DOI: 10.36871/hon.202001021
Authors
Saito Momo
Aichi Prefectural University of the Arts, Yazako, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
Abstract
The article presents the history of the pedagogical activity of the Russian composer and pianist N. K. Medtner, whose 140th birthday is celebrated in 2020. The article presents new information about Medtner's first piano mentors, as well as about Medtner as a teacher, and his musical preferences. Based on archives of The Moscow State Conservatory, as well as on the memories of Medtner's students, a list of master's successors who studied in his class for approximately seven years during his teaching in Russia was revealed. The study of personal files of students of the first decade of the XXth century allows us to touch upon fundamental questions: what material was used for the pedagogical process of Medtner, whether he used his own compositions for teaching students in his class. Among classical composers Medtner chose for his class J. S. Bach, L. van Beethoven, R. Schumann, F. Chopin and F. Liszt. The Russian repertoire was represented by the works from M. A. Balakirev to A. N. Scriabin. Students often made requests to include their Professor's essays in their programs, which Medtner rarely granted. It is noted, that N. K. Medtner's teaching at The Moscow Conservatory and in private musical institutions in Moscow, did not complete his mentoring pedagogical activity, which continued later outside of Russia.
Keywords
Moscow State Conservatory, teaching, piano performance, N. K. Medtner, S. V. Rachmaninov, Russian piano school.
