César Cui (1835-1918)

CUI, César Antonovich (b. 6 [18] January 1835, Vilnius, Lithuania; d. 26 March 1918, Petrograd) — was an engineer by training; took private lessons in counterpoint and composition with the Polish composer S. Moniuszko. In 1851 moved to St. Petersburg; in 1856, after meeting Balakirev, became a permanent member of the “Mighty Handful.” From 1864–77 was the music critic of the newspaper Sankt-Peterburgskiye vedomosti, then worked as a contributor to numerous other newspapers and journals. The composer of a number of operas, more than 300 songs for voice and piano, instrumental minatures, and many secular choruses a cappella and vocal quartets, Cui turned his attention to sacred music only at the end of his life. His published sacred works include three Pslams in concerto style — “Ghospodi, da ne yarostiyu‚” [“Lord, in Thy wrath”], “Bozhe, Bozhe moy, vonmi mi” [“O God, my God, attend to me”], “Raduytesia, pravednii” [“Rejoice in the Lord”] — and “Velichit dusha moya Ghospoda” the Magnificat, for solo soprano and chorus (publ. by the St. Petersburg Church Singers’ Benefit Society). Despite his involvement with the “Mighty Handful,” the musical style of his choral works is basically Western European.

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