Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/657

 gay, reckless and wild—which have undoubted relations to the Slavic temperament and the social condition of the country as a whole. This emotional paradox supplies materials of extreme artistic value. In point of technical style, Russian art, except in certain cases, seems not yet to have attained maturity, lacking æsthetic balance and finish. But its vigor and enterprise have made striking contributions to recent musical literature.

Polish music, though akin to the Russian, has had a separate history, having been profoundly influenced by both German and French styles. The national misfortunes are reflected in tones of deep sadness, as is the national character in passages of proud dignity and refinement. But the Polish circle is comparatively small.

Prominent Russian names are Alexander Borodin (d. 1887), with 3 symphonies, the symphonic poem Dans les steppes, string-quartets, piano-pieces, and the opera Prince Igor (1891, finished by Rimski-Korsakow); César Cui, born in 1835, with 8 operas (from 1859), as William Ratcliff (1868) and Angelo (1876), 4 orchestral suites, chamber and choral works, many piano-pieces and songs; Modest Mussorgski (d. 1881), with 3 operas, beginning with Boris Godunow (1874), several choral works, piano-pieces and striking songs; Peter Tschaikowski (d. 1893), one of the most gifted orchestral writers of recent times, with 6 symphonies, 7 symphonic poems, 4 orchestral suites, several overtures, much chamber music, 11 operas (from 1869), especially Eugen Onegin (1879) and Pique-Dame (1890), 3 ballets, numerous piano-pieces and songs; Alexander Faminzin (d. 1896), with 2 operas, chamber pieces, songs, and important critical and historical writings; Nicolai Rimski-Korsakow, born in 1844, with about a dozen operas (from 1873), especially Snegorotchka (1882), Sadko (1897) and Der unsterbliche Koschtschrei (1902), 3 symphonies, many other orchestral works, choral cantatas and many songs; Nicolai Solowiew, born in 1846, with 3 operas, including Cordelia (1885), with interesting piano-pieces and some orchestral works; Anton Arenski, born in 1861, with 3 operas (from 1892), 2 symphonies, 4 orchestral suites, chamber works, original piano-pieces, church music; Alexander Glasunow, born in 1865, an exceedingly fertile orchestral writer, with 7 symphonies, 4 suites, 4 overtures, 2 serenades, several symphonic poems, 5 string-quartets and other chamber music, some piano and choral works, and 2 ballets; Alexander Scriabine, born in 1872, a noted pianist, with many works for piano, besides 2 symphonies, a piano-concerto, etc.; and Sergei Rachmaninow, born in 1873, with the opera Aleko (1893), a symphony, piano works and songs.

To the Polish group belong Ladislaus Zelenski of Cracow, born in 1837, with 3 operas (from 1885), chamber works, church music, pieces for piano and organ, etc.; Sigismund Noszkowski of Warsaw (d. 1909), born in 1846, with 2 symphonies, cantatas and ballades, the opera Livia (1898), piano-pieces and songs; Philipp Scharwenka of Berlin, born in 1847, with choral works, 2