Nikolai Medtner Collection

Nikolai Karlovich Medtner was a Russian composer and pianist, born on the fifth of January, in 1880. Medtner was part of the Russian romantic movement, a younger contemporary of Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. He was a fairly prolific composer, writing extensively for the piano. His works include 14 piano sonatas, three piano concerti, a piano quintet, two works for two pianos, many shorter piano pieces, and many works for voice and strings.

Medtner’s first piano lessons took place with his mother and his uncle; he entered into the Moscow Conservatory in 1891, and graduated with the Anton Rubinstein prize nine years later. During his time at the Conservatory, his main teachers included Pavel Pabst, Wassily Sapellnikoff, Vasily Safonov and Sergei Taneyev.

Medtner began publishing his compositions in 1903, gaining the recognition of Rachmaninoff with the publication of his first Piano Sonata. Rachmaninoff became a lifelong friend and mentor for Medtner, and arranged a tour of the United States and Canada in 1924. Following this tour, Medtner’s performances became more infrequent.

In 1949, the Medtner Society was founded by the Maharajah of Mysore in London with the goal of recording Medtner’s works. Medtner himself participated in some of the recordings, and dedicated his 3rd Piano Concerto to the Maharajah of Mysore in gratitude.

Medtner died at his home at Golders Green, London on November 13, 1951.