Mikhail Innokentiévitch Tabakov (1877-1958)

Re-cast after the translation by Romain Brot of articles by G. Orvid and S. Riaouzov.

The name of M. I. Tabakov, eminent artist of the USSR, doctor, art critic and professor, is entered in the history of Soviet musical culture as one of the most illustrious soloists who played a wind instrument, founder of the trumpet school and teacher of an important number of excellent musicians. Already in 1924, the great Russian singer Leonid Sobinov wrote to him on the occasion of his jubilee these prophetic lines: “You are not only a virtuoso who does marvellous things with a powerful instrument, knowing how to extract from it sounds as menacing as a storm or as tender as a lullaby, but you are also an authentic and inspired musician. These two united qualities allow us to hope that the name of Prof. Tabakov will remain immortal at the Conservatory, as creator of a school and teacher of a host of brilliant musicians.”

Sobinov wasn’t mistaken. In the course of 50 years activity, Tabakov formed several generations of musicians amongst whom eminent teachers as well as instrumentalists who worked in the best opera orchestras and symphonic ensembles, and of whom a certain number have been prizewinners of the Soviet Union as well as international competitions. It suffices for us to mention G. Orvid, T. Dokschitzer, S. Ieriomin, L. Yuriev, N. Polonsky, V. Shtsholokov, K. Sérostanov, I. Viltshinsky, N. Yavorsky, I. Stepanov, A. Gandel...

M. I. Tabakov was not only a remarkable teacher and gifted with an immense talent, but also an inspired artist whose whole life was dedicated to work. Born in 1877 in Odessa, he obtained at the age of 14 the post of solo trumpeter in the symphony orchestra of Yalta! Then he worked in the symphony orchestras of Sebastopol, Tiflis, Rostov-on-the-Don. From 1896 he was in Moscow, with the theatre orchestra of the “private” opera. The following year he was classed first at the auditions for the famous Bolshoi orchestra. He was 20 years old. There he made the acquaintance of V. Brandt, famous trumpet virtuoso, and begins to take lessons with him. In 1903, V. Brandt surrendered the post of solo trumpeter to him, which he was going to hold for more than 40 years.