmonic language is also complex; his creative quest is directed towards altered harmonies and complex tonal movement (for example, the slow movement of the “Romantic Sonata” begins in B minor and ends in B flat minor).

A distinctive feature of Medtner's piano works is narrative style. The narrative can be calm, emotional, pathetic or epic.

In the field of piano music, Medtner proved himself to be a subtle lyricist who created deeply meaningful works.

1880

Medtner - unusual phenomenon in Russian music, having no connection with either her past or her present. An artist of original individuality, a remarkable composer, pianist and teacher, Medtner did not belong to any of the musical styles, characteristic of the first half of the 20th century.

Reason is the lackey of the spirit, which must be kept in subjection so that it does not take too much will for itself

Medtner Nikolay Karlovich

Nikolai Karlovich Medtner was born in Moscow on January 5, 1880, in a rich family artistic traditions mother came from the famous musical family of Goedicke. One brother - Emilius - was a philosopher, writer, music critic, and the other - Alexander - a violinist and conductor.

Fyodor Karlovich Gedike, Alexandra Karlovna’s brother, prepared Medtner to enter the Moscow Conservatory. Here, in the junior department, Nikolai studied with A. I. Galli, and, moving to the senior department, he studied with P. A. Pabst, a student of Liszt. Pabst was an excellent musician and an outstanding pianist. With his sudden death, these studies ended, and for the last three years of the conservatory, Medtner studied with V. I. Safonov.

You need to learn to write down thoughts, write down in every way. Write down every day, at least half an hour a day

Medtner Nikolay Karlovich

Having graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1900 with a degree in piano with a Small Gold Medal, Medtner soon attracted attention as a talented, technically strong pianist and an interesting, thoughtful musician.

Oral tradition has preserved two stories that characterize the performing arts of Nikolai Karlovich already at this time. Safonov himself once stated that Medtner should have been awarded a Diamond medal for his performance, if such a medal existed. Medtner’s performance at an open conservatory student evening also made a great impression on the famous pianist Joseph Hoffmann, who admired not only the playing, but also the enormous endurance and strong-willed composure of the young artist, who performed, as they say, “on the fly,” Balakirev’s “Islamey.”

Soon, along with the concerts of Rachmaninov and Scriabin, Medtner's original concerts became events musical life both in Russia and abroad. Writer M. Shaginyan recalled that these evenings were a holiday for the listeners.

Don't chase yourself, just watch yourself. Remember that when you are upset you should not contemplate your disorder, for a person invariably becomes involved in what he contemplates.

Medtner Nikolay Karlovich

Medtner's pianism, for all its technical perfection and sound mastery was not distinguished by any special virtuoso brilliance. Before leaving abroad, when living conditions forced him to expand his concert activities, Medtner performed rarely, considering these performances as a kind of reports to the public on new creative achievements.

Medtner did not like to perform in large rooms in front of large audiences, preferring concert halls chamber type. The tendency toward intimacy and intimacy was generally characteristic of Medtner. In a reply letter to his brother Emilius, he wrote: “If my art is “intimate,” as you often say, then so be it! Art always originates intimately, and if it is destined to be reborn, then it must become intimate again... I consider it my duty to remind people of this. And in this I am firm and iron, as a son of the century should be..."

Remember that thought is controlled by the brain, which, although it is in the service of the spirit, is still not the spirit itself, but the flesh, and therefore requires regular rest as much as the arms and legs

Medtner Nikolay Karlovich

Safonov predicted a brilliant pianistic career for his student, from which, however, Nikolai Karlovich temporarily deviated, preferring to take up composition.

Being himself an outstanding pianist, he showed himself most fully and brightly in the field of piano music. Of the sixty-one works he published, almost two-thirds were written for piano.

In 1909-1910, Medtner was a professor at the Moscow Conservatory in piano class. In 1911, he left the conservatory and lived for some time in the village of Trakhaneev, on the estate of friends. There the composer found the necessary solitude. However, in 1913 he had to return to Moscow again. This was required both by work at the Russian music publishing house and by private lessons necessary for the family budget. Medtner with his wife and older brother Emilius settled in Savvinsky Lane on Devichye Pole, then on the outskirts of Moscow. From 1915 to 1919, Medtner again taught at the conservatory.

Among his students are many later famous musicians A. Shatskes, N. Stember, B. Khaikin. V. Sofronitsky and L. Oborin used Medtner’s advice.

Rest more often! Imagine! Imagine a thing (as in a dream) in a completed form, as if already written or performed. Imagine! To get your imagination out of everything around you, the everyday, since it does not conduce to creative work...

Medtner Nikolay Karlovich

And the composer had something to say to his students. After all, Medtner was the greatest master of polyphony. The goal of his aspirations was “the fusion of contrapuntal style with harmonic style,” the highest example of which he found in the work of Mozart.

The external sensual side of sound, sound color as such, was of little interest to Medtner. For him, the main thing in music was the logic of expressing thoughts.

As P. I. Vasiliev writes, “Like Chopin, Medtner is organically connected with the piano. From it he extracted his special, “Medtner” melodies and harmonies. On the piano keyboard, familiar to him from the age of six, the composer heard new combinations of sounds and expanded the capabilities of the instrument, breathing orchestral power and color into it.

In addition to Medtner’s creative gift, as noted above, also had exceptional performing talent. He wonderfully interpreted all his compositions, recreating each time in front of the audience his creative ideas, realized in sonatas, fairy tales and concerts, restoring their primary images. His playing was distinguished by extreme and, I would say, inspired precision of sound design. All elements of the musical fabric - melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, in the correlation and identification of parts of the composition - all together formed a consistent sounding structure, whose name is music.

Don't think about printing!

Medtner Nikolay Karlovich

It is no coincidence that Medtner once said, “Beauty is always precision.” In the presentation of his works and in their execution, he was, I repeat, precise. It seems like a simple and everyday word. However, it contains a very voluminous, meaningful content that is directly related to beauty. In conversations, Medtner repeatedly drew the attention of his students to the fact that “one end of piano playing ends up in the circus.” That is, a pianist, like circus performers, who has perfect control of his body, must perfectly control and control the movements of his fingers and hands. They must unfailingly obey the artistic will of the artist. Medtner said that “it is not enough to have piano technique,” that one must acquire “the ability to master it under all possible circumstances,” that “the whole meaning of technique lies in this ability.” He really didn’t like the word “technique” as applied to piano playing, believing that it did not at all explain or express the complex psychological process that underlies piano playing.”

In 1919, Medtner lost his Moscow apartment and, therefore, the opportunity to work in Moscow, and was forced to live in a holiday village. By this time, the hitherto close-knit Medtner family had broken up; mother and father had died, an older brother (Karl) had died at the front, another (Emilius) had moved to Germany in 1914, and after the start of the war he was interned in Switzerland.

Believe in your theme in general!

Medtner Nikolay Karlovich

Without a job, permanent housing, and having lost his loved ones, Medtner decided in 1921 to leave for Germany. In the 1921-1922 season he gave three concerts (in Berlin and Leipzig), and the following season he performed in Poland (in Warsaw and Lodz). The concert programs included mainly works by the pianist himself, in addition, he played Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto several times.

In 1924, after visiting Switzerland and Italy, The Medtners settled in France, in the town of Erki in Brittany. From there the composer went to concerts in the USA. He owed this first tour to the care of Rachmaninoff. According to an agreement with the Steinway company, Nikolai Karlovich was supposed to play with the best symphony orchestras in different cities. During the trip he performed with unusual intensity from late October 1924 to mid-March 1925, he gave 17 concerts. In solo programs, in addition to his compositions, Medtner played sonatas by Scarlatti and Beethoven, Fantasia by Chopin, plays by Liszt, and also performed with a singer who performed his romances and songs. This trip allowed me to provide for my family. Returning to France, the Medtners settled in the town of Fontaine d'Yvette, 30 kilometers from Paris.

Rachmaninov, despite his problems, constantly took care of Medtner. He tried to breathe the old faith into his old friend and managed, with his characteristic tact, to support Nikolai Karlovich financially.

The Medtners lived next door in Montmorency. Medtner's Second Piano Concerto, dedicated to Rachmaninov, was performed for the first time in Clairefontaine. Accompanied by Julius Konyus. Everyone listening was moved by the magnificent, temperamental toccata.

In February 1927, the composer went to concerts in Russia. His performances in Moscow, Leningrad, Odessa, Kyiv, Kharkov brought joy not only to listeners, but also to the concert performer himself. He left Russia with the hope of returning soon and showing his works of recent years here. However, other touring plans got in the way. In 1928, at the invitation of singer T. Makushina, Medtner made a trip to London. In 1929-1930, the composer again toured the USA and Canada, then gave concerts in England. Over time, he began to tire of endless wanderings and relocations.

The feeling of loneliness, of alienation to everything that has been increasing over the years, which determined not only the paths of development musical art in the 20th century, but also the entire system modern world, forced Medtner to isolate himself from his surroundings, protecting the purity of the spiritual values and ideals dear to him.

In 1935, the composer’s book “Muse and Fashion” was published in Paris. The thoughts and judgments expressed in it are the result of long, concentrated reflections that worried Medtner throughout his entire adult life.

At the end of 1935, Medtner settled in England, in a small house in north London. He performed in concert for two more seasons in 1935-1937, after which he concentrated on his work as a composer. If he performed, it was only with his own compositions. In 1942, Nikolai Karlovich suffered a heart attack, which confined him to bed for two months.

While abroad, Medtner continued to consider himself a Russian musician and declared, “Essentially I have never been an emigrant and never will become.” He was deeply shocked by the attack of Hitler's Germany on the USSR “... I experience Moscow as if I were there, and not here” (from a letter to I.E. and E.D. Prenam dated October 27, 1941). On June 5, 1944, Medtner performed in a concert in favor of the Joint Relief Committee Soviet Union in London, where his music was performed alongside the works of Glinka, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich.

Nikolai Karlovich Medtner - quotes

Reason is the lackey of the spirit, which must be kept in subjection so that it does not take too much will for itself.

You need to learn to write down thoughts, write down in every way. Write down every day, at least half an hour a day.

Don't chase yourself, just watch yourself. Remember that when you are upset you should not contemplate your disorder, for a person invariably becomes involved in what he contemplates.

Remember that thought is controlled by the brain, which, although it is in the service of the spirit, is still not the spirit itself, but the flesh, and therefore also requires regular rest, like the arms and legs.

Rest more often! Imagine! Imagine a thing (as in a dream) in its completed form, as if already written or performed. Imagine! To get your imagination out of everything around you, the everyday, since it does not conduce to creative work...

“Medtner appeared immediately ready-made, like Pallas Athena from the head of Zeus.

Medtner had no weak ones, early works, - such skill that these works could have been created at a much later time.”

A.B. Goldenweiser

Turning to the work of Nikolai Karlovich Medtner, I would like to emphasize a kind of “restraint”, first of all, in the number of works published by the composer - a total of 62 opuses: 3 concertos for piano and orchestra, 10 cycles of fairy tales, more than 100 romances, 14 piano sonatas, 3 violin sonatas and other works, and also note restraint genre creativity. The composer is closest vocal genres and piano music (this is his similarity with Chopin). However, Medtner's music has its own “face”. Performing Medtner's music, as a rule, is better for deeply meaningful performers.

The composer's wife A.M. Medtner recalled that Rachmaninov was sometimes called “Medtner's champion” in America, since he played his works more often than other pianists. Vladimir Sofronitsky turned to Medtner's music more than once. An excellent example of insight into the author’s intention is E. Gilels’s remarkable reading of the A minor “Sonata-Memoirs” (opus 38), which really drew attention to Medtner, passing the baton to many colleagues. She willingly and often performed the works of Medtner T. Nikolaev. It was she who had the opportunity to perform the 3rd piano concerto for the first time. S.F. Feinberg treated Medtner’s art with special love. He wrote about this in his wonderful book “Pianism as an Art”. Feinberg himself played the 1st concerto and a number of his other pieces excellently. Among the performers of works by Nikolai Karlovich Medtner, I.M. Zhukov is famous. The 2nd concert was performed by Ya.I.Zak. His repertoire included fairy tales, works 24, 26, 34. M.V. Yudina played him piano works. Yu.V. Ponizovkin introduced listeners to the second improvisation, to the cycles of “Forgotten Motives”, sonatas and plays by N.K. Medtner. She successfully played Medtner's works by A.I. Sats.

N.K.Medtner

N.K. Medtner created his own pianistic style. Steinber, author of an unpublished article stored in the archives of the Museum of Musical Culture named after. Glinka, points to the following characteristic features Medtner's pianistic style: polyphony in development thematic material, the richness and complexity of rhythmic patterns and connections, the extraordinary ideologically emphasized pulsation of meter and rhythm, the contrasts of the touch: sharp-dry, fabulous misterioso and coherently melodious episodes with a rich pedal, the absence of an outwardly ostentatious character in virtuoso-technical works or individual fragments, colloquially narrative rubato, somehow especially, in a Medtnerian way, combined with his vital pulsation of rhythm.

This list would not be complete without also mentioning the complexities of Medtner’s phrasing, the composer’s attentiveness to sound production, his carefully written strokes and, finally, his subtle nuances. A searching artist who thinks a lot about the art of the composer and performer, N.K. Medtner during many years kept diary entries concerning the specifics of piano playing. Pages diary entries composer published in 1963 (see M. Gurevich and L. Lukomsky “N.K. Medtner. Everyday work of a pianist and composer.”

