Unknown Early Literary Texts by S. Slonimsky

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Elena B. Dolinskaya

Abstract

For the first time, the article analyzes Sergei Mikhailovich Slonimsky’s diary entries, dating back to the 1950s – early 1960s. They cover the years of study at the Leningrad Conservatory (including postgraduate studies) in three faculties - composition, piano, and theory. The material for this publication was notebook No. 2, which continues the youthful impressions of the composer. The beginning of the 1st notebook of the diary is dated to June 22nd, 1941 and covers evacuation years (1941–1944), training at the Moscow Central Music School (1942–1943) and ends in 1949.


The peculiarity of notebook No. 2, covering the 1950s, is the almost complete absence of traditional diary dates and a very brief current events description. The main thing for its author is to work on oneself through constant introspection in order to acquire a persistent character, as well as to establish creative contacts with performers, musicologists, composers. The second S. Slonimskyʼs diaries notebook is a collection of moments that come to life in thinking about oneself, as well as notable personalities.


The young musician talks about his loneliness, doesn’t feel himself as a mass personality and connects this most important characterological feature with his favorite technique – the beginning of most of his works with a monadic solo. Among his early self-discoveries was a special interest in instrumental music, chamber and symphonic music. They will become the leading ones for the composer.


Early drawings show Slonimskyʼs interest in the variety of timbre possibilities of symphonic orchestra instruments (playing the piano strings, sounding with a bow on the strings of the harp, “dancing” notes-characters of strings, in the future – 1/3 and 1/4 tones). Folklore expeditions expand the understanding of the vocals instrumental possibilities. It will become characteristic for the composer to “sing” poems from childhood.


Keywords: S. Slonimsky, parents, evacuation, Central Music School, Leningrad Conservatory, three specialties, graduate school, introspection, work on oneself, pedagogy.

Article Details

How to Cite
Dolinskaya Е. Б. (2021). Unknown Early Literary Texts by S. Slonimsky. Music Scholarship / Problemy Muzykal’noj Nauki, 44(3), 7–18. Retrieved from https://musicscholar.ru/index.php/PMN/article/view/1282
Section
Music of the 20th Century
Author Biography

Elena B. Dolinskaya, Moscow State P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow, Russia

Elena B. Dolinskaya, Dr.Sci.(Arts), Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, the Russian Federation Government Prize in the field of Culture and the Moscow Prize in the Literature and Art field laureate, Union of Composers member since 1976, musicologist, Professor, Moscow State P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory