Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka was an important Russian composer who contributed greatly to the musical development of his country. He grew up during a time when it was unthinkable for any young people of nobility to consider a career as a musician. He rejected this stereotype, and through hard work and persistence, he became a composer of many great works. May credit him with the stirring of Russian nationalism. He is sometimes referred to as the "Father of Russian Music."
Glinka was born in Russia during a time when music and the arts were only for the nobility and the wealthy. It was very stylish to attend concerts that were performed on large estates of the nobility. It was considered unthinkable, however, for a young person of this class to consider a career in music. Glinka developed a great love for music when he was very young. His uncle maintained an orchestra on his estate. Glinka spent much time there listening to music arranged for various instruments.
At the age of thirteen, he was sent to a private school in St. Petersburg, where he continued to study music, but only as a part of an education for a gentleman. After five years at this school, he wanted to devote all of his time to music, but his parents were against it. Because of an illness, Glinka's parents sent him to Italy for rest in a warmer climate. There, he was able to study music with the well-known Sigfried Dehn. He felt the study of harmony, counterpoint, and instrumentation had placed all of his musical knowledge in order. He began to compose a group of pieces called "Caprice," and he also composed "The Rustling Oak," one of his finest songs.
Glinka's next goal was to write an opera. In a letter to a friend, he said, "I fancy that I have the ability to enrich the stage with a big work... In every way it will be absolutely national. And not only the subject, but the music." Soon after this letter, he began work on an opera called "A Life for the Tsar." It's plot was well known to Russians because it was about a peasant who became a national hero because he sacrificed his life to save the Tsar. The opera was a great success. It sparked the interest of people all over the country. It was called a pioneer work that soon became the basis for a Russian National School of Music. By December of 1879, it had reached its 500th performance. In 1886, every Russian city that had a theater gave a special production in honor of the 50th anniversary of the opera's first performance.
Glinka truly was a great contributor to the development of music in Russia. He grew up during a time when a boy of his class should never have considered music as a career. He went against the social structure and his parents in order to pursue a life of happiness. There were many great composers to come after Glinka but he was the first to bring a great national interest in music.