This picture was taken at Alexander Eichenwald’s photo studio in the early 1870s. The photograph captures Sergey Taneyev, a close friend of Pyotr Tchaikovsky and one of his most talented students.
Fate led both composers to the Moscow Conservatory, where Pyotr Tchaikovsky was one of the first professors, and Sergey Taneyev — one of the first students. The young student studied harmony and music composition in the composer’s class. Back then, they developed a friendship which they maintained throughout their lives.
At the end of the 1870s, Pyotr Tchaikovsky quit teaching and left the Moscow Conservatory. Sergey Taneyev became his successor. He proved to be an excellent teacher: his students included Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, and many other talented composers. In 1885, he became the director of the conservatory — the post he held for 4 years.
Sergey Taneyev learned a lot from Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Together they developed a new music phenomenon called the Moscow School of Composers. This school is usually set off against the St. Petersburg school with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov as the founder. The music of the Moscow school aimed for in-depth psychologism and wide symphonic generalizations, while in St. Petersburg they preferred genre and suite forms.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky highly appreciated his friend’s talent and personal qualities. We know that he dedicated his opera Francesca da Rimini to Taneyev. Sergey Taneyev was the first person to perform many of Tchaikovsky’s works: his Piano Concertos No. 1, 2, and 3, Concert Fantasia. In the late 1870s, he helped stage the famous opera Eugene Onegin, first performed by students of the Moscow Conservatory. He also took part in the premiere of ‘In Memory of a Great Artist’ trio dedicated to Nikolai Rubinstein.
After Tchaikovsky’s death, Taneyev was visiting the house in Klin for almost twenty years: he was helping composer’s brother Modest Tchaikovsky organize the museum. Taneyev sorted out archival music manuscripts, and also finalized and instrumented several works of his mentor.
Fate led both composers to the Moscow Conservatory, where Pyotr Tchaikovsky was one of the first professors, and Sergey Taneyev — one of the first students. The young student studied harmony and music composition in the composer’s class. Back then, they developed a friendship which they maintained throughout their lives.
At the end of the 1870s, Pyotr Tchaikovsky quit teaching and left the Moscow Conservatory. Sergey Taneyev became his successor. He proved to be an excellent teacher: his students included Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, and many other talented composers. In 1885, he became the director of the conservatory — the post he held for 4 years.
Sergey Taneyev learned a lot from Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Together they developed a new music phenomenon called the Moscow School of Composers. This school is usually set off against the St. Petersburg school with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov as the founder. The music of the Moscow school aimed for in-depth psychologism and wide symphonic generalizations, while in St. Petersburg they preferred genre and suite forms.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky highly appreciated his friend’s talent and personal qualities. We know that he dedicated his opera Francesca da Rimini to Taneyev. Sergey Taneyev was the first person to perform many of Tchaikovsky’s works: his Piano Concertos No. 1, 2, and 3, Concert Fantasia. In the late 1870s, he helped stage the famous opera Eugene Onegin, first performed by students of the Moscow Conservatory. He also took part in the premiere of ‘In Memory of a Great Artist’ trio dedicated to Nikolai Rubinstein.
After Tchaikovsky’s death, Taneyev was visiting the house in Klin for almost twenty years: he was helping composer’s brother Modest Tchaikovsky organize the museum. Taneyev sorted out archival music manuscripts, and also finalized and instrumented several works of his mentor.
