Russia undoubtedly has produced some of the most talented and influential composers and artists of our time. From the inspiration of other composers and music of other countries, Russian composers have added significantly to the breadth and variety of classical music that we now have today. Composers like Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, and many more have become known worldwide for their impressive and expressive pieces that continue to live on even after decades or centuries of their creation. 

Brief Timeline:

Before the 18th century, music in Russia consisted of folk music and church music. Operas in French, German, and Italian were also popular among the middle class. But during Peter I’s reign, western styles of music were brought to Russia. Many Russian composers during this time would have been taught in Italy and implemented Italian styles into their works. 

During the mid 1800’s, a group called “The Mighty Five”, that consisted of Mily Balakirev, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Modest Mussorgsky, Alexander Borodin and César Cui, proclaimed that it was going to popularize classical music with Russian influences and folk tunes woven within it. Its goal was to bring about nationalism in this new music. Many pieces made by the Might Five and other composers were based on Russian history, folk tales, and literature.

In 1859, the Russian Musical Society was formed. It was dedicated to the development of refined musical taste and worked towards establishing music schools and places for performance. The Mighty Five and the Russian Music Society were often seen as rivals as the Mighty Five was interested in implementing more Russian cultural elements and folk music, while the Russian Music Society was more conservative. Tchaikovsky was one of the students at the Russian Music Society Conservatory in St. Petersburg.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there came a wave of new composers. These included composers such as Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. Stravinsky became known as one of the most influential and important composers of the 20th century, being known for his variety in styles. 

After the Russian Revolution, music changed greatly along with the rise of the Soviet Union. After Stalin came into power, the musical freedom that composers had in the 1920’s was now gone. Music had to be conservative, non-experimental, and have nationalistic Russian roots. It also had to have simple enough melodies so that it could be sung collectively.  Composers like Shostakovich, Popov, Prokofiev, and others had trouble getting their music approved, even though they were talented. 

After the death of Stalin, classical music, or music in general, became freer than it had been, with the ban against more experimental genres being lifted.

Influential People:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is the most well known Russian composer of all time. He is the composer responsible for the music in``The Nutcracker '' and “Swan Lake ''. 

Tchaikovsky was born on April 25, 1840 in Votkinsk, Russia. He had become interested in music at a young age, with him writing his first composition at age 4. But since musical education was not widely available at this time in Russia, Tchaikovsky's parents did not think that he would ever make a living out of music. At age 21 he decided to start taking music lessons at the Russian Musical Society. He then became one of the first students at the Conservatory in St. Petersburg. 

His work was first publicly performed in 1865, with the piece Characteristic Dances. His first opera however, The Voyevoda, was not popular and had to be scrapped. He continued to write more and more operas, symphonies, and other compositions. He then completed Swan Lake in 1876. Acclaim came to Tchaikovsky at this point and he resigned from the Moscow Conservatory in 1878 to focus on composing. 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died on November 6, 1893. His official cause of death was cholera, although some suspected a suicide.

Dmitri Shostakovich

Dmitri Shostakovich was born on September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is famous for his works that were written under the pressure of the Soviet government. 

He entered the Petrograd Conservatory in 1919 where he studied piano and composition. He confined public appearances and was focused on piano and compositions, though he became more famous for his compositions than his piano playing. 

In the 1920’s, Shostakovich gained popularity. His music has many influences including composers like Tchaikovsky, and Paul Hindeminth. He experimented with avant-garde trends, and was free in his creation. But by the end of the 20’s, Stalin had implemented the Five Year Plan. This was also around the time the Soviet Union brought upon strict regulations for music. Music was now demanded to be a specific way suitable for Stalin and Soviet authorities. This meant that the avant-garde styles that Shostakovich was composing, and even other experimental genres, such as jazz, were now banned.

There is a divided opinion now whether Shostakovich was a musician who enriched Soviet music and was a true supporter of the government at the time, or if he secretly despised the rule that he was under. What he does know is that his music was constantly under scrutiny by Soviet authorities. And as he continued to compose it got worse and worse. He had to make apologies and rewrite his own work. In 1938 he became persona non grata, or an unwelcome or unaccepted person. His works were banned and he was politically and artistically isolated. 

Shostakovich did not die a happy man. His final piece that he composed, Viola Sonata op.147, along with others near his death, were very somber, and to some, perfectly represented his life. It showed the numerous mental health issues he was going through and the amount of anguish he felt. He passed away on August 9, 1975. But he is known and praised for having a creative mind and continuing to pursue his own imagination, even in the troubling realities of life in the Soviet Union.

Mikhail Glinka

Mikhail Glinka was born on June 1, 1804  in Novospassky, Russia. He is known for being the first Russian composer to receive recognition internationally, and founding the Russian nationalist school. He first became interested in music at the age of 10 or 11, when listening to his uncle’s orchestra, and he began studying music in 1818 at the Chief Pedagogic Institute in St. Petersburg. Later, he went to Italy for three years and was inspired by Italian composers. This made him want to start composing songs ``in Russian”. He took inspiration from folktales, and literature to make a new unique music that was distinctively Russian. His first opera was A Life for the Tsar, which celebrated Russian culture, and patriotism. He also studied music in Berlin for six months in which he composed Sinfonia per l’orchestra sopra due motive russe. He also began to compose operas and other works. 

 During his time away from Russia, in Berlin, Paris and Spain, he began to be called back by his father’s death, and the Crimean War, on two separate occasions. 

One famous piece that he composed was “The Patriotic Song”, which became the Russian national anthem from the fall of the  Soviet Union; it lasted from 1991-2000.

 Modern Classical Music is Russia:

One of the most famous orchestras in Russia today is the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. It has recently celebrated its 140th anniversary, being formed on July 16, 1882. They have extensive touring activities, and visit many countries such as South Korea, Japan, Estonia, Luxembourg and more. They also perform concerts with pieces by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, and other famous composers. 

A threat to classical music in Russia right now is the war in Ukraine. Many musicians, especially male ones, have fled out of Russia to not be sent to fight in a war that they do not agree with. And musicians outside of the classical genre are speaking up about this too. Pianists Alexander Melnikov, and Alexander Melnikov have both spoken out publicly against this war. This continuation of musicians fleeing Russia will greatly impact the country. Some worry that this beautiful, long tradition of classical music might fade in Russia because of its political issues. But for atleast now, Russia is still known as one of the countries that excells in its production and performance of classical music worldwide.