Urbanisation as a factor of diversification of the Russian musical vocational education at the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries (in terms of the Povolzhye)

Abstract

The article analyses the features of the diversification of musical vocational education in the region of Povolzhye at the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries as a result of the process of urbanisation. The paper presents evidence that as a result of industrial development and an increase in urban population, there was a need for skilled music professionals. At the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, thanks to the activities of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, an extensive network of musical educational institutions appeared in the region of Povolzhye, musical vocational education would start to include several levels (music classes – music schools – conservatoire). Against the background of changes in the social composition of cities, the content of music vocational education would be transformed, with the range of musical specialties expanding, new forms and methods of teaching and education emerging. The study stressed the importance of using historical experience to improve the Russian system of training practitioners at the present stage.