This decade witnessed a considerable increase in the number of concerts in both St Petersburg and Moscow thanks to the work of the Russian Musical Society; in the former, the vitality of musical life was further enhanced by the opening of the Free School of Music. With Rubinstein and the conservatoires' staff engaged in composition and Balakirev persuading his disciples to take up the challenge, the repertory expanded considerably. While the resources at the disposal of opera had been visibly to hand before (even if inadequately made available to Russian composers), the prospect of frequent and adequate performances of orchestral music acted as a spur to composers. This chapter records the growth of this repertory, formerly consisting of a handful of pieces by a few composers. The visits of Wagner in 1863 and Berlioz in 1867–8 made Russians more aware of what the modern orchestral conductor could obtain from his forces. Music publishing expanded also. The important new firms of Gutheil (Moscow, founded in 1859), Jürgenson (Moscow, 1861), Bessel (St Petersburg, 1869) and Zimmermann (St Petersburg, 1876) are indicative of new commercial activity.

(a) Ts. A. Cui: A St Petersburg musical chronicle (the musical part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare). St Petersburg Bulletin, 10 May 1864, no. 103. Cui, pp. 28–31

This concert took place on 23 April 1864.