Karatygin, Viacheslav (Gavrilovich)
Karatygin, Viacheslav (Gavrilovich)
Karatygin, Viacheslav (Gavrilovich), Russian writer on music; b. Pavlovsk, Sept. 17, 1875; d. Leningrad, Oct. 23, 1925. He learned to play the piano from his mother, who was a professional pianist, then took courses in physics and mathematics at the Univ. of St. Petersburg (graduated, 1897). He subsequently was a chemist in the naval dept. (until 1907), and also studied composition with Sokolov at the St. Petersburg Cons. (1897–1902). From 1907 to 1917 he was active as a music critic. He also taught aesthetics and music history at the Petrograd Cons, (from 1916), being made a prof. (1919). As a critic, he welcomed the music of Scriabin, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev at a time when most Russian critics regarded them as unacceptable, and he enunciated the idea of a musical revolution/7 He publ. monographs on Mussorgsky, Chaliapin, and Scriabin, and also composed some piano pieces and songs.
Bibliography
A. Rimsky-Korsakov et al., eds., V.G. K.:Zhizn, deyatelnost, stati i materiali (V.G. K.: Life, Work, Articles, and Materials; Leningrad, 1927).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire