Maykapar Samuil Moiseevich (1867 - 1938). The name of the composer Samuil Moiseevich Maykapar, the author of numerous works for children and youth, is widely known in Russia and abroad. Thanks to artistic merit, understanding of child psychology and taking into account the characteristics of children's playing apparatus, Maikapar's plays have become firmly established in the repertoire of young pianists. Children love these brightly imaginative and at the same time simple in texture works, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that there is not a single young musician who has not played or heard some Maikapar piece performed by his comrades.

Even in the pre-revolutionary years, Maykapar began composing music for children and was the first of the older generation of composers who completely devoted his creative activity to the creation of children's and youth musical literature. In this he was helped not only by his talent as a composer, but also by his performing and teaching experience, combined with the thoughtful approach of a musician-methodologist and researcher. Currently, Maikapar's compositions for children are a kind of children's musical "Classics".

However, Maykapar's varied musical activities remain unknown to many. In the book "Years of Study" he was able to talk only about the initial period of his musical life. The supposed story about the “years of activity” remained only a project. Many of Maikapar's methodological works have not been published.

Samuel Moiseevich Maykapar was born on December 6 (December 18, new style) 1867 in the city of Kherson. Children's and teenage years associated with the southern coastal city of Taganrog.

Prominent place in cultural life The city was occupied by home music playing. Just as they played music in the Chekhov family, they devoted a lot of time to music in the Maykapar family. Samuil Moiseevich’s mother, who studied in her youth in Odessa, played the piano well, as did her brother, an amateur violinist; His three sisters played the piano, the fourth learned to play the violin.

Taganrog was considered a musical city. Since the music school in Taganrog was opened only in 1885, until that time it was possible to study music only from private teachers, among whom there were also not very musically literate people. Teaching children to play some musical instrument was almost mandatory in every intelligent Taganrog family. Maikapara's father was a wealthy enough man to give his children not only secondary, but also higher education.

Maikapar mentions his years of studying at the gymnasium only in passing. He began studying at the same gymnasium, which the great Russian writer A.P. graduated from eight years earlier. Chekhov. In 1885, Maikapar graduated from high school with a silver medal.

Already at this time, music became his true passion and purpose in life. Quite early, Maikapar decided to become a musician. And in this regard, his parents and, of course, his first music teacher, the Italian Gaetano Molla, played a positive role. Maykapar described him as a talented, temperamental and hardworking musician, who taught him to understand and love music.

Maykapar was seven years old when he began learning to play the piano. Musical ability he inherited from his mother, and his love of music from his father, who, although he did not play any musical instrument, was always ready to listen to music and felt it deeply. Systematic piano lessons, playing in an ensemble, attending chamber and other concerts cultivated Maikapar’s taste and introduced him to musical literature. By the age of fifteen, he already knew the main works of symphonic and chamber music, having played many symphonies and quartets with his sister four hands. He played almost all of Beethoven's sonatas and was a fairly fluent sight-reader. At this time, Maykapar was considered the best accompanist in Taganrog and performed not only with local amateurs, but also with visiting professional musicians.

Maykapar did not change his enthusiastic attitude towards Molla even when he realized his shortcomings - he was accepted into the junior year conditionally, for one year, since his technical preparation left much to be desired.

To receive higher education, Maikapar went to St. Petersburg, where there was the oldest conservatory in the country, which enjoyed enormous prestige thanks to the activities of its founder A. Rubinstein and the greatest musicians who taught there. To continue his general education, he intended to go to university.

Maikapar, who graduated from high school with a medal, was guaranteed admission to the university. He chose the Faculty of Law as it did not require students to spend a lot of time on systematic studies. Maikapar needed time, since if he entered the conservatory, he had to practice playing the piano every day and a lot. Maikapar was accepted into the junior year conditionally for one year, since his technical preparation left much to be desired.

Maikapar entered the class of senior teacher V. Demyansky, who over the course of two years corrected his hand placement defects, taught him how to carefully work on a piece of music, and significantly improved his technique. Demyansky considered his mission accomplished. Maykapar subsequently wrote: “...thanks to the careful, intelligent guidance of Demyansky, I successfully passed the most critical, first period of my studies at the conservatory, and the question is whether, for so many years, left without the correct technical school, I will be able to acquire in the future the fundamentals of good piano technique, resolved in a positive sense." Having successfully passed the technical exam to advance to the senior year of the conservatory, Maikapar moved to the class of the Italian pianist Veniamin Cesi, who had just been invited as a professor to the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

For four years, Maikapar studied with Cesi, with the help of whom he was able to thoroughly become familiar with the piano music of Bach, Handel and other ancient masters. After working at the conservatory for four years, Cesi became seriously ill and left for his homeland in Italy.

Maykapar then continued his studies with the young Hungarian pianist Joseph Weiss, a student of Liszt. Weiss's teaching was characterized by disorder and lack of any system. Maykapar was considered his student more than he worked with him. Maikapar prepared for the final exam on his own, as he fell ill shortly before the exam. He played the program well and was appointed to perform at the conservatory act, which was awarded to the best of the graduates.

When Maikapar took the last of the auxiliary musical theoretical subjects, A. Rubinstein was present at the exam; Having familiarized himself with Maykapar's experience in composing music, he advised him to begin studying the theory of composition. So Maikapar ended up in the class of Professor N. Solovyov, graduating from the conservatory not only as a pianist, but also as a composer.

The years Maykapar spent at the conservatory turned out to be significant for him, thanks to the environment in which he found himself. While serving as director of the conservatory, A. Rubinstein took to heart not only the interests of the institution, but also the fate of each student. Maikapar will forever remember Rubinstein’s brilliant performances on the stage.

He graduated from Maykapar University two years earlier than the Conservatory. He briefly tried to practice law, but soon became convinced that it was impossible to combine music studies with law. But while studying at the university, Maykapar acquired a certain breadth of views, disciplined his thinking, learned to argue and clearly express his thoughts. This allowed him to subsequently go beyond his narrow musical specialization and become an outstanding researcher in the field of music.

Not content with what had been achieved and critical of his pianistic achievements, Maikapar went to Vienna, where he studied with the famous teacher Theodor Leschetizky. Maikapar describes in detail in the book “Years of Study” the course of his studies with Leshetitsky. Concluding the narrative, he writes: “As a result of my work under the leadership of Leshetitsky, I consider the most valuable result to be the conscious paths of technical and artistic improvement that opened up thanks to him throughout the rest of my life... Another, very important result of my studies with Leshetitsky was a great interest in methods work, to find ways to master technical difficulties and achieve artistic completeness of execution, without unnecessary expenditure of labor and effort."

Maikapar was characterized by perseverance, which forced him, having taken up a task, to delve into the smallest details until the issue was fully studied. Such exceptional conscientiousness was demonstrated by Maikapar in all areas. If it concerned performing work and it was a question of concert performances, then he thought about not only the program, the sequence of performance of the plays, but also took into account the minutes of sound of each pause between them and the duration of the intermission; in his performing and pedagogical work we literally encounter the jewelery finishing of his works; when publishing works - with careful marking of the smallest details; When preparing books and reports, he conscientiously studied supporting material, literature, and attracted a wide variety of sources, which, in his opinion, could help clarify the essence of the matter. And so it is always and in everything. A. Rubinstein, who heard Maikapar more than once at student concerts, made a proposal: “It’s enough for you to study! You are already a ready-made pianist. Let’s give concerts, and the stage will teach you what no professor in the world can teach.” However, only seven years after this conversation, Maikapar decided to perform an independent concert, which he gave in Berlin, immediately after finishing his studies with Leshetitsky. The concert program included plays performed with Leshetitsky.

Two weeks later, in the same Bechstein hall, Maikapar's second concert took place in Berlin, which was also a solid success, but with the most modest criticism, since Maikapar refused to give the reviewer a certain bribe for a favorable review in the magazine.

In 1898, Maikapar returned to Russia and settled in Moscow. He strives to perform in concerts as often as possible. With great care, Maykapar prepares for performances, considers concert programs, regardless of whether it is his own clavier band, a performance in an ensemble (with violinist Press, pianist Ganeshina), or in a charity concert. He includes his own works with great care and in minimal quantities.

The Russian press, unlike the foreign press, reacted sympathetically to Maykapar. Here is what was written, for example, about his first concert in Moscow: “... Bach’s fugue in C minor, Schubert’s A minor sonata, several small pieces by Grieg, Chopin, Schumann, Leshetitsky (one of the pianist’s teachers) and Tchaikovsky gave the pianist the opportunity to introduce audience with his handsome talent. He plays without any tricks, deliberate effects, simply, musically, modestly and intelligently. He, perhaps, does not have enough temperament for the artistic completeness of his performance, and this is one of the reasons why we do not hear from him. so to speak, the heights, the final points of an enthusiastic artist, exciting and also captivating. So be it, but in our time both the integrity of thinking and the ability to express everything in an understandable language should enjoy genuine attention...” (“Russian Musical Newspaper”, 1900, No. 15). -16).

Maykapar for the first time in methodological literature raised the question of the need to develop internal hearing for musicians and specifically pointed out the possibility of its development. Maikapar took an active part in the “Scientific and Musical Circle” organized in 1902 in Moscow, led first by S. Taneyev, and later by professor of physiology A. Samoilov. The members of the circle were prominent Moscow musicians and scientists interested in music. Maikapar became the secretary of the circle and organizer of all reports.

Maikapar had to come to meetings of the circle from Tver, where in 1901 he opened his own music school. It lasted three years. In such a short period of time, naturally, Maikapar could not see significant results of his pedagogical work, however, classes with children led Maikapar to the idea of ​​​​creating children's piano pieces “Miniatures” and “Three Preludes” for piano, which found a favorable response in the press.

The difficulty of leading in Russia scientific work in the field of music was one of the reasons that prompted Maikapara to go abroad. Berlin at that time was a center that attracted the largest musicians in Europe. In Berlin it was in full swing concert life; Every day, symphony and solo concerts were held in several halls. Maikapar went to Berlin without any illusions. Arriving there, he again gave a concert in the Bechstein Hall, and then began giving concerts in other cities in Germany.

Maikapar chose not Berlin as his main place of residence, but Leipzig, which was of interest to him as a center of scientific musical thought. Living in these two cities, Maikapar attended concerts, studied literature, and met composers, musicologists and performers. His own concert performances took place in small halls. Big success fell to his performance with his wife, Sofia (Sultane) Maikapar. Her colorful soprano voice attracted great praise.

Maikapar is planning to create a textbook that, based on scientific data, would highlight the most important issues in teaching piano. As if in continuation of the published book on musical ear, individual parts were to bear the headings: “Rhythm”, “Technique”, “Sight Reading”, “Pedalization”, “Public Performance”, etc. This work was started by Maykapar and continued for many years; much had already been done, but was not finally completed. The task turned out to be too difficult for one person to solve, taking into account the exceptional conscientiousness of the author.

Living abroad, Maikapar does not lose touch with Russia. His relatives lived here, he came here to rest in summer time. In 1910, when he was in Berlin, he received the following letter from the director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory A. Glazunov:

“Dear Semyon Moiseevich (Glazunov mistakenly calls Maykapar Semyon, and not Samuil Moiseevich - R.A.). I would like to bring to your attention that at the meeting of the artistic council held on September 18, I proposed you as a candidate for piano teacher of both the lower and and the highest course. The Council has authorized me to notify you about this. The elections should take place in the very near future and I will notify you of the result of the elections, which I hope will be favorable, by telegram. With sincere respect and devotion, A. Glazunov."

Prospect to lead pedagogical work at the conservatory, where he himself studied, seemed seductive to Maikapar. The St. Petersburg Conservatory enjoyed a reputation as one of the best music educational institutions in the world. For Maikapar's pedagogical work, the situation at the conservatory was very favorable. The piano department of the conservatory was headed by A. Esipova, a student of Leshetitsky, who enjoyed unquestioned authority due to her artistic and pedagogical fame; In addition to Esipova, among the professors of the conservatory there were other students of Leshetitsky - K. fan-Ark, who died in 1909, M. Benza-Efron.

