![Nicolai Zaremba (1821-1879)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Nicolai_Zaremba_%281821-1879%29.JPG)
Nikolai or Nicolaus Ivanovich von Zaremba (russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Заре́мба; ) was a Russian musical theorist, teacher and composer. His most famous student was
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
, who became his pupil in 1861. Others included
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
's nephews, the children of his brother Mikhail and
Vasily Safonov
Vasily Ilyich Safonov (russian: Васи́лий Ильи́ч Сафо́нов, link=no, ; 6 February 185227 February 1918), also known as Wassily Safonoff, was a Russian pianist, teacher, conductor and composer.
Biography
Vasily Safonov, or S ...
. Until 2010 almost nobody knew what he had composed.
Biography
Zaremba was born in a Polish noble family on the family estate ''Ozupiene'' in the countryside of
Vitebsk Governorate
Vitebsk Governorate (russian: Витебская губерния, ) was an administrative unit ( guberniya) of the Russian Empire, with the seat of governorship in Vitebsk. It was established in 1802 by splitting the Byelorussia Governorate and ...
, at one time
Polish Livonia, nowadays
Ludza Municipality
Ludza Municipality ( lv, Ludzas novads) is a municipality in Latgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Briģi Parish, Cirma Parish, Isnauda Parish, Istra Parish, Nirza Parish, Ņukši Parish, Pilda Parish, Pureņi Parish, ...
in
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
. His birth date according the ''Russian Biographical Dictionary'' was 3/15 June 1821 (however, the date shown on his gravestone is 31 May/12 June 1821). He went to grammar school in
Daugavpils
Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the c ...
. During his law study (1840-1844) at the
Saint Petersburg Imperial University
Saint Petersburg Imperial University (russian: Санкт-Петербургский Императорский университет) was a Russian higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg, one of the twelve Imperial universities ...
,
Anton Gerke was his piano teacher;
Johann Benjamin Gross became his cello and theory teacher. He composed a Concert-Overture for full orchestra (1842), influenced by Beethoven (the premiere was held in the hall of the University of December 28, 1842, conducted by
Karl Schubert); around 1843 a
mazurka
The mazurka (Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character de ...
, influenced by
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
.
Zaremba was appointed at the
Ministry of Internal Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
. He escaped from a transport to Siberia after he had joined the utopian
Petrashevsky Circle
The Petrashevsky Circle was a Russian literary discussion group of progressive-minded intellectuals in St. Petersburg in the 1840s. It was organized by Mikhail Petrashevsky, a follower of the French utopian socialist Charles Fourier. Among the memb ...
, just like
Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
. When his father, a colonel in the army, died Zaremba changed his goal.
In 1852 he moved to Berlin and studied composition under
Adolf Bernhard Marx
Friedrich Heinrich Adolf Bernhard Marx . B. Marx(15 May 1795, Halle – 17 May 1866, Berlin) was a German music theorist, critic, and musicologist.
Life
Marx was the son of a Jewish doctor in Halle who, though a member of the congregation, was ...
. He met with
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
and
Hans von Bülow
Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for es ...
, a famous director. In 1854 he left Germany. Zaremba started a career as
cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
of the
Lutheran Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
The Lutheran Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (in russian: Лютеранская церковь Святых Петра и Павла or in German: Lutherische Kirche der Heiligen Peter und Paul) is a Lutheran church located in Saint Petersb ...
, after he married the Lutheran Jacobine Philippine Adeleide von Klugen. In 1860 he joined the
Russian Musical Society
The Russian Musical Society (RMS) (russian: Русское музыкальное общество) was the first music school in Russia open to the general public. It was launched in 1859 by the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna and Anton Rubinstei ...
.
![Saint Petersburg Conservatory](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Saint_Petersburg_Conservatory.jpg)
He was appointed as one of the professors at the
Saint Petersburg Conservatory
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...
when it was founded in 1862. Zaremba taught composition and harmony in the
Russian language
Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the First language, native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European langua ...
, then not very common. In 1867, he succeeded
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sai ...
as director of the conservatory. (For a while
Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...
lived at Zaremba's brother's house.) In 1871 Zaremba moved to
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg (; Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg district with about 88,000 inhabitants. It is ...
, after a conflict with
Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
was appointed as his successor.
Zaremba composed most of his piano works and the oratorio in
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...
. He returned to the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
after two years. Then
Vasily Safonov
Vasily Ilyich Safonov (russian: Васи́лий Ильи́ч Сафо́нов, link=no, ; 6 February 185227 February 1918), also known as Wassily Safonoff, was a Russian pianist, teacher, conductor and composer.
Biography
Vasily Safonov, or S ...
became his (private) pupil. In 1878 he had a stroke and died the following year; he was buried at
Volkovo Cemetery
The Volkovo Cemetery (also Volkovskoe) (russian: Во́лковское кла́дбище or Во́лково кла́дбище) is one of the largest and oldest non-Orthodox cemeteries in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Until the early 20th century it ...
. His wife and daughters moved to
Clarens, Switzerland
Clarens-Montreux or Clarens is a neighborhood in the municipality of Montreux, in the canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. This neighborhood is the biggest and most populated of the city of Montreux.
