Could Russia be considered a country that appreciates classical music?

Question by Nellie Mckay: Russia and Classical Music?
A few questions on Russia and classical music. 🙂

Compared to most other countries, could Russia be considered a country that appreciates classical music – still?

Are there any well known music schools in Russia?

Tchaikovsky’s grave. Photo Credit: Peter Curbishley/Flickr
Answers and Views:

Answer by Arash M
It’s not just Russia, it’s basically all of Europe.
Classical music has always been huge in Austria and Germany due to the famous composers (Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Staruss, Wagner, Brahms, Schumann, etc).
Italy, Poland, Spain, Hungary, and France are also high on the list.

Russia has had a high success of famous composers in the 19th and 20th century, (Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Rimsky-Korsakov, etc.)

Russia has also had some of the most famous pianists in recent history: Horowitz, Richter, Gilels, etc.

I do think that Russia has certainly been the most successful nation in recent history in terms of producing the most well known composers/pianists, and they have some of the most prestigious music conservatories in the world, the Moscow Conservatory and the St. Petersburg Conservatory are examples.

To me, however, Vienna will always be the classical music capitol of the world.

Answer by Alberich
I would think so, “still”; perhaps not as much so as the western European nations(non-slavic): Austria, Germany, France, Great Britain, etc.

With regard to “well known music schools in Russia?”, I take it you’re not familiar with Wikipedia?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_Conservatory_of_Music

And as far as I know, the “Tchaikovsky Interantional Piano Competitions” is still an ongoing concern: remember van Cliburn’s winning it was what started him on his road to reknown?

Alberich

Answer by Edik
Russia’s classical music world should not be so carelessly lumped in with “all of Europe” as one answer suggests. Under Stalin’s rule, music (and I’d venture to say all the arts) suffered greatly — composers were living in a highly restrictive world. Everything they produced had to comply with the dogma of “socialist realism,” which basically desired to create a class of true Soviet music, to glorify the state and the working class. Music was to be tuneful, tonal, folk-influenced, accessible, etc. Music that did not meet these vaguely defined standards was considered “formalist” and was not appropriate for the time.

Take twelve-tone music as an example: one cannot deny that this is perhaps the single most influential compositional “development” of the 20th century (whether or not you like that style of composition, you can’t ignore the impact that it had/has). But the first twelve-tone piece produced within the Soviet Union was Andrey Volkonsky’s “Musica Stricta,” which was written in 1956 — 30-some years after Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg began writing in that style. Why did it take so long? Because the door was completely closed off to unacceptable western influences.

All this is to say that, from the 1920s until at least Stalin’s death (probably later) the Russian music culture was “behind” the culture of Europe and America. (and I believe it’s safe to say that they were late-comers to the party anyway…who were the great Russian composers of the 18th century? Anyone?)

What effect does/did this game of “catch-up” have on the nation’s appreciation of classical music? I don’t really know…

But yes, I think that Russia DOES appreciate classical music, and is probably especially appreciative of its OWN classical artists who achieve worldwide notoriety.

Well known music schools in Russia?? Of course. There’s the Moscow Conservatory (Chaikovsky Conservatory) and the St. Petersburg Conservatory, to name two of the most famous conservatories in the world…

Answer by zapata
tall goes rushin right by me

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