Alexander Grechaninov

1864-1956

Born in Moscow in 1864, Alexander was not expected to receive a musical education. His businessman father had other ideas for his son’s future.

Despite this, no doubt after some considerable father/son wrangling, Alexander secretly entered the Moscow Conservatory aged 17 against his father’s express wishes.

Here he remained until he fell out with his teacher, the composer Anton Arensky. The cause of the quarrel is not known but it was deeply wounding and he moved to St Petersburg, where he was taught composition by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov.

By this time Grechaninov was struggling without either the support or financial help from his parents. Rimsky-Korsakov decided to help him out financially which enabled him to complete his studies.

His faith in the young Alexander’s ability was rewarded when his String Quartet No. 1 won first prize in a competition in 1894. It was subsequently published in both Russia and Germany.

Over the next decade Grechaninov made his reputation and earned a living composing opera, working in the theatre but increasingly making a name for himself composing for the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 1910 his importance to liturgical music was recognised by the Tsar who awarded him an annual pension.

Despite his association with religion, he remained in Russia following the revolution but by 1925 he had moved to France where he lived until 1939. Then, perhaps sensing the coming turmoil, he emigrated once more to the United States.

His music is now largely forgotten. Possibly he was too conservative a composer in an age when traditional musical form was being challenged by a new generation? Yet he left behind a large volume of work, including 5 symphonies, 4 string quartets a number of concertos and of course,se an enormous collection of church music.