Kashkin, Nicholas Dmitrievich

1839

Interesting chiefly because of his devoted friendship for Tschaikowsky; was born at Voronezh, Russia. He seems to have been poor, for he received his first musical instruction from his father, who was self-taught in the art, and at the age of thirteen he started out as an instructor himself. In 1860 he went to Moscow to study the piano under Dubuque, and was so fortunate as to obtain the favor of N. Rubinstein, who gave him classes in piano and theory at the Musical Society which in 1866 became the Conservatory. He worked here until 1896. From 1877 to 1878, and from 1886 to 1897 he was musical critic on the Russky Viedonosti, besides writing for the Moscow Viedonosti. An able writer and critic, Kashkin is the author of several books and pamphlets, the most important being his Reminiscences of Tschaikowsky, published in 1906.