Count Mikhail Vielgorsky (, ) (1788-1856) was a Russian official and composer of Polish descent. He composed romances, symphonies, an opera and was an amateur singer, violinist, and patron of the arts. He is considered to be one of the major influences on the musical arts in Russia during the 19th-century because of his salons, responsible with bringing the string quartet to Russia. Along with his brother Matvey Vielgorsky, they were considered the "''brothers of harmony''" for their intrepid and comprehensive patronage of the musical arts. Vielgorsky was a friend of

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

and an admirer of his music; the Russian premiere of

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus number, Op. 125, is a choral symphony, the final complete symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed between 1822 and 1824. It was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. The symphony is regarded by many criti ...

took place at Vielgorsky's home in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

in 1836. The same year,

Mikhail Glinka Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka ( rus, links=no, Михаил Иванович Глинка, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, mʲɪxɐˈil ɨˈvanəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡlʲinkə, Ru-Mikhail-Ivanovich-Glinka.ogg; ) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognit ...

rehearsed parts of his new opera ''

A Life for the Tsar ''A Life for the Tsar'' ( ) is a "patriotic-heroic tragic" opera in four acts with an epilogue by Mikhail Glinka. During the Soviet era the opera was known under the name '' Ivan Susanin'' ( ), due to the anti-monarchist censorship. The original ...

'' at Vielgorsky's home, accompanied by the enserfed orchestra of Prince Yusupov. In the 1830s and 1840s, as Richard Stites notes, Vielgorsky's salon "''played host to the most celebrated musical visitors to mid-century Russia:

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

, the

Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

s, and

Pauline Viardot Pauline Viardot (; 18 July 1821 – 18 May 1910) was a French dramatic mezzo-soprano, composer and pedagogue of Spanish descent. Born Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García,FitzLyon, p. 15, referring to the baptismal name. Thbirth recorddigitized a ...

among others ... Because of the attendance of

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and " Nevsky Prosp ...

, Zhukovsky, Vyazemsky,

Lermontov Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov ( , ; rus, Михаи́л Ю́рьевич Ле́рмонтов, , mʲɪxɐˈil ˈjʉrʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲerməntəf, links=yes; – ) was a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of ...

, Odoevsky, Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, and Bryullov, a contemporary dubbed Vielgorsky's home "a lively and original multifaceted academy of the arts.' Berlioz called it 'a little ministry of fine arts.'''" Vielgorsky presided over his salons with remarkable informality, donning simple garments and entertaining various different classes of guests in expert ease.

Childhood

Vielgorsky was the son of Polish ''

szlachcic The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social class, a ...

'' nvoy Jerzy Wielhorski, and the brother of Maciej Wielhorski ( Matvey Valigorsky, 1794-1866), an amateur

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

who founded the Society of Lovers of Music with Prince

Nikolai Borisovich Galitzin Prince Nikolai Borisovich Galitzin (, alternatively transcribed Golitsyn, Golitsïn or Golitsin; 8 December/19 December 1794 – 22 October/3 November 1866) was a Russian aristocrat of the Galitzin family and a military officer. He was a military ...

(also a friend of Beethoven) in 1828. His mother was Countess Sophia Dmitrievna Matyushkina (1755-1796),

lady in waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but ...

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

Education

Mikhail Vielgorsky's special passion was music and was known to be an excellent performer and composer. And although an amateur, according to Schumann's opinion, he was "a genius amateur." He also had said that Vielgorsky was ''"the most ingenious dilettante I have ever known''." Already in childhood, he showed outstanding musical abilities: he played the violin well and tried to compose. Vielgorski received a versatile musical education and studied music theory and harmony with the Spanish composer V. Martin-y-Soler, as well as composition with the German conductor and pianist

Wilhelm Taubert Carl Gottfried Wilhelm Taubert (23 March 1811 – 7 January 1891) was a German pianist, composer, and conductor, and the father of philologist and writer Emil Taubert. Life Born in Berlin, Taubert studied under Ludwig Berger (piano) and Bernha ...

. Back in 1804, when the whole family lived in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

, Vielgorsky took part in family music-making in the evenings: the part of the first violin was performed by his father, the viola - by himself, and the cello part - by his brother Matvey, another outstanding musician-performer. Not limiting himself to the knowledge he had acquired, Vielgorsky continued his studies of composition in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

with

Luigi Cherubini Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini ( ; ; 8 or 14 SeptemberWillis, in Sadie (Ed.), p. 833 1760 – 15 March 1842) was an Italian Classical and Romantic composer. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethov ...

