What do music critics do? Musical criticism.

The profession of a critic (any: at least, at least, at least musical) seems rather dusty. Go to restaurants (performances, concerts) and pass your verdict. But in practice it's not so simple. Let's find out what it does musical critic And what qualities he needs to have.

In general, criticism as the art of analysis and evaluation appeared almost simultaneously with art as such. The task of a critic is not just to give an assessment from the "like - dislike" series. He must analyze the object of criticism, determine its weak and strengths and finally formulate an objective judgment and evaluate. Any critic, including a musical one, is connoisseur and connoisseur a certain kind art, often professionally trained.

Previously, a music critic was often at the same time a composer (for example, music criticism studied Rimsky-Korsakov): if you make music yourself, musical composition much easier to evaluate. Now music criticism is closely intertwined with music journalism, so a music critic should not only understand music, but also be able to write to get your point across to the audience.

To become a music critic, it is not enough just to love music (although the love of music is undoubtedly very important). It is highly desirable to get professional education. But that's just where they teach music critics? Should a music critic necessarily receive musical education?

To work as a music critic, it is not at all necessary to be a certified performer yourself. A degree in musicology would be much more useful.: By by and large, a music critic is not so much a practitioner as a theoretician (although it is not forbidden to combine these aspects).

The specialty "Musicology" is available in many creative universities (conservatories, academies, etc.). Please note that in order to enter these universities, you will first need to receive a secondary professional musical education. Future musicologists study the theory and history of music, musical literature learn to analyze musical compositions.

Sometimes music critics come from certified journalists, but to be honest, it's easier to teach a musicologist to write than a journalist to understand music. Being a music critic doesn't just mean writing about music.. A music journalist can write a report about a concert or annotation for a new album, but such material is not necessarily criticism.

So it is worth distinguishing between music criticism and music journalism: they can intersect, but this does not always happen. It is not uncommon for a music critic to be a journalist, but not every music journalist can be considered a music critic. Of course, there are examples of successful music critics who graduated from the faculty of journalism, but this is more the exception than the rule.

A music critic may specialize in both classical and popular music. Classical music critics rarely known to the general public: they write for specialized publications and are usually people "widely known in narrow circles."

And here popular music critics are often public figures. They write not only for specialized, but also for mass publications, they can speak on radio and television. In fact, they combine music criticism and music journalism.

But education for a music critic is not everything. Eat certain qualities(discriminating taste, creative thinking, analytical skills, attentiveness, tact), which you cannot learn at a university. They need to be independently developed in oneself, constantly working on oneself.. A music critic must be ready to learn all the time in order to keep up with new trends in music.

If you think that music critic is a non-dusty and profitable profession, you are wrong. Not everyone is able to become the second Natalia Zimyanina or the second Artemy Troitsky. In order to achieve required level professionalism, you need to work, work and work again.

Member of the group "Orgy of the Righteous"

“Objective criticism is professional criticism. That is, a critic should understand music at the level of a musicologist: specialized education is not necessary, but desirable. Only in this case, a person can express claims and praises with reason, otherwise, instead of criticism, we will have a satisfied or dissatisfied muttering of the consumer. Simply put, being a critic is a profession. Unfortunately, since the days of underground rock samizdat, we have a musical journalism that talks about anything but music. And if he tries to talk about the subject, it is exclusively emotional. An example of good music journalism is In Rock magazine, which I can recommend to readers.

Member of Tesla Boy

“The phrase “objective musical criticism” sounds almost the same as “peaceful missile and bomb attack” or “medicinal polonium (expectorant)”. In the parental library there is an amusing anniversary edition of the Niva magazine of 1901. In it, the music critic Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov, among other things, writes very coolly and even with undisguised skepticism about the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which, according to the venerable author, most likely will not remain in people's memory, as very superficial and light. While the music of Rimsky-Korsakov, according to Stasov, will pass in a year and will be remembered by many generations. No, of course, and Rimsky-Korsakov is known all over the world. But what will almost any more or less educated foreigner sing first? Of course, Tchaikovsky's First Concerto! This does not mean that Vladimir Vasilievich was a bad critic and was mistaken. And this does not mean that Tchaikovsky is cooler than Rimsky-Korsakov. This once again proves how relative any assessment in relation to music is. All lines are different. And tastes too. My teacher Mikhail Moiseevich Okun had one very simple criterion: he said that all music is divided into talented and non-talented. I think that specialists in certain, narrow genres can be as close as possible to objective musical criticism; say, a specialist in medieval techno or an expert in the field of dirty Togliatti acid house, a connoisseur of baroque ambient. Such people are interesting to read, and there is a place for analysis here, because there is a framework of style - and you can build on them.

American video blog we are talking about music journalism

Music critic of the publication "Kommersant"

“This is when a person who has never heard any music before and does not own any musical instruments, describes his feelings from the listened work.

