Kuzmin, Mikhail Alekseevich

Born in 1875. He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the class composition. Since 1906. active member of modernistic journals: "Scales," "Apollo," "Golden Fleece". Later published several short stories and fairy tales in Russian Thought "," Cornfield "and other publications. Separately published: a collection of poems - "Network" (Moscow, 1908), "Autumn Lake" (Moscow, 1912) and "clay pigeons" (Petrograd, 1914). Novels and Stories: Three Books of stories "(Moscow) and" The deceased in the house "(Petrograd, 1914)," Comedy "(St. Petersburg, 1909)," Three Pieces "(St. Petersburg, 1907, confiscated). With its musical accompaniment Kuzmin published: "The chimes of love" (Moscow, 1911), "Spiritual Verses," song ". Not included in the collections sad sensational stories: "The Cardboard House" (Almanac "White Nights") and others. Many translating. He owns musical accompaniment to the plays A. Blok's Puppet Show "; A. Remizov "demonic act; Grillparzer" Foremother "Hart" Shut Tantris, SW. Belyaeva Red tavern, "Krylov" Rabid family, "Shakespeare's" Epiphany night, Benavente backgrounds of life ". The first poem Kuzmin - mostly imitation lyric XVIII century. Mincing messages, singing Harlequins, masks, duels, powdered Marquis, bosquets form the content of "networking". This includes a series of "Alexandrian Songs", written in a free verse Heine's "North Sea, close to the mannered decadence of Greek lyric. Imitation is awarded first and prose Kuzmin. He introduced the fashion stories, like the Greek adventure novel. These works are so alien to the Russian literature on the subject and style that appear to be translated. Displaying the adventures of a Frenchman or an Englishman of the late Renaissance, unbelievable coincidences piling up, half-and quite greasy. However, thanks to the elegance of style, brevity, clarity, by the way of used Gallicisms story Kuzmin read with interest the. Thanks to the elegance of style and content of the surface, stylization Kuzmin came into vogue, but none of his imitators (Auslander, A. Tolstoy, Sadowski) does not have it refined and easy grace. Sam Kuzmin, apparently, refused such a doll poetry, though always willing to sing and talks about "cute little things", bringing lightness and frivolity in the present situation. In his "Autumn Lake" feels a certain diffidence and the search for something alive, exciting soul. This book can be considered as transition. The same quest reflected in the novels "Gentle Joseph" and "The Dreamers". It is a living Kuzmin tries to find love, rather vulgar, and selfish, and he rarely refers to the alien, though still writes stylized "Exploits of Alexander the Great" and "chest springs, Gazella with bright colors of the eastern. In the "clay pigeon" Kuzmin definitely renounces artificial poetry and aspires to realism, but in a very limited sphere of amorous feelings. In the same book contains an unfinished poem "The new Roll", consisting of a series of lyrical poems, different in form. In his last novel: "The deceased in the house" (1913) Kuzmin comes to the justification of life, normal and healthy, in whatever form it is manifested. The complexity of modern soul, he believes the disease or a whim ( "High Art"). Critics Kuzmin draws attention to the methods of technology, requiring clarity, his article more like a note and is only interested in separate comments. Large public Kuzmin is best known as author of the first and weakest of his novels "Wings", one that gained attention in the years morbid interest in "sexual problem". Verse Kuzmin diverse, flexible and musical, and many poems resemble songs, but he was a poet rather pleasant than significant. M. Lopatin.