The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-06
In the Gay Social Whirl
Learned About Russian Music.

~ AOO AssSsNs
The educational value Of the new
r study plan which the Thursday Must
cal club is carrying out his veal
was we'll demonstrated yesterday
when the December meeting was hello
at the home of Mrs. ]. Nelson Kelly
on South Fifth street. The subject
was Russian music. Russian ompo
Iers and the spirit Of n~ationatsm IN
Russian music. That little IL known
Of the Russian people to the music
world was made evident by Miss Jen-
ME Anderson. who as leader for the
afternoon, opened the program with
a reading of the views OF several au-
thoritativc critics. These articles
showed that the opinion has been OF
long standing that Russian compost
tons can only he played ana suns by
Russian musicians for that rea-
son. its beauties are only beginning
to be known in this country. However
the music OF that nation has reached
the period of appreciation II many
Russian orchestras are now coming
to this country. a particularly splen-
did one having Il schedule to tour this
country for the purpose Of clevatine
Russian music in 1914.
Miss Anderson proved a most ca
pable and interesting leader. being
we'll informed on II history Of Rus
STA as the nation OF some Of the great
masters and she was able to add
something interesting to every sub
ject ventured. Mrs. s. j. Spence was
called upon to discuss the first two ma
tional Russians. B~alakereff n Cue.
She stated that Ralakereff. born in
1886. was recognized as the
of the new Russian school and II OF
his achievements was the establish
MAN nd b, r~aa cNhNn1 nj fnfySiH AT Ibr.
tersburg. He was a conductor OF note
and mons his best works were four
overtures and one symphony. Cue. as
we'll as being "A famous Russian com-
poser. was an officer III the Russian
army and his reputation as a dramatic
composer was established with his
third work in 1861. angelo" Is the
best known of his operas n he was
the first disciple of Balakeref. The
per brought ont the fact that the Rus
sian composers greater field is in
symphonic work and ballet music.
Mrs. J.. D. Bacon took up the dis
cussion Of Rorodin and M~oussorgsky.
Born in 1884. she stated was a COM
poser of the national school and an
eminent medical scientist. following
this profession util his death. After
Rorod!n had been given the chair Of
chemistry in the medical school from
which he graduated he met Balaker-
eff who was responsible for tanning
the musical spark Of his genius n
a fame. While his medical profess
sion interfered with his great musical
career he wrote three we'll known
syphonies. the last of which was COM
pleted by Glazounoff of the new
school. Rorodin founded a medical
school for women and his most re-
markable composition was THE Step
pes of Central Asia" a symphonic
sketch intended for living tableaux.
Another Of his operas was finished by
ikorsakoff and produced In ST. Peters
burg in 1890. In 1885 Moussorgsky
was born and his talents were early
developed as his parents were music
ians Of note. At mir years he played
difficult music but at seventeen he
Joined the army. dropping his studies
for a yea This man was called a
strange and mos: tragic figure among
modern composers. He could not
, make a living with his music because
he would not concentrate for technical
study. He excelled as a melody writer
and his first opera vas produced
twenty times. giving him much en-
c~ouragement. He started two others
but died young. in his forty-second
year.
II Mrs. F. a. Parsons in discussing
RiEasky-korsakoff stated that he. too,
spent years in the government serv-
ice. being Il naval officer when he was
25 years of age. His music resembles
that of Wagner and in early life he
came in contact with much Of the
peasant life and folk songs which he
developed later in his numerous
works including several operas. SYM
phonic poems. etc. Korsakoff wrote
i. his first opera after visiting New York
during the time Of the Civil War. COM
ing to this country as a naval officer
on a Russian cruiser. At that time
: he e~ndeavored to learn much Of
!, American Indians, our national mu-
sic and Indian wal dances but was
here such a short time that he did
not accomplish much. He left the
nav yin 1868 and lived as a Bohemian.
teaching music In 1871 he was given
a chair of music i nSt. Petersburg
conservatory. thereby becoming a
great musical scholar. In 1880 he
| wrote his second opera. The Night
: Of May" and in 1882 the third. The
: Snow Maiden" While Korsakoff's
chestrations or symphonic music he
> stands at the head Of the list Of Rus
> sian composers.
j Mrs. Roger F.. Cooley was assigned
: 'Arensky Of the younger Russian school
: and Glazounoff, also Of the new Rus
1 slams. Arensky was born in 1861 Of
!, musical Parents his progress was
: rapid. His firt opera was produced
e in 1880 at Moscow and the character
I izing feature of his works was that
I his technique was beautiful but his
:. music generally unfinished in char
: acter. Glazounoff was born in 1865
and showed ar aptitude for compost
ton at the early age Of IL years.
G Through LISTS interest in him, Glaz-
n ounof became known outside Of Rus
STA and he also was Influenced by the
German Brahms. He is a master of
: orchestration. his music Is melodious
; n his most popular work is his
Sixth symphony.
e Mrs. NJ. G. Olson concluded the list
: with Rachlnaninoff who was born in
1913 and is the most famed of modern
) Russian COMPOSERS. Rachmaninoff
5 entered ST. Petersburg c~onscrvatory
= when 3 years old and three years later
went to Moscow. When ~ he made
a concert tour through Russia, maxi
, ing a great impression as a
conductor and pianist.
All the discussions were extremely
interesting and a great deal was
learned about Russian music which
contains so much Of the silent fcelinps