Duke Peter of Oldenburg

Peter, Prince Of Oldenburg (a.k.a. Duke Pyotr Georgievich; Prince Oldenburg) (26 August 1812, Yaroslavl, Russian Empire — 14 May 1881 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire) was Duke of the House of Oldenburg. He was the grandfather of Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, husband of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia; as well as grandfather of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich, General of the Imperial Russian Army during World War I.

Grand Duke Peter is also noted as a composer of music, primarily for his music for the ballet. The Pas d'Esclave from the ballet Le Corsaire, which is taken from his score for Marius Petipa's ballet The Rose, the Violet, and the Butterfly, is still heard in theatres all over the world.

Life

Peter Konstantin Friedrich, Prince Of Oldenburg was born on August 26, 1812. His father was Georg (Peter Friedrich), Prince Of Oldenburg. His mother was the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna (later consort to King William I of Württemberg), daughter of Paul, Emperor of Russia.

Grand Duke Peter received his education in Stuttgardt, and in 1830 was made a general of the Imperial Russian Army by Emperor Alexander I. After 4 years service he retired, and became active in St. Petersburg government, devoting his energies primarily to education.

On April 23, 1837, Duke Peter married Therese Wilhelmine Friederikke, Princess Of Nassau-Weilburg in Biebrich, Hessen-Nassau, Prussia.

Grand Duke Peter was a talented pianist and composer, and in 1842 hecomposed his first major piano concerto. In 1844 his second piano concerto was performed for the first time at the Mikhailovsky Palace by the great pianist Clara Schumann, and conducted by his longtime freind amd colleague Adolf Henselt.

As with most Russian nobility Grand Duke Peter was a longtime balletomane and patron of the arts. In 1857 he was commissioned by the Ballet Master Marius Petipa to compose the score for his ballet-divertissement The Rose, the Violet, and the Butterfly, which was given as a performance for the royal court at the Imperial Theatre of Tsarskoe Selo. In 1858 Petipa extracted a Pas de Deux from the Grand Duke's score and added it to his revival of the ballet Le Corsaire, re-naming the peice the Pas d'Esclave. It is the only composition of Grand Duke Peter's still heard today in the theatre.

Many of Grand Duke Peter's compostions were used as educational tools by the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. The composer and teacher Adolf Henselt, a close friend of the Grand Duke's, expanded on many of his compostions in order to utilize them for instructional purposes.

Duke Peter died on May 14, 1881 in St. Petersburg.

Issue

• Alexandra of Oldenburg (2 June 1838, St. Petersburg — 13 April1900 Kiev, Ukraine);m. Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1831-1891).
• Nicholas of Oldenburg (9 May 1840, St. Petersburg — 20 January 1886, Geneva, Switzerland) m. Maria Bulazel created Countess of Osternburg.
• Cecile of Oldenburg (27 February 1842 St. Petersburg — 11 January 1843, St. Petersburg)
• Alexander of Oldenburg (2 June 1844, St Petersburg, — 6 September 1932, Biarritz, France). Heir of the Russian Oldenburgs. He married princess Eugenia of Leuchtenberg. Their only son, Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, married Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia)
• Katherine of Oldenburg (21 September 1846, St. Petersburg — 23 June 1866, St. Petersburg)
• George of Oldenburg (17 April 1848, St. Petersburg — 17 March 1871, St. Petersburg)
• Konstantin of Oldenburg (27 April 1850, St. Petersburg — 18 March 1906 in Nice, France);m. Princess Agrafena Djaparridze, created Countess of Zarnekau
• Therese of Oldenburg (30 March 1852, St. Petersburg — 18 April 1883 St. Petersburg);m. George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg (1852-1912)

External Links

RootsWeb.com page on Grand Duke Peter von Oldenburg