Sergei Taneyev

Russia, 1875–1915

Russian composer and theorist (1856-1915), a pupil of Tchaikovsky and director of the Moscow Conservatory. He wrote a standard treatise on counterpoint and taught Scriabin, Rachmaninoff and Medtner.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Sergei Taneyev and 2 artists Sergei Taneyev influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Sergei Taneyev?

• Johann Sebastian Bach — The 'Russian Bach' earned his name by profound study of Bach — and of Renaissance counterpoint (Ockeghem, Josquin, Lassus) — which he distilled into his own theory of moveable counterpoint.
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky — Taneyev was Tchaikovsky's favourite and closest pupil at the Moscow Conservatory — a lifelong artistic dialogue; he premiered several of Tchaikovsky's works.
• Anton Rubinstein — Taneyev trained in the Rubinstein conservatory system — the rigorous Germanic craft he then codified as the 'Russian Bach' of counterpoint.

Which artists did Sergei Taneyev influence?

• Alexander Scriabin — Scriabin studied counterpoint with Taneyev at the Moscow Conservatory — the contrapuntal discipline beneath his later harmonic flights.
• Sergei Rachmaninoff — Rachmaninoff studied counterpoint with Taneyev — the craftsman's discipline behind his seamless Romantic architecture.