Clarens was made famous throughout Europe by the i ...
, near Montreux, with many of his compositions, which were given to
Basel University
The University of Basel ( Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universi ...
and traced in 2010. His daughter Lydia Zaremba was married to
Theo Heemskerk
Theodorus "Theo" Heemskerk (20 July 1852 – 12 June 1932) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 12 February 1908 until 29 August 1913.
Heemskerk is particularly known ...
, a Dutch politician.
Zaremba's life and work was studied by Andrey Alexeev-Boretsky, a librarian and
musicologist
Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...
at the St. Peterburg conservatory. A small exhibition was held, commemorating its founders after 150 years.
The Dutch online radio station Concertzender, recorded some of his music.
Works
* Two overtures, 1 string quartet, 9 piano works, many choir works, and an oratorio ''John the Baptist''.
Reception
His extreme conservatism colored both his teaching in general and what he expected from his students in particular. Along with
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sai ...
, and opposed to the forward-looking and nationalist tendencies of
The Five, Zaremba remained suspicious, even hostile, to new trends in music. Instead, he attempted to preserve what he saw as the best in the Western tradition in the immediate past. According to
Herman Laroche
Herman Augustovich Laroche (russian: Герман Августович Ларош, German Avgustovich Larosh; also German Avgustovič Laroš; 25 May 1845 in Saint Petersburg – 18 October 1904) was a Russian critic of classical music and com ...
Zaremba idolized
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
, particularly the late works, but his personal tastes had progressed no further than
Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositi ...
. If anyone were to ask him about
Hector Berlioz
In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
,
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
or, closer to home,
Mikhail Glinka
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka ( rus, link=no, Михаил Иванович Глинка, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka., mʲɪxɐˈil ɪˈvanəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡlʲinkə, Ru-Mikhail-Ivanovich-Glinka.ogg; ) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recogni ...
Zaremba would probably have had to admit to knowing nothing.
Tchaikovsky biographer David Brown writes that Zaremba's chief deficit was a complete lack of true inventiveness musically or of any other sort of imagination. Sticking to the composition handbook of his teacher,
Adolph Bernhard Marx
Friedrich Heinrich Adolf Bernhard Marx . B. Marx(15 May 1795, Halle – 17 May 1866, Berlin) was a German music theorist, critic, and musicologist.
Life
Marx was the son of a Jewish doctor in Halle who, though a member of the congregation, was ...
, Zaremba sent his students from there to study strict
counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
and
church modes
A Gregorian mode (or church mode) is one of the eight systems of pitch organization used in Gregorian chant.
History
The name of Pope Gregory I was attached to the variety of chant that was to become the dominant variety in medieval western and ...
as explained by
Heinrich Bellermann
Johann Gottfried Heinrich Bellermann (10 March 1832 – 10 April 1903) was a German music theorist. He was the author of ''Der Contrapunkt'' ("Counterpoint"), 1862, (Berlin, Verlag von Julius Springer—2nd ed., 1877; 3rd ed., 1887; 4th ed., ...
. Because of his lack of inventiveness, Zaremba's only way to improve a student's composition was to impose the straight-and-narrow rules of composition which he apparently learned so thoroughly himself.
Zaremba apparently had few, if any, creative energies of his own, having composed little and published nothing. He reportedly wrote at least one symphony, a quartet in the style of
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
, according to Tchaikovsky, and an oratorio entitled ''John the Baptist.'' For a professor of composition at a conservatory, this meagerness of output was unusual.
This lack of compositional output may have contributed to the undistinguished opinion held generally about Zaremba, a viewpoint Tchaikovsky ultimately shared as well. Since Zaremba was the one who encouraged Tchaikovsky initially to apply himself more seriously in his musical studies, such a lack of compositional effort on Zaremba's part must have been doubly perplexing to Tchaikovsky.
[Poznansky, Alexander, ''Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man'' (New York, Schirmer Books, 1991), 63]
See also
*
Sigismund Zaremba
Sigismund Vladislavovitch Zaremba (Russian: Сигизмунд Владиславович Заремба, 11 June 1861 Zhytomyr, Volhynian Governorate, Russian Empire – 27 November 1915 Petrograd, Russian Empire) was a Ukrainian and Russian ...
Notes
Sources
* Brown, David, ''Tchaikovsky: The Early Years, 1840-1874'' (New York, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1978)
* Holden, Anthony, ''Tchaikovsky: A Biography'' (New York: Random House, 1995)
* Poznansky, Alexander, ''Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man'' (New York, Schirmer Books, 1991)
* Strutte, Wilson, ''Tchaikovsky, His Life and Times'' (Speldhurst, Kent, United Kingdom: Midas Books, 1979)
* Warrack, John, ''Tchaikovsky'' (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973)
External links
* http://www.sandravanbeek.nl/zaremba/
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaremba, Nikolai Ivanovich
1821 births
1879 deaths
19th-century classical composers
19th-century male musicians
Russian male classical composers
Russian music educators
Saint Petersburg Conservatory academic personnel
Russian people of Polish descent
People from Ludza Municipality
People from Vitebsk Governorate
Pupils of Adolf Bernhard Marx
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky