Musical and Pedagogical Views on the Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich Romanov’ Emotional and Value Attitude to the Music

Abstract

Based on the study of a wide range of historical sources, the article describes fifteenth emperor of the Romanov dynasty Nicholas I’ emotional and value attitude to the musical art. At the same time, two facets of his life path are taken into account – as a member of the imperial family and as an emperor, who has been entrusted with the management of the state since his accession to the throne in 1825. The evolution of his attitude to music and making music is traced at two distinct stages: from themoment of birth to the coronation and during the years of his rule of the country. It is noted that at the first stage, the formation of the Grand Duke’s musical preferences was influenced by themusical atmosphere in which his childhood passed; his innate musicality and early preferences in music itself and in certain types of musical activity. A distinctive feature of the second stage is the introduction by Nicholas I of compulsory music education for his children, as a result of the evolution of his emotional and value attitude tothe musical art. The contribution of the emperor to the development of Orthodox and secular music is emphasized.

Keywords

• russian musical culture of the first half of the xix century
• emotional and value attitude to music
• emperor nicholas i
• the romanov dynasty
• amateur music making
• musical education in the imperial family
• elite of society