Forgotten Russian Piano Music: the Sonatas of Anatoly Aleksandrov Irina Pevzner University of South Carolina
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University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 1-1-2013 Forgotten Russian Piano Music: the Sonatas of Anatoly Aleksandrov Irina Pevzner University of South Carolina Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Pevzner, I.(2013). Forgotten Russian Piano Music: the Sonatas of Anatoly Aleksandrov. (Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2559 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FORGOTTEN RUSSIAN PIANO MUSIC: THE SONATAS OF ANATOLY ALEKSANDROV by Irina Pevzner Bachelor of Music Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, 2000 Master of Music Carnegie Mellon University, 2003 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Performance School of Music University of South Carolina 2013 Accepted by: Marina Lomazov, Major Professor Chairman, Examining Committee Charles Fugo, Committee Member Joseph Rackers, Committee Member Ellen Exner, Committee Member Lacy Ford, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Copyright by Irina Pevzner, 2013 All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge several individuals, who played an important role in preparation of the current document. Above all, I would like to distinguish Dr. Marina Lomazov, my piano professor and the director of the dissertation committee, for inspiring me to achieve a higher level of musicianship and guiding me with unreserved care and perseverance to become a more confident and competent performer. I also would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee Dr. Joseph Rackers, Dr. Charles Fugo, and Dr. Ellen Exner for their support and direction during my work at the University of South Carolina. In addition, I would like to acknowledge other faculty members at the University’s Music Department, particularly Dr. Daniel Jenkins, Dr. Scott Price, and Dr. Samuel O. Douglas, each of whom contributed to my professional growth by supplying me with the most useful tools necessary for the successful and valuable work in the field of music. I would like to thank Jennifer Otterwik and the staff of the Music Library at the University of South Carolina for the access to the David Shields Collection of Russian Piano Music. The study would not be possible without the assistance of the staff members of the Slavic Reference Services in the Eastern European Studies department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne Library. I especially thank Helen F. Sullivan and Joseph Lenkart for their insight and help in providing many important research materials. iii I would like to acknolwdge and thank Dr. Marion and Sally Aldridge of Columbia, SC for their tremendous help while hosting me at their home during my doctoral study. Their support and encouragement greatly contributed to my work. I would also like to thank Professor Andrew Muller of Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL and Chee-Hang See for their help in preparation of the document. Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, and colleagues for their continuous support during the process of writing current document. I especially thank my parents, my gradmother, and my friends Dr. Claudia Deltregia at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil, Dr. Paolo André Gualdi at the Francis Marion University, Florence, SC, and Dr. Jinha Park. iv ABSTRACT This historical and analytical study focuses on the piano sonatas of Anatoly Aleksandrov (1888-1982), the longest-living Russian and Soviet composer-pianist of the twentieth century. The fourteen piano sonatas, written between 1922 and 1971, reflect not only the composer’s evolution of style, but also reveal the vast array of influences which characterize the music of the twentieth century. Chromaticism that resulted from stretched harmonic sequences, strong melodic lyricism that threads these epic compositions, rich writing for piano, and hints of Russian folklore all contribute to the composer’s original style, which synthesizes Aleksandrov’s four main figures of influence, namely Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Medtner, and Feinberg. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. iii ABSTRACT . v LIST OF EXAMPLES. viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION . 1 Introduction . 1 Purpose of Study . 5 Methodology . 6 Justification . 7 Literature Review . 8 CHAPTER II: BIOGRAPHY . 12 Part I: Childhood . 13 Part II: Education and Career . 18 CHAPTER III: ALEKSANDORV’S MUSIC IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT . 25 The Early Composition Period: 1906-1916 . 32 Transition Stage: 1917-1927 . 34 Socialist Realism: 1928-1945 . 37 Career Peak: 1945-1964 . 39 The Late Period: 1964-1982 . 41 CHAPTER IV: INFLUENCES . 44 Taneyev and Zhilyaev . 45 vi Medtner . 47 Scriabin . 49 Rachmaninov . 51 Aleksandrov’s Contemporaries: Feinberg and Prokofiev . 54 Shostakovich . 58 Foreign Influences . 60 Traditionalism versus Modernism . 63 CHAPTER V: ANATOLY ALEKSANDROV’S PIANO SONATAS . 68 Piano Music in Russia . 68 Anatoly Aleksandrov’s Piano Music: The Composer-Pianist . 71 Aleksandrov and the Sonata . 74 The Fourteen Sonatas . 78 Summary . .165 General Suggestions for Interpretation . .167 CHAPTER VI: DEFINING ALEKSANDROV’S STYLE . 171 Essential General Characteristics . 171 Stylistic Elements . 176 Aleksandrov’s Individual Style as Related to his Influences . 183 Musicologists on Aleksandrov’s Style . 184 Criticism . 187 CONCLUSION . 194 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 197 Appendix A: Annotated Discography . 200 vii LIST OF EXAMPLES Example 5.1 Sonata No. 1, mm. 1-7 . 84 Example 5.2 Sonata No. 1, mm. 25-29 . 84 Example 5.3 Sonata No. 2, First theme, mm. 1-4 . 90 Example 5.4 Sonata No. 2, Second theme, mm. 46-51 . 91 Example 5.5 Sonata No. 2, mm. 135-141 . 93 Example 5.6 Sonata No. 2, mm. 265-272 . 95 Example 5.7 A. Scriabin, Sonata No. 4, second movement, mm. 138-143 . 95 Example 5.8 Sonata No. 2, mm. 302-305 . 96 Example 5.9 Sonata No. 3, Introduction, mm. 1-7 . 98 Example 5.10 Sonata No. 3, mm. 230-237 . 102 Example 5.11 Sonata No. 4, first movement, mm. 1-5 . 106 Example 5.12 Sonata No. 4, mm. 25-28 . 107 Example 5.13 Sonata No. 4, mm. 37-39 . 107 Example 5.14 Sonata No. 4, mm. 46-47 . 107 Example 5.15 Sonata No. 4, mm. 100-105 . 108 Example 5.16 Sonata No. 4, second movement, mm. 1-3 . 109 Example 5.17 Sonata No. 4, second movement, mm. 10-13 . 110 Example 5.18 Sonata No. 5, mm. 1-4. 113 Example 5.19 Sonata No. 5, second movement, mm. 1-7 . 115 viii Example 5.20 Sonata No. 6, First movement, mm. 1-3 . 118 Example 5.21 Sonata No. 6, Second movement, mm. 1-6 . 119 Example 5.22 Sonata No. 6, Third movement, mm. 1-2 . 120 Example 5.23 Sonata No. 6, Third movement, mm. 6-7 . 120 Example 5.24 Sonata No. 6, First movement, mm. 16-17 . 122 Example 5.25 Sonata No. 7, First movement, mm. 1-4 . 125 Example 5.26 Sonata No. 7, Second movement, mm. 1-10. 126 Example 5.27 Sonata No. 7, Third movement, mm. 1-2 . 126 Example 5.28 Sonata No. 7, Third movement, mm. 65-70 . 127 Example 5.29 Sonata No. 8, First movement, mm. 1-4 . 135 Example 5.30 Sonata No. 8, First movement, mm. 23-29 . 135 Example 5.31 Sonata No. 8, Second movement, mm. 1-5. 136 Example 5.32 Sonata No. 8, Third movement, mm. 14-18 . ..