Vasily Kalinnikov facts for kids

Vasily Kalinnikov

Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov (Russian: Васи́лий Серге́евич Кали́нников) was a famous Russian composer. He was born on January 13, 1866, and passed away on January 11, 1901. Vasily Kalinnikov wrote two symphonies, other pieces for orchestras, and many songs. His music often sounded like Russian folk songs. His symphonies, especially his First Symphony, were played a lot in the early 1900s.

Vasily's younger brother, Viktor Kalinnikov (1870–1927), was also a composer. Viktor mainly wrote music for choirs.

Vasily Kalinnikov's Life Story

Vasily Kalinnikov's father was a police officer. Vasily first studied at a seminary in Oryol. A seminary is a school that trains people for religious work. At just 14 years old, he became the director of the choir there.

Later, he went to the Moscow Conservatory, a famous music school. But he could not afford the fees. So, he got a scholarship to the Moscow Philharmonic Society School. There, he learned to play the bassoon and how to compose music from Alexander Ilyinsky. To earn money, he played the bassoon, timpani, and violin in theater orchestras. He also worked as a music copyist, writing out musical scores.

In 1892, the famous composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky suggested Vasily for a job. Vasily became the main conductor at the Maly Theatre in Moscow. Later that year, he also conducted at the Moscow Italian Theater.

Moving to Crimea

Sadly, Vasily's health got worse because of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a serious lung disease. Because of this, he had to leave his theater jobs. He moved to the warmer southern area of the Crimea region. He lived in Yalta for the rest of his life.

Most of his important music was written in Yalta. This includes his two symphonies. He also wrote music for a play called Tsar Boris by Alexey Tolstoy. In Yalta, he met other famous people who also had tuberculosis, like Maxim Gorky and Anton Chekhov.

Vasily Kalinnikov died from tuberculosis on January 11, 1901. He was just two days shy of his 35th birthday. His wife and his brother, Viktor, survived him.

His First Symphony's Success

Vasily Kalinnikov became well-known because of his First Symphony. He wrote it between 1894 and 1895. This symphony was a huge success when it was first played in Kiev on February 20, 1897. After that, it was played in many other cities. These included Moscow, Vienna, Berlin, and Paris. The symphony was not published until after he passed away.

The composer Sergei Rachmaninoff visited Vasily when he was sick. Rachmaninoff suggested that Tchaikovsky's publisher, P. Jurgenson, buy some of Vasily's songs. After Vasily's death, Jurgenson bought his Symphony No. 2 and other works from his widow.

Today, Vasily Kalinnikov's First Symphony is still played in Russia. His place in music history is secure. In 1943, the conductor Arturo Toscanini led the NBC Symphony Orchestra in a rare performance of the First Symphony.

Vasily Kalinnikov's Musical Works

Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov

Here are some of the musical pieces Vasily Kalinnikov composed:

Opera

• In 1812 (В 1812 году) (1899–1900); this opera was not finished.

Orchestral Music

• Fugue in D minor (1889)
• Nymphs (Нимфы), a symphonic picture (1889)
• Serenade (Серенада) in G minor for string orchestra (1891)
• Suite (Сюита) in B minor (1891–1892)
• Bylina (Былина: Эпическая поэма), an epic poem or overture (around 1892)
• Overture in D minor (1894)
• Symphony No. 1 in G minor (1894–1895)
• Symphony No. 2 in A major (1895–1897)
• Intermezzo No. 1 (Интермеццо No. 1) in F♯ minor (1896)
• Intermezzo No. 2 (Интермеццо No. 2) in G major (1897)
• The Cedar and the Palm (Кедр и пальма), a symphonic picture (1897–1898)
• Tsar Boris (Царь Борис), music for the play by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1898)

Piano Music

• Moderato in E♭ minor
• Polonaise on a Theme from Symphony No. 1 in B♭ major for piano 4-hands
• Scherzo in F major (1888–1889)
• Chanson triste (Грустная песенка) in G minor (1892–1893)
• Nocturne (Ноктюрн) in F♯ minor (1892–1893)
• Élégie (Элегия) in B♭ minor (1894)
• Minuet (Менуэт) in E major (1894)
• Russian Intermezzo (Русское интермеццо) in F minor (1894)
• Waltz (Вальс) in A major (1894)

Vocal Music (Songs for Voice and Piano)

• Come to Me (Приди ко мне); words by Aleksey Koltsov
• I Am Yours, My Darling (Я ли тебя, моя радость); words by Heinrich Heine
• I Would Like to Make My Songs into Wonderful Flowers (Я желал бы своей песней); words by Heinrich Heine
• On the Old Burial Mound (На старом кургане) (1887); words by Ivan Savvich Nikitin
• On Your Lovely Little Shoulder Dear (На чудное плечико милой) (1887); words by Heinrich Heine
• When Life Is Weighed Down with Suffering (Когда жизнь гнетут страданья и муки) (1887)
• 16 Musical Letters (16 Музыкальных писем) (1892–1899)
• Bright Stars (Звёзды ясные) (1894); words by Konstantin Fofanov
• The Gentle Stars Shone Down on Us (Нам звёзды кроткие мерцали) (1894); words by Aleksey Pleshcheyev
• There Was an Old King (Был старый король) (1894); words by Heinrich Heine
• A Present for 1 January 1900 (1899)
• Bells (Колокола) (1900); words by K. R.
• Prayer (Молитва: "О Боже мой") (1900); words by Aleksey Pleshcheyev
• Do Not Ask Why I Smile in Thought (Не спрашивай, зачем...) (1901); words by Alexander Pushkin

Choral Music (for Choirs)

• The Triumph of Lilliput for chorus and piano
• Cherubic Hymn No. 1 (Херувимская песнь No. 1) (1885)
• Cherubic Hymn No. 2 (Херувимская песнь No. 2) (1886)
• The Mountain Tops (Горные вершины) (1887)
• Christe Eleison (1889)
• Lord, Our Lord (1889)
• John of Damascus (Иоанн Дамаскин), a cantata for solo singers, chorus, and orchestra (1890); words by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy
• A Beautiful Girl Sits by the Sea (Баллада: Над морем красавица дева сидит), a ballade for female chorus and orchestra (1894); words by Mikhail Lermontov

See also

In Spanish: Vasili Kalínnikov para niños