Russians on Russian Music, 1880-1917: An Anthology by Stuart s> Campbell (review)

Abstract

332 SEER, 83, 2, 2005 for the endangered Karner Blue butterflymight be praiseworthy,but which adds not much understanding to the function of butterflies in Nabokov's writings,this is one of the most interestingpartsof the whole collection.John M. Kopper's paper on 'the space of imagination that joins Darwin and Nabokov' (p. 229) is a superb discussion of the interaction between scientific theories and art in Nabokov's thinking and writing. Stephen H. Blackwell offersan equally fascinating examination of Nabokov's adaptation of Andrei Belyi'snotions of the metricaldesignsof poetry and its unintentionalpatterns, which leads him to outline Nabokov's 'poeticsof negative patterns'(p. 233). With Shapiro'sfine essay on the similaritiesof the methods of early Dutch paintersand Nabokov's art,the collection turnsto an area of Nabokov studies which has been given increasedyet not sufficientattention over the lastyears, namely the writer's interaction with the visual arts. This topic is further explored in the final essay in this section, Clarence Brown's excellent discussion of the function of the comic stripin Nabokov's construction of his fictionalworlds. The collection ends with Stephen Parker'sstock-takingof Nabokov studies today, a rathercomplex areathatseemsto have exploded over the lastdecade. Dmitri Nabokov is given the final word with his touching and beautiful memories of his parentsand the family'stime in Ithaca. Essays in this collection have been chosen so as to give a balanced representationof differenttrends and views in the constantly expanding area of Nabokov studies, while at the same time outlining new approaches to Nabokov's texts. The latter, however, could have been given more weight at the expense of those studies that cover very well-travelledground. That said, Shapirohas managed to bringtogetherquite disparateessaysand approaches into a coherent volume that traces Nabokov's development not only as a writerbut also as 'the last Renaissance man' with his ever-wideningrange of interests. Wotfson College, Oxford S. FRANK Campbell, Stuart (ed. and trans.). RussiansonRussianMusic, I88o-I9I7.- An Anthology.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York and Melbourne, 2003. xvi + 267 pp. List of sources. Notes. Index. ?45.00: $69.95. VALUABLE anthologies are always worth extending, and this book makes a welcome continuation of Dr Campbell's earlier review of Russian musical criticism from the period I830-80 (SEER,73, 1995, 2, PP. 332-33). Although many of the institutionsthat were being establishedduring the earlierperiod were already up and running by i88o, many of the malicious disputes, jealousies and rivalries are to be found unabated in the decades before the Revolution. Indeed, one of the most difficult characters of the nineteenth century, Tsezar' Kiui, lived until I9I8; other majorsurvivorsfrom the earlier period were German Larosh (Herman Laroche) and, most important, Vladimir Stasovhimself,although,as the compilerconfesses,hiscontributions are relativelysparselyrepresentedhere, as his views were alreadywell known REVIEWS 333 (p. xii). This was a period when all the artsflourishedin their differentways, andwhen, with theincreasing'privatization'ofmusicalinstitutions,composers and performersenjoyed greater scope than previously. Though performers, like Fedor Shaliapin (Chaliapin), are little represented here, the growth of interestin certain composers, such as Chaikovskii,was exponential, and more space is given here than in the previous volume to composers and compositions , and less to questions of the organization and infrastructureof musical life. In other respects,the volume under review plays a comparable role to its predecessor, namely to bring to readers without Russian the major musical ideas of the period. As before, Campbell has performed musicians a most valuable service. Chapterone is devoted to Chaikovskiiwith reviewsof his Liturgyof StJohn Chrysostom,the ManfredSymphony (byKiui, in relativelybenign mode, and Larosh), the First, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, and the operas Mazeppa, Pikovaia damaand Charodeika (thelatter,often considered Chaikovskii'sweakest essay in this genre, is given a long and farfrom dismissiveaccount by Larosh, who nonethelessfeels it degeneratesafterthe firstact). Chaptertwo consistsof essays on some of Rimskii-Korsakov's principal works: Snegurochka, Sadko, Kashchei bessmertnyi, Skazanie o nevidimom gradeKitezhe i deveFevronii and Zolotoi petushok. Chapter three is devoted to other composers of the former Balkirev circle, whilst the fourth is on composers of the Beliaev generation (for this purpose, Arenskii, Glazunov and Liadov). Beliaev himself adored the music of Glazunov, and here his work as a symphonist is discussedby Iurii Engel'. One of...