Cesar Cui’s Cat

Although being a very versatile person – he used to be composer, teacher, music critic, army specialist – this music character is associated with something different. At the very first mention knowing musicians will most likely relate his surname to The Mighty Five, the famous composers’ circle a member of which he was. Composing was only a part of Cesar Cui’s life and its fruit caused different reactions among colleague-composers and the public. Some outstanding composers and friends like Rimsky-Korsakov notably disparaged his music-writing skills actually. But one couldn't help but notice the deep love for Russia in most of Cui’s compositions, Alexander Pushkin apparently being composer’s favorite Russian poet. 

Mostly loved for his art-songs, Cui has also a lot of operas written. They all in one way or another touch Russian culture and bear a serious analytical character. However, there was completely different side to that. On the other hand, Cui was so much into the world of children’s concerns. His short fairy-tale opera “Puss in Boots” is pretty known today in Russian the way it was introduced there during Soviet times. However, the original version of the opera was premiered in Rome much earlier – in 1915, and exactly that rare opera version was what has become loved in a relatively narrow circle – the former Eastern Germany.

Rubinstein’s Demon

Anton Rubinstein, the celebrated Russian composer, pianist-virtuoso, conductor, educator and in general one of the key figures in the culture of Russia, composed an avalanche of music masterpieces that are widely performed at the world music stage up to now. Among them, the 20 great operas, some of which are well-known today but not so recognized when written. One of them, as surprising as it may seem, is The Demon, premiered in 1871. When the composition was ready Rubinstein gathered the so-called The Five that consisted of Mussorgsky, Cui, Stasov, Rimsky-Korsakov for a private listening. But the critics gave it a very low assessment. Moreover, about 100 opera performances were also evaluated quite unfavorably being called old-fashioned. The music West didn’t accept it at all, so the opera was not a rarity only in Russia. Now The Demon is regarded differently, it may even be considered Rubinstein’s most popular opera. In such a way, it took this wonderful work based on Lermontov’s poem much more than a dozen years to become deservedly acknowledged.