Elena Shcherbina

Elena Bekman-Scherbina, a Russian pianist (maiden name Kamiencewa), was born in
Moscow on 12 January 1882, and died on 30 September 1951, also in Moscow. She came across
music at her aunt’s, Elizaveta Scherbina’s house, where she was brought up after her mother’s
death. She took the name Beckman after marriage.
She began piano lessons with the music student Valentina Zograf in 1888, and in the autumn
that year she became a pupil of Nikolay Zverev. She continued her studies under Zverev at the
Moscow Conservatory. From 1893, she was tutored by Pawel Pabst, and from 1897 by Vasyl
Safonov. In 1899 she graduated from the conservatory with a gold medal.
In January 1900, she made her first public appearance at the Russian Music Society concert
with the Schubert Trio in B flat major. In 1902, she started performing as a soloist and as a
chamber musician playing with Abram Jampolskij, Gregor Piatigorskij and with the Beethoven
Quartet. Her repertoire ranged from the 13th to 19th centaury pieces of such composers as A. de la
Halle, Caccini, Lully, Boccherini, Scarlatti, Purcell, Grétry, Haendel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven,
Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Saint-Saëns, Brahms, Franck, Fauré, Musorgsky,
Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and others.
Bekman-Scherbina was also a keen exponent of the 20th century music. Between 1912 and
1921 she was the first pianist in Moscow to perform pieces by Scriabin, Debussy, Ravel, Roger-
Ducasse, de Séverac and Albéniz. She frequently performed in Moscow and across the whole
country. From 1924 she gave solo performances on the radio. She had a very good pitch and an
exceptional memory. Her interpretations were characterized by a mix of intellect, lyricism and
virtuoso technique.
The musicologist Alexander D. Aleksejev wrote about her playing: "her artistic nature makes
it impossible for her to want to show off, to parade her technique instead of art. Her playing is
clear, natural, aiming towards embracing the form […]. She is especially brilliant at pieces of light
and lyrical character, composed in transparent, >>watercolour<< tones.”
She was also involved in teaching. She started giving private piano lessons in 1894 and from
1908 she taught at The Gnesins School of Music. Between 1912 and 1918 she ran her own piano
school, next she was a teacher at Alexander Scriabin’s music school, and finally she returned to
The Gnesins School of Music, where she spent a total of 25 years.
Between 1921 and 1930 she gave a seminar on contemporary French music at the Moscow
Conservatory. From the mid 1930’s to 1941 she gave lectures at the Central Extramural Institute of
Music. During the Second World War she spent some time away from Moscow, performing for
soldiers, and at music schools. In Kazan she gave concerts at the Philharmonic Hall and on the
radio.
Her jubilee and at the same time the last public performance took place on 26 November
1950, and she then played pieces by Chopin and Scriabin (Variations in B major Op. 2, Concerto
in F minor). Her recordings were published by Aprelevskij zavod. She also published her own
piano pieces for children and wrote her memoir Moi wospominanija (first edition in 1962).
A pupil of Pabst and Safonov, Yelena Bekman-Shcherbina initially trained under Nikolay
Zverev, in the same hothouse environment as Scriabin and Rachmaninov. She was the first
performer of a number of Scriabin’s pieces and went on to record more than 700 works for Soviet
radio, making a speciality of Russian salon miniatures, a selection of which she plays here in
recordings which were made shortly before her death in 1951 at the age of 69. Nobility and
strength of character are the hallmarks of her playing, which elevates most of these pieces from
tinkly prettiness to high-class jewellery. Her Rachmaninov is nothing short of sensational; the G
major Prelude is as free as a bird, and the E flat minor Etude-tableau passes in a whirlwind 1'34'',
pipping even Richter by a few seconds.
Origins[edit]
Born Elena Aleksandrovna Kamentseva, she was adopted by her mother's sister after
the death of her mother. In gratitude, she took her adoptive mother's surname,
Shcherbina.
Musical career[edit]
In 1888, at just six years old, Elena started music lessons with Valentina Zograf. Later
that year she was trained by Nikolai Zverev privately and thereafter at the Moscow
Conservatory. In 1893, it was Pavel Pabst who tutored Elena, and four years later, Vasily
Safonov.[1]
Achievements[edit]
In 1899, Elena received a gold medal from the Moscow Conservatory. A year later, she
appeared with the Schubert Trio in B flat major at the Russian Musical Society concert. In
1902, she began performing with Abram Jampolskij, Gregor Piatigorskij and with
the Beethoven Quartet, in addition to appearances as a soloist.
From 1912 to 1921 Elena performed works by Alexander Scriabin, Claude

Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Isaac Albéniz, the first pianist in Moscow to do so. She
began to give solo performances that were broadcast on the radio in 1924.[2]
She performed for soldiers and at music schools and gave concerts at the Philharmonic
Hall. Recordings of her performances were published by Aprelevskij zavod. She wrote
and published piano pieces for children. Her memoir Moi wospominanija was first
published in 1962.[3]
Acclaim[edit]
According to musicologist Aleksandr D. Alekseyev, “her artistic nature makes it
impossible for her to want to show off, to parade her technique instead of art. Her playing
is clear, natural, aiming towards embracing the form […]. She is especially brilliant at
pieces of light and lyrical character, composed in transparent, watercolour tones.”
Music teacher[edit]
Elena gave private piano lessons in 1894. From 1908 she taught at The Gnesins School
of Music. For six years from 1912, she had her own piano school. She then taught
at Alexander Scriabin’s music school, and finally she returned to The Gnesins School of
Music, for two-and-a-half decades. Between 1921 and 1930 she gave a seminar on
contemporary French music at the Moscow Conservatory. She then lectured at the
Central Extramural Institute of Music.[4]

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Elena Bekman-Scherbina, a Russian pianist (maiden name Kamiencewa), was born in

From 1912 to 1921 Elena performed works by Alexander Scriabin, Claude

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