The old maxim that "history is written by the winners" is a strong one in the historiography of music. In reference to Russian music of the nineteenth century, common wisdom dictates that the "winners" are the Russian nationalist school exemplified by the followers of Mily Balakirev, composers such as Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Such a narrow view leaves out the followers of Nikolai Rubinstein; it introduces a double standard by which Tchaikovsky -- easily the most popular of Russian composers -- can figure in ...
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The old maxim that "history is written by the winners" is a strong one in the historiography of music. In reference to Russian music of the nineteenth century, common wisdom dictates that the "winners" are the Russian nationalist school exemplified by the followers of Mily Balakirev, composers such as Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Such a narrow view leaves out the followers of Nikolai Rubinstein; it introduces a double standard by which Tchaikovsky -- easily the most popular of Russian composers -- can figure in popularity but not in history. Under such circumstances, one can imagine the effect that this has on composers who worked in the shadow of Tchaikovsky and thus further developed a kind of Russian romanticism that was in line with German models. Georgi Catoire falls into that vacuum; a composer whose work was fostered by Tchaikovsky and heavily invested in chamber music, someone who definitely does not fit the profile suggested by the "Mighty Handful" but whose work might resonate to listeners...
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