By the beginning of the 30s, Medtner felt the need to systematize many of these provisions in a special book, “Muse and Fashion.” S.V. Rachmaninov, who, like Medtner, lives in exile, took care of the publication of this book. In addition, I was in the museum named after. M.I. Glinka found in the notes of the pianist L. Lukomsky (a student of Medtner) statements by Nikolai Karlovich that were not included in the published collection “Everyday Work of a Pianist and Composer.”

About Nuances: “When you stop listening to what you’re playing, you more often fall into one shade, more often forte. If you listen to yourself, there will be both forte and piano. But you should always know what you are listening to. Each moment should live individually, and not be a piece of a gray thread of sounds. The loss of the piano is the loss of the forte and vice versa.”

About Tempe: “Pace is not something absolute. It depends on the sonority you can give. And sonority, in turn, depends on various conditions: on the instrument, the acoustics of the given room. Thus, the tempo of the same piece can be different... You can never determine the tempo without knowing the piece to the end.”

About Pedalization: Medtner paid attention to pedaling as a factor of expressiveness. “You should never take pedals that cancel out any shade that you want to highlight. The end of one phrase with the beginning of another should never be blurred, blurred by one pedal. Before the start of a new piece, a new section, a fragment of a piece, there must be a moment of complete rest from the pedal, i.e. completely clean. The pedal should be a factor in the fulfillment of your artistic intentions that mature during your work. The pedal shouldn't just be a factor of variety. It is important for highlighting the notes that give the ear certain pleasures that you have chosen.”

About fingering: Medtner recommended searching for fingerings without a pedal. “When you're composing fingerings, you have to time them without a pedal, as if you were going to play an organ. The leg should not interfere with the arms. The pedal should work in harmony with your hands. It is very important that the pp (pianissimo) is not sluggish, so that it sometimes potentially contains a storm!” Medtner liked to use legato and considered it useful for finding the most convenient movements. Medtner did not like searching for images to accompany music, but he always tried to use the disclosure of obvious imagery and the attraction of an image in order to evoke the desired performing state in himself.

About gestures: “Hands are a swinging bell. They (hands) have their own “physiognomy”, their own image.”

About technology: “Technique is an economy of movements. The game is a dance on the keyboard. It should bring you joy. Correct removal and fall of the hand is the main condition of the technique. Half of the technique is to quickly remove your hand from the keyboard - the faster, the smaller the movements. String many notes in one breath!

About landing: “Sit with your gut (stomach) drooping. [Referring to complete physical freedom] There is an orchestra on your shoulders, so lower your shoulders! The main thing is to find the axis, the fulcrum, the center around which all movements would gather.”

About breathing: Breathing was given great importance. Nikolai Karlovich took a strong breath during his performance, even on the stage.

About scales: Scales Nikolai Karlovich recommended playing with five fingers in a row. I loved the fingering in chromatic scales: 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4-5, if you start the scale with a note mi. (Lukomsky, M.I. Glinka State Central Medical Museum)

"Medtner was born with sonata form"

(S.I. Taneyev)

N.K. Medtner invested most of his creative energy into the sonata genre. A third of the composer’s works are written in large, predominantly sonata form: “Sonata for Voice and Piano”, three violin sonatas. He used the sonata form as the basis for three piano concertos. The composer also used it in a number of small-form plays, for example, in “Fairy Tales”. N.K. Medtner wrote 14 piano sonatas: “1st Sonata”, “Opus 5”, “F minor” in 4 parts. The following three one-movement sonatas combine opus 11: “A flat major”, sonata-elegy “D minor” and sonata “C major”. Opus 25 includes two sonatas. The first of them, in C minor, consists of three parts and is called the “Fairy Tale Sonata.” The second sonata from this opus, dedicated to S.V. Rachmaninov, is inspired by Tyutchev’s poem “What are you howling about, night wind?” One-movement sonata “G minor”, opus 22. Two-movement “Sonata-Ballad in F sharp major”, opus 27. One-movement sonata “A minor”, opus 30 (which will be discussed). One-movement “Memory Sonata in A minor”, opus 38. One-movement sonata “Tragic Sonata”, opus 39. 4-movement “Romantic Sonata”, opus 53 No. 1. One-movement “Storm Sonata”, opus 53 No. 2. Two-movement “Sonata-Idyll”, opus 56.

Thus, 9 out of 14 sonatas were written by N.K. Medtner in the form of one-movement works. Piano sonatas, most of which are among best essays composer, not only constitute a significant part of the composer’s creative heritage, but are also a major milestone in the development of the sonata genre.

The one-movement "Sonata in A minor, opus 30" was begun before the First World War in 1913 and was first performed in the author's concert on February 20, 1915. Among the musicians close to Medtner, the sonata was called “military”. Medtner not only responded to the events experienced by his homeland and Western Europe, but also had a presentiment of them.

The war of 1914 shook the whole country. In September, Rachmaninov and Medtner were drafted into the army, but were released. Some musical figures this release was regarded as evasion of civic duties. M. Shaginyan recalls: “Nikolai Medtner was reminded that he was German by birth, although his brother K.K. Medtner and his nephew Shura Medtner fought in the ranks of the Russian army in the front lines and died for Russia. N.K. Medtner’s wife Anna Mikhailovna wrote with sadness: “... our love for Russia especially intensified and grew, but there was resentment that we were strangers to our own mother...” (M. Shaginyan “Memories of Rachmaninoff” volume 2, pp.177-178).

In the State Central Museum of Musical Culture named after. M.I.Glinka contains the first London edition of the sonata, in the margins of which there are pencil notes by the composer himself. IN main party his marking for the left hand indicates the performance: " Play without points!", i.e. Medtner abandons his original staccato and reaffirms the melodic nature of the main part. The four themes of the side game follow from one another. The music is lyrical and thoughtful.

Medtner searched in native nature consonance with the thoughts overwhelming him: “I was driving in the spring along the Loire River valley. Everything bloomed luxuriously and fragrantly, and I remembered our native birch tree. The wind took away from me all desire to travel through foreign seas and lands, and it seems to me that there is no better climate and nature than ours...” (introductory article by P. Vasiliev to the first volume of the collected works of N.K. Medtner).

In the first London edition I found an inscription made by Medtner in the vocal stanza under the first theme of the side part: “ GIVE, GOD, GIVE RUSSIA HAPPINESS! GIVE, LORD!“And he made this inscription after the Russian government forced him to emigrate with a lifelong ban on returning to his homeland!!!

In general, the lyrical-dramatic character of the sonata emphasizes the primacy of the secondary part over the main one. The side part, being the center of lyrical statements, determines the overall tone of the work. Throughout the development of the sonata, we will see how a complete transformation of the image of the side party will occur. This theme, modest in its melodic outlines, will undergo an evolution from the exquisitely refined “Scriabin” sounds in the exhibition to grandiose strong-willed exclamations that take on the meaning of a spontaneous cry in the reprise.

The sonata opens with an introduction. This is an introduction with an emphasized upbeat jump, in its own way a cry: “LISTEN!” Following the author of this music, I would also like to cry out: “LISTEN! STUDY! PROPAGANDATE!”

S.V. Rachmaninov stated: “Medtner is one of those rare people, as a musician and a person who win more the closer you get to them! The lot of the few."

Original: http://7iskusstv.com/2016/Nomer9/Genkina1.php

Nikolai Karlovich Medtner occupies a special place in Russian and world history musical culture. An artist of original personality, a remarkable composer, pianist and teacher, Medtner did not adhere to any of the musical styles characteristic of the first half of the 20th century.

Approaching in part the aesthetics of the German romantics (Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann), and among Russian composers - to Sergei Taneyev and Alexander Glazunov, Medtner was at the same time an artist striving for new creative horizons; he has much in common with the brilliant innovation of Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev .

Nikolai was born on January 5, 1880, in Moscow. Medtner's ancestors were of Scandinavian origin (father - Danish, mother - Swedish-German), but by the time of his birth the family had already lived in Russia for many years. Medtner came from a family rich in artistic traditions: his mother was a representative of the famous musical family of Goedicke; brother Emilius was a philosopher, writer, music critic (pseud. Wolfing); another brother, Alexander, is a violinist and conductor.

Nikolai received his first piano lessons at the age of six from his mother, then studied with his uncle, Fyodor Goedicke (father of Alexander Goedicke). In 1892, Nikolai Medtner entered the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied in the classes of Anatoly Galli, Pavel Pabst, Vasily Sapelnikov and Vasily Safonov. In 1900 he brilliantly graduated with a large gold medal. Medtner studied composition on his own, although during his student years he took theory lessons from Nikolai Kashkin and harmony from Anton Arensky.

Shortly after graduating from the conservatory, Medtner took part in the Rubinstein Piano Competition, where he earned an honorable mention from an influential jury. However, on the advice of Sergei Taneyev and his older brother Emilia, instead of a concert career, he took up composition seriously, performing only occasionally, and mostly with his own compositions.

The voice of Medtner, a pianist and composer, was immediately heard by the most sensitive musicians. Along with the concerts of Sergei Rachmaninov and Alexander Scriabin, Medtner's original concerts were events in musical life both in Russia and abroad. Marietta Shaginyan recalled that these evenings “were a holiday for the listeners.”

In 1903, some of his works appeared in print. Sonata in f minor attracted the attention of the famous Polish pianist Joseph Hoffmann, his attention to the music young composer converted by Sergei Rachmaninov (who in later years became one of Medtner's closest friends).

In 1904–1905 and 1907, Medtner gave concerts in Germany, but did not make much of an impression on critics. At the same time, in Russia (and especially in Moscow) he gained many admirers and followers. Medtner's recognition as a composer came in 1909, when he was awarded the Glinkin Prize for a cycle of songs based on words by Goethe.

Nikolai Karlovich was a member of the board of the Russian Music Publishing House, established in 1909 by Sergei Koussevitzky, which in addition to him also included A. F. Gedicke, S. V. Rachmaninov, A. N. Scriabin (his place was later taken by A. V. Ossovsky) , N. G. Struve.

In 1909-10 and 1915-21. Medtner was a piano professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Among his students are many subsequently famous musicians: Abram Shatskes, Nikolai Shtember, Boris Khaikin. Vladimir Sofronitsky and Lev Oborin used Medtner's advice.

In 1921, Medtner emigrated with his wife to Germany, where, however, interest in his music was negligible, and there were almost no concert offers. Rachmaninov provided financial assistance to Medtner, who organized the pianist’s concert tour across the United States in 1924–1925.

Returning to Europe, Medtner settled in Paris, but there, as in Germany, his writings did not enjoy great success. Nikolai Karlovich wrote:

"For creative work(especially artistic) you need to be able to stop life!! You can't paint a landscape from the window of a courier train!

The transmission of the most intimate, most musical thoughts is inaccessible to consciousness. Musical thoughts, that is, themes, grains, cannot be and have never been the result of conscious logical reasoning, but fall from above in the form of an unexpected gift..."

Medtner's circle of friends at this time was small and consisted mainly of Russian emigrants. Among the few contemporary musicians in France who revered his work was Marcel Dupre. In 1927, Medtner gave concerts in Soviet Russia, and a year later - in Great Britain, where the composer received the title of honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and successfully performed his own Second Concerto with the orchestra of the Royal Philharmonic Society.

The warm welcome he received encouraged him to settle permanently in London. In 1929–1930, Medtner held a new series of concerts in North America, however, the concert agency that collaborated with him went bankrupt, and only with the help of Rachmaninov did he manage to avoid financial difficulties.

Observing the development of contemporary composing techniques, Medtner in the early 1930s decided to express his own aesthetics in print, which was considered too conservative among his contemporaries.

“Before you sit down to hot work, close your eyes and in silence imagine this thought developed into a play, for it undoubtedly exists as a play, and the whole task should be to identify its individual images, and not to invent them.

Such meditation should undoubtedly suggest the sonority of presentation and the line of form of a given topic. Make a recording immediately and no matter how: where possible - with notes, where - with words, and where - with graphics. It is necessary to develop some calmness and self-control in the process of composing. She needs this no less than the virtuoso. But this process can never be the same and constant...

...Of all the obstacles to work, the worst is nerves. Nothing speeds up the pace and rhythm of work like nerves. The feeling of rushing, being rushed, rushing from one thing to another and the desire to do everything at once leads, in the end, only to hopeless fatigue and despair. Having realized all this, you first need to master the nerves, that is, the pace and rhythm of your entire being, every step, every thought, and then begin to work on any separate piece of matter, forgetting about the existence of the entire chaos of matter...”

In his book “Muse and Fashion,” published in Paris in 1935, the composer outlined his views on the immutable laws of art and expressed the opinion that fashionable modernist trends in music are nothing more than delusions that destroy the connection between the soul of a musician and his work.

In October 1935, the composer and his wife finally settled in London. The success of his concerts, private teaching and a contract with a German publishing house provided him with a decent living until the outbreak of World War II, when the Medtners were forced to move to Warwickshire, where they were taken in by the family of pianist Edna Iles.

In 1942, Medtner had a heart attack, but already in February 1944 he was able to perform his new composition, the Third Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, at the Royal Albert Hall.

The last years of Medtner's life, despite his illness, were eventful. In 1946, the Indian Maharaja allocated a sum for the founding of the Medtner Society, which allowed the pianist to record almost all of his major works over the next few years. These recordings form part of the golden fund of world musical culture and provide a clear idea of the musician’s skill.

Nikolai Karlovich died on November 13, 1951, and was buried in London at Hendon Cemetery.

In 2006, pianist Mikhail Lidsky organized International festival Nikolai Medtner (“Medtner Festival”). In 2006 and 2007, the festival was held in several Russian cities at once - Yekaterinburg, Vladimir and Moscow.

One of the last Romantic composers, Medtner occupies a crucial place in the history of Russian music, along with Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninov and Sergei Prokofiev, in whose shadow he remained throughout his career. The piano occupies a dominant place in Medtner’s work - he does not have a single composition in which this instrument is not involved.

An excellent pianist, Medtner has a keen sense of the expressive capabilities of the piano; his works place high technical demands on the performer. Medtner's style of music differs from most of his contemporaries; in it, the Russian spirit is harmoniously combined with classical Western traditions - ideal structural unity, mastery of polyphonic writing, and sonata form. The composer's language has undergone virtually no changes over time.

The Russian and German sides of Medtner's musical personality are clearly manifested in his attitude to the melodic component, which ranges from Russian motifs (Russian Fairy Tale) to the subtlest lyricism (Second Concerto). Medtner's harmony is intense and rich, but practically does not go beyond the framework formed in the 19th century. The rhythmic component, on the other hand, is sometimes quite complicated - Medtner uses various types polyrhythms.

Central location V creative heritage Medtner is occupied by 14 piano sonatas. Amazing with inspired ingenuity, they contain a whole world of psychologically profound musical images. They are characterized by a breadth of contrasts, romantic excitement, internally concentrated and at the same time spiritually warmed meditation.

Among Medtner's other works for solo piano, thirty-eight miniatures of varied character, elegant and masterfully written, entitled “Fairy Tales” by the author, stand out.

The three piano concertos are the only works in which Medtner uses an orchestra. Medtner's chamber works include three sonatas for violin and piano, several small pieces for the same composition, and a piano quintet.

Finally, another area of Medtner’s creativity is vocal compositions. More than a hundred songs and romances were written to poems by Russian and German poets, mainly Pushkin and Goethe. The piano plays no less important role in them than the voice.

Medtner's romances (the composer himself never used the word “romances” in the titles of his opuses, preferring the terms “songs” or “poems”) are varied in mood and very expressive, most often these are restrained lyrics of deeply philosophical content. They are usually written in the form of a lyrical monologue, revealing peace of mind person; many are dedicated to paintings of nature. Medtner's favorite poets were A. Pushkin (32 romances), F. Tyutchev (15), I. V. Goethe (30).

The path of Russian and modern world music is just as impossible to imagine without Medtner, as it is impossible to imagine it without his great contemporaries - Sergei Rachmaninov, Alexander Scriabin, Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev.

“Hardly any composer after Beethoven mastered the sonata form as perfectly as Medtner. Medtner also has some kind of innate, absolutely exceptional mastery of counterpoint, and his polyphonic texture bears little resemblance in style to Bach's counterpoint, but rather echoes the techniques late period Beethoven's works.

Despite the extreme saturation of the musical fabric with complex harmonic turns, Medtner's works are always clear, logical and distinguished by exceptional completeness of form. Medtner’s work, despite its deep seriousness and even severity, is at the same time characterized by immediate naivety, songlike melodiousness and the lively humor of dance...”
A. B. Goldenweiser, “Memories of N. K. Medtner”

ClassicalMusiNews.Ru, from various sources

The Bel Canto Foundation organizes concerts in Moscow featuring Medtner's music. On this page you can see a poster of upcoming concerts in 2019 with Medtner’s music and buy a ticket for a date convenient for you.

Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (1879 - 1951) - Russian composer and pianist.
Father, Karl Petrovich Medtner, was fond of philosophy and poetry. Mother, Alexandra Karlovna, née Gedike, performed as a singer in her youth.
At the age of six, Nikolai began studying piano. Watching his brother Alexander play the violin, he taught himself to play the instrument. Alexander and Nikolai, together with their cousin Alexander Gedike, later a wonderful organist and professor at the Moscow Conservatory, were part of the famous children's musical group - the A. Erarsky Orchestra. S. Taneyev, A. Arensky, A. Koreshchenko specially wrote for this orchestra, created in 1888. Medtner refused to play any children's works, opting for the works of Bach, Mozart, and Scarlatti.
The composer's uncle, Fyodor Karlovich Goedicke, prepared Kolya Medtner to enter the Moscow Conservatory. In 1900 he finished it with a Small gold medal.
Over the years of study, the range of musical impressions significantly expands, preferences are determined young musician: works of classics, romantics, Russian composers. Performing at conservatory concerts, Medtner also makes a name for himself as a pianist. At the same time, he wrote many works, mainly for piano.
In 1900, the pianist performed at the Third International competition them. A. G. Rubinstein in Vienna. For his performance of Rubinstein's obligatory Fifth Concerto, he received his first significant recognition. Medtner's popularity as a pianist is also growing in his homeland. Appear positive reviews music critics, there is an audience of its own. Medtner's style of performance was primarily distinguished by deep penetration into the concept of the work, which created the impression of the direct birth of music.
Since 1903 Medtner in his concert programs starts to turn on own compositions. Over time, he plays his music more and more, so that his performances turn into original creative reports. Since 1904, Medtner, a composer and pianist, has gained fame abroad, performing in Germany.
During the same period, Medtner’s special aesthetic position began to strengthen, which can be characterized as retrospectivism. Relying on the classical-romantic heritage, avoiding the unjustified use of spectacular artistic means, which, according to the composer, destroy the musical meaning - these are the main provisions of his aesthetic concept.
In the first decade of the new century, Medtner quite actively participated in the work of a number of musical societies and circles. Among them are the chamber music society "House of Autumn" and the Kerzin Music Lovers' Circle. In 1909, he joined the Council of the Russian Music Publishing House, organized by S. Koussevitzky. He also tries to teach. Having received a position as a professor of piano at the Moscow Conservatory in 1909, the composer, however, a year later, not feeling any particular desire for pedagogy, left this occupation.
Creative flourishing composer dates back to the 10s. XX century. During this period, he gave greatest preference to the sonata genre. At the same time, the most famous cycles of “Fairy Tales” were written, which laid the foundation for a new genre of piano miniatures. The most striking creative meeting of those years was Rachmaninov. The composer was familiar with him earlier, but an active rapprochement, which laid the foundation for friendship, took place in 1913. Rachmaninov, closed and taciturn by nature, and the philosophizing Medtner were complete opposites, but Rachmaninov, showing constant concern for his friend, ensured that his concerts were organized as often as possible and received adequate coverage in the press. In general, Medtner belonged to the type of people who needed to be looked after. In everyday life he became practically helpless.
First world war brought moral trials to the entire Medtner family. When the composer was exempted from conscription into the army, “zealots of piety”, in the wake of patriotic sentiments, started talking about his German origin. And this despite the fact that he spoke and thought in Russian, was brought up in an atmosphere of Russian culture, absorbed Russian traditions and considered Russia his homeland. During his emigrant wanderings, he complained in letters that even the speech of others was painful and unbearable for him - and over the years, his sense of homeland only intensified.
In 1915 Medtner returned to pedagogical activity. Teaching at the Moscow Conservatory until 1919, he took his work very seriously and always had a small class.
The composer led a rather secluded life and found it rather difficult to get along with people. At one time he became close to the symbolist poets, especially Andrei Bely.
In the fall of 1921, Medtner went abroad.
From 1921 to 1924 he lived in Germany, but did not find understanding among the German public. Nevertheless, the concert performances of the pianist and composer abroad are becoming more intense. In 1924 he plays in France; in the same year, thanks to the efforts of Rachmaninov, he makes a concert tour of America. 1927 is one of the most memorable years for Medtner. He makes a large concert tour of the Soviet Union, performs in Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa, and this trip and the warm reception that greeted him in his homeland inspire him. The composer was happy. In the Russian public and in Russian musical life in general, he saw the direct opposite of the Western “market” approach to art.
From 1930 to 1935 Medtner lived near Paris. He performs no more than one or two concerts a year, and in 1935 he decides to move to England, where in the late 20s he received a wonderful reception.
The Paris publishing house "Tair" published the composer's book "Muse and Fashion" in 1935, where he expounds his views on the language of music, revealing its aesthetic and technological nature. Essentially, this work is a creative and aesthetic manifesto of an artist who does not agree with modernist Nikolai Karlovich Medtner manifestations in music.
The last decade about
walks under the sign of increasing loneliness and separation from his native roots. His family experienced significant financial difficulties. Medtner could not record his works on records, and only unexpected financial assistance from the Indian Maharajah of Mysore, an admirer of his talent, allowed him to make these recordings. Three of his piano concertos were published, the Ballad Sonata, the First Violin Sonata, pieces from Forgotten Motifs, Fairy Tales and a piano quintet.
After the end of the Second World War, the composer was invited to give a series of concerts in the USA, but was unable to make the trip - a serious heart disease prevented him from doing so. For the past two years, his health has been serious, but during periods of improvement he continued to work.
Medtner died in London on November 13, 1951. His widow, Anna Mikhailovna Medtner, returned to her homeland in 1958. She handed over the composer’s archive to the State central museum musical culture named after. M.I. Glinka.