On July 14, Russian Musical Seasons will present "A Musical Salon at the Makovskys", an open-air concert in the Fabergé Museum's inner courtyard, held in conjunction with the Makovsky brothers' exhibition.
"I don't know which art I love more — painting or music", — Vladimir Makovsky said.
Music rarely becomes the first word when it comes to the Makovsky family. We recall their paintings, we know the names of Konstantin and Vladimir Makovsky as outstanding artists of their time. And yet the history of this family was inextricably linked not only with painting, but also with musical art.
The house of Yegor Ivanovich Makovsky in Moscow was one of the notable artistic and musical centres of the mid-nineteenth century. Artists, writers, and musicians gathered here; romances and chamber ensembles were performed, and new works and aesthetic ideas were discussed. Lyubov Kornilovna Möllenhauer — a talented singer, later a professor at the Moscow Conservatory — played a special role in this atmosphere. Contemporaries recalled that Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Varlamov, and Alexander Gurilyov accompanied her, and that musical evenings at the Makovsky house became an important part of Moscow's cultural life. It was in such an environment that the future artists grew up.
This concert invites you to look into the musical world of the Makovsky family — a world in which painting and music existed inseparably, and domestic music-making became a natural continuation of life.
The programme combines works directly connected with the Makovsky family, music of their closest circle, and compositions reflecting the range of their artistic preferences. Alongside recognised masterpieces by M.I. Glinka, P.I. Tchaikovsky, and A.A. Alyabyev, rarely performed works by S.I. Taneyev, S.I. Donaurov, P. Viardot, and G.N. Dulov will be heard.
In the Makovsky household, alongside the easel there was always a place for the piano, and creative conversation continued in the sound of the human voice, the violin, and the piano. Perhaps that is precisely why this music is perceived not as a distant historical testimony, but as a living voice of the time, addressed to us even today.
Concert duration: 1 hour 20 minutes
Dear guests, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the organisers reserve the right to cancel the concert in the event of a significant deterioration in the weather. In that case, tickets will be refunded automatically.
Concert programme:
- M.A. Balakirev / M.I. Glinka — The Lark (piano)
- P.I. Tchaikovsky — Valse-Scherzo (violin)
- S.I. Taneyev — Not the Wind, Blowing from on High (tenor)
- A.A. Alyabyev — The Nightingale (soprano)
- A.K. Lyadov — Prelude No. 1, Op. 11 (piano)
- P.I. Tchaikovsky — Don Juan's Serenade (baritone)
- A.S. Arensky / G.N. Dulov — Romance No. 5, Op. 53 (violin)
- M.I. Glinka — I Recall a Wonderful Moment (tenor)
- S.I. Taneyev — Bacchic Song (tenor, baritone)
- S.I. Donaurov — The Bold Song (soprano)
- P.I. Tchaikovsky — Natha-Waltz (piano)
- A.E. Varlamov — The Red Sarafan (violin)
- S.I. Donaurov — Venetian Serenade (soprano, tenor)
- M.I. Glinka — Stanzas (baritone)
- A.K. Lyadov — A Musical Snuffbox, Op. 32 (piano)
- P. Viardot — The Titmouse (soprano)
- M.I. Glinka — The Fire of Longing Burns in My Blood (tenor)
- P.I. Tchaikovsky — Entr'acte from the ballet The Sleeping Beauty (violin)
- J.-P. Martini — Plaisir d'amour (soprano, tenor, violin)
- S.V. Rachmaninoff — Do You Remember the Evening (soprano, tenor, violin)
Image Credits: Makovsky V.E. In the Artist's Studio (The Musicians). 1908. Oil on canvas. State Art Museum, Khanty-Mansiysk.