Taneyev was unique among Russian composers for his commitment to the string trio, a genre that scarcely existed in Russia before his contributions.
Composer Biography
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev, a protégé of Tchaikovsky, was the first student at the Moscow Conservatory to win the gold medal in both performance and composition in 1875.
Composer Biography
Taneyev gave the Moscow premiere of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and was the soloist for the first performances of all Tchaikovsky's works for piano and orchestra.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Taneyev had a strong interest in Russian folk music, primarily as a basis for polyphonic treatment, believing Russian music had not yet experienced the polyphonic phase seen in 16th-century Europe.
Composer Biography
Taneyev taught counterpoint, his specialty, at the Moscow Conservatory until 1905, and his pupils included Glière, Lyapunov, Medtner, Rachmaninov, and Scriabin.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Taneyev's artistic ideal was Mozart, and he aimed for clarity and simplicity in his compositions, believing that extraordinary contrapuntal erudition could be used to present ideas with the greatest clarity.
Performer Biography
The Leopold String Trio, formed in 1991, was chosen as the British representative for the ECHO 'Rising Stars' scheme and selected for the inaugural BBC 'New Generation' Artist Scheme.
You might also enjoy...
Taneyev: String Trios
Reger: String Trios Nos. 1 & 2
Max Reger: String Trio No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77b
Mozart: Divertimento, K. 563 - Schoenberg: String Trio, Op. 45
