Miaskovsky, Nikolai

Miaskovsky, Nikolai – Symphony No. 20 in E, Op. 50 (1940)

(b. Modlin, Poland, 20 April 1881 – d. Moscow, 8 August 1950)

(1940)

Preface
Nearly every detail about Nikolai Myaskovsky contradicts common assumptions about a composer’s life and works, particularly for a now-forgotten composer who spent his career under the Soviet Union. For example, Myaskovsky was born into a family of professional soldiers, yet his father supported his desire to study music. After the Russian Revolution, Myaskovsky remained an individualist in outlook and teaching style, yet he worked largely unmolested by the Soviet authorities – even respected as “the musical conscience of Moscow” – until the 1948 Zhdanov decree. Finally, though a little-known figure today, Myaskovsky achieved an international reputation during the interwar period, including commissions and consistent performances of his works throughout the West. His life and works are a study in contrasts, with personal tragedy offset by professional success and intense emotional expression guided by respect for formal principles.

Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky was born at the Novo-Georgievsk fortress near the town of Modlin, in modern-day Poland. His father was a military engineer, himself the son of a professional soldier. Despite this martial tradition, the Myaskovsky family was cultured, often performing music in the home. Myaskovsky’s father sang while his mother played the piano; Myaskovsky himself would later play chamber music with his three sisters. …

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