The Origins of Creativity of P. G. Chesnokov

Abstract

The paper addresses the life and work of the outstanding Russian choir director, choir conductor, composer and teacher Pavel Grigoryevich Chesnokov (1877–1944) and is dedicated to the 145th anniversary of his birth. It touches upon the biographical, historical-contextual, stylistic, and performing aspects of his heritage. The life and creative path of Chesnokov fell into two eras, split by the events of 1917. As a student of Danilin and Golovanov, Taneyev and Vasilenko, Chesnokov, together with a group of like-minded people, participated in the creation of conducting and choral faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. Implementing Russian song folklore in his compositions, the composer turned to archaic genres: labor artel, round dance and more. His secular compositions — in particular over sixty choirs to verses by Russian and European poets — are enjoying great popularity up to this day. Among the academic genres as a significant component of the master's heritage, one should mention one-act opera or poem “Flood” (“Heaven and Earth”) to the composer's libretto after Byron. Created in 1917, it was performed for the first time more than a century later in 2019. Over four hundred choral compositions made it into the golden fund of Russian sacred music. In the book “Chorus and its Management” Chesnokov left his will as a mentor. Russian song folklore, temple music, traditions of domestic and foreign musical culture — these are the origins of the composer's melos which are of enduring significance to this day.