Mitrofan Belaïev — Wikipedia

Mitrofan Petrovitch Belaïev (Russian: Mitrofan Petrovich Belyaev ), born the February 10, 1836 ( February 22, 1836 in the Gregorian calendar) in Saint Petersburg and died the December 22, 1903 ( January 4, 1904 In the Gregorian calendar) in Saint Petersburg, is a Russian music editor, a large patron, and the owner of a large wooden business in Russia. He is also the founder of the Belaïev circle, a company of Russian musicians whose members understood, among others, Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov, Alexandre Glazounov and Anatoli Liadov. His name is often transcribed Belgiaff or Belyyayev . In 1886, the famous Russian painter Ilia Répin made a portrait of Belaïev.

Belaïev was the son of a wealthy Russian wooden merchant, a large owner of land, and a Swedish mother. Very early on, he worked in his father’s business, which he worked for more than 30 years. However, his passion turned to music.

Belaïev had learned to play the violin, viola and piano when he was a schoolboy, and he played alto for many years in a string quartet. Later, he became a member of a circle of friends in Saint Petersburg taking care of chamber music, and with the leaders of the time of this circle – Anatoli Liadov and Alexandre Borodine – they undertook trips in Russia and abroad to better understand music. This is how they went among other places in Bayreuth. Belaïev had learned several foreign languages, including German.

An important event for the future of Belaïev and his important role as leader of musical life in Russia was his meeting in 1882 with the very talented and barely 17 years old Alexandre Glazounov, whose symphony n ^O 1 was created at that time. Belaïev’s growing commitment in the promotion of Russian composers led him to a gradual withdrawal from his activity as a wooden merchant. In 1884, he founded the “Glinka Prize”, which was awarded annually. The first years, the winners were Borodine, Mily Balakirev, Piotr Ilitch Tchaikovski, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, César Cui and Liadov.

In 1885, Belaïev created the publishing house “MP Belaïev” in Leipzig in order to obtain the international copyright for the benefit of Russian composers, because until then, this international copyright did not apply to music published in Russia. Finally, he published more than 2,000 works by Russian composers, the first of which was the Opening nº 1 in minor soil for orchestra “on Greek themes” from Glazounov. The works were published with very high care, while the authors received higher fees than custom while keeping full control over execution rights. Thus the action of Belaïev represented an important contribution for the promotion and dissemination of Russian music. At first, it was Belaïev who selected the works that were to be published; Thereafter, he took the advice of a council, which was made up of Rimsky-Korsakov, Liadov and Glazounov. Not only did the publishing house accepted the composers of Saint Petersburg, but also the Moscow composers which were however more “westernized” like Sergei Taneïev and Alexandre Scriabine. After the October Revolution, the publishing company continued its operations in Leipzig until the Second World War, when it moved to Bonn. Later, she moved to Frankfurt Sur-le-Main, and in 1971, the Peters Edition resumed her management.

In 1885 Belaïev created the Russian symphonic concerts In Saint Petersburg to allow young Russian composers to see their symphonic works executed and from 1891 in his house, were organized weekly “Friday of the Quartet” (“Les Friday”). Composers supported by Belaïev have written musical contributions several times in his honor and to participate in these meetings. For example, for his 50 ^{It is} Birthday, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodine, Liadov and Glazounov collaborated on a string quartet on BAF notes (if the FA). Another of their common projects was a series of variations on a Russian theme for piano and orchestra, for which, Alexander Kopylov (in) , Nikolai Sokolov and other members of the circle each contributed to a variation.

Dead the December 22, 1903 ( January 4, 1904 In the Gregorian calendar), Mitrofan Belaïev is first buried in the Novodievitchi cemetery in Saint Petersburg. In 1936, his remains were transferred to the Tikhvine cemetery in the Saint-Alexandre-Nevski monastery.

• Schibli, Sigfried, Alexander Skriabine and his music , Piper, Munich / Zurich, 1983, (ISBN  3-492-02759-8 ) .
• Davis, Richard Beattie, eeThe Beauty of Belaieff , Gclef Publishing, Londres , 2008, (ISBN  978-1-905912-14-8 ) .
• Maes, Francis, Trans. Arnold J. Pomerans et Erica Pomerans, A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya a Babi Yar , University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles et Londres, 2002, (ISBN  0-520-21815-9 ) .
• Neumarch, Rosa et Geoffrey Norris, éd. Stanley Sadie, “Belyayev, Mitrofan Petrovich,” The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , 20 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1980. (ISBN  0-333-23111-2 ) .
• Richard Beattie Davis, Belgiaff , Second edition of New Grove Dictionary Mitrofan Petrovich of music and musicians, 27 flights. London: Macmillan 2000, (ISBN  978-0-19-517067-2 ) .