Nápravnik, Eduard (Francevič)

Nápravnik, Eduard (Francevič), celebrated Czech-born Russian conductor; b. Byst, near Hradec Králové, Aug. 24, 1839; d. Petrograd, Nov. 23, 1916. He began his music training with Pûhonny, the village school master, and then with his uncle, Augustin Svoboda, in Dasice. He subsequently went to Prague, where he took courses with Blazek and Pitsch at the Organ School; after further studies at the Maydl Inst. (1856–61), he joined its faculty; also received instruction in orchestration from Kittl. He then was engaged to conduct the private orch. of the Russian nobleman Yussupov in St. Petersburg (1861–63). After serving as répétiteur and organist at the Imperial Opera, he was named its second conductor in 1867; he subsequently was its chief conductor from 1869 until his death, and also the conductor of the concerts of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Musical Society (1869–81), the Red Cross Concerts (1869–87), and the Patriotic Concerts (1871–87). He became greatly renowned as a thorough musician, possessing a fabulous sense of pitch and rhythm and exceptional ability as a disciplinarian. His reputation and influence were very great in Russian operatic affairs; Dostoyevsky, in one of his novels, uses Napravnik’s name as a synonym for a guiding spirit. Nápravnik conducted the premieres of operas by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Dargomyzhsky, N. Rubinstein, and Rimsky-Korsakov, and also introduced many non-Russian works to his adopted homeland. His interpretations of the Russian repertoire established a standard emulated by other Russian conductors; yet he was deficient in emotional inspiration; his performances of symphonic works were regarded as competent but not profound. He was himself a composer of several operas in the Russian style, imitative of Tchaikovsky; one of them, Dubrovsky (St. Petersburg, Jan. 15, 1895), has become part of the active repertoire in Russia. His other operas, all premiered in St. Petersburg, were Nizhegorotzy (Jan. 8, 1869), Harold (Nov. 23, 1886), and Francesca da Rimini (Dec. 9, 1902). He also wrote 4 syms. (c. 1860; 1873; 1874, The Demon; 1879), overtures, Piano Concerto (1877), some chamber music, and piano pieces.

Bibliography

P. Weymarn, E.F. N. (St. Petersburg, 1881); N. Find-eisen, E.F. N. (St. Petersburg, 1898); V. Walter, E.F. N.: Ksoletiyu yevo artisticheskoy deyatelnosti 1863–1913 (St. Petersburg, 1914).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire