Ivan Khandoshkin

Ivan Yevstafyevich Khandoshkin (Russian: Иван Евстафьевич Хандошкин) (1747 – 29 or 30 March 1804) was a Russian violinist and composer. He has been described as "the finest Russian violinist of the eighteenth century". He studied under Tito Porta with other Italian influences being Domenico dall’Oglio and Pietro Peri. He was a musician at the Russian court from 1765, of which he later became kapellmeister, and he taught violin at the Academy of Fine Arts. He and Potyomkin founded a music academy in Yekaterinoslav in 1785, but this endeavor failed, and Khandoshkin returned to St. Petersburg in 1789.

Ivan was born as a serf but eventually achieved freedom through his music in the court of Tsar Peter III. As it turns out Tsar Peter was quite a music fan. When his wife, Catherine, forcefully overtook the throne he said that all he wanted was his mistress, his negro, his dog, and his violin. Ivan remained as the court musician. His most notable works are six violin sonatas and several pieces based on folk songs. He is famous for being one of, if not the first, musical folklorist of the western world. His devotion to writing Russian folk songs can probably be attributed to his background. His music (primarily for the violin) is comparable to music by his contemporaries such as Giuseppe Tartini's student, Antonio Lolli (whose stunts on the violin preceded Paganini), Gaetano Pugnani, Ludwig Spohr, and many others. His music was unfamiliar to the average western ear until recently, when violinist Anastasia Khitruk discovered some of the sheet music and began performing several works, and later recorded them for Naxos #8.570028 in St. Petersburg at St. Cathrine's Church in 2005.

External links

• Free scores by Ivan Khandoshkin at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)