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Chapter Four - The Belyayev generation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 November 2009
Summary
Inspired by his love of Glazunov's music, the wealthy timber merchant Mitrofan Petrovich Belyayev (1836–1903/4) initiated a series of ventures to support Russian composers – among them a publishing house, concert series including the Russian Symphony Concerts, and prizes. Rimsky-Korsakov was a principal adviser for these schemes, later joined by Lyadov and Glazunov.
(a) Ts. A. Cui: The results of the Russian Symphony Concerts. Fathers and Sons. Musical Review, 21 January 1888, no. 3. Cui, pp. 381–6
Cui was among the first to draw attention to the epigonal character of the generation which succeeded Balakirev, Borodin, Musorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov (but see Chapter 2 (b)). The sub-title of his article echoes the title of Turgenev's novel. Cui's apostasy, of which this article was one manifestation, prompted Stasov to publish an article citing mutually contradictory viewpoints, all expressed by Cui, and charging him with giving solace to the conservative foes of the New Russian School to which both Cui and Stasov had given their allegiance.
Works by eighteen composers have been performed at the five Russian Symphony Concerts. From a numerical point of view, this is extremely comforting. Thirty more or less large-scale orchestral works and fourteen small-scale works were performed. But of this enormous number only a few are of artistic significance and can reckon on a long life. This is extremely discomforting. Out of the eighteen composers, some had already made a name for themselves – they are the fathers; the others were beginners in the composing game – they are the sons. Among the composers three were represented extensively and the others very meagrely.
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- Russians on Russian Music, 1880–1917An Anthology, pp. 132 - 167Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003