The piano creation of Nikolai Medtner in the context of his aesthetic visions

Abstract

This article examines the piano creations of Nikolai Medtner from the standpoint of his aesthetic credo. Having been formed in his youth, the composer’s worldview has not changed throughout his life. Unlike his contemporaries, he managed to present his own original vision of the musical art of the turn of the XIX–XX centuries. In contrast to many parallel developing musical styles, Nikolai Medtner did not violate the foundations of modal harmony thinking, but demonstrated new possibilities of the major-minor organization of the musical texture. The composer’s work itself is addressed exclusively to piano music, and is also diverse in genres. The logical basis of the content of Nikolai Medtner’s piano compositions is a reflection of his inner feelings, beliefs and views, which are characterized by a desire for eternal ideals of musical art.