Editor-in-chief of the public "Afisha-Shit"

“Music criticism is an attempt to help the listener understand his attitude to what he heard. The saviors are people who think they understand music. To me, this is a binary phenomenon that exists in the form of science and art. In the first case, this is an analysis from a professional point of view, an assessment of the production work, originality, a view from the technical side of the issue. In the second case, criticism interprets music, draws conclusions, conclusions, describes the atmosphere and reveals its soul. In our flourishing East, there is not enough professional music criticism. It certainly exists, but the choice is almost non-existent. This is a telephone wire between the stage and the hall - the more reliable it is, the faster the culture will develop. And it seems that when we talk about music criticism, we mean something objective, but in any case, this is a rotten bazaar. The boys from the next entrance like Vitya AK, the hipsters like Oleg Legky. That is why the main criterion will always remain "high" or "not high". Musical criticism can only be fully objective in terms of music business. Then the main criterion is the loot. It either exists or it doesn't. It is a fact".

That is, analysis, evaluation and judgment about the phenomena of any of the areas human activity usually in the field of culture.

Childhood and youth

Music critic Sergei Sosedov was born in Moscow. Came into being future star May 23, 1968 His father was an employee of the metropolitan metro, and his mother was an engineer by education, his brother works in hardware store. Along with general education school he also attended the music school, where he learned to play the piano.

Serezha studied well. On parent meetings mother and father felt only pride in their son. But relations with classmates did not develop. Sergei noticed that they openly mocked him, because he was not like everyone else.

In one interview, Sosedov told how teachers at school set him up as an example. A talented boy was allowed a lot, because he worked hard. Sometimes he took an extra day for rest, because there was no strength from the crazy amount of tasks. Coming to class, Sosedov was always prepared. He was interested in acquiring new knowledge.

After graduation, he immediately began to earn extra money as a courier in a newspaper. Young Seryozha wrote excellent compositions, which determined him further way and led to journalism. It was in the "Beep" that he got his first experience.

The dream of becoming an announcer and the first success in the newspaper

But Sergei Sosedov dreamed of becoming an announcer. He still enthusiastically talks about Soviet television, admires the "cleanliness" of the material that was broadcast. But it was not meant to be. His personality is too flamboyant for a news anchor who has to keep a low profile. After the narration did not work out, the novice journalist goes to work as a courier for the newspaper.

Later, the future music critic Sergei Sosedov begins attending history classes. musical genre. Thanks to these two interests, he publishes an interview with Edita Piekha in a newspaper. The singer, after reading it, expressed her delight in the form of personal gratitude.

Start of journalism

Sergei Vasilyevich became a professional journalist after graduating from Moscow University. During his studies, he interned at Russian newspaper", which gave knowledge about the intricacies of this craft. The result was not long in coming, in 1996 he received a red diploma.

Sergey Vasilyevich Sosedov managed to work in many Russian publications: "Relax", "AiF", "Seven Days", "Artist" and others. He mainly wrote articles on medicine, aviation, travel, show business, but considered music criticism to be the most important.

Sosedov in Ukraine

In 2010, music critic Sergei Sosedov sits in the jury chair of the Ukrainian vocal show. His extraordinary personality immediately attracted the attention of many viewers. The public fell in love with the judge, because the infinite competence in the musical field cannot but bewitch. "X-factor" and Sergey Sosedov have become synonymous for the Ukrainian audience.

The phenomenon of his nature is that positive comments are taken seriously and become an elixir for the participants, while negative ones do not hurt. How does he do it? Probably because he looks at everything through the prism of art.

Subtle nature

Despite his popularity, he is friends with everyone who is friends with him. One of his girlfriends is a concierge who works in one of the Kyiv houses where Sosedov lived for some time. He even had a ritual: wherever he went, he went to Galina Ivanovna to report back. A simple woman was flattered by such an attitude of a star person. But she also did not remain in debt, sometimes spoiled him with pies and other goodies. This man became the second family of Sergei Sosedov.

He says that one day he calls him and asks: "How are you fed on the set? It seems to me that you are malnourished. Maybe I can come to you and cook for two days? How is your apartment? Is it clean?" Such words moved Sergei to tears.

After all, a well-known journalist admitted that native mother - only person who is waiting for him. Sergei's father died a few years ago. Dad was very proud of his son's achievements and supported him in all endeavors. His departure was a great loss, because his mother and brother are reserved about the success of a music critic.

The origins of the loneliness of a talented journalist

Sergei understood that he was not interested in peers. While they were walking, he preferred books. To perceive the guy as he is, only the family could. Sergey Sosedov was sacred to his parents, he was a home boy, from the fifth grade he practically did not walk on the street. Apparently he found a huge exciting world within himself, and the life around him ceased to interest him.

Then the talented young man did not think that he was putting his own happiness at stake. Didn't work out and personal life. Sergey Sosedov admits that loneliness is a difficult condition, but he is used to it.

Unfortunately, popularity, recognition and even the love of fans cannot help in this quivering issue. With his brother Vladimir, they were also not close. Even as adults, relatives do not often communicate. Mom is surprised how different her children are. The elder has always been the soul of the court, he loved to play football. Once Vladimir forced Sergei to play hockey. After 10 minutes, he broke his lip, and this was the end of the sports activities of the younger Sosedov.

The main topic for discussion by journalists and the public, of course, is personal life. Sergei Sosedov is used to the fact that all his actions and inactions can be interpreted by others in their own way. Many are trying to attribute to him novels with every man who was cast an enthusiastic look at an extraordinary showman. The journalist himself reduces all the guesswork to nothing.

He did not hide his sympathy for the participants of the "X-factor" and Roman Veremeychik, because there is nothing to be ashamed of. He was credited with novels with some representatives of show business, to which he replied: "I have many friends of men and boys. Yes, why not ?!" However, the well-known journalist does not deny that he does not see himself married to a woman, because this is routine, and he is a bird. free flight, loner.

His admiration for Roman Veremeychik at one time made the country sit a little open-mouthed. He expressed a lot of wonderful words about this participant, openly admitted that he was breathing unevenly towards him. Everyone had the idea that Roma is his boyfriend. Sergei Sosedov himself provoked these rumors, because he is not ashamed of his homosexuality, unlike Roma, who was clearly shocked by this situation.

Sergey Sosedov in 2017

Now the music critic Sergei Sosedov appears as an expert in the television programs "Live", "The Stars Came Together" and "Meeting Place".

Unfortunately, the showman does not blog, he does not have accounts in in social networks, so you can learn about the news from the life of a star only from an interview.

One thing is clear that the personality of Sergei Vasilievich Sosedov cannot leave anyone indifferent. They either hate him fiercely, or love him to the point of insanity and are ready to give him everything.

He does not seek luxury. Sergei admits that he would like to buy a music center, but the area of \u200b\u200bhousing does not allow it. His apartment in Moscow is very small. The journalist had to hand over the archive of newspapers with personal publications to waste paper.

He laughs at questions about his image. After all, he did not perfect any nuances, all this is given by nature, he was born that way. Sosedov Sergey Vasilyevich paid much attention to his journalistic style, and the unique timbre of his voice and modulation only complemented this image and became a hallmark.

Many people admire Sergei Sosedov. The biography of this person cannot leave you indifferent, it is non-trivial. But there are viewers who do not take it seriously. This is due to the excessive femininity, manner of speaking and extravagance of the famous showman. He is not shy about the extraordinary and considers it his highlight. They make fun of him, but in their hearts they agree with every word.

The concept of the program is associated with an unconventionally broad understanding of "music criticism" as a form of activity that approaches curation. Syllabus focused on the training of specialists capable, in addition to traditional forms critical work, initiate, plan and implement projects within the framework of modern cultural institutions - opera and ballet theatres, philharmonic societies, concert organizations, festivals.

The program is addressed to specialists and bachelors with knowledge in the field of academic music. Master students master practical skills at the Alexandrinsky Theater and the Academy of Young Composers, at the Diaghilev Festival in Perm and the festival " golden mask”, Earlymusic and reMusik festivals, as well as annual festival at Bard College. Graduates of the master's program, in addition to the diploma of St. Petersburg State University, receive a diploma from Bard College and have good prospects employment associated with an acute shortage in the domestic cultural space staff with appropriate qualifications.

Vasily Efremov, Head of PR Department Perm theater opera and ballet
It is already difficult for me personally to imagine the Diaghilev Festival without students of the master's program in Music Criticism. Even more difficult - without the Resonance award, which was invented and made by graduates of the program Anastasia Zubareva and Anna Infantieva. Every year, with our students, we tell our audience about what is happening at the Diaghilev Festival: we do interviews, write news, publish small reviews. The graduates of the program, already accomplished music critics, Bogdan Korolek and Aya Makarova this year became not only our authors, but also the presenters of the Laboratory of the Modern Spectator. I can say with confidence that we have many more joint projects ahead of us.

Tatyana Belova, Head of the Literary and Publishing Department of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia
With undergraduates of the program "Music Criticism" Grand Theatre familiar almost from her birth - from the fall of 2012. Many of them actively write, translate, edit articles for booklets, programs, the theater website and various projects related to both opera and ballet. There is always a shortage of authors who can write concisely, captivatingly and very accurately about music. Graduates of the Music Criticism program know how to do this, and it is a pleasure to read articles written by them or interviews recorded by them.

