One is more likely to find the name Mikhail Alexeevich Kuzmin (1872-1936) in a dictionary of literature
than of music. Born in Yaroslavl, Russia, he grew up in St. Petersburg and
studied music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Ill health brought an end to his musical studies.
Some biographical accounts tend to give the incorrect image
of Kuzmin largely giving up music in favour of writing yet he wrote a large
amount of music, mainly small scale vocal works. His principle collections of
verse are Aleksandriyskiye pensi (1906),
Seti (1908), Osenniye ozyora (1912), Glinyanyve
Golubki (1914) and Paraboly (1922).
Yuri Serov www.musicaromantica.ch/nl/yuri-serov-86.htm
and the Karelia State Philharmonic
Symphony Orchestra www.gov.karelia.ru/Power/Ministry/Culture/symth.html
have
recorded some of Kuzmin’s incidental music for stage plays as well as some
sacred songs for voice and orchestra on a new release from Naxos www.naxos.com
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| 8.573192 |
Serov and his orchestra are joined on this disc by
mezzo-soprano, Mila Shkirtil and
the Petrozavodsk State University Male Choir.
Kuzmin wrote the music
for the play The Society of Honoured Bell Ringers by Evegeny Zamyatin (1884-1937) in 1925. First produced at the Maly Theatre in St. Petersburg, it
concerns the fun loving Irishman O’Kelly who comes into conflict with a member
of the virtuous group known as the The
Society of Honoured Bell Ringers.
The Introduction:
Adagio (Act I) opens with a
mellifluous orchestral theme with an organ adding to the mellow texture. This
fine noble melody rises up with a melody that sticks in the mind. A brass
fanfare opens Interlude: Con moto
before the strings join, then timpani, as the music moves ahead with determination.
The timpani and percussion continue to underpin the music. The strings bring
more flowing passages as do woodwind but, nevertheless, the marshal rhythm
dominates.
The organ alone plays the section entitled Appearance. Adagio which takes the
melody from the introduction. Introduction
(Act III) brings a wind ensemble in a simple attractive melody. A buoyant
theme leads the Interlude: Allegro (Act
III) forward, rhythmic and lively, with a central flowing section where a
piano adds to the texture and colour of the music. The opening, rather direct,
jolly theme returns to lead to the end of this section.
In the Interlude:
Moderato (Act IV) the orchestra is quickly joined by the organ. Another
instrument joins which initially I thought to be a trombone but turns out to be
a bass trumpet. As the melody moves forward, the bass trumpet adds a really distinctive
flavour, before the music suddenly ends. The Final March: Allegretto takes off decisively but is not long enough
to develop.
Mikhail Lermontov’s (1814-1841) drama Masquerade inspired a
number of composers to write operas and incidental music including Anton
Rubinstein, Glazunov and Khachaturian. Kuzmin’s music came in 1911 of which
four excerpts are given here. There
is a lively, light textured Polka
that has no pretentions to depth yet is attractive on its own terms. The
strings introduce a lovely melody for Nina's
Romance before mezzo-soprano Mila Shkirtil joins, adding a lovely Russian
flavour in this fine romantic setting.
A fine Waltz follows,
eloquently orchestrated with fine moments for the woodwind before the Final Chorus when the Petrozavodsk State
University Male Choir join for ‘Give them peace Holy God’; a fine, yet melancholy
setting.
The sections for mezzo-soprano and chorus in the music for Masquerade
indicate that Kuzmin is at his best when setting the human voice. This
impression is reinforced in his Sacred
Songs for Voice and Orchestra (1901-03) a setting of words by the composer.
Descent Of The Virgin
Into Hell brings mezzo-soprano Mila Shkirtil in a lovely setting that
builds beautifully with some fine orchestration that adds so much to the
character and atmosphere of this music. This mezzo provides some fine,
passionate moments and much poetry. The music rises in drama in the orchestra
before falling to a lovely vocal section to end quietly.
The Old Man and The
Lion is full of intensity and deep feeling from this mezzo where, towards
the coda, she and the orchestra find a lovely sadness. Mila Shkirtil brings
some lovely timbres to Doomsday again
full of intense feeling with the orchestra building in drama and rising to a
tremendous, passionate peak before the quiet coda.
These are fine songs, full of Russian flavour finely sung by
Mila Shkirtil.
Ernst Toller (1893-1939)
was a German dramatist with communist beliefs whose plays were very popular in
the Soviet Union. Kuzmin wrote his incidental music for the play Hinkemann
the German in 1923. The play concerns the difficulties experienced by
the injured soldier, Hinkemann, returning from the First World War. Toller
himself was wounded and invalided out of the Great War in 1916; an experience
he, no doubt, drew on.
Introduction and Soldiers'
Chorus opens with a fanfare before the orchestra develops the theme rising
to a peak before falling to a halt. The Petrozavodsk State University Male
Choir then enters in a rather direct chorus before alternating with the
orchestra and drums before leading to the end.
The Pastoral has a
gentle swaying theme over which woodwind play before the Interlude – Waltz rises in energy and spirit in a peasant style dance
rhythm. A more flowing melody is heard but it soon gives way to a heavily
accented waltz.
The same theme is taken by various instruments in the Introduction (Act II) though here it is light and nicely pointed. Country Dance brings a light and airy
variation on the theme for piano and woodwind, soon joined by the rest of the
orchestra and a heavily accented, rhythmic, slow and steady Procession with some later little
dissonances that are quite unexpected.
A piano underpins the rhythm in Tango but, nevertheless, has a fine forward flow before the Final March arrives with a direct and
simple march rhythm that could act as a ‘toy soldier’ march.
Mikhail Alexeevich Kuzmin is an intriguing composer. His
incidental music is in a lighter vein though attractive for all its simplicity.
His vocal and choral writing is quite another thing, at times bringing
intensity, poetry and passion that is very appealing.
Lovers of Russian music will surely wish to explore this new
disc. The Karelia State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra under Yuri Serov
provide fine performances with only the occasional intonation problems in the
lower strings revealing them to be not a top class orchestra.
They are nicely recorded and there are informative booklet
notes as well as full texts and English translations.
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