Ru
EnN. Sokolvyak
The String Quartet on the theme “B-la-f” as a trial of collaborative creative work in the late 19th-century Russian music
The String Quartet on the theme “B-la-f” is an original example of the genre from the last quarter of the 19th century, born from the creative collaboration of four great Russian composers – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Anatoly Lyadov, Alexander Borodin, and Alexander Glazunov. On the one hand, it is a humorous musical tribute to the jubilee of Mitrofan Belyaev, a prominent Russian patron and educator. On the other, it exemplifies the essence of Russian musical art by combining folk elements with a firm grounding in classical traditions. For the first time, the String Quartet on the theme “B-la-f” is examined as a unified sonata cycle, whose internal coherence is determined not only by its occasion of creation and the presence of the monogram motif but also by its distinct folk-genre atmosphere. The outer movements, composed by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov, depict a grand folk festival, where the quartet’s sound takes on a distinct “orchestral” scale. This orchestral approach to chamber ensemble writing, originating with Beethoven, became a defining feature of the Russian quartet tradition in the second half of the 19th century. The inner movements of the cycle – Lyadov’s Scherzo and Borodin’s Serenata alla Spagnola – are instrumental miniatures whose genre-based nature aligns with the playful character of the composition. While the Scherzo is rooted in the song-dance intonations of Russian folklore, the Serenata alla spagnola is a vivid example of incorporating Spanish themes into the string quartet, tracing its origins back to Mikhail Glinka. Special attention is given to the instrumental means of expression and the role of the viola, whose timbre is associated with Belyaev himself, who played this instrument. Despite its lighthearted and collaborative nature, the String Quartet on the theme “B-la-f” stands as a cohesive cycle that embodies the national essence of Russian music, continuing the classical quartet tradition in the late 19th century.
Key words
string quartet, Mitrofan Belyaev, Russian music, 19th-century Russian composers, folklore, national genre tradition.
For citation
Sokolvyak N. The String Quartet on the theme “B-la-f” as a trial of collaborative creative work in the late 19th-century Russian music. In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2025. No. 1. Pp. 76–83.