Main courses of the program

Opera and ballet theater in space modern culture ( , )
Music styles in performing interpretations "()
Modern Musicology: Key Concepts ()
Music of the 20th century: text, technique, author (Alexander Kharkovsky)
Opera from score to stage ()
Contemporary music. Styles and ideas ()
Russian and soviet music in the context of cultural and political history ()
Curated Project in the Performing Arts ()

Selected works of teachers

. From Ives to Adams: American Music of the Twentieth Century. St. Petersburg: Ivan Limbakh Publishing House, 2010. 784 p.
. Experiences of melosophy. About untraveled paths musical science. St. Petersburg: Publishing house named after N.I. Novikov, 2014. 532 p.
Vadim Gaevsky, . Talk about Russian ballet. M.: New publishing house, 2010. 292 p.

Publications prepared by teachers, undergraduates and graduates

New Russian musical criticism: 1993-2003: In 3 vols. Vol. 1. Opera / Ed.-Comp.: Olga Manulkina, Pavel Gershenzon. M.: NLO, 2015. 576 p.
New Russian musical criticism: 1993-2003: In 3 vols. Vol. 2. Ballet / Ed.-Comp.: Pavel Gershenzon, Bogdan Korolek. M.: NLO, 2015. 664 p.
New Russian musical criticism: 1993-2003: In 3 vols. Vol.3. Concerts / Ed.-Comp.: Bogdan Korolek, Alexander Ryabin. M.: NLO, 2016. 656 p.
The age of the Rite of Spring is the age of modernism. Moscow: Bolshoi Theatre, 2013.
Gerard Mortier. Drama of Passion. Seasons of Mortier. Interview. Essay. SPb., 2016. 384 p.
Schola criticorum. Collection of works of undergraduates of the program "Music Criticism". Faculty liberal arts and Sciences, St. Petersburg State University. SPb., 2016.
Schola criticorum 2. Works of undergraduates of the program "Music Criticism". Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. Petersburg State University. SPb., 2017.

Alumni reviews

Olga Makarova, graduate of 2016, music critic
In the first year, it seemed to me that I already knew how, if not everything, then quite a lot: I had work experience, I had some knowledge, I had the ability to carefully and thoughtfully look opera performances. And the point, perhaps, is not that further I managed to learn a lot of new things. The main thing that I managed to learn is to ask the right questions, do not take anything for granted, do not rely on someone else's opinion, always look for clues - this is what is taught in our program. It seems to me that this is necessary not only for music critics.

Anastasia Zubareva, graduate of 2014, curator of the Resonance Prize
This best school in Russia, where they teach to write about academic music and make musical projects. Just practice and helpful information- an ideal place for those who do not want to waste time and intend to learn a real profession.

Alexander Ryabin, 2014 graduate, music critic
The master’s program gave me an incredible amount of everything: how to listen to music, how to watch it, how it works, what happened a long time ago and what is now. You could write as you liked, not limit yourself in the least, and each time you received justice for what you wrote. None of the teachers taught me to think like them, but each one helped me learn to think and perceive what was happening. And so, step by step, under strict guidance, I learned a lot. Ideas about the world managed to reassemble several times, and new knowledge came uninterruptedly. I had to keep up and listen. It was as if I had been transplanted from a cart with a horse harnessed to it into a spaceship slowly rolling along the impassability.

Master's theses

Leila Abbasova (2016, director - ) "Gergiev and Prokofiev: Strategies for Promotion of the Composer at the Mariinsky Theater (1995-2015)"
Alexandra Vorobieva (2017, director - , consultant - ) "Ballet librettos of the 19th century: from narrative to choreographic text"
Natalia Gergieva (2017, director - ) "Rodion Shchedrin's operas and ballets for Mariinsky stage: performance, criticism, reception"
Philipp Dvornik (2014, director - ) "The Phenomenon of Opera in Cinema: Ways of Representation"
Anna Infantieva (2014, leader - ) "Contemporary music in modern Russia: society, economy, culture»
Bogdan Korolek (2017, head -
Vsevolod Mititello (2015, leader - ) "Motives of resistance to innovations in the musical environment (experience of insider observation)"
Ilya Popov (2017, director -) "Director's Opera theatre as a territory of cultural transfer”
Alexander Ryabin (2014, leader - ) "The reduction of the Wagnerian myth in modern popular culture»
Alina Ushakova (2017, director - ) "Heiner Goebbels post-opera: digital narrative in scenography"

Texts of undergraduates are published in booklets of the Mariinsky, Bolshoi, Perm and Yekaterinburg theaters, on the Colt portal, in the Kommersant newspaper and other media.

Alumni curatorial projects

Music Critics Award "Resonance"
Children's subscription on New stage Alexandrinsky Theater
Ballet "King's Divertimento" at the Mariinsky Theater

How to proceed?

For admission to the program, you must submit documents and a portfolio. detailed information about the admission algorithm, portfolio, rules for submitting documents through