School of Music faculty, students present classics of 19th century Russian music

Classics of 19th century Russian music are the centerpiece of “Music from the Golden Age of Russian Culture,” a special Hugh Hodgson School of Music concert in Ramsey Concert Hall on Tuesday, October 25, at 8 p.m. 

Inspired by the “Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects” exhibition at the Georgia Museum of Art (GMOA), this concert focuses on Russian music from that same period, examining another side of art from the era of Romanov rule.

“The Hodgson School is very excited to collaborate with Dr. Asen Kirin from the Lamar Dodd School of Art and also the Georgia Museum of Art on this Russian project,” said Martha Thomas, Despy Karlas Professor of Piano.

The concert features music from Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Lyadov and Rachmaninoff. David Haas, professor of musicology and Russian music specialist, will provide introductory remarks that link the art exhibition and the music of the concert.

“Russian literature is filled with scenes that take place in the drawing rooms of the city palaces and country estates of 19th century Russia,” said Haas. “This concert will allow you to step back in time and sample the vivid and emotional music of prerevolutionary Russia, the focus of that literature.”

The program’s works span nearly a century, from piano and chamber music of the early 1800s to popular works from the last decades of the Russian empire.

Admission is free to this performance, and it will be streamed live on the School of Music’s website at music.uga.edu/streaming.

The GMOA exhibition that inspired the concert shows how the Romanov family of Russian rulers commissioned, used and distributed gifts to solidify its hold on power. More information on the exhibit, curated by Lamar Dodd School of Art professor Asen Kirin, can be found on the GMOA website.

The UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music sponsors more than 350 performances each year. To view the performance calendar, subscribe to the weekly email concert listing or learn more about the School of Music, go to music.uga.edu.