, the famous Italian composer and Music Theorist.

Profession

Mikhail Vielgorsky, alongside his compositional work and musicianship, acted as the Actual Privy Councilor to

Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...

or Catherine The Great.

Musician

Experiencing a great interest in everything new, Vielgorsky met

in Vienna and was among the first eight listeners to perform his Symphony No.6 called the "Pastoral" symphony. Throughout his life, he remained an ardent admirer of the seminal, German composer. He was one of the first in Russia to master large sonata-symphonic forms, writing two symphonies (the first was performed in 1825 in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

), a

string quartet The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...

, and two

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which ...

s. He also created variations for Cello and Orchestra, pieces for piano, romances, vocal ensembles, as well as a number of choral works. Vielgorsky's romances became very popular in Russia and one of his romances ("I Loved") was readily performed by

. Vielgorsky noted that his opera "Gypsies" was based on a plot related to the events of the Patriotic War of 1812 (libretto by V. Zhukovsky and V. Sollogub). Vielgorsky's house always became a kind of musical center. True connoisseurs of music gathered there and many compositions were performed for the first time. In Vielgorsky's home,

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

played for the first time from the sheet (from the

score SCORE may refer to: *SCORE (software), a music scorewriter program * SCORE (television), a weekend sports service of the defunct Financial News Network *SCORE! Educational Centers *SCORE International, an offroad racing organization *Sarawak Corrido ...

) '' Ruslana and Lyudmila'' by Glinka. Poet Dmitry Venevitinov called Vielgorsky's house "the academy of musical taste", while famous French composer

Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

, who came to Russia only twice, called his home "a small temple of fine arts". Vielgorsky managed to attract many musicians to his Luizino estate in the Kursk province, far from the life of the capital. In the 1820s, all nine of Beethoven's symphonies were performed on his estate during his evening salons. Vielgorsky highly appreciated Glinka's music and considered his opera ''Ivan Susanin'', later more commonly named ''

'', a masterpiece. Vielgorsky provided support to many progressive figures in Russia. So, in 1838, together with the poet Vladimir Zhukovsky, he organized a lottery, the proceeds from which went to the ransom from the serfdom of the Ukrainian poet and outspoken political figure Taras Grigorovich Shevchenko. Mikhail Vielgorsky died on September 9, 1856, in Moscow. His son-in-law Count V. Sollogub made an account of his mild and unassuming personality: He is buried in the Lazarevskoye Cemetery of the

Alexander Nevsky Lavra Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra or Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded by Peter I of Russia in 1710 at the eastern end of the Nevsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg, in the belief that this was the site of the Neva Battle in 1240 when Alexa ...

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

Friendship with Maria Sergeyevna Durnovo

Mikhail Vielgorsky knew

Maria Sergeyevna Durnovo (Griboyedova) Maria Sergeyevna Durnovo () (; 1792–1856) was an amateur Russian piano and harp player. She was a younger sister of Russian writer and poet Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov. In 1827 she married squire and military officer Aleksey Mikhailovic ...

, skilled piano performer and sister of famous Russian writer

Alexander Griboyedov Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov (; 15 January 179511 February 1829) was a Russian diplomat, playwright, poet, and composer. His one notable work is the 1823 verse comedy '' Woe from Wit''. He was Russia's ambassador to Qajar Persia, where he and ...

. According to the memoirs of Maria Durnovo: "Very often, the writer came to the sister's room. In the spring of 1823, whereas famed comedy remained a secret to public and majority of friends, Mikhail Vielgorsky, stumbled on several sheets of poem, written by the hand of Alexander Griboyedov, while assembling pages of sheet music on the piano of Maria Sergeyevna. Maria wanted to hide the accidentally discovered pages, but it was too late. The news of the new comedy rapidly spread around Moscow from the mouth of the well-known at the time musician". That poem was

Woe from Wit ''Woe from Wit'' (, also translated as "The Woes of Wit", "Wit Works Woe", ''Wit's End'', and so forth) is Alexander Griboyedov's comedy in verse, satirizing the society of post-Napoleonic Moscow, or, as a high official in the play styled it, "a ...

, still considered to be "golden classic" in Russia and other Russian-speaking countries.

Family

The first wife of Mikhail Vielgorsky was the maid of honor the Empress of Russia, Princess Catherine Biron von Courland (1792-1813), the niece of the last

Duke of Courland The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a duchy in the Baltic region, then known as Livonia, that existed from 1561 to 1569 as a nominal vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and subsequently made part of the Crown of the Polish Kingdo ...

. This marriage was facilitated by Empress Maria Feodorovna. The wedding took place in February 1812 in the

Great Church The term "Great Church" () is used in the historiography of early Christianity to mean the period of about 180 to 313, between that of primitive Christianity and that of the legalization of the Christian religion in the Roman Empire, correspond ...

of the

Winter Palace The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the House of Romanov, previous emperors, from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now house the Hermitage Museum. The floor area is 233,345 square ...

. This marriage strengthened Vielgorsky's position at court. In the memoirs of a contemporary, Ekaterina Biron is described as a sweet, naive child who loved lace and outfits. After the wedding, the Vielgorskys moved to Moscow, and soon Patriotic War began. Fleeing from the enemy, they left for one of their estates. In January 1813, the Vielgorskys decided to return to St. Petersburg. Catherine was in her last pregnancy. Their path lay through burnt-out Moscow. Having hardly reached Moscow, the Vielgorskys settled in the house of Prince Golitsyn, where Catherine died as a result of childbirth. Their relative wrote about this tragedy.

Second Marriage

In 1816, Mikhail Vielgorsky secretly married the elder sister of his first wife Princess Louise Biron von Courland (1791-1853), the maid of honor of the Empress Maria. Such a marriage according to church rules was considered illegal. By this, he incurred disgrace and was forced to leave for his estate Luizino in the Kursk province. The Vielgorskys lived in this estate for several years. Their children were born here: * '' Joseph Mikhailovich'' (1817-1839), a friend of

, died of consumption in Rome, his short life is devoted to the book and an excerpt of Gogol " Nights at the Villa." * ''Apollinaria Mikhailovna'' (05.11.1818-1884), baptized on November 8, 1818, in the Church of the Ascension, goddaughter of Count GI Chernyshev and VI Lanskoy; since 1843 she has been married to A.V. Venevitinov, brother of the poet D.V. Venevitinov. * ''Sofya Mikhailovna'' (1820-1878), since 1840 the wife of the writer V. A. Sollogub. * ''Mikhail Mikhailovich'' (1822-21.11.1855), state councilor, full member of the

Red Cross Society The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the world's largest group of non-governmental organizations working on humanitarian aid, is composed of the following bodies: *The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), is an indep ...

, from 1853 by the Imperial decree was called Count Vielgorsky- Matyushkin. Died of brain inflammation in

Simferopol Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the cap ...

. * ''Anna Mikhailovna'' (1823-1861), since 1858 the wife of Prince Alexander Ivanovich Shakhovsky (1822-1891). According to some memoirists, N.V. Gogol was in love with her. Gogol allegedly wanted to marry her, but knowing that L.K.Vielgorskaya would not agree to an unequal marriage for his daughter, he did not make an offer. File:Louise-biron-wielhorski.JPG, ''Louuis Karlovna Vielgorskaya'' File:Vielgorskaya A M.jpg, ''Apollinaria Mikhailovna'' File:Sofia Sollogub Wielhorski by Orlov.jpg, ''Sofia Mikhailovna'' File:Michal Wielhorski (cropped).jpg, ''Mikhail Mikhailovich Vielgorsky'' File:Anna Wielhorskaya by Timoleon von Neff.png, ''Anna Mikhailovich Vielgorsky''

Compositions

Vocal works

* 1885-1887: ''Collection of Russian Romances'', for voice and piano *''Бывало'', for voice and piano *''Люблю я'', for voice and piano *''Два романса,'' for voice and piano *''«Старый муж, грозный муж'', for voice and piano *''Ворон к ворону летит,'' for voice and piano *''Чёрная шаль,'' for voice and piano *''Кто три звёздах и три луне,'' for voice and piano

Opera

* ''The Gypsy''

Symphonies

* ''Symphony No. 1'' ref name=":2" /> * ''Symphony No.2'' ref name=":2" />

Instrumental

* ''String Quartet''

Choral

* ''Canon in honor of Mikhail Glinka "Sing in ecstasy, Russian choir"''

Orchestral works

* ''Theme and Variations,'' for cello and orchestra

References

External links

* * "Wielhorski, Michał - IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download". ''imslp.org''. Retrieved 2021-07-06. *Soloviev N.F.Vielgorsky, Mikhail Yurievich // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb., 1890–1907. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vielgorsky, Mikhail 1788 births 1856 deaths Composers from the Russian Empire Russian male composers Burials at Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Saint Petersburg) 19th-century male musicians from the Russian Empire