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.