Konstantin Igumnov

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Konstantin Igumnov
Born
Konstantin Nikolayevich Igumnov

(1873-05-01)May 1, 1873
DiedMarch 24, 1948(1948-03-24) (aged 74)
Occupation(s)Pianist, music pedagogue

Konstantin Nikolayevich Igumnov (Russian: Константи́н Никола́евич Игу́мнов; May 1 [O.S. April 19], 1873 – March 24, 1948) was a Soviet and Russian pianist and pedagogue. People's Artist of the USSR (1946).

Biography[edit]

Igumnov studied under Nikolai Zverev, and at Moscow Conservatory under Alexander Siloti and Pavel Pabst. He took theory and composition courses from Sergei Taneyev, Anton Arensky and Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. In 1898-9 he was pianoforte teacher at the Tiflis music-school of the Russian Musical Society. From 1899 he was Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, where his life's work was carried out. He recorded 6 pieces on piano roll for the Welte-Mignon reproducing piano in 1910.[1]

Among his many students were Arno Babajanian, Bolesław Kon, Naum Shtarkman, Elena Beckman-Shcherbina, Yakov Flier, Boris Berlin, Lev Oborin, Maria Grinberg, Andrzej Wasowski, Elena Laumenskienė, Ryszard Bakst, Tengiz Amirejibi, Anatoly Alexandrov, Bella Davidovich, Rosa Tamarkina, Issay Dobrowen, and Mariya Gambaryan.[citation needed]

Igumnov was evacuated to Yerevan, Armenia during the first half of 1940s. During those years he was teaching at the local Conservatory, where his 70th anniversary was widely celebrated.

A four-record (LP) set of Igumnov's recordings was issued by Melodiya on 33C 10-05519-26.[2]

Honours and awards[edit]

Welte-Mignon Piano Rolls[edit]

  • Catalog no. 2061: Rachmaninoff - Prelude, Op. 23, No. 1, f#
  • Catalog no. 2062: Rachmaninoff - Prelude, Op. 23, No. 6, Eb
  • Catalog no. 2063: Scriabin - Sonata-Fantasie, Op. 19, No. 2, g#
  • Catalog no. 2064: Brahms - Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 6, eb
  • Catalog no. 2065: Rachmaninoff - "Fantasy Pieces", Op. 3, No. 2, c#: Prelude
  • Catalog no. 2066: Arensky - By the Seashore, Op. 52, No. 4, Gb

Sources[edit]

  • A. Eaglefield-Hull, A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).
  • J. Methuen-Campbell, Chopin Playing from the Composer to the Present Day (Gollancz, London 1981).

References[edit]

  1. ^ Smith, Charles D, and Richard J. Howe. The Welte-Mignon: Its Music and Musicians. Vestal, N.Y: Published by Vestal Press for the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association, 1994, p. 396. ISBN 9781879511170
  2. ^ Methuen-Campbell 1981, 136, n.