Vasily Ilyich Safonov

Vasily I. Safonov (1906)

Vasily Ilyich Safonov ( Russian Василий Ильич Сафонов , scientific. Transliteration Vasilij Il'ič Safonov , 25 January * ^{. Jul} / 6. February  1852 ^greg. In Ischtschorskaja , Caucasus , † February 14 ^jul. / 27. February  1918 ^greg. In Kislovodsk ) was a Russian pianist and conductor .

Life

Safonov, the son of a Cossack officer, studied law at the St. Petersburg Military Law Academy , took piano lessons from Theodor Leschetizky and initially worked in the public service from 1872. From 1879 he studied music theory with Nikolai Saremba and piano with Louis Brassin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and graduated with a gold medal. From 1881 to 1885 he taught piano at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. In 1885 he moved to the Moscow Conservatory , whose director he became in 1889. Until 1905, when he gave up the position, his piano students included Alexander Scriabin , Nikolai Medtner , Alexander Goedicke and Josef and Rosina Lhévinne .

From 1889 to 1905 and from 1909 to 1911 he also conducted the symphony concerts of the Imperial Russian Music Society in Moscow . As a conductor, Safonov did not use a baton , which was unusual at the time . From 1906 to 1909 he was musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and director of the National Conservatory of Music New York . Until his death he was guest conductor of most of the major European orchestras, such as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic , the Orchester Lamoureux , the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the London Symphony Orchestra .

Web links

Commons : Vasily Ilyich Safonov  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Safonow at russianmusicians.org ( Memento from June 18, 2006 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Jennifer Spencer, Edward Garden:  Safonov, Vasily Il′ich. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
2. ↑ ^{a b} biography. In: Mahler Foundation. Retrieved May 12, 2020 (English).