When the question of inviting a new piano teacher arose at the conservatory, no one raised any objections to Maykapar’s candidacy. He was a student of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, belonged to the Leshetitsky school, gave concerts and conducted teaching work abroad. In addition, he also had a university education, which is not so common among professional musicians. Of certain importance was the fact that at one time he graduated from the conservatory in two specialties and has now made a name for himself as a composer and the author of a valuable musical theoretical book on musical ear.

Soon Maikapar received a telegram informing him of the favorable outcome of his run for the Conservatory’s Arts Council. He has already started studying in the fall. Having started work as a teacher, two years later he was approved as a senior teacher, and in 1915 as a professor of special piano.

For almost twenty years Maikapar conducted teaching work at the St. Petersburg-Leningrad Conservatory, at the same time performing in concerts, composing music and doing scientific work. His concert performances, mainly in the Small Hall of the Conservatory, attracted attention due to the culture of performance. Maikapar was one of the “smart” performers whose rationality prevailed over emotionality. “... Mr. Maykapar is not only a pianist, but also, which is especially gratifying to emphasize, a thoughtful musician, and this quality is rarely found among modern concert performers,” noted one of the reviews of his concerts. Maykapar's most significant performing achievement was his performance of a cycle of seven concerts in 1925, in which he performed all of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Performance, which Maikapar always loved, remained for him the basis of all other types of activity - composition, pedagogy, scientific work.

Among Maikapar's works created in pre-revolutionary times, the piano miniatures are of great interest: “12 album sheets”, “Puppet Theater” of seven numbers. However, Maikapar’s true triumph as a composer for children is “Spillkins” - a cycle of plays created after the revolution.

During his time at the Leningrad Conservatory, Maikapar graduated over forty pianists. In his own pedagogical work, Maikapar was a follower of Leshetitsky’s school. Maykapar, however, did not remain an imitator of his teacher's techniques. Maykapar has been a seeking teacher all his life.

Striving for new achievements, Maykapar always turned to science. Acoustics, physiology, psychology and other sciences, which he used to substantiate certain provisions of musical practice, were not always able to answer the requirements placed on them, and delving into scientific issues for Maykapar often had only a fundamental meaning.

As a scientist and public figure Maikapar showed himself especially active in the twenties. Maykapar took part in reforming the conservatory's curriculum and participated in the work of various commissions. He gives methodological presentations at meetings of the piano faculty. His work appears" Scientific organization labor as applied to the work of a performing musician", studies the work system of the most prominent Western pianists: Egon Petri, Arthur Schnabel, Ignaz Friedman. In 1927, Maykapar's book "The Significance of Beethoven's Work for Our Modernity" was published, with a large foreword by A. V. Lunacharsky. In this book, created on the basis of an in-depth study of the work of the great composer, as well as in a report read at the conservatory at a ceremonial meeting in memory of the 100th anniversary of Beethoven’s death, Maykapar asserted the thesis: “The great legacy left to humanity by Beethoven, a hundred years after his death, it retains all its strength and all its cultural significance, fully meeting the needs of our modern times, but we ourselves are far from fully identifying and using its cultural value."

During these years, a difficult situation arose at the conservatory, due to the struggle of various schools and directions within the piano faculty. All this required Maykapar to strain his strength. He started to get sick. Having brought the last students to graduation, Maykapar left work at the conservatory in 1929. He gave away his remaining strength musical creativity and literary works. During the period of RAPMA, when the administrative activities of this organization extended to almost all musical institutions, Maykapar's works were either rejected by the editors of Muzgiz or their publication was delayed. The composer's unsuccessful attempts to change the current situation forced him to start promoting his compositions through his own concerts in music schools, palaces of pioneers and other institutions in Leningrad and Kyiv. Only in 1932, after the liquidation of RAPMA, Maikapar’s works began to appear in print again, but even then in quantities that were far from satisfying the demand for them.

Maikapar took it very hard to leave the conservatory. He was still full of creative ideas, he wanted to perform and conduct teaching work. Added to these experiences was the bitterness of the loss in the early 30s of the beloved eight-year-old Nadechka, the daughter from Maykapar’s second marriage to violinist Elizaveta Aronovna Totesh, who had received her education at the conservatory.

In 1934, a competition of young talents was organized in Leningrad, in which child musicians aged from seven to sixteen participated. Maykapar was on the jury of the competition. More than half of the performers played his piano pieces. The resolution of the Leningrad City Council dated April 17, 1934 stated: “Note great job on the show and promotion of artistic education of children in connection with the competition of young talents, which has enormous cultural significance, and approve the resolution of the competition committee on awarding Maykapar S.M.”

In the last years of his life, Maykapar worked especially hard on issues of performance theory. He almost completed the work “Creativity and Work of a Musical Performer Based on Experience and in the Light of Science.” Maikapar's work remained in manuscript, but his thoughts on the technique of working on a piece of music were reflected in lectures that he gave in the spring of 1935 at the House of Artistic Education for Children in Leningrad. The lectures were called “How to play the piano” and were intended for school-age children. The surviving notes of the lecture give an idea not only of their content, but also of the form in which Maikapar presented rather special information to the children. This work by Maikapar, for all its brevity, may turn out to be quite useful for musician teachers as an example of how to provide the necessary information about analysis in a language understandable to students. piece of music and its further learning in connection with the features of the texture.

In the same 1935, Maykapar wrote the article “Children’s instrumental ensemble and its importance in the system of music education.”

One of the main obstacles to the introduction of the ensemble into classes with children in those years was the lack of the necessary simple literature. With the same consistency with which Maykapar composed cycles of light piano pieces ("Spillkins", "Miniatures", etc.), he writes four-handed pieces ("First Steps"), pieces for violin and piano (sonata "Rich People", " Songs of the day and night"), for trios and other types of instrumental ensemble.

In the last years of his life, in addition to composing pieces for instrumental ensemble and the remaining unfinished cycle of light preludes and fugues for piano, Maykapar continued to pay much attention to methodological work. Having spent his entire life at the piano and desk, Maykapar never tired of working until last days and died on May 8, 1938, on the eve of the publication of his book “Years of Study.” He was buried on the Literary Bridges of the Volkov Cemetery in Leningrad.

The complete collection of Maikapara's published works can be contained in one volume. Although their number is very large (over 200 titles), most of them are piano miniatures that fit on one or two pages. Maikapar's works were published in Germany, Austria, England, France, and America, but this does not mean that during the author's lifetime they were widespread. At first, when Maikapar was not known as a composer, his first works (romances and piano pieces) were published abroad in small editions and, as was then customary, at the expense of the author. Subsequently, when Maykapar's children's plays gained recognition, only a few of them were reprinted by foreign publishers. The vast majority of Maikapar's works were published in Russia. During Maykapar's lifetime, they were produced in quantities that no longer satisfied demand; After the death of the author, this demand increased every year and required multiple reprints. Nowadays, in any Russian music library, the card index with the names of his works can compete in volume with the number of cards containing the titles of works by the largest composers of our time. It is characteristic that only Maikapar's children's piano pieces were often republished.

Writing music for children is a very necessary, honorable, but not easy task. “Yes, many, many conditions are needed for the education of a children’s writer,” Belinsky pointed out, “you need a gracious, loving, meek, infantilely simple soul; an elevated, educated mind, an enlightened view of the subject, and not only a vivid imagination, but also a living poetic fantasy , capable of presenting everything in animated, rainbow images." To this he adds: “The best writer for children, the highest ideal of a writer for them, can only be a poet.”

Satisfying the requirements of the Belinskys for children's writers, in many of his works for children S.M. Maykapar proved himself to be a true poet.

NGMBOUDOD Children's Music School named after. Nefteyugansk.

METHODOLOGICAL REPORT

"WITH. Maikapar and his piano cycle “Spillkins”

Compiled by:

teacher

piano department

S. Maykapar and his piano cycles.

Cycle "Spillkins"

S. Maikapar was born in Kherson in 1867, his childhood years were spent in Taganrog, then Maikapar entered the Faculty of Law at St. Petersburg University, from which he graduated in 1891 and at the same time at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied in two specialties: composition and piano. After graduating from the conservatory and on the advice of Anton Rubinstein, Maikapar goes to Vienna to improve with the famous pianist Professor Theodor Leschetizky. From 1903 to 1910 Maykapar lived in Germany. He gives a lot of concerts, composes, and is engaged in scientific activities. In 1910, Maykapar received an invitation from A. Glazunov to teach at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1930, Maikapar left the conservatory and devoted himself entirely to creative work- composition, performance, scientific works. Maykapar died on May 8, 1938.

The complete collection of Maikapara can be contained in one volume. Although their number is very large (over 200 titles), most of them are piano miniatures that fit on one or two pages. Maykapar's plays were published in Germany, Austria, England, France, and America. The catalog of Maikapara's works contains piano pieces, romances and works for chamber ensemble.

Maykapar began composing at the age of 14-15 and continued throughout his life. And it was in the field of children's music that the name of S. Maikapara became widely known in the country. He found musical images and intonations close to a child; through his pieces for beginners, he teaches children to love music, opening up wide possibilities for them own creativity and the road to knowledge of the beautiful art of sounds.

In vain would we look for bright stylistic features. Their value does not lie in any unique individual traits melody, harmony, etc., but in a combination of all elements, each of which may not be so significant. Clear sense of purpose, spontaneity of expression, combined with extensive performing and teaching experience, helped Maikapar become one of the founders of Russian children's piano literature. He developed a comprehensive system for the development of piano technology. Its cycles piano works, addressed to young pianists, are built according to a very specific plan, covering one or another section of piano technique or type of pianistic difficulty. At the same time, the principle “from simple to complex” is strictly observed. According to this plan, a cycle of 12 wrist preludes op-14, two octave intermezzo op-13, staccato preludes op-31 was created. The tasks in the collection of ensemble pieces “First Steps Op-29 in Piano for 4 Hands are strictly sequentially complicated. A clear pedagogical plan is visible in famous cycle“spillies” (it is associated with familiarizing the student with all 24 tonalities).

If we take Maykapar’s work in the field of small forms as a whole, then Grieg turns out to be closest to him in form, and partly in spirit. When writing children's plays, Maikapar proceeded from the belief that General requirements for small artists the same “as for adult performers; this is a requirement for imagery, colorfulness, then simplicity and artlessness of compositions. I gave this site best forces of his creativity."

Qualities that are characteristic of Maykapar as a “children’s” composer: vitality and imagery of content (lack of artificiality, pretentiousness, far-fetchedness), sincerity and emotionality, simplicity and laconicism, completeness of form, organic connection with the instrument.

This is how Maykapar distributed the plays according to their content:

Nature pictures:“in the morning” op.15 No.1, “in the evening”, “night”, “autumn”, “echo in the mountains”, “spring”, “clouds are floating” op.23 No.24, “by the sea at night”, “in the fog” ", "dewdrops", " quiet morning", "stormy stream", " Starlight Night» Op.33 No.19.

Onomatopoeic plays:“pipe”, “in the forge”, “musical clown” op.16 No. 6, “at war”, “ music Box", "teamwork", "cavalry is coming", "Aeolian harp" op.33.

Figurative plays:“lullaby” op.8, “Italian serenade” op.8, “mermaid”, “clown dance” op.21, “catching butterflies”, “in the kindergarten”, “orphan”, “shepherdess”, “fleeting vision”, “Moth”, “Lullaby”, “Sailors’ Song”, “Seven-League Boots”, “On the Skating Rink”, “Horseman in the Forest”, “Butterfly” Op. 33 No. 8.

Plays of moods and feelings:“sad mood”, “complaint” op.15, “dream” op.16, “in separation”, “memory”, “troubadour song”, “anxious moment”, “funeral march”, “meditation”, “ long road", "calling song", "elegy" op.33, " fun game"Op.33, "dramatic passage."

Dancing:“gavotte” op.6, “tarantella”, “waltz”, “minuet” op.16, “polka”, “mazurka” op.33.

Narrative music:“fairy tale” op.3, “romance”, “dialogue” op.15, “stepdaughter and stepmother” op.21, “lullabies” op.24 from No. 1-6, “legend”, “ scary story", "The Sailor's Tale" op.33.

Music titles: “children’s play”, “prelude and fugetta”, “operetta”, “melody” op.8, “leaf from the album”, “nocturne” op.8, “scherzino” op.8, “petite rondo”, “prelude” "Op. 16, "Variations on a Russian Theme", "Fugetta" Op. 8, "Sonata" Op. 27, etc.

The vast majority of Maikapara's piano pieces are program works, this is explained by the desire to awaken children’s imagination with the help of their characteristic names, that is, by associative comparison of sound images with phenomena and emotions that are well known to children. Maikapar specified the content of the plays; he realized the special need to create children's plays for beginners, which was done with exceptional success in the “spillie” cycle.

"Spillkins."

The cycle of piano pieces for children by S. Maikapar “Spillkins” is one of the classical works pedagogical repertoire and stands on a par with such collections as “ music notebook Anna Magdalene Bach", " children's album", "album for youth" by F. Schumann. Created in 1925-1926, the cycle “Spillies” enjoys constant love among both young musicians and their teachers. The plays in the collection are distinguished by everything that is characteristic of true masterpieces - regardless of whether it is a monumental work or a miniature - inspiration, ideal harmony of form, perfect finishing of details. Nowadays, few people know what spillikins are. This was once a very popular game among children: a handful of chopped straws are placed in a pile on the table; The players pull them out, alternating one at a time without shaking the heap. “Spillkins” is a suite that includes piano pieces of various contents. It consists of six notebooks of four plays each (in last notebook 6 plays). It is interesting to compare this collection with cycles, like “H. T.K. Bach, “Spillkins” plays in all 24 keys. However, the constructive principle of constructing a “spillie” is somewhat different: Series I (notebook 1 and 2) with C to 3 sharps; in series II (notebook 3 and 4) from C major to 3 flats; Notebooks 5 and 6 cover pieces in keys with 4,5,6 signs. Thus, despite the fact that there are 24 keys in total, and 26 plays, because the keys C and A minor as the starting points of movement to the sharp and flat sides are repeated twice. Understanding how important imagery is for little musicians, Maikapar took the search for the most possible bright names for plays; These were not always the first play titles that came to mind. So, in the original version, “anxious moment” was called “worry”, “moth” - “elf”, “legend” - “dreams”, “spring” - “baby”. Instead of the "gavotte", the play "moonlight" was initially conceived, although the music of this play does not provide grounds for such an illusion. Some plays appeared, as the drafts indicate, immediately in finished form, while others were subject to revision and revision. It didn’t take long for the “little commander” to appear. First, “continuous work” was born. She was the melodic seed for the “little commander”. “The f-moll miniature is now “seven-league boots” - according to the original plan, it had a completely different musical idea.

The themes of Maykapar's plays are always very expressive. They are characterized by a bright, memorable melody, usually of short length. The “song of the sailors” is energetic, the strumming in the “shepherdess” is technical. Each play is unique. Its name is not a randomly pasted label, but a definition of content that gives the opportunity to expand creative imagination young performer. The merit of the plays lies in the thematic material itself and less in its development. He resorts to contrasting comparisons, and if they are not needed, then he diversifies the repeated phrases by changing the harmonic background, the figure of the accompaniment, and changing the register. The harmonies in the pieces are extremely simple.

Very often Maykapar resorts to polyphony if at the beginning of his creative path He used the techniques of polyphonic writing rather intuitively, but later came to the conviction that polyphony is a necessary condition for creating a truly piano work.

Maikapar did not forget about the small size of a child's hand. Nowhere in his children's plays do we find octaves played with one hand or chords played in a wide arrangement. The octave doublings encountered in his work are always performed with two hands. Wide use of piano registers, associated with sweeping, complete freedom of movement of the hand and even the body, within the entire range of the instrument. Maikapar very often and skillfully resorts to this technique. Already the direct use of one or another register gives a corresponding artistic effect (high register - “moth”, “dewdrops”; medium melodious “romance”, “meditation”; low “funeral march”, etc.). Moving any passage, phrase, or even a separate chord from one register to another within one piece gives a different coloring to the sound. By combining transfer with pauses, maintaining the duration of the sound, subtle changes in strokes, dynamic shades, etc. Maikapar achieves amplification semantic meaning separate “pieces”, emphasizes changes in mood, etc. The use of registration in his plays is one of the most effective techniques piano expressiveness. His plays are always accompanied by a clear indication of the tempo of the performance, often supported by the designation of a metronome. The composer gave tempo instructions great importance, correctly considering that they give an idea not only of the speed of movement, but also of its nature. Strokes, dynamic shades and other notations appeared inextricably linked with the musical text. By fixing musical notes on paper, the composer simultaneously embodied the performance concept, ensuring the accuracy of its implementation. The only thing left for the performer of Maikapara's plays is to follow his instructions. In this case, they will contribute to the artistry of the performance to the maximum extent. Maykapar always indicates legato and staccato (light and heavy), portamento, signs of extension above a note, accents, etc. The placed leagues accurately indicate the beginning and end of the phrase, and dynamic designations indicate signs of acceleration and deceleration of movement (using Italian terminology) always placed exactly where they should begin and end. It is impossible not to note the peculiarities of the designation of the fingerings put down by Maikapar in his plays, giving it and the correct attitude towards it great importance. Maikapar adhered to exceptional precision in the designation of pedaling, considering it an effective means of artistic performance. The use of the pedal in his plays is very diverse and it is always justified by artistic purposes. Unfortunately. Even teachers do not pay enough attention to the issues and designations of pedaling in Maykapar's plays and do not give them the importance that the composer gave them.

I would like to draw special attention to the fact that the collection “spillies” is a cycle of plays of different characters, i.e. it has artistic value as a whole. And although, of course, it is difficult to expect its fulfillment young musicians in its entirety, just as Bach’s cycles of inventions and symphonies are rarely performed in their entirety, the KhTK, according to the original plan, was conceived as a single work. Everyone can easily be convinced of this if they understand the design features of the cycle (tonal plan) and play the pieces one after another: the appearance of each next one sounds like a surprise, and not a dissonance with the previous one. It is quite obvious that only a great master could create a harmonious suite of 26 pieces.

Writing music for children is a very necessary, honorable, but not easy task. Belinsky wrote “we need a gracious, loving, meek, melodic, simple-minded soul; an elevated, educated mind, a lively imagination, a living poetic fantasy, capable of imagining everything in animated, rainbow images.”

Literature.

1. Samuel Maikapar and his piano cycles. "Classics" 2009

2. Portraits of pianists. D. Rabinovich. M., 1963

3. The initial period of learning to play the piano. , 1989

Many composers write music that is listened to with equal enthusiasm by both adults and children. But there are composers who devoted all their creativity to creating only children's music, and one that children could not only listen to, but also perform themselves.

Today we will get acquainted with the music of one of these children's composers, who lived more than 100 years ago. His name was Samuil Moiseevich Maikapar.

Samuil Moiseevich Maikapar born in the city of Kherson in 1867. In the family, besides him, there were 4 sisters and they all studied music. Samuel inherited his musical abilities from his mother, who played the piano very well. He started playing music at the age of 5. At the age of 11, he began to compose music himself and started a notebook in which he wrote down all his works. The family decided that Samuil would become a lawyer, but he abandoned this career and entered the conservatory, which he successfully completed.

In 1901, Maykapar moved to the city of Tver, where he opened his own music school. Then the idea came to him to write children's works that the children themselves could perform.

The composer’s various small pieces for small, just beginning performers can be called miniatures. They, like photographs in an album, are combined into cycles. We will introduce you to one of these cycles today. It's called "Spillikins".

Listen to the sound of this word. How affectionate and musical it is. What does it mean? Once upon a time, a long time ago, this was the favorite game of children. Very small toy things - spillikins - spilled out onto the table in a pile. Most often these were cups, jugs, ladles and other kitchen items carved from wood. ladders, hats, sticks and so on.The spillikins had to be taken out with a small hook, one by one, without moving the others.

Maikapar’s little plays are reminiscent of those very spillikins from the ancient game. Let's get acquainted with this music. What can you find among the Maikapara spillikins?

First of all, these are children's musical portraits.

Here is a little shepherdess.. On a clear sunny day, he went out into a summer flowering meadow near a river. In order not to be bored with tending his flock, he cut himself a reed and made a pipe out of it. (A pipe is a small pipe)

A bright, joyful tune rang over the meadows. In the middle of the piece, the melody became more reminiscent of a shepherdess' dance, and then his pipe began to play again. And now, after listening to the next miniature, we will see. He is very militant, courageous and courageous. In a clear voice, he gives orders energetically. We don't know who they are intended for - toy soldiers, soft toys or to friends-children. But the music convinces us that any order from such a commander will be carried out.

In the next piece, the music is very sad, quiet, plaintive. Listening to it, you want to feel sorry for someone, sympathize, cry. It seems that the child is complaining about his difficult life, about his sad fate. This miniature was named by Samuel Maikapar - “Orphan”

Alan Huckleberry, piano


IMTA Level C3

Trifles: 26 Short Pieces for Piano, Library of Russian Soviet Music, 1977

These are absolutely different portraits, unlike each other, were presented to us by the composer. In each of them one can discern not an adult, but a child. And the music told us about each one in its own way.

We now turn our attention to musical landscapes. What is "landscape"? These are pictures of nature: “Clouds are floating”, “Spring”, “Autumn”, “On the skating rink”. Musical landscapes Maikapara is dedicated to the four seasons.

In Maikapara’s “Spillies” there is no such play called “Summer”, but at this time of year it is easily recognizable in some miniatures. For example, “In the kindergarten.” Listening to it, you vividly imagine a warm summer day, a children's playground, a shady garden. Let's listen.

While playing in the garden, the children suddenly saw... Who do you think? Maybe it's a butterfly or a bird?"Moth" ...That's what Maykapar called this work. A moth is much smaller than a butterfly, it does not have such large wings, so it is not so elegant and graceful. But it is light and fast. After listening to this work, it was as if we saw a moth flying from one flower to another.

I think everyone saw it as big water powerful flow flows into the river. Especially in the spring. Have you seen it? In the play« Stormy stream» Maykapar drew this picture.

Now we have to amazing trip to the world of fairy tales . Fairy tales are always something mysterious, amazingly beautiful, unusual. Sometimes we make up fairy tales ourselves, sometimes we see them in our dreams. Samuil Moiseevich came up with little fairy-tale plays, such as: “A Fleeting Vision”, “Fairy Tale”, “Legend”…

Who among us doesn't love dancing? We like children's and youth, modern and ballroom dancing. We enjoy watching ballet, but this is also dance. Dancing is a very exciting, enjoyable and beautiful activity. Samuil Moiseevich Maykapar wrote many dances. This Polkas, gavottes, minuets, waltzes.Waltz is a smooth ballroom dance that is more than 200 years old. Word"Waltz" translated means "to spin, to spin." This dance is dominated by whirling graceful movements.

Alan Huckleberry, piano
The University of Iowa Piano Pedagogy Video Recording Project
IMTA Level D3
Trifles: 26 Short Pieces for Piano, Library of Russian Soviet Music, 1977

Maykapar "Polka"

Spanish Katya, 6 years, 10 months. ( Report concert Children's Music School Gaza)

A multi-talented musician, Maikapar was known as the author of a number of piano pieces for children and youth. In particular, his cycle of piano miniatures gained great popularity “ Spillilets."

Spills, cycle of plays for children, op.28 (1900)

• 1. In kindergarten
• 2. Orphan
• 3. Shepherd
• 4. Autumn
• 5. Waltz
• 6. Anxious moment
• 7. Polka
• 8. A fleeting vision
• 9. Little commander
• 10. Fairy tale
• 11. Minuet
• 12. Moth
• 13.Music box
• 14.March
• 15.Lullaby
• 16.Song of the sailors
• 17.Legend
• 18.Prelude and Fughetta
• 19. Echo in the mountains
• 20.Gavotte
• 21.In the spring
• 22. Seven-league boots
• 23.At the skating rink (Toccatina)
• 24.Clouds are floating
• 25.Romance
• 26.Horseman in the forest (Ballad)

Performs Anna Wang (14 year old)Anna Wang, 14 years old(Recorded on May 9, 2010 in Vancouver, BC, Canada)

And now I suggest to you, my dear readers, children's cycle"Spillkins" by S. Maikapara in the form of a fairy tale

(based on the fairy tale by G. Kamennaya)

One day, while cleaning out the attic, Natasha’s mother found an old doll with a peeling nose in a dusty dress. She didn't have shoes on her feet. Natasha glued chestnut pigtails on the doll, sewed a new chintz dress and small oilcloth shoes. But, although she now had shoes on her feet, the doll was called Sandal. The girl saw her like this for the first time. Natasha really loved the sandal. Every day in the morning she took her out for a walk in the garden. The puppy Sharik always played with them. And what kind of games did they play!

And in the evening, tired of playing, the doll powerlessly lowered its rag hands and bowed its head on Natasha’s shoulder. Then the girl put Sandalfoot in a wooden crib, covered her with a blanket, and sang a lullaby.

Barefoot liked this life. But one day, for her birthday, dad gave Natasha new doll. She was so beautiful! In a pink transparent dress with lush frills, on her feet are patent leather shoes with buckles, and on her head is a hat with ribbons like a water lily flower. The beautiful doll was named Lyalya. She sat on the sofa, among embroidered pillows, and did not talk to anyone. Of course, the doll was very imaginative. When other toys began to play, she arrogantly declared: “Quiet up, I have a headache!” The toys were offended and stopped paying attention to the troublemaker.

But Natasha really liked Lyalya. In the morning she took the elegant doll in her arms, tenderly pressed her to her and spun around the room with it.

And the more affectionate Natasha was with Lyalya, the sadder and sadder Barefoot became. She did not have such a beautiful dress, hat, and she could not open and close her eyes. The sandal was crying more and more often, huddled in a corner. “Why are you whining,” Lyalya once told her. If I were you, I would have left here long ago. So I’ll go ahead and complain to Natasha, and they’ll throw you into the attic again.” Out of resentment, Barefoot cried even harder and decided to go far into the forest and stay there. She didn’t say anything to anyone, jumped out of the window and ran further and further from her house. The forest was dark and scary.

When the dawn was already turning red over the trees, Barefoot went out to the edge of the forest. She looked around and saw the master Silkworm on a branch, and on the tree trunk a fluffy Squirrel with a nut in her tenacious paws. The sandal shared with forest dwellers with your grief. The animals consulted and decided to help the doll - to make it as beautiful as Lyalya. Silkworm sewed her a beautiful dress, and Squirrel gave her two nut shells instead of shoes. The Heron also brought a gift - it was a lily hat. Sandal's dream came true: she became as elegant as the Lyalya doll. The little animals frolicked around the doll, calling her to play, but she was afraid to stain her dress. And the animals ran away.

Everyone in the forest was busy with their own business. The silkworm was winding its cocoons into thread. The squirrel was storing nuts for the winter. The sandal became sad. She didn’t know what to do, and she wasn’t used to idleness. She remembered the house, Natasha, toys. “I didn’t even imagine that I would be so sad without you,” thought Barefoot. Why do I need such a beautiful dress if Natasha doesn’t see it? I’m an ungrateful doll. They took me out of the dusty attic, took care of me, and I ran away from them to forest". The sandal ran straight through the thorny bushes. The grass became thicker and taller. Suddenly the wind blew, lightning flashed, large drops of rain fell on the leaves. All the little animals hid in their holes, and Barefoot was left alone.

And the rain kept pouring and pouring. A lily hat got caught on a branch, the wind tore off her dress, and streams of water washed her shoes off her feet. Spattered with mud, shivering from the cold, Sandalfoot finally saw a familiar roof. But just before the house she slipped and fell. She woke up from Sharik’s loud barking. It was he, her faithful comrade, who spent the whole day when the loss was discovered, he could not find a place for himself and went on a search. Sharik joyfully licked Sandalfoot on the cheek and brought her home. Natasha was very happy. Even Lyalya smiled at Barefoot. And how happy all the other toys were! The doll was cleaned and dressed in a washed cotton dress. And in the evening, all the toys had a real ball in honor of Sandal, and Natasha danced with her, as before.

Sandalfoot was happy again. Only now did she fully understand that friends are more valuable than shiny outfits.

.

He studied music in Taganrog with G. Moll, then in St. Petersburg, where he graduated from the law faculty of the university in 1891 and from the conservatory in 1893, majoring in php. (Chesi) and compositions (Soloviev).

After graduating from the conservatory, he studied with Leschetizky in Vienna, after which he performed in concerts in Berlin, Leipzig, St. Petersburg, Moscow, etc. Lives in Moscow.

His plays for FP have been published. (op. 2, 3, 4, 5,), romances (op. 1) and the book " Ear for music"(Moscow, 1900; research on the nature and significance of musical hearing, criticism modern methods its development and the proposal of a new method that attaches equal importance to both the development of pure intonation and the refinement of the sense of sound color and nuance). (Riman) Maikapar, Samuil Moiseevich b. 18 Dec 1867 in Kherson, d. May 8, 1938 in Leningrad.

Composer.

Graduated from St. Petersburg. cons. in 1893 according to class. f-p. I. Weiss (previously studied with V. Demyansky and V. Chesi), in 1894 in class. compositions by N. F. Solovyov.

In 1894-1898 he improved as a pianist with T. Leschetizky in Vienna. He performed as a pianist.

