Editing César Cui (section)

== Cui as a composer ==
[[Image:Ilya Repin - Cesar Cui.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Portrait of César Cui by [[Ilya Repin]], 1890, ([[Tretyakov Gallery]])]]
[[File:Cesar Cui by Ilya Repin 1900.jpg|thumb|upright|Portrait of Cesar Cui by Ilya Repin (sketch), 1900]]
{{see also|List of compositions by César Cui}}

Cui composed in almost all genres of his time, with the distinct exceptions of the [[symphony]], [[symphonic poem]] and the [[solo concerto]] (unlike his compatriots Balakirev, Borodin, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov). [[Art song]]s, including many [[children's song]]s and some vocal [[duet]]s, have a prominent place in Cui's catalogue. Several of his songs are available also in versions with orchestral accompaniment, including his ''Bolero'', Op. 17, which was dedicated to the singer [[Marcella Sembrich]].  Some of his most famous art songs include "The Statue at [[Tsarskoye Selo]]" ("Царскосельская статyя") and "The Burnt Letter," ("Сожжённое письмо"), both based on poems by Cui's most valued poet, [[Alexander Pushkin]].{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

In addition, Cui wrote many works for [[piano]] and for [[Chamber music|chamber]] groups (including three [[string quartet]]s), numerous choruses, and several [[Orchestra|orchestral works]], but his most significant efforts are reflected in the operas, of which he composed fifteen of varying proportions.  Besides children's music (which includes four fairytale operas as well as the aforementioned songs), three other special categories of compositions stand out among his works: pieces inspired by and dedicated to the Comtesse de Mercy-Argenteau (whom the composer knew from 1885 to her death in 1890), works associated with the Circle of Russian Music Lovers (the "Kerzin Circle"), and pieces inspired by the [[Russo-Japanese War]] and [[World War I]].{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

In the last few decades, ''[[Puss in Boots (opera)|Puss in Boots]]'' (from [[Charles Perrault|Perrault]]), one of the four children's operas he composed, has gained wide appeal in Germany.<ref>Boas, Robert. "Nuremberg." Opera [London], v. 32 (1981), pp. 288–289.</ref> Nevertheless, despite the fact that more of Cui's music has been made available in recent years, both in recordings and in new printed editions, his status in today's repertoire is considerably limited, based (in the West) primarily on some of his piano and chamber music (such as the [[violin]] and piano piece ''Orientale'' (op. 50, No. 9)<ref>Score available at [http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an14448987 http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an14448987]</ref>) and a number of solo songs. His abilities as an orchestrator have been disparaged, notably by his compatriot [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]].<ref>Ястребцев, В.В., ''Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков: воспоминания В.В. Ястребцева, [в двух томах]'', [''Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov: Reminiscences by V. V. Iastrebtsev'', in two volumes] (Ленинград: Гос. муз. изд-во, 1959–1960), т. 1, p. 145, 149.</ref> The received wisdom is that he is not a particularly talented composer, at least for large forms; his strongest talent is said to lie in the crystallization of mood at an instant as captured in his art songs and instrumental miniatures.{{sfn|Norris|Neff|n.d.}}

Cui's works are not so nationalistic as those of the other members of [[The Five (composers)|The Five]]; with the exception of Pushkin, his operas do not display a strong attraction to Russian sources. In the area of [[art song]], however, the vast majority of Cui's vocal music is based on Russian texts.  Overt attempts at Russian "folk" musical style can be detected in passages from his first act of the collaborative ''[[Mlada]]'' (1872), ''[[The Captain's Daughter (opera)|The Captain's Daughter]]'', a couple of his children's operas, and a few songs; many other passages in his music reflect the stylistic curiosities  associated with Russian art music of the 19th century, such as [[whole-tone scale]]s and certain [[harmony|harmonic devices]].  Nevertheless, his style is more often compared to [[Robert Schumann]]<ref>Ларош, Герман Августович, "Один из наших шуманистов:  Ц.А. Кюи как композитор опер и романсов" ["One of Our Schumannists:  C. A. Cui as Composer of Operas and Romances"], ''Русский вестник'', т. 180 (1885), p. 985-1008.</ref> and to [[France|French]] composers such as [[Charles Gounod|Gounod]]<ref>Abraham, Gerald, "Heine, Cui, and William Ratcliff," his Essays on Russian and East European Music (Oxford:  Clarendon Press, 1985), p. 61-62.</ref> than to [[Mikhail Glinka]] or to Cui's Russian contemporaries.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}