Rachinsky Gabriel Andreevich

Main article: History of music in Russia

Rachinsky Gabriel Andreevich - Russian violinist, composer.

Biography

Born in 1777 in Novgorod-Seversky (Russian Empire) and at birth was recorded as a sergeant in the Izmailovsky regiment, but until the age of 12 he was at home.

1789: Training in Kyiv

As the son of a wonderful musician and composer, from an early age he began to get involved in music, discovering remarkable abilities. His father tried to give him the right and serious musical education. In 1789, he was taken to the Kyiv Theological Academy, where he stayed for six years and, in addition to general subjects, studied Latin, French and German, while continuing to study music at the same time.

1795: Moving to Moscow

In 1795, Rachinsky left the Academy and went to Moscow, where he entered the university gymnasium, in 1797 he graduated from its course and remained with her as a teacher of the highest music class, which he led until 1805, when he retired, giving himself more and more to music. At the same time, his first Russian songs appeared with variations: "How did I upset you" and "Boring, mother, live alone in the spring."

By 1815, Rachinsky had gained such wide fame, especially among Muscovites, with his concerts ending in Russian songs that several poems were dedicated to him. Not content with Moscow alone, he began to take concert trips to other cities of Russia: he visited Kaluga, Tver, Orel, Kursk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kharkov, Poltava, Kyiv and some other big cities, using the sympathy of the public everywhere, and his performance of Russian folk songs enjoyed the greatest success.

In 1828 he came to Petersburg. His concert, given on May 20 in the hall of the Philharmonic Society, gathered a lot of public who wanted to listen to a Moscow celebrity. Artistically owning the bow, Rachinsky, of course, soon took possession of the attention of the audience, when at the end of the concert he switched to performing Russian songs and played: "What did I upset you with," "The snow did not turn white in an open field," "Boring, mother, live alone in the spring," "Beyond the hills behind the dollars" and some others, then the public's sympathy turned into a noisy delight, and the melee did not last a long time. Giving an account of this concert, the Northern Bee, by the way, wrote: "Rachinsky should serve as an example for all writers and artists. Whether you want to be loved by the fatherland, the public, be known, have fiery adherents - be national, that's the whole secret. "

Rachinsky was indeed national. Perfectly performing many difficult compositions by Titz, Rode, Vioti, Mastrin and other famous violin composers, at the same time he was most fond of himself and captivated others with the performance of purely national Russian songs. All his variations of Russian songs are so good, so melodic and at the same time so folk that they made an exciting impression on the listener. Taking care, first of all, that the variation fully conveyed the folk motive, he tried to catch it during the singing of either the Russian peasant bread-maker or the Russian box-maker.

However, not only Russian motifs and not only Russian songs were put to music and Rachinsky kept them: a native of Ukraine, he put some Ukrainian songs and more than ten Polish ones to music with no less art and talent. Both those and others are distinguished by their melodic and fidelity to the folk motif.

Owning a guitar with no less art than a bow, he animated it with his game. And not only ordinary listeners admired his game: according to reviews of the best modern music critics, Rachinsky completely comprehended the nationality of Russian song, and the themes are long, difficult to vary, and he conveyed short, cheerful and dull in all perfection of folk expression. His adagio breathed a particularly pleasant feeling and some kind of personality, which is characteristic of him alone. "Its variations were distinguished by accurate imitation of the indigenous Russian chant and strict observance of the originality of the motifs. His very game shone with a clean finish and especially a sophisticated taste. Every note under his bow had a special expression that reminded every Russian of the incomparable melody of domestic songs. " Of course, such a purity of the game could not appear by itself, even with the enormous abilities that Rachinsky had. He achieved such perfection in the game only thanks to long-term enhanced music classes. He chose and, so to speak, created a special kind of game that brought to possible ^[1].

Returning from St. Petersburg in 1828, for another eleven years he continued to perform in Moscow and some other nearby cities. Everyone already knew him as a wonderful musician, and always met enthusiastically.

1839: Illness and return to Novgorod-Seversky

In the late 1830s, consumption began to develop; in 1839 he left Moscow and returned to Novgorod-Seversky. Arriving at his homeland, Rachinsky did not give up music and always willingly played with familiar landowners at the request of the guests. Despite the success enjoyed by his concerts and for almost 35 years of activity as a virtuoso, Rachinsky, a poet and artist by nature, was unable to financially provide for his old age, and therefore in recent years he was in need and after his death left his family without any means.

In 1843, on March 18, he died in Novgorod-Seversky, where he was buried.

Compositions

Of the works of Gabriel Rachinsky (of which up to 50) the following songs are most common:

• "Around the Corner by the Bottom," a Russian song with variations,
• "The snow is not white in an open field," a Russian song with variations,
• "Hello, dear, my good," a Russian song with variations,
• "I walked around the flowers,"
• "Among the Valley Flat," a song by Stepan Davydov with variations;
• Ukrainian song "Viyut Vitry, Viyut Buenny" and several Polish songs.

Шаблон:XVIII Century Music CD

Notes