Biography of Alexander Tikhonovich

The subtle and observant critic Leonid Sabaneyev once noticed about Greek: “In Greek music, weak and timid, extremely uncertain attempts to enrich his harmonious palette“ near Debussy ”or at least“ near Rebikov ”appeared. All this was highly naive and in no way corresponded to his style both musical and sincere. He was a person’s extremely simple and simple, psychologically naive, the least, he could have contact with the symbolists, wise, confused, complicated people.

And musical modernism went to him, like a “Coron”. His charm was in the primitive simplicity of musical feelings, in that remaining small portion of simple and sincere emotions that had not yet been expressed in the music, which Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov did not manage to embody his musical ancestors. However, he, apparently, himself felt that this world was not for him, and in subsequent works he again returned to his original palette.

” Sabaneyev’s statement is witty, but not quite accurate. Of course, the stylistically Greekninov “wise and confused symbolists” was not suitable for friends, but he spoke regularly with Vyacheslav Ivanov. In the year, the poet devotes the composer a poem with the lines contradicting the Sabaneyev statement: “Your soul, all the ringing and system, my soul is akin to the Christmas of the year Grechaninov saw with.

Ivanov in his apartment on a Tarpey rock in Rome, and soon, upon returning to Paris, he informed the poet: "He sent 2 Roman sonnets in the manuscript, which I had just put to music." The entire Ivanov family liked the romances, the poet Lydia's daughter learned notes and performed the composition of Grechaninov for friends, which the composer himself learned about in a short time.

Already at the end of the next decade, Grechaninov wrote to the poet from the USA: “In the year, leaving Paris, I remember, I wrote to you, but did not receive an answer, obviously, the letter did not come to you. And I wrote to you then that in the last days before the war I composed 5 plays on your Roman sonnets now they are printed and as soon as they come out, I will send them to you.

I consider this opus one of my greatest achievements and I rushed to show it to you, my dear, old friend. ” The main advantage of the "sonnets" their bright colorfulness and wealth of piano support.

In the coloristic details, the influence of the Greek teacher in the St. Petersburg Conservatory of the Rimsky-Korsakov to whom he could not forgive the obvious “distance and coldness” is felt. The composer is very inventive in details, although the complete lack of reproduction and the desire not to repeat literally in any tact gives the impression of some intellectual pretentiousness.

In the "Roman sonnets" Greek do not open new horizons, on the contrary, as in his other works, he wants to be understandable and affordable. Romances are pleasant with their soft beautiful and sometimes tart harmonies, they are “cleverly hidden”, rhythmically diverse, abound with spectacular climaxes and deserve to take their strong place in performing practice. Krinitsa has a triptych “Krinitsa” “a thing in yourself”.

The composer is passionate about the literal follow of the Ivanovo poetic idea, which is expressed in endless and often contradictory author’s remarks, in an unclear form of romances with the exception of, naturally, the laconic last part, in the absence of bright melodic characteristics. But the author cannot be denied penetration, in the desire to speak deeply and not trivial, and even in the religious reverence that is not characteristic of Russian chamber vocal music.

Spiritual works.