THE MENTOR 1916.11.01, No. 118,
Russian Music

Several Natural Questions

Q.—How big is Russia, and what is its population?

A.—The area of Russia exceeds 8,660,000 square miles, orone-sixth of the whole land surface of the earth. Its populationis over 150,000,000—or at least it was so before the war.

Q.—How many famous Russian composers are there?

A.—Less than a dozen.

Q.—How old is Russian music?

A.—Less than 150 years. Catherine the Great (1761-1796)was one of the first to encourage national music inRussia. Before her time the music performed in Russia wasimported, and was largely Italian. Catherine caused productionsof music by Russian composers. She supplied thelibretto for one opera.

Q.—What is the origin of Russian music?

A.—Both the music and literature of Russia had a commonorigin—popular inspiration. The form and spirit of themusic and literature were drawn from the legends and primitivesongs of the people.

Q.—When did music in Russia become, in a real sense,national?

A.—Not until the first part of the nineteenth century. Composershad been trying for fifty years to establish a nationalmovement in music, but it was not until the advent of Glinkaand his opera, “A Life for the Czar,” in 1836, that the Russianschool of music can be said to have been inaugurated.

Q.—Why were music and literature so late in coming tothis great nation?

A.—On account of physical and human conditions. Russiais and has been a vast and absolute monarchy, consistingof millions of people held in subjection and ignorance, andwith only a few great centers of civilization. Petrograd hasbeen for years a city of brilliant cultivation, but in contrastto that there are countless towns, villages, and farms in whichdwell millions of poor and ignorant people. It is only withinthe last century that Russia has wakened to a national consciousnessand begun to shake off the grim, feudal conditionsof the Middle Ages. In this new era the voice of music isfirst heard as a national expression.