Alexander Gurilev

Music education came from his father, Field and Genishta. Before liberation he played for the serf orchestra of Count Vladimir Orlov and at the house of Prince Golitsin. When he arrived in Moscow many of his songs were published; this was during his most productive period, 1840-1850. Most of his piano music consists of transcriptions of the songs he wrote as well as transcriptions of folksongs and operatic arias. The demands he placed upon the pianist were pronounced and may allude to the influence of Liszt whose music was popular in Russia at the time. ~ Keith Johnson