Born in Yaroslavl’, Nov 18/30, 1859
Died in Paris, Nov 8, 1924
- Sergei Lyapunov was a Russian composer, pianist, educator, conductor, and ethnomusicologist. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Karl Klindworth (a pupil of Liszt), Tchaikovsky, and Sergei Taneyev. After graduating from the conservatory, Lyapunov met Mily Balakirev and chose the leading figure of “The Five” as his mentor. With Balakirev’s encouragement, Lyapunov began publishing his compositions.
- In 1893, Lyapunov was commissioned by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society to collect Russian folksongs from the regions of Vologda, Vyatka, and Kostroma, to the northeast of Moscow. The experience had a significant on the composer’s musical voice, and folk elements made regular appearances in his music from that point on.
- As a composer, Lyapunov primarily wrote works for orchestra, piano, and voice.
- After the Russian Revolution, Lyapunov emigrated to Paris, where he sadly passed away from a heart attack just a year later.1
Sources
- Edward Garden and Sergei Saratovsky, “Lyapunov [Liapunov], Sergey Mikhaylovich,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed January 19, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000017241.