In 1901-1903 hands. music schools in Tver. In 1903-1910 he lived and worked in Germany.

In 1910-1930 teacher Petrogr. (Leningr.) cons. (professor since 1917). Op.: String. quartet;

F-p. trio; for unison skr. and f-p. 4 hands - suite Labor Songs of Nations (after K. Bücher); for skr. and f-p. - Light Sonata, Song of Day and Night, Bagatelles; for f-p. - sonatas (C minor, A minor), Variations, Three Preludes, Eight Miniatures, Lyrical Variations, Little Suite in classic style, Little Novellas, Two Pieces, Fleeting Thoughts, Fantastic Variations, Two Octave Intermezzos, Twelve Carpal Preludes without Extending an Octave, Shepherd's Suite, Twelve Album Leaves, Poem in Six Stanzas, Barcarolle, Harlequin Serenade, Puppet Theatre, Great Sonatina, Lullabies , Two Tender Notes, Spills, Little Suite, Staccato Preludes, Miniatures, Second Sonatina, Ballade, Four Preludes and Fuguettes, Twenty Pedal Preludes; for f-p. 4 hands - First steps; for voice and f-p. - romances on sl. German poets, N. Ogarev, G. Galina, K. Romanov and others; cadenza to Mozart's Concerto for 2 fp. with orc. B flat major. Lit. cit.: Musical ear, its meaning, nature, features and method proper development.

M., 1890, 2nd ed. Petrograd, 1915; The significance of Beethoven's work for our time.

M., 1927; Years of study.

M. - L., 1938; How to play the piano. Conversations with children.

L., 1963. Maykapar, Samuil Moiseevich (born December 18, 1867 in Kherson, died May 8, 1938 in Leningrad) - sov. composer, pianist, teacher, musician. writer.

He began studying music at the age of 6 (lessons with G. Moll). In 1885 he moved to St. Petersburg and entered the conservatory, where his main teachers were I. Weiss (fp.), N. Solovyov (composition).

At the same time, he studied law. Faculty of the University (graduated in 1890). After graduating from the conservatory, he perfected himself as a pianist until 1898. T. Leshetitsky.

From 1898 to 1901 he performed in concerts with L. Auer and I. Grzhimali.

In 1901 he founded the music industry. school in Tver (now the city of Kalinin) and headed it until 1903. From 1903 to 1910, living mainly. in Moscow, was engaged in concert activities, and regularly gave concerts in Germany.

He took an active part (secretary) in the work of the Moscow scientific and musical circle led by S. Taneyev.

From 1910 to 1930 he taught piano at the St. Petersburg-Petrograd-Leningrad Conservatory.

He initiated the performance of Beethoven's cycle of 32 sonatas in concerts (for the first time in 1927). A multi-talented musician, M. was known as the author of fp. plays for children and youth.

In particular, his cycle of piano miniatures “Spillkins” gained great popularity. Works: camera-instrument. ans. - quartet, fp. trio, "Easy Sonata" for sk. and fp.; pieces for fl., including Sonata, Ballad, Poem, several. cycles of variations, 2 series of “Fleeting Thoughts”, 2 octave intermezzos, etc.; St. 150 fp. plays for children, including “Spillkins” (26 plays), 24 miniatures, 18 small short stories, 4 preludes and fuguettes, 20 pedal preludes, etc.; plays for Skr. and fp.; romances; books "Musical Ear" (1900, 2nd ed. 1915), "The significance of Beethoven's work for our time", with a preface.

A. Lunacharsky (1927), "Years of study and musical activity", "Book about music for senior schoolchildren" (1938), etc.

In a programme music schools There is no special study of the work of S. Maykapar, but students of the piano department of any age always enjoy listening to and performing his works.

The life of this composer is interesting and meaningful; he was involved in piano performance, pedagogy, created plays for children, and paid a lot of attention to scientific activity. A native of Kherson, Maikapar soon moved with his family to Taganrog, where he began to study music with the Italian Gaetano Molla. After graduating from high school, he entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, while simultaneously continuing to master music science at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, studying in two specialties - as a pianist with V. Demyansky, V. Chesi, I. Weiss and as a composer with Professor N. Solovyov.

After an internship in Vienna with the famous pianist Professor Theodor Leshetitsky, he lives in Moscow, then in Tver, where he teaches at the music school he organized, gives many concerts in Europe, composes piano pieces for children, and is engaged in science.

Twenty years of life and thoughtful, fruitful work of S. Maikapara are associated with the St. Petersburg (Petrograd-Leningrad) Conservatory, where A.K. Glazunov invited him to teach. Significant event became the musician's performance of all piano sonatas L. Beethoven, which took place over several evenings in the Small Hall of the Conservatory.

IN last years S. Maykapar left his life pedagogical activity and focused on composition, performance, and scholarship. Among Maikapar’s works, the most important ones should be noted: “Musical ear, its meaning, nature, features and method of proper development”, the book “The Significance of Beethoven’s Work for Our Modernity”, the book of memoirs “Years of Study”. Maykapar is known as the author of numerous works devoted to education piano playing And general issues music pedagogy.

The plays of S. Maykapar are invariably included in the programs of any beginning pianist. These are his “Little Novels”, “Puppet Theatre”, “Six Lullabies”, “Sonata for Youth”, the cycle of plays “Spills”, the collection “First Steps” for piano four hands, “20 pedal preludes” and other works. Our students play his bright, easy-to-understand plays with pleasure. Therefore, we wanted to introduce young pianists and their parents in more detail to the extraordinary personality of the author of these pieces.

Many children took part in the concert, the music of S. Maykapar sounded, the students felt like real artists, performing in front of a large audience of listeners.

Below is the presentation and comments on the slides.

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From the editor:

For ease of viewing, we have turned the presentation into a video with music. At the same time, three plays by S. Maykapar, performed by students of music schools: “Echo in the Mountains”, “Arietta”, “In Autumn” were chosen as the musical background. When using a presentation in practical activities at the right moments you can pause the player or turn off the sound.