Feliks Mikhaylovich Blumenfeld

Internet Edition compiled by Onno van Rijen

Updated 4 November 2006

Born

7/19 April 1863 in Kovalhovka (South Ukraine). Died: 21 January 1931 in Moscow.

Education

In fact Blumenfeld can not be considered as a Soviet composer. He composed most of his works before the revolution.
Blumenfeld studied the piano with Stein and composition with Rimsky-Korsakov at the St Petersbury Conservatory (1881), where he taught the piano from his graduation in 1885 until 1918 (excluding the years 1905-1911), being appointed a professor in 1897.
From 1895 to 1911, he was also conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersbury, where he gave the premieres of Rimsky-Korsakov's Servilla (1902) and Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh (1907) and the Russian premiere of Tristan and Isolde (1899). He also introduced Russian audiences to Scriabins "Divine Poem" and "Poem of Ecstacy."
He taught piano at the Kiev Conservatory from 1918-1922 and there exerted a profound influence on Horowitz. In later years, due to poor health, Blumenfeld returned to the Moscow Conservatory in 1922 to teach for the remainder of his life.
He lived and worked in close contact with Anton Rubinstein, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov, Rachmaninov, and Shalyapin. His performing style, influenced by Rubinstein, was brilliant and lyrically melodious; he gave first performances of piano works by Glazunov, Lyadov and Arensky. Among his pupils were Horowitz, Grinberg, Barer and Gauk. As a composer Blumenfeld was close to the "Belyayev Circle".

Style

Blumenfelds style is closely related to that of Balakirev, Borodin, Chopin and Liszt. He was conservative in that there is little dissonance and no experimental aspect in his music.
His only symphony ( on Russian Disc) was first performed at a Ziloti subscription concert (Jan 20, 1907) with Blumenfeld conducting. This work was listed on the program as a SYphony Fantasy in manuscript. It was published later that year by Belyayev as Opus 39, with the title "To the memory of the beloved dead".

Works

Six Melodies for chorus opus 1

Four Pieces for piano opus 2 (1886)

1. Etude
2. Souvenir douloureux
3. Quasi Mazurka
4. Mazurka de concert
Three Etudes for piano opus 3
Duration: 10 minutes

CD Naxos 8.223656: Daniel Blumenthal (piano)

Valse-Etude in F major for piano opus 4
Duration: 5 minutes.
Five Melodies for chorus opus 5

Two Nocturnes for piano opus 6

1. Une Nuit a Magaratch.
2. Nocturne.
Duration: 14 minutes.

CD FC Records FCRCD 9706: Jouni Somero (piano)

Allegro de Concert for piano and orchestra opus 7
CD Hyperion
Variations Caracteristiques sur un theme original for piano opus 8

Six Melodies for chorus opus 9

Mazurka for orchestra opus 10

Mazurka for piano opus 11

Four Preludes for piano opus 12 (1890)

1. Prelude in G major: Allegro - 1 min.
2. Prelude in E major: Andantino - 2 min.
3. Prelude in C sharp major: Allegretto - 1 min. 30 min.
4. Prelude in D major: Moderato - 1 min.

CD Ivory Classics 64405-71002: Philip Thomson (piano)

Two Impromptus for piano opus 13 (1890)
1. Imprompu in A flat major: Allegro - 5 min.
2. Imprompu in G flat major: Andante, molto espressivo e legato - 2 min.

CD Ivory Classics 64405-71002: Philip Thomson (piano)

"Sur Mer", Etude for piano opus 14 (1890)
Duration: 5 minutes.
Six Melodies for chorus opus 15

Valse-Impromptu for piano opus 16 (1891)

Vivo - Tempo di Valsero - 3 min. 30 sec.

CD Ivory Classics 64405-71002: Philip Thomson (piano)

Twenty-Four Preludes in four books opus 17 (1892)
1. Prelude in C Major: Andante religioso - 2 min.
2. Prelude in A minor: Allegro agitato - 2 min.
3. Prelude in G minor: Allegretto - 30 sec.
4. Prelude in E minor: Andante - 3 min.
5. Prelude in D major: Allegretto - 2 min.
6. Prelude in B minor: Allegro molto - 1 min. 30 sec.
7. Prelude in A major: Allegro vivo - 2 min.
8. Prelude in F sharp minor: Allegro vivo - 1 min.
9. Prelude in E major: Maestoso - 1 min. 30 sec.
10. Prelude in C sharp minor: Andante - 3 min.
11. Prelude in B major: Andante con moto - 3 min.
12. Prelude in G sharp minor: Presto - 1 min. 30 sec.
13. Prelude in F sharp major: Andantino - 2 min. 30 sec.
14. Prelude in E flat minor: Andante maestoso e lugubre - 3 min.
15. Prelude in D flat major: Allegro non tanto - 3 min.
16. Prelude in B flat minor: Adagio - 3 min.
17. Prelude in A flat major: Allegro - 1 min. 30 sec.
18. Prelude in F minor (“Memento mori”: Andante - 2 min. 30 sec.
19. Prelude in E flat major: Andante - 2 min. 30 sec.
20. Prelude in C minor: Allegro furioso) - 1 min.
21. Prelude in B flat major: Andante tranquillo - 2 min.
22. Prelude in G minor: Allegro - 1 min. 30 sec.
23. Prelude in F major: Allegro - 1 min.
24. Prelude in D minor: Presto - 1 min.

CD Ivory Classics 64405-71002: Philip Thomson (piano)

Five Romances for chorus opus 18

Two Morceaux for cello and piano opus 19

1. Elegie
2. Caprioccioso
Nocturne-Fantaisie for piano opus 20

Three Pieces for piano opus 21

1. Moment de desespoir
2. Le Soir
3. Une course
Two Morceaux for piano opus 22
1. Mazurka
2. Valse brillante
Suite Polonaise for piano opus 23
1. Krakoyienne
2. A la Mazurka
3. Berceuse
4. Mazurka
Duation: 14 minutes.

CD FC Records FCRCD 9706: Jouni Somero (piano)

Concerto Etude in F sharp minor for piano opus 24 (1897)
Duration: 5 minutes.

CD FC Records FCRCD 9706: Jouni Somero (piano)

Two Etude Fantasies for piano opus 25 (1898)
Duration: 15 minutes.
String Quartet in F major opus 26 (1898)

Ten Moments Lyriques for piano opus 27 (1898)

1. Andante
2. Presto furioso
3. Andante
4. Andante mesto. Tempo rubato
5. Andantino
6. Allegretto
7. Andante
8. Allegretto
9. Andantino
10. Presto
Duration: 20 minutes.

CD FC Records FCRCD 9706: Jouni Somero (piano)

Impromptu for piano opus 28 (1898)
Allegro non tanto - 3 min.

CD Ivory Classics 64405-71002: Philip Thomson (piano)

Two Etudes for piano opus 29 (1898)CD Naxos 8.223656: Daniel Blumenthal (piano)Six Romances for chorus opus 30

Second Suite Polonaise for piano opus 31

1. Krakowiak
2. Kujawiak
3. Mazurka
4. Polonaise
Suite Lyrique for piano opus 32

Two Fragments Caracteristiques for piano opus 33

Ballade (in form of Variations) for piano opus 34

Three Mazurkas for piano opus 35

Piano Etude for the left hand opus 36 (1905)

Duration: 6 minutes.
Two Pieces for piano opus 37
1. Elegy
2. Pathetico
Duration: 10 minutes

CD FC Records FCRCD 9706: Jouni Somero (piano)

"Pres de l'Eau", six pieces for piano opus 38
1. Morceaux in C
2. L'lle abandonnee
3. By the Sea
4. Barcarolle
5. Saules pleureurs
6. La Fontaine
Symphony in C Minor "To the Beloved Dead" opus 39

Glocken Suite for Piano opus 40

Two Pieces for piano opus 43

Four Etudes for piano opus 44 (1912)

Duration: 11 minutes.

CD Naxos 8.223656: Daniel Blumenthal (piano)

Two Impromptus for piano opus 45 (1912)
1. Impromptu in F sharp minor: Allegretto - 3 min. 30 sec.
2. Impromptu in A flat major: Allegro: 3 min.

CD Ivory Classics 64405-71002: Philip Thomson (piano)

Sonata Fantaisie for piano opus 46

Two Lyric Fragments for piano opus 47

Etude Fantaisie in F minor for piano opus 48 (1916)

Duration: 9 minutes.
Two Dramatic Moments for piano opus 50

Trois Nocturnes for piano opus 51

Episodes in the Life of a Woman-Dancer for piano opus 52

Two Pieces for piano opus 53

CD FC Records FCRCD 9706: (No. 1) Jouni Somero (piano)
Etude in F major for piano opus 54 (1927)
Duration: 2 minutes.

Other Works

Sarabande for string quartet

Duration: 4 minutes.
Variation No. 7 ("Allegro") on a Russian folksong for string quartet
Composed with other Russian composers.
Duration: 1 minute.

Thanks to Wojtek P. from Poland for additional information

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