Musical value of Glinka's "The Lark"

[maliee01]

Can't decide if it is a piece worth performing and what the value of it? Is it just a beautiful sentimental piece ( the lyrics of the song is very simple)? Is it just a crowd pleaser?

https://www.4shared.com/mp3/1OjsmQTs/The_Lark_Evgeny_Kissin.html

Please comment...

[49410enrique]

from a dma thesis/dissertation i came across....

"...Mikhail Ivanovich-Glinka, the priginator of the Russian Music School, was
considered the "father of Russian music". With his 2 operas, A Life for the Tsar and
Ruslan and Lyudmilla, he made music part and parcel of Russian culture. Glinka
intuitively understood the intonational characteristics of peasant songs, whose melodic,
rhythmic, and tonal patterns, he recreated in his music. His compositions contain musical
intonations of contemporary city genres and some aspects of ancient Russian church
music, in which he discovered the influence of Russian folk songs. Glinka believed that
if one desired to understand the spiritual values of Russian national culture, he must study
the Russian cultural heritageas an expression of the historical development of the
thoughts, feelings, and aspirations of the Russian people. Glinka's musical style is a
synthesis of western musical devices and forms, including the vocal polyphony of the
16" and 1 7 c~en turies; the polyphony of Bach and Handel; the classicism of Haydn,
Mozart, and Beethoven; the impetuous romanticism of Berlioz and the romantic lyricism
of Chopin. Glinka adapted these ingredients to hls objectives while, at the same time,
retaining his musical originality and individuality. The simplicity of his music and the
sincerity of his emotional expression relate his music to Pushkin's poetry.
Glinka was the formulator of Russian musical language, just as Pushhn was the
formulator of the Russian literary tongue. With Glinka, as with Pushkin, formal
perfection is united with a Classical restraint, an Italian love of melody, and the Russian
folk idiom with the sophistication of Mozart. As a man of genius, and through a natural
musical instinct, he raised Russian music to unprecedented heights. He was also
influenced by the aesthetics of the "age of reason". His music is rationally constructed.
Logic and balance are outstanding characteristics of his style. Emotional exhibitionism
and improvisational coloring, affectation, exaggeration, pedantry, and shallow illustration
are absent in his music. Glinka emancipated the expression of feeling in Russian music,
for at that time freedom of feeling and expression was a problem in Russia. ..."

i would think works from such an important composer would hardly qualify as not being worthy of serious study, even the transcription by Balakirev.  serious very respected performing artists thought it worthy of their time, seems like it's a pretty decent (at the very least) piece of music.

i mean at the end of the day do you like it? can you play it? will you take something away from it (i.e. improved technique, interpretation, more musical experience, maturity, etc). I mean short of a formal ban on 'inconsequential' works by some comittee or judging panel, what's really stoping you from enjoying such a pretty work? i mean youo could learn it to a very high level then just decide personally it's just not worth performing, your perogative, but i've yet to see a situation where you're less of a pianist/musician after having studied a nice piece of music you were previously unfamiliar with.

[j_menz]

Is it just a crowd pleaser?

What's wrong with crowd pleasers?

[ajspiano]

What's wrong with crowd pleasers?

Watch it. - Music is meant to be enjoyed only by the most educated audiences that know the composers life history, and that are capable of writing a thesis on the musical intent of the piece.

[j_menz]

Watch it. - Music is meant to be enjoyed only by the most educated audiences that know the composers life history, and that are capable of writing a thesis on the musical intent of the piece.

Unless it's a real plinker, in which case it's not so much meant to be "enjoyed" as "appreciated".

[ajspiano]

Unless it's a real plinker, in which case it's not so much meant to be "enjoyed" as "appreciated".

In 200 years dubstep may fall into that category...

[49410enrique]

In 200 years dubstep may fall into that category...

you guys are hilarious! lol

[j_menz]

In 200 years dubstep may fall into that category...

With any luck, I'll be spared that.

It did give me a brief mental image of people trying to dance to Schoenberg, though. Yikes!! 

[thalbergmad]

Watch it. - Music is meant to be enjoyed only by the most educated audiences that know the composers life history, and that are capable of writing a thesis on the musical intent of the piece.

Agreed, and the more beards in the audience, the more intellegent it is.

Thal

[maliee01]

I love this piece of music  more like  "despite" than " because" . It apeals  to my Russian roots, I guess. I just remember in school  not getting a higher grade for choosing Tchaikovsky's "A Bit of Chopin" , which the committee thought was of " questionable taste" .  Of course it was nearly 20 years ago and I am not playing for grades anymore....

Thanks, all! 49410enrique always thoughtful and super helpful.

[richard_strauss]

Agreed, and the more beards in the audience, the more intellegent it is.

Thal