Nikolay Myaskovsky: A Composer and His Times

2022 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Winner Drawing on a wealth of unexplored sources, this biography offers the first comprehensive critical reappraisal of the life and works of Nikolay Myaskovsky. Zuk's account is far removed from Cold War clichés of the regimented Soviet artist or sentimental stereotypes of persecuted genius. Drawing on a wealth of unexplored documentation, this biography reappraises the life and work of Nikolay Myaskovsky (1881-1950) - a central figure in twentieth-century Russian musical culture. The story of Myaskovsky's unlikely rise to prominence is an absorbing one. Destined by family tradition for a military career, he was 25 before he could leave the army and devote himself to music. He had just begun to emerge as a young composer of promise when he was called up for active service on Russia's western front in August 1914. On returning to civilian life in 1921, he played a major role in revitalising professional musical activity after the depredations of the Civil War years. His career vividly illustrates the challenges facing artists as they sought to work out a modus vivendi with Soviet power. Zuk's account depicts the composer and his milieu against the backdrop of his turbulent times, examining his involvement with Soviet musical institutions and his relationships with Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and other notable musicians. The portrait is far removed from Cold War clichés of the regimented Soviet artist or sentimental stereotypes of persecuted genius. Myaskovsky emerges as a man who displayed remarkable courage and integrity in the face of many pressures. The book also brings into focus the distinctive nature of Myaskovsky's creative achievement and affirms his stature as a leading symphonist of the era.

Table of Contents:
Beginnings: 1881-1902 Apprenticeship: 1903-1911 Emergence: 1911-1914 War and Revolution: 1914-1917 Aftermath: 1918-1921 Expanding Horizons: 1921-1923 Cross-Currents: 1924-1926 'Sheer Overcoming': 1927-1931 Time of Troubles: 1932-1941 Endurance: 1941-1945 Final Years: 1946-1950 Appendix I: A Note on Recordings Appendix II: List of Published Works Bibliography

About the Author :
PATRICK ZUK is Professor of Music at Durham University.

Review :
Both in word and in deed, Myaskovsky was truly "the artistic conscience of Soviet music." How rarely such warm words came his way during his lifetime. But at long last now, 71 years after his death, we have a book that reveals how richly deserved they were.... Zuk has done music lovers an immense service in this book. In its depth of research, it is far and away the finest study of its subject, and it stands alongside the best books on Soviet music: its accounts of the ideological turning points of Revolution, Cultural Revolution and Socialist Realism are models of their kind. Nikolay Myaskovsky (1881-1950) and his milieu are masterfully portrayed by the erudite and scholarly Patrick Zuk in this monograph which took nearly seven years to complete. It is comprehensively researched and would be enjoyed by professional musicians, students and laymen alike. In this groundbreaking endeavor, Zuk (Durham Univ., UK) presents an in-depth biography of Soviet composer Nikolay Myaskovsky . . . . [T]he first-ever comprehensive and objective study of the man and his music. This is an important book. Patrick Zuk's [book] is the first-ever substantial scholarly biography on [Myaskovsky], in any language. . . . A 'setting-the-record straight'-style book would be an achievement in itself, but Zuk goes beyond this noble aim, to engage with prolonged, meticulous archival work. . . . The volume is not only 'definitive' as an essential resource for anyone interested in Myaskovsky, but sets a benchmark against which any future archival work will be measured. . . . Overall, this volume is indispensable for any researcher of Russian and Soviet music. Nikolay Myaskovsky (1881-1950) and his milieu are masterfully portrayed by the erudite and scholarly Patrick Zuk in this monograph which took nearly seven years to complete. It is comprehensively researched and would be enjoyed by professional musicians, students and laymen alike.