intoxicated by his music, but that is not surprising, he added sarcastically, for

so much drinking is done in the opera.107 With his own compositions Rubin-
stein was not making much headway, for he had only completed the rst move-
ment of a piano sonata since returning to Russia, and even that had not yet been
written down. In fact, Rubinstein completed no further piano sonatas until his
Fourth Sonata in A minor, Op. 100, in 1877, so the movement was either aban-
doