Leontyev Nikolay Nikolaevich

Main article: Music in Russia in the XVIII century

Biography

Leontiev Nikolai Nikolaevich (1772-1830) - engineer, major general, diplomat. He supervised the laying of the Onega Canal.

The first wife - Sofya Ivanovna de CROC - was the sister of Elizavety de CROC, married Pestel. Ms. Pestel, apart from her son Paul's sad fame, was a noted clavirist, composed for her by Gessler and Tepper de Ferguson.

In the vicinity of St. Petersburg there is a place that keeps the memory of Nikolai Leontiev - his estate in Sumino, near Volosovo.

Musical creativity

The duet for two violins in G minor Leontyev was preserved in the form of a manuscript copy with a dedication to Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich and a note - "à pavlovski l'an 1797."

The duet was first recorded by the ensemble "Soloists of Catherine the Great" in 2023 for the disc "Who could love so passionately."

1. Allegro 7:37

2. Adagio expresivo 4:52

3. Allegro agitato 5:28

In addition to this duet, the following have been preserved:

• Choir for the coronation of Alexander I and
• a small collection of clavier pieces.

Researchers from the Russian National Library, where all the famous works of Nikolai Leontyev are stored, in preparing an exhibition dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the Romanov House, identified the composer with Nikolai Vasilyevich (1739-1824), the father of Nikolai Nikolaevich. However, the style of this music suggests that its author is a contemporary of sentimentalists and early romantics. So, in the music of the Duet for two violins, a whisper of the foliage of Pavlovsky Park and the free murmuring of Slavyanka, and not the fountains of Peterhof and the brilliance of Tsarsky Selo, wrote violinist and researcher of the history of music Andrei Penyugin in 2023.

Notes

Duet for two violins in G minor

DUO POUR DEUX VIOLONS composé et dedié à SON ALTESSE IMPÉRIALE MON SEIGNEUR LE GRAND DUC ALEXANDRE PAVLOVITCH par son trés humble tres obeissant et tout devoué serviteur N: LEONTIEFF à pavlovski l'an 1797

• Allegro
• Adagio expresivo
• Allegro agitato