Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev (Russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Тане́ев, pronounced [sʲɪrˈɡʲej ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ tɐˈnʲejɪf]) was born on November 25, 1856 (Old Style: November 13, 1856), and died on June 19, 1915 (Old Style: June 6, 1915). He was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist, and author.

Life

Sergei Taneyev was born in Vladimir, Vladimir Governorate, Russian Empire, to a family known for their education and love of literature. His distant cousin, Alexander Taneyev, was also a composer. Alexander’s daughter, Anna Vyrubova, was important in the Russian royal court. Alexander was closely connected to a group of composers called The Five, who focused on Russian musical traditions. Sergei, however, was more interested in music styles from other countries, similar to those of Tchaikovsky.

At age five, Sergei began piano lessons with a private teacher. In 1865, his family moved to Moscow. The next year, at nine years old, he entered the Moscow Conservatory. His first piano teacher there was Edward Langer. After a year away from school, Sergei returned to study with Langer again. He also joined a music theory class taught by Nikolai Hubert and, most importantly, a composition class led by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In 1871, Sergei studied piano with Nikolai Rubinstein, the founder of the Conservatory.

In 1875, Sergei graduated from the Conservatory. He was the first student in its history to win a gold medal for both composition and piano performance. He also received the Conservatory’s Great Gold Medal. That summer, he traveled abroad with Rubinstein. That same year, he gave his first public piano performance in Moscow, playing Brahms’s First Piano Concerto. He later became known for his performances of music by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. In March 1876, he toured Russia with violinist Leopold Auer.

Sergei was the solo pianist at the Moscow premiere of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto in December 1875. He was chosen after Gustav Kross performed poorly at the concert’s earlier Russian premiere in St. Petersburg. The conductor for the Moscow performance was Nikolai Rubinstein, who had once criticized Tchaikovsky’s work but later came to appreciate it. Tchaikovsky was impressed by Sergei’s performance and later asked him to play the solo part in the Russian premiere of his Second Piano Concerto and his Piano Trio in A minor. After Tchaikovsky’s death, Sergei completed some of Tchaikovsky’s unfinished musical sketches and helped them become the Tchaikovsky Third Piano Concerto.

Sergei briefly attended Moscow University and met famous Russian writers, including Ivan Turgenev and Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. During his travels in Western Europe in 1876 and 1877, he met writers like Émile Zola and Gustave Flaubert, as well as composers such as César Franck and Camille Saint-Saëns.

In 1878, after Tchaikovsky left the Moscow Conservatory, Sergei was appointed to teach harmony. He later taught piano and composition as well. He served as the Conservatory’s director from 1885 to 1889 and continued teaching until 1905. He had a strong influence on his students, including composers like Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Nikolai Medtner. The complex musical structures in Rachmaninoff’s and Medtner’s works were directly shaped by Sergei’s teaching. Scriabin, however, eventually moved away from Sergei’s style.

Sergei was also a highly educated scholar. In his free time, he studied subjects like history, mathematics, and the philosophies of Plato and Spinoza.

In the summers of 1895 and 1896, Sergei visited Yasnaya Polyana, the home of Leo Tolstoy and his wife, Sofia. Sofia developed a close relationship with Sergei, which made her children uncomfortable and caused Tolstoy to feel jealous. Sergei, however, was unaware of this.

In 1905, political unrest in Russia led Sergei to resign from the Moscow Conservatory. He returned to performing as a pianist and continued composing. He wrote chamber music with piano parts he could play in concerts, as well as songs and choruses. His final completed work was a cantata called At the Reading of a Psalm, finished in early 1915.

Sergei fell ill with pneumonia after attending the funeral of Scriabin in Moscow on April 16, 1915. While recovering, he suffered a heart attack in Dyudkovo, near Zvenigorod, and died.

A museum honoring Sergei Taneyev is located in Dyudkovo. There is also a section about him at the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin.

Taneyev and Tchaikovsky

Taneyev was the most trusted friend among Tchaikovsky's musical companions. The two shared a romantic relationship that continued until Tchaikovsky's death. Tchaikovsky dedicated his symphonic poem Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32, to Taneyev.

Taneyev was known for being very careful and hardworking, with excellent musical skills. Tchaikovsky understood that Taneyev's opinions were valuable because Taneyev had high standards for himself and his work. Because of this, Tchaikovsky greatly valued Taneyev's honest feedback. In fact, Taneyev was the only person among Tchaikovsky's friends who was encouraged by the composer to give completely honest opinions about his music.

However, Taneyev's honesty was difficult for Tchaikovsky to accept at times. Tchaikovsky appreciated Taneyev's views but did not always enjoy hearing them. A note added to a letter Tchaikovsky wrote to Taneyev about Eugene Onegin and the Fourth Symphony shows his feelings: "I know you are absolutely sincere, and I think a great deal of your judgment. But I also fear it."

Tchaikovsky's use of the word "fear" was not exaggerated. Leonid Sabaneyev, a music writer and composer who studied with Taneyev as a child, met Tchaikovsky through him. Sabaneyev recalled an event when Tchaikovsky brought his Fifth Symphony to Taneyev for feedback. Taneyev carefully pointed out what he saw as flaws in the music, which made Tchaikovsky feel even worse. In frustration, Tchaikovsky grabbed the sheet music, wrote "Awful muck" in red pencil across the page, tore the sheet in half, and threw it on the floor before leaving the room. Taneyev later told Sabaneyev, "Pyotr Ilyich takes everything to heart. After all, he himself asked me to give my opinion."

Despite Tchaikovsky's sensitivity to criticism, he could not stay upset for long when Taneyev offered honest feedback, especially when Taneyev's comments showed deep understanding. Even though Taneyev's blunt style made the feedback painful, Tchaikovsky was deeply grateful for his honesty.

After Tchaikovsky completed his ballet The Nutcracker, Taneyev created a piano version of the entire work. Once finished, Taneyev gave the transcription to Tchaikovsky, who then made changes to it. This version was published in 1892.

Taneyev and The Five

Sergei Taneyev was not the only person with whom he was open and honest, though some did not appreciate his candor. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who remembered a disagreement Taneyev had with Mily Balakirev during a rehearsal for a concert celebrating the unveiling of a monument to Mikhail Glinka, a pioneering Russian composer, wrote about this event.

Taneyev was also known for his strong opinions about "The Mighty Handful," a group of Russian composers based in St. Petersburg. Rimsky-Korsakov recalled that Taneyev held traditional views in the 1880s. He reportedly expressed "deep distrust" toward Alexander Glazunov's early work. He described Alexander Borodin as a talented but not serious musician and said Modest Mussorgsky "made him laugh." Taneyev may have had little respect for César Cui or even Rimsky-Korsakov himself. However, Rimsky-Korsakov's study of counterpoint, a musical technique Taneyev learned about from Tchaikovsky, may have influenced Taneyev to reconsider his opinion of Rimsky-Korsakov.

In the following decade, Rimsky-Korsakov noted a change in Taneyev's views. Taneyev now admired Glazunov, respected Borodin's work, and still disliked Mussorgsky's compositions. Rimsky-Korsakov believed this shift happened because Taneyev had previously focused on researching counterpoint for his treatise, leaving little time for composing. Later, Taneyev devoted more energy to creative work, guided by modern musical ideals while maintaining his skill in counterpoint.

Rimsky-Korsakov also wrote about an incident involving Taneyev's opera Oresteia, which had a failed performance at the Mariinsky Theatre. Mitrofan Belyayev, a publisher and manager who led "The Mighty Handful," shared Taneyev's anger over the failure and offered to publish the score himself. Before publication, Taneyev revised and significantly improved the orchestration, which had not been fully satisfactory. Afterward, Taneyev began using Glazunov's advice on orchestration, and his skills in this area improved quickly. Glazunov had studied orchestration under Rimsky-Korsakov.

Taneyev and counterpoint

Taneyev's main area of study was counterpoint. He spent a lot of time learning the music of J. S. Bach, Palestrina, and other Flemish composers like Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin des Prez, and Orlande de Lassus. Eventually, he became one of the most skilled experts in counterpoint.

Taneyev wrote a large two-volume book called Moveable Counterpoint in the Strict Style (called convertible counterpoint in a 1962 English version). This work took 20 years to complete. In it, he explained the rules of counterpoint in detail and showed how counterpoint relates to pure mathematics. Taneyev included a quote from Leonardo da Vinci: "No branch of study can be called a true science unless it can be shown using mathematics."

A second book about Canon and Fugue, which Taneyev did not finish, was published after his death. In the 20th century, other books were written that discussed either the theory or teaching methods related to Taneyev's ideas.

Taneyev's focus on strict counterpoint greatly influenced how he composed music. He described this process in a letter to Tchaikovsky dated June 21, 1891, while discussing his dramatic trilogy Oresteia:

Taneyev would continue working on these counterpoint exercises until he had tried every possible way to use multiple melodies. Only after this would he begin writing actual music.

Rimsky-Korsakov described Taneyev's process in a similar way, adding more details:

Taneyev believed that truth and moral integrity in music meant the same as objectivity and purpose. He saw classical composition methods as examples of techniques that avoided anything unnecessary or random.

Taneyev also believed that combining counterpoint with folk songs could help create large musical structures that followed Western rules for developing themes in sonata form. This idea had not been achieved by "The Five" or Tchaikovsky. Taneyev wrote:

Music

Taneyev and Tchaikovsky had different ideas about how music theory should be used in creating music. Tchaikovsky believed in letting music develop naturally and spontaneously. Taneyev, however, thought that music should be carefully planned and based on strong theoretical knowledge, with detailed preparation of musical themes.

Because of this, Taneyev analyzed his teacher Tchaikovsky’s music in a thoughtful and intellectual way. His own compositions show his deep understanding of classical music techniques. His style was influenced more by European, especially German, traditions than by the Russian nationalist style of composers like Mily Balakirev.

Taneyev wrote many types of music, including nine complete string quartets and two that were not finished, a piano quintet, two string quintets, and other chamber works like a piano prelude and fugue in G-sharp minor. He also composed four symphonies (only the last one published during his lifetime, and at least one incomplete), a concert suite with a violin, a piano concerto, and other orchestral pieces. He wrote an organ piece called Chorale with Variations, as well as choral and vocal music. His choral works include two cantatas: St. John of Damascus (Op. 1, also known as A Russian Requiem) and At the Reading of a Psalm (Op. 36, sometimes called his final major work). In these pieces, Taneyev combined traditional Russian melodies with complex interweaving of musical lines.

Taneyev considered his Oresteia, first planned in 1882, to be his most important work. He called it a "musical trilogy" instead of an opera, and it was based on the plays of Aeschylus. It was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre on October 17, 1895. Taneyev also wrote a concert overture based on themes from Oresteia, which was conducted by Tchaikovsky in 1889.

Rimsky-Korsakov said many of Taneyev’s compositions were "dry and hard to follow." However, when Taneyev performed parts of Oresteia at Rimsky-Korsakov’s home, the music surprised everyone with its beauty and emotional power. Rimsky-Korsakov noted that Taneyev’s careful planning usually led to music that felt academic, but Oresteia showed great creativity and expression.

Taneyev’s music also had a playful side. Gerald Abraham wrote that Taneyev had a dual nature, similar to Lewis Carroll’s, with one side focused on mathematics and the other on humor. Some of Taneyev’s unpublished works include parodies, such as "Quartets of Government Officials," humorous choruses, comic fugues and variations, toy symphonies, a mock ballet for Tchaikovsky’s birthday with a silly story, and a clever mix of themes from Tchaikovsky’s music.

Selected discography

• The Russian Piano Quartet: Taneyev's Piano Quartet in E major, Op. 20; Paul Juon's Rhapsody; and Alexander Borodin's Polovtsian Dances. Performed by the Ames Piano Quartet (Dorian 93215)
• Concert Suite for Violin & Orchestra; Entr'acte; and Oresteya Overture. Performed by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy and Pekka Kuusisto as violin soloist (Ondine 959-2)
• Trio in E-flat major, Op. 31; Trio in B minor; and Trio in D major. Performed by the Belcanto Strings (MDG 6341003)
• Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30; and Piano Trio in D major, Op. 22. Performed by Mikhail Pletnev (piano), Vadim Repin (violin), and Lynn Harrell (cello), with Ilya Gringolts (violin) and Nobuko Imai (viola) joining for the quintet (Deutsche Grammophon 4775419)
• Symphony No. 1; and Symphony No. 3. Performed by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valery Polyansky (Chandos 10390), 2004
• Symphony No. 2; and Symphony No. 4. Performed by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valeri Polyansky (Chandos 9998)
• Symphony No. 4; and the Oresteia Overture, Op. 6. Performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi (Chandos 8953)
• String Quartets 1 and 4. Performed by the Leningrad Taneyev Quartet. Reissue of a Melodiya LP on Northern Flowers NF/PMA 9933 (and the other quartets, in five volumes)
• String Quartets 8 and 9. Performed by the Leningrad Taneiev Quartet (Melodiya MA 12411; reissued on Olympia OCD 128)
• Piano Trio in D; Piano Quartet in E. Performed by the Barbican Piano Trio with James Boyd (viola) (Dutton CDSA 6882)