Samuel Moiseyevich Maykapar () (18 December 18678 May 1938) was a Russian romantic composer, pianist, professor of music at the

St. 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 ...

, and author of a number of piano practice pieces.TaganrogCity.com
/ref>

Life

Childhood

Samuel Maykapar was born on 18 December 1867 in the city of

Kherson Kherson (, ) is a port city of Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers appr ...

, to Karaite parents. Maykapar spent his childhood in the city of

Taganrog Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: History of Taganrog The ...

and in 1885 he graduated from the Boys Gymnasium where he studied with

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

. He also took private music lessons from Gaetano Molla, director of the Italian Opera in Taganrog.

Education

In 1885, he enrolled into

while also studying law at

Saint Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...

, graduating in 1891. A pupil of Beniamino Cesi and

Nicolai Soloviev Nicolai Feopemptovich Soloviev (Russian: Никола́й Феопе́мптович Соловьёв; Petrozavodsk, 9 May .S. 27 April1846 – 27 December .S. 14 December1916 in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg)), sometimes Solovyov, was a R ...

, Maykapar received the St. Petersburg Conservatory's diploma in 1893 and further improved his piano skills under the direction of

Theodor Leschetizky Theodor Leschetizky (sometimes spelled Leschetitzky, pl, Teodor Leszetycki; 22 June 1830 – 14 November 1915 was an Austrian-Polish pianist, professor, and composer born in Landshut in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, then a crown land of ...

until 1898. During this time he gave numerous concerts in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

and other cities.Gail Lew, ''Selections From Samuel Maykapar'', pp. 2

Career

Between 1898 and 1901, he gave concerts with

Leopold Auer Leopold von Auer ( hu, Auer Lipót; June 7, 1845July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist, academic, conductor, composer, and instructor. Many of his students went on to become prominent concert performers and teachers. Early life and career Au ...

and Ivan Grzhimali in

. In 1901, he founded his own music school in the city of

Tver Tver ( rus, Тверь, p=tvʲerʲ) is a city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is northwest of Moscow. Population: Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in the Russian ...

. From 1903-1910, he lived in Moscow and toured

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

giving concerts. Maykapar was an active participant and the Secretary of

Sergei Taneyev Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev (russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Тане́ев, ; – ) was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist and author. Life Taneyev was born in Vladimir, Vladimir Governorate, Russia ...

's ''Scientific-Musical Circle'' in Moscow. In 1915 he became professor of music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1927, over seven consecutive nights, the composer performed all 32

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 ...

sonatas in the Small Hall of the Conservatory as part of the ''Beethoven Centennial Celebrations''. He composed over three hundred pieces of music and wrote several scientific works. His autobiography, ''The Years of Study and of Musical Activity'', was published in Moscow in 1938. In it, he looks back at his childhood and education in

. Samuel Maykapar died in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

on 8 May 1938.

Musical works

Samuel Maykapar's compositions include ''Biriulki'' (a suite of 26 pieces), ''Novelettes mignonnes'', ''24 Miniatures'', ''The Marionette Theater'' (an album of seven pieces), two sonatas, piano studies, and special exercises for pedaling.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maykapar, Samuel 1867 births 1938 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century male musicians 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Russian male musicians Jewish classical composers Jewish Ukrainian musicians Musicians from Kherson Russian Romantic composers Russian male classical composers Saint Petersburg State University alumni Ukrainian classical composers