5 love affairs of Russian composers who gave the world great works
1. Mikhail Glinka & Yekaterina Kern
"My gaze involuntarily rested on her: her clear, expressive eyes, her unusually slender figure and the special kind of charm and dignity that radiated from her entire person attracted me more and more," wrote Glinka in a letter to a friend about meeting Yekaterina Kern in Spring 1839.
At the time, he was married to Maria Ivanova, but, according to contemporaries, he was unhappy. Only this new acquaintance brought "Glinka back to life". His love for Kern inspired him to compose famous romances, including ‘If I Meet You’, also written in 1839. For this piece, Kern herself chose a poem by Aleksey Koltsov and rewrote it for the composer. Inspired by the gesture, Glinka immediately set it to music. A year later, he created another of his celebrated romances – ‘I Remember a Wonderful Moment’ based on a poem by Alexander Pushkin and dedicated to his beloved.
2. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov & Nadezhda Purgold
They were considered one of the most harmonious couples in Russian musical history. He was the fairy-tale composer, the creator of magical operas; she was his faithful assistant, muse and subtle musician.
The future spouses met at musical evenings hosted by composer Alexander Dargomyzhsky. Nadezhda played the piano beautifully and even earned the affectionate nickname ‘Nash Miliy Orkestr’ (‘Our Dear Orchestra’) among musicians. Rimsky-Korsakov immediately noticed her talent and musicality.
In Summer 1870, the composer was visiting the Purgold family at their dacha near St. Petersburg. One evening at a musical gathering, Nadezhda's sister performed the romance ‘The Golden Fish’, while Nadezhda accompanied her on the piano. From that day on, Rimsky-Korsakov began calling her "his golden fish" and she, in turn, would call him ‘Korsinka’ and ‘Nika’. Two years later, the composer proposed and they soon married.
The couple lived together for 37 years, during which time Rimsky-Korsakov dedicated many works to his wife, including one of his most brilliant operas, ‘May Night’ ().
3. Alexander Scriabin & Tatiana Schloezer
At the beginning of the 20th century, Scriabin found himself in a love triangle between his wife, Vera, and his own student, Tatiana Schloezer. The latter became a true muse for him; their encounter awakened passion and inspiration, which remained in letters and music.
In the early 1900s, Scriabin left his wife and began living with Tatiana. Many researchers link her influence to the composer’s significant works – the symphony ‘The Divine Poem’ () and ‘The Poem of Ecstasy’ (). These works reflect the composer's new philosophical and spiritual ideas, as well as his emotional union with his student.
4. Sergei Prokofiev & Lina Codina
Prokofiev met Lina Codina in 1918 at the premiere of his First Piano Concerto at Carnegie Hall in New York. The young Spanish singer captivated the composer with her lively black eyes and charm – he immediately began calling her "little bird".
In 1923, they married and their sons Sviatoslav and Oleg were born. Lina was simultaneously a mother, a muse and a talented tour organizer, helped with librettos and translations and performed his compositions throughout Europe.
In 1936, they moved to the USSR. Life proved difficult: In 1941, Prokofiev left her for Mira Mendelson, while Lina was arrested and sentenced to a labor camp. She endured the trials with dignity, was rehabilitated in 1956 and, later, left the USSR, establishing the Prokofiev Foundation in England.
Prokofiev's most poignant and personal work, ‘Five Songs’, was dedicated specifically to Lina.
5. Rodion Shchedrin & Maya Plisetskaya
Their story began in 1955, when the 22-year-old composer first met the 29-year-old prima ballerina at a party. Their collaboration on the ballet ‘The Little Humpbacked Horse’ turned into true love.
"Every person has their flaws. But, he has none," Plisetskaya said. Shchedrin gave her flowers daily and dedicated ballets and operas to her: ‘Anna Karenina’, ‘The Lady with the Dog’, ‘Carmen Suite’, The Seagull’, ‘Lefty’, the choral opera ‘The Boyarina Morozova’ and ‘Poetoria’.
"Shchedrin dedicated ballets to me. What is more precious – a ring or a ballet?" Maya recalled.
Their union lasted 57 years. They "grew old on the same pillow", intertwining their personal lives with their creative work. Maya inspired Shchedrin and he created musical worlds for her, where love and art were one. Even after the ballerina's death in 2015, the composer kept her ashes, tenderly bringing flowers and preserving the memories of their life together.