César Cui was born on January 18, 1835 in Vilnius, Russian
Empire, now a part of modern-day Lithuania. His father, Antoine, was French,
and had come to Russia as a member of Napoleon's army. After the French army's
defeat, he stayed in Vilnius and married a local woman. They had five children
of which César was the youngest. As a child, César received piano lessons and
displayed an affinity for music. He began composing short pieces at the age of
fourteen, and received a few lessons in formal music theory. However, in 1850,
he left Vilnius for St. Petersburg, where he enrolled the following year at the
Chief Engineering School. Following his studies there, he attended the
Nikolaevsky Engineering Academy. In 1857, he began his official career in the
military as an instructor in fortifications. César was quite successful in the
military. Among his students were members of the Imperial family. He attained
the rank of general in 1906, and his textbooks on fortifications were widely
used.
Yet, despite his successful military career, Cui is more
known today for his work as a composer and music critic. In 1856, he met Mily
Balakirev and through his influence became more involved in music, as well as a
member of "The Five." Though he composed only in his spare time, he was
surprisingly prolific and produced a wide body of work that spanned all the
major genres except the symphony and symphonic poem. His most significant work
was for the stage. He wrote several operas during his career of which several
enjoyed considerable success. Only three, however, were performed outside of
Russia during his lifetime. Among his colleagues in "The Five," Cui's music was
the least nationalistic, with a style that perhaps owes more to Robert Schumann
and Charles Gounod than his countrymen. During the 1880s and 1890s, Cui
received accolades from several musical societies across Europe.
Besides composing, Cui was also active as a critic. He wrote
nearly 800 articles during his career, many of which dealt with opera. Cui
actively promoted contemporary Russian composers, though he did not shy away
from criticizing them when he felt it necessary. Cui harshly rebuked
Tchaikovsky's opera The Oprichnik and
Rachmaninoff's First Symphony; members of "The Five" were at times not even
spared his rebuke. Outside of Russia, Cui praised the works of Berlioz and
Liszt, and admired Wagner's efforts to reform opera, though he disagreed with
his method. Curiously, though aligning with these early "progressives," Cui
displayed a steadfast opposition to the next generation of "modernists," such
as Richard Strauss and Vincent d'Indy.
In 1916, Cui lost his eyesight, though he managed to still compose
small pieces by dictation. Two years later, on March 26, 1918, he died, and was buried next to his wife in St. Petersburg.
However, in 1939, his body was reinterred in Tikhvin Cemetary to lie next to
the other members of "The Five."
César Cui
Biography
César Cui was born on January 18, 1835 in Vilnius, Russian Empire, now a part of modern-day Lithuania. His father, Antoine, was French, and had come to Russia as a member of Napoleon's army. After the French army's defeat, he stayed in Vilnius and married a local woman. They had five children of which César was the youngest. As a child, César received piano lessons and displayed an affinity for music. He began composing short pieces at the age of fourteen, and received a few lessons in formal music theory. However, in 1850, he left Vilnius for St. Petersburg, where he enrolled the following year at the Chief Engineering School. Following his studies there, he attended the Nikolaevsky Engineering Academy. In 1857, he began his official career in the military as an instructor in fortifications. César was quite successful in the military. Among his students were members of the Imperial family. He attained the rank of general in 1906, and his textbooks on fortifications were widely used.
Yet, despite his successful military career, Cui is more known today for his work as a composer and music critic. In 1856, he met Mily Balakirev and through his influence became more involved in music, as well as a member of "The Five." Though he composed only in his spare time, he was surprisingly prolific and produced a wide body of work that spanned all the major genres except the symphony and symphonic poem. His most significant work was for the stage. He wrote several operas during his career of which several enjoyed considerable success. Only three, however, were performed outside of Russia during his lifetime. Among his colleagues in "The Five," Cui's music was the least nationalistic, with a style that perhaps owes more to Robert Schumann and Charles Gounod than his countrymen. During the 1880s and 1890s, Cui received accolades from several musical societies across Europe.
Besides composing, Cui was also active as a critic. He wrote nearly 800 articles during his career, many of which dealt with opera. Cui actively promoted contemporary Russian composers, though he did not shy away from criticizing them when he felt it necessary. Cui harshly rebuked Tchaikovsky's opera The Oprichnik and Rachmaninoff's First Symphony; members of "The Five" were at times not even spared his rebuke. Outside of Russia, Cui praised the works of Berlioz and Liszt, and admired Wagner's efforts to reform opera, though he disagreed with his method. Curiously, though aligning with these early "progressives," Cui displayed a steadfast opposition to the next generation of "modernists," such as Richard Strauss and Vincent d'Indy.
In 1916, Cui lost his eyesight, though he managed to still compose small pieces by dictation. Two years later, on March 26, 1918, he died, and was buried next to his wife in St. Petersburg. However, in 1939, his body was reinterred in Tikhvin Cemetary to lie next to the other members of "The Five."