Do you enjoy classical music that is not overly dry and formulaic? Then surely you love Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov (Васи́лий Серге́евич Кали́нников). What—you’ve never heard of him? Guess what? Neither had I, though I had enjoyed his music very much. I first heard it in, of all strange places, the computer game Sherlock Holmes – Nemesis.
From Fantasy to Reality
Strip the man of his dress suit and put an earring in his ear and you might mistake him for a 21st century punk artist. Though most of us never heard of him, he was favored by his peers, which included Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Kalinnikov had unlikely origins, yet by the age of 14 he was firmly entrenched in his musical career. Tragically, he died of tuberculosis, with which he wrestled for years, before reaching the age of 35.
Let’s Remember the Guy
So Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov is known primarily for his two symphonies and a few additional pieces. Please listen to this YouTube sample of his Symphony No. 1, Movement No. 2. Isn’t it worth 7 minutes of your life to discover some beautiful and contemplative music? Go on. You know you can give the guy 7 minutes…
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Thanks for this; his music is wonderful (I love his piano music) and deserves to be better known.