Summary Alexander Serov
ALEXANDER NIKOLAEVICH SEROV
1820-1871
Serov – an outstanding representative of Russian musical culture – combined a gifted composer, a widely erudite scientist, a brilliant critic-publicist. Brought up on the ideas of Belinsky, Serov advocated the ideological content of music, defended the idea of a high public mission of art. A champion of nationality and realism, he gave a deep analysis of the works of Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, welcomed the appearance on the musical horizon of young Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov. Serov’s articles devoted to Mozart, Beethoven, Spontini, Berlioz, Wagner have not lost their scientific significance. The legacy of Serov-composer is numerically small and is exhausted by three operas. “Judith” (on the biblical story) is a work of a heroic, monumental-oratorial plan; “Rogneda” – Experience in the field of the national historical-legendary opera; “Enemy Power” – the best of the three
Alexander Nikolayevich Serov was born in St. Petersburg on January 23, 1820 in the family of a highly educated official. As a child, Serov showed versatile talent, was fond of natural sciences, drawing. Interest in music came later, during his years at the School of Jurisprudence (1835-1840), and served as a ground for rapprochement with V. V. Stasov, in the future also an outstanding art critic. After graduation Serov worked in Simferopol, Pskov, leaving no thoughts about composer activity and continuously replenishing his musical and theoretical knowledge. High self-discipline forces him to postpone the implementation of numerous musical ideas; years of persistent labor take place before Serov decides to give his first child, the opera “Judith” (1863), to the public. Debut, which brought the forty-three-year composer a noisy success, took place at a time when he was already well known as a music critic. In those years he founded the newspaper “Music and Theater” (1867), speaks with popular lectures, writes, polemicises,
January 20 (February 1), 1871 Serov died suddenly, leaving unfinished series of plans, including the third opera – “Enemy Power”.
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