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César Cui

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

César Cui (1835 to 1918) was a Russian composer and music critic, a member of The Five, the group of composers who wanted to create a specifically Russian music, and of the Belyayev circle. He was born in Vilnius, then part of the Russian Empire, the youngest of five children in a Catholic family of French and Polish-Lithuanian descent. His French father had come to Russia with Napoleon's army and was wounded at Smolensk. As a child Cui spoke French, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian and in 1850 he was given music lessons by Stanisław Moniuszko.

Music and breakthrough

He was sent to Saint Petersburg, attended the Main Engineering School and in 1857 began his military career as a lecturer in fortification. His pupils included members of the imperial family, among them Nicholas II. He became a general of engineers and wrote several monographs about his subject. Alongside that work he continued to compose and to write about music. His catalogue contains many songs and piano pieces, including 25 Preludes, opus 64, Kaleidoscope, opus 50, a violin sonata in D, opus 86, and the opera A Feast in Time of Plague. He also wrote Suite Concertante and a series of suites for orchestra.

Influence

His music is small in scale and lyrical and has a French flavour. Cui shows how an officer with a busy profession, as critic and composer, helped to build a national Russian musical style.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to one of the 25 Preludes, opus 64, on piano. Notice the short, song-like pieces and how each prelude holds on to a single mood.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists