Anatoly K. Lyadov: Revisiting the neglected piano works

Russian music underwent significant transition in the nineteenth century as Western European influences gave way to more nationalistic sentiments. In the seventeenth century, Western musical culture began to pour into the isolated Russian society where church music previously dominated. Later, in the nineteenth century, Russian musical culture still drew on that of Western Europe, despite the emergence of its strong nationalism. Russian composers were free to work in both nationalistic and Western styles, and the compositional style of Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov (1855-1914) is an example of the blend of the West with Russian nationalism. Lyadov, an older contemporary of Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943), has been neglected in Western classical music studies. As a composer, critic, and pedagogue, Lyadov developed his own compositional style with highly imaginative melodies and harmonies. Unlike most of his Russian contemporaries who wrote highly virtuosic and technically impressive piano works, Lyadov captivated his audiences with delightful and colorful sound in small- scale works. The variety in the timbre of Lyadov’s piano music was possibly influenced by his childhood memories of attending the Mariinsky Theatre with his father. Nineteenth-century Russian music was interwoven with the folk music tradition. The focus of this study is to demonstrate how Lyadov’s selected piano compositions represent Russia’s nationalistic trend and how he carries his interest in Russian folk songs into his piano compositions such as the mazurkas of Ops. 10 and 11. This project also highlights the connection between Lyadov’s selected piano works and Russian paintings of the nineteenth century. The artistic connection between the piano music of Lyadov and Russian paintings offers new perspectives on nineteenth- century Russian piano works.U of I OnlySchool of Music polic