Alexander Danilovich Kamensky (1900–1952) is ranked among the most brilliant pianists of the 20th century. His music abilities revealed already in the early childhood. In 1923 Kamensky graduated as a pianist (L. V. Nikolayev’s class) from the Petrograd Conservatoire, where he also studied composition.
His music activity was intense indeed. His pedagogical work was going on during the whole life, having been started, when he was a student (he lectured in the Leningrad Conservatoire from 1934). Besides, he founded music schools, working meanwhile as a curator of the music culture and technique department at the Leningrad Hermitage, composing music at the same time. However, he enjoyed the true popularity as the concert performer, excellent musician with incredibly ample repertoire. Beside that magic technique of him, critics marked the diversity of his touch, iridescent sound and refined pedal. He continued performing even during the Leningrad Blockade, in the besieged city, thus inspiriting the Leningrad defenders, although it was immensely hard to do. More than 500 concerts were held by him that time!
Kamensky was especially famous for his inexhaustible missionary work in the sphere of modern music; he was recognized as its best interpreter in Russia. He did not stop presenting new compositions by native and foreign authors: Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Shcherbachyov, Popov, Deshevov, Schoenberg, Ravel, Szymanowski, Stravinsky, Honegger, Milhaud, Poulenc and many other ones.
Special significant place was given by him to concert transcriptions of symphony and vocal compositions, so as opera and ballet fragments. These pieces reflect his unbridled inventiveness, musician’s delicacy and piano skill. He was a success performing them, so as other pianists resorting to these pearls. Two fragments from the opera “Carmen” belong to this magic bundle (first publication dates 1932, “Triton” publishing house).
Alexander Danilovich Kamensky (1900–1952) is ranked among the most brilliant pianists of the 20th century. His music abilities revealed already in the early childhood. In 1923 Kamensky graduated as a pianist (L. V. Nikolayev’s class) from the Petrograd Conservatoire, where he also studied composition.
His music activity was intense indeed. His pedagogical work was going on during the whole life, having been started, when he was a student (he lectured in the Leningrad Conservatoire from 1934). Besides, he founded music schools, working meanwhile as a curator of the music culture and technique department at the Leningrad Hermitage, composing music at the same time. However, he enjoyed the true popularity as the concert performer, excellent musician with incredibly ample repertoire. Beside that magic technique of him, critics marked the diversity of his touch, iridescent sound and refined pedal. He continued performing even during the Leningrad Blockade, in the besieged city, thus inspiriting the Leningrad defenders, although it was immensely hard to do. More than 500 concerts were held by him that time!
Kamensky was especially famous for his inexhaustible missionary work in the sphere of modern music; he was recognized as its best interpreter in Russia. He did not stop presenting new compositions by native and foreign authors: Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Shcherbachyov, Popov, Deshevov, Schoenberg, Ravel, Szymanowski, Stravinsky, Honegger, Milhaud, Poulenc and many other ones.
Special significant place was given by him to concert transcriptions of symphony and vocal compositions, so as opera and ballet fragments. These pieces reflect his unbridled inventiveness, musician’s delicacy and piano skill. He was a success performing them, so as other pianists resorting to these pearls. Two fragments from the opera “Carmen” belong to this magic bundle (first publication dates 1932, “Triton” publishing house).
Александр Данилович Каменский (1900–1952) — один из самых ярких русских пианистов XX века. С раннего детства он проявил большие музыкальные способности. В 1923 г. окончил Петроградскую консерваторию по классу фортепиано Л. В. Николаева, учился также композиции.
Музыкальная деятельность Каменского была кипучей. Еще студентом он начал педагогическую работу, которую с небольшими перерывами продолжал до конца жизни (в Ленинградской консерватории преподавал с 1934 г.). Кроме того, организовывал музыкальные школы, работал в ленинградском Эрмитаже хранителем сектора музыкальной культуры и техники, писал музыку. Но наибольшую известность приобрел как концертирующий пианист, блестящий музыкант с необыкновенно обширным репертуаром. Помимо великолепной техники, критика отмечала разнообразие его туше, красочность звучания, тонкую педализацию. Свои выступления он продолжал и в блокадном Ленинграде, в невероятно трудных условиях поддерживая дух защитников города. В этот период он дал более 500 концертов!
Особенно прославился Каменский как неутомимый пропагандист современной музыки, признанный лучшим ее истолкователем в России. Он постоянно представлял слушателям новые сочинения отечественных и зарубежных композиторов: Прокофьева, Шостаковича, Щербачева, Попова, Дешевова, Шёнберга, Равеля, Шимановского, Стравинского, Онеггера, Мийо, Пуленка и многих других.
Важное место в его творческой деятельности занимало создание концертных транскрипций симфонических и вокальных произведений, фрагментов из опер и балетов. Эти пьесы, отражающие богатство его фантазии, музыкантскую тонкость и пианистическое мастерство, он сам исполнял с большим успехом, играли их и другие пианисты. К числу таких работ относятся предлагаемые два фрагмента из "Кармен", которые впервые были изданы в 1932 г.
Aleksandr Danilovich Kamenskij (1900–1952) — odin iz samykh jarkikh russkikh pianistov XX veka. S rannego detstva on projavil bolshie muzykalnye sposobnosti. V 1923 g. okonchil Petrogradskuju konservatoriju po klassu fortepiano L. V. Nikolaeva, uchilsja takzhe kompozitsii.
Muzykalnaja dejatelnost Kamenskogo byla kipuchej. Esche studentom on nachal pedagogicheskuju rabotu, kotoruju s nebolshimi pereryvami prodolzhal do kontsa zhizni (v Leningradskoj konservatorii prepodaval s 1934 g.). Krome togo, organizovyval muzykalnye shkoly, rabotal v leningradskom Ermitazhe khranitelem sektora muzykalnoj kultury i tekhniki, pisal muzyku. No naibolshuju izvestnost priobrel kak kontsertirujuschij pianist, blestjaschij muzykant s neobyknovenno obshirnym repertuarom. Pomimo velikolepnoj tekhniki, kritika otmechala raznoobrazie ego tushe, krasochnost zvuchanija, tonkuju pedalizatsiju. Svoi vystuplenija on prodolzhal i v blokadnom Leningrade, v neverojatno trudnykh uslovijakh podderzhivaja dukh zaschitnikov goroda. V etot period on dal bolee 500 kontsertov!
Osobenno proslavilsja Kamenskij kak neutomimyj propagandist sovremennoj muzyki, priznannyj luchshim ee istolkovatelem v Rossii. On postojanno predstavljal slushateljam novye sochinenija otechestvennykh i zarubezhnykh kompozitorov: Prokofeva, Shostakovicha, Scherbacheva, Popova, Deshevova, Shjonberga, Ravelja, Shimanovskogo, Stravinskogo, Oneggera, Mijo, Pulenka i mnogikh drugikh.
Vazhnoe mesto v ego tvorcheskoj dejatelnosti zanimalo sozdanie kontsertnykh transkriptsij simfonicheskikh i vokalnykh proizvedenij, fragmentov iz oper i baletov. Eti pesy, otrazhajuschie bogatstvo ego fantazii, muzykantskuju tonkost i pianisticheskoe masterstvo, on sam ispolnjal s bolshim uspekhom, igrali ikh i drugie pianisty. K chislu takikh rabot otnosjatsja predlagaemye dva fragmenta iz "Karmen", kotorye vpervye byli izdany v 1932 g.
