Alexei Fedorowitsch Lvov

Russian composer and poet (June 5, 1798 [O.S. 25 May] in Reval [now Tallinn, Estonia] – December 28, 1870 [O.S. 16 December] in Romainiai, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire [now Kaunas, Lithuania). Lvov is best-known for composing the imperial-era Russian national anthem, "God Save the Tsar!" (Боже, Царя храни!) in 1833. Lvov was the son of Feodor Petrovich Lvov, the Maestro of the Imperial Chapel in St. Petersburg from 1826 to 1836. Alexei Fedorovich studied the violin from a very young age. At age 9, his playing was advanced enough to play solo violin at the performance of a violin concerto by Viotti. Later, he studied composition under I. G. Miller (who was also one of the teachers of Russian composer Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka). In 1818, he graduated from the Institute of Railway Transportation and worked as a civil engineer in the Imperial Army, working in the military settlements of Novgorod Governorate. He left this position in 1824 to move north to St. Petersburg, where he became adjutant to the commandant of the newly founded Corps of Gendarmes, Count Alexander von Benckendorff, in 1826. In 1833, Tsar Nicholas I held a competition to write original music for the national anthem, "Молитва русских" (The Prayer of the Russians), which had lyrics by Vasily Zhukovsky, but was sung to the same melody as the British hymn, "God Save The King." Lvov wrote the winning melody, which uses a revised version of Zhukovsky's original lyrics, but starts with the same first verse, "Боже, Царя храни!" The new anthem was first performed on December 18, 1833. In appreciation, Tsar Nicholas I. appointed Lvov his Aide-de-camp in 1834, which meant that Lvov accompanied the Tsar on his trips in Russia and abroad, as well as on military campaigns. In 1837, Lvov succeeded his father as the Maestro of the Imperial Chapel, a position he held until 1861. In 1843, he rose to the rank of major general. In 1853, he became a privy counsellor, in 1855, Senator. In 1862, Lvov was appointed Ober-Hofmeister at the Court of Tsar Alexander II (1855-1881). On the side, Lvov formed a string quartet that gave private concerts for members of the nobility. Known as a violinist of remarkable skill throughout Europe, he and his quartet would perform during his travels abroad, where he counted famous musicians like Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer and Spontini to his personal friends. In 1850, he founded the Russian Concert Society (Русское концертное общество), which, together with the choir of the Imperial Chapel, gave Lenten concerts that were devoted to music of Ludwig van Beethoven, his favorite composer, and others. Apart from the music of the Russian Imperial anthem, Lvov wrote religious music (e.g., "Вечери Твоея тайныя" = "Of Thy Mystical Supper"), music for the violin, including a "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A Minor," three operas (e.g., "Bianca and Gualtiero," 1844, and "Undina," 1848), two operettas, up to 40 choral compositions, and other works.