Arca Russa

Molto interessante, Angelo. E complimenti per l'esposizione. :up:
Veramente viene voglia di leggere questo libro, in effetti, e mi sono dato un po' da fare per cercarne una edizione italiana... purtroppo senza risultati.
Siamo alle solite! :?

Grazie, Principe. Credo che sia la mia prima esposizione su questo forum, quindi un esordio. :wink:
Il fatto che Google abbia trovato soltanto tre resultati per la chiave di ricerca "Cronaca della mia vita musicale" mi stupisce non poco. Pensavo che in Italia Rimskij-Korsakov fosse relativamente conosciuto anche come compositore operistico, attraverso una certa, sebbene non molto frequente, presenza nei teatri. Esiste persino una registrazione radiofonica della giovine Scotto nel ruolo titolare de "La leggenda dell'¡nvisibile città di Kitěž e della vergine Fevrònija" dal teatro Verdi di Trieste.
Comunque, da quel che so, anche le edizioni russi scarseggiano: non per caso una delle due immagini allegate è il ritratto d'un'edizione antiquaria (ante revolutionem!) e l'altra d'un'edizione straniera. Pare che la "Cronaca della mia vita musicale" non sia stata ristampata da moltissimo tempo. Una causa, ma non l'unica, è che la letteratura musicale in Russia solo negli ultimi anni ha cominciato a uscire dalla letargía dovuta alla crisi economica degli anni Novanta.

Per rendere piú tangibile la personalità di Rimskij-Korsakov, vorrei aggiungere, trascrivendole nei prossimi giorni, quattro lettere del compositore, scritte negli anni 1905 e 1906, durante i disordini che stravolsero tutto il paese (ricordiamo che 1905 è l'anno in cui eruppe la prima rivoluzione in Russia in seguito della sconfitta nella guerra Russa-Giapponese 1904-1905) e toccarono anche il Conservatorio Musicale di San Pietroburgo, ove Rimskij era professore. Queste lettere costituiscono gli appendici VI-VIII del libro.
Purtroppo, come scrissi prima, non ho un'edizione russa od italiana a disposizione, quindi non mi resta altra possibilità che trascriverle in inglese. Spero che questo non v'incomodi troppo.
Ecco la prima delle lettere:



Dear Sir:

In No. 52 of your esteemed daily there appeared a brief statement of the thoughts expressed by me at the meeting of the Art Council of the Conservatoty on February 24 [March 9] - thoughts concerning the desirability of broader powers for the Art Council. Finding that this news item is not sufficiently complete, I hasten to state it in greater detail. Briefly speaking, I had expressed myself: (1) that the local Directorate of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, which had given life to the Conservatory in the sixties, had given it its material support during many years, and had obtained its constitution and by-laws fot it, had, in subsequent years, and beacuse of that very constitution, proved (in its personnel) to be a casual element and only indirectly in touch with musical art; (2) that for the Conservatory, which at this moment appears to me a grown-up and mature institution, there has grown ripe the need of changes in the of changes in the constitution, with a view to giving the Conservatory full autonomy (under which the local Directorate will become a superfluous bureaucratic court of resort between the Conservatory and the Directorate-in-chief of the Imperial Russian Musical Society) as well as with a view to esablishing correct relations between the Director of the Conservatory and the Art Council by granting this latter greater independence and broader powers of action. I suggest that the Conservatory insist upon this, in the hope that the Directorate of the local branch will lend it assistance instead of resistance. In conclusion I expressed the idea that the Art Council would hardly refuser greater autonomy and broader powers of action, and the Directorate shrink from the more frequent cooperation of such and institution as the Art Council. May the two jointly, in the nearest future, work out a suitable statement which they will submit to the Directorate of the local branch and the Directorate-in-chief of the Imperial Russian Musical Society.

My dear Avgust Rudol'fovich:

The movement which assumed the form of a strike of the students of the Higher Educational Institutions has also affected the St. Petersburg Conservatory, which undoubtedly belongs with them in its problem of musical education. From the very otutset of this agitation, together with several other of my colleagues, I made efforts by word and deed to pacify this movement and calm the participants' minds. When, inspite of this, the movement had spread, the Conservatory was temporarily closed, till February 28 [March 13]. At the Art Council meeting of February 24 [March 9], I was one of the twenty-seven instructors who cast their votes in favour of closing the Conservatory until September 1 [14]. Nevertheless, by order of the Directorate of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Imperial Musical Society, the Conservatory proved only temporarily closed, until March 15 [28]. Because of anticipated disorders that might break out with the reopening of the Conservatory, disorders amid which the normal course is unthinkable, I insisted once more that the period in which the Conservatory remain closed be prolonged until September 1 [14], as had been decided by the majority of votes in the Art Council. Now that the strike of Higher Educational Institutions is a reality which the professors and the Government have to face, the Conservatory, guided by the Directorate of the Musical Society, has taken a stand apart from all other educational institutions and, contrary to the example of all the oters (in spite of the resolution of the Art Council), has decided to reopen its classes beginning March 16 [29]. The consequences foreseen have become a reality: today after 11 a.m the Conservatory found itself surrounded by a cordon of mounted and foot police who scattered those pupils vainly desiring to enter the building. Admission into the Conservatory was by tickets distributed beforehand to pupils who wished to go on with studies; in this category of pupils only an insignificant nuber put in an appearance (some ten in alll). Thus it has been today, so it will be tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, etc. The striking pupils have been left to the tender mercies of the police; while those who have not gone on strike are guarded by the same police; while those who have not gone on strike are guarded by the same police. Is a regular course of instruction possible under such conditions? I find it impossible; many other instructors find it so likewise. The Conservatory authorities - the Director, the Inspectors, the Directorate of the Musical Society - view it differently, without being disconcerted by things that make the Government itself stop to think. Is any progress in the cause of artistic music possible in an institution where the resolution of the Art Council have no value; at an institution wher, under its constitution, the musical artists are subordinated to the Directorate - that is, to a circle of amateur dilettantes - at an institution where, under the same constitution, the Director is not alected for a terml, but represents an irremovable element; at an institution, finally, that is utterly indifferent to the fate of its pupils in questions of education? All the above regulations of the constitution as well as the acts of the Conservatory administration I find inopportune, anti-artistic and harsh from the moral point of view, and I deem it my duty to express my moral protest.

N. Rimskiy-Korsakov

St. Petersburg, March 16 [29]

In accordance with the Directorate's resolution adopted at a meeting on March 19 [April 1], 1905, and officially communicated to me, I have been, under art. 5, § 14 of the Constitution of the Conservatory and § 55 of the Constitution of the Russian Imperial Musical Society, dismissed from the duties of professr at the Conservatory, because I had
"publicly, in sharp manner, and with perversion of facts expressed a protest against the Directorate's actions aiming at restoring the interrupted studies at the Conservatory; and this manifestly hinders the Directorate's efforts to bring tranquillity and the even tenor of educational life into the Conservatory";
and hence the Directorate
"considers impossible my further activity as professor."
If in my letter to the Director of the Conservatory reference has been made to the twenty-seven votes cast in favour of closing the Conservatory until that length of time, while the majority favoured closing the Conservatory "until passions shal have calmed" - an inexactness of that nature on my part cannot manifestly alter the sense of my letter, while the phrase "passions shall have calmed" points to a space of time possibly still more remote than September 1 [14]. For it cannot be asserted that on March 15 [28] the calming of passions occurred. Wherefore I request the Directorate to state what facts have suffered perversion on my part. Without that, the hint (undeserved by me) of my alleged bad faith will prove a not altogether honourable procedure on the Directorate's part. As for the act of dismissing me ofver the heads of the Art Council, this but proves once more that I am right in thinking that it is from the Constitution that the abnormality in the relations between the Art Council, the Director of the Conservatory, and the Directorate arises. I herewith beg to renounce my honorary membership in the St. Petersburg Branch.

N. Rimsky-Korsakov

March 24 [April 6]

P.S. Several hours before the Directorate meeting of March 19 [April 1], at which my dismissal was decided upon, I had received, from one of the members of the Directorate, a letter containing the following lines: "would it not be more advisable, if, instead of protesting, you agreed, for the sake of calming the passions of youth, to take up the reins of administration, instead of A. R. Bernhard?" - Probably the member of the Directorate held a minority opinion, but signed the resolution, nevertheless. I sent a negative reply.

Realizing as I do that in a free interchange of opinions every contrary opinion or conviction requires objections made with coolness and restraint, I deem it my duty to express to the Art Council that I regret in the extreme my momentary outburst of temper at the meeting of January 26 [February 8].
But when I analyse in my memory the feeling which provoked that involuntary outburst, I do not feel ashamed of it and find justification for it.
Durint the meeting of January 26 [February 8] there were too many speeches, conversations, sundry exclamations and remarks, in which there was expressed with regard to the student youth (which so warmly reacts on present-day events) a hostile sentiment, beginning with formal fault-findings at the insufficient correctness of managing the affair and ending with demands for eradicating "revolution" from the Conservatory's walls. Too much trust was expressed in all manner of gossip and calumnies of the young people, not even excepting the unworthy provocateur's message, in which possibly its anonymity was the only thing that was not approved unanimously. Such speeches and conversations were kept up during the entire meeting by persons hostile from time immemorial, as well as by persons who have but lately assumed an attitude hostile to the liberal movement and the self-government of the Conservatory. On the other hand, only the Director and very few of the staff of instructors spoke in defence of the student youth, whereas to my respected and beloved A. K. Glazunov ther were addressed so many reproaches and so much distrust, which took the final form of a demand that he give his word of honour to support his views, that all of it taken together caused my sudden outburst.
The arguments and pleas of some of my colleagues have moved me to retract the words about my leaving the Conservatory, since, in their opinion, this leaving might result in things unfavourable to the very students on whose behalf I had spoken.
Now that I have decided to stay at the Conservatory, I cannot help saying that in acting contrary to the resolution of the students' meeting, or ignoring the Students' Committee, the Art Council eo ipso violates the principles of self-government, which were not at all granted to the Conservatory by the provisional rules but had in fact been won by it.
By appealing, in the name of lawfulness, justice, and liberty, that a fight be waged against the despotism of the students in the person of their committee, we thereby are preparing a state of undesirable stagnation for the Conservatory, while our hostile attitude towards the representatives and rights of the students even pushes our institution back into the depths ob bygone time.
To all the above I add that in case of voting - I cast my ballot for non-resumpiion, in the matter of resuming or not resuming the art classes, on the question of calling a meeting for reconsidering, I vote against calling one; and as to the question of ignoring the Students' Committee as constituted at presenty, I cannot consent to it. In ase the voting results are contrary to the opinions I have expressed, I request that these latter be incorporated in the minutes, to which I beg to add also this present letter.

January 30 [February 12], 1906

Nel precedente messaggio ho inserita l'ultima delle quattro lettere di Rimskij-Korskakov contenute nell'appendice della "Cronaca della mia vita musicale".
Ritengo che queste lettere rendano benissimo la posizione civica di Rimskij-Korsakov in quel periodo agitato della storia russa.

Questo pezzo sinfonico è veramente affascinante!
Quando ascolto la parte finale mi sembra sempre di sentire il suono delle campane, che Rimskij-Korsakov riproduce con l'orchestra.
Personalmente preferisco due incisioni: Svetlanov e Igor Markevich.

Questi vecchi film sono dei veri e propri tesori, piccoli capolavori del cinema in cui si incontrano la storia, l'arte, la musica e i personaggi conosciuti e amati, che purtropppo richiano di diventare reliquie. E' un peccato che la televisione non si preoccupi di tenerne vivo il ricordo e solo molto raramente riproponga questi film al pubblico moderno. E' davvero un peccato.

http://www.ivi.ru/watch/31834

Splendida notizia questa del ritrovamento della partitura originale di Kascej!

Per gli amici italiani mi fa piacere ricorda che questa sera alle 20:30 su SKY classica verrà trasmessa l'opera "Il gallo d'oro" nell'edizione dello Chatelet di Parigi.