Alexander Dmitriyevich Kastalsky
Encyclopedia
Alexandr Dmitriyevich Kastalsky ( – 17 December 1926) was a Russia
n composer
and folklorist.
Kastalsky was born in Moscow
to protoiereus
Dmitri Ivanovich Kastalsky (1820 – 1891). He studied music theory, composition and the piano at the Moscow Conservatory
. In 1887 he started teaching piano at Moscow Synodal School
, and in 1891 became assistant precentor of the Moscow Synodal Choir
. He was director of both from 1910-1918 until the school was dissolved and merged with the choral faculty of the Conservatory, and the choir was forced to move from sacred to folk repertory.
He wrote his first choral works in 1896. Up to 1917 he wrote over 130 works and established himself as an important composer of the neo-Russian style with an influence on choral composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff
, Victor Kalinnikov, Alexander Grechaninov and Pavel Chesnokov.
After the 1917 Revolution, he devoted himself to the study of folksongs. This resulted in many choral works from which the most important are The Village Symphony (1923) and Rural Work in Folksongs (1924).
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and folklorist.
Kastalsky was born in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
to protoiereus
Protoiereus
A protoiereus or protopriest in the Eastern Orthodox Church is a priest usually coordinating the activity of other subordinate priests in a bigger church. The title is roughly equivalent with the title of protopope or archpriest....
Dmitri Ivanovich Kastalsky (1820 – 1891). He studied music theory, composition and the piano at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
. In 1887 he started teaching piano at Moscow Synodal School
Moscow Synodal School
The Moscow Synodal School and the associated Moscow Synodal Choir were the main centre of teaching for Russian Orthodox Church music in Russia prior to dissolution and merger with the choral faculty of Moscow Conservatory in 1919.The school originally was directly linked with the Moscow...
, and in 1891 became assistant precentor of the Moscow Synodal Choir
Moscow Synodal Choir
The Moscow Synodal Choir , founded 1721, was the choir attached to the Moscow Synodal School prior to its dissolution and merger into the choral faculty of the Moscow Conservatory in 1919. The choir was revived in 1999.- History :...
. He was director of both from 1910-1918 until the school was dissolved and merged with the choral faculty of the Conservatory, and the choir was forced to move from sacred to folk repertory.
He wrote his first choral works in 1896. Up to 1917 he wrote over 130 works and established himself as an important composer of the neo-Russian style with an influence on choral composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
, Victor Kalinnikov, Alexander Grechaninov and Pavel Chesnokov.
After the 1917 Revolution, he devoted himself to the study of folksongs. This resulted in many choral works from which the most important are The Village Symphony (1923) and Rural Work in Folksongs (1924).
Pedagogical Works
- Properties of the Russian Folk Music System ("Особенности народно-русской музыкальной системы") - 1923
- Principles of Folk Polyphony ("Основы народного многоголосия") - 1948 (ed. V.M.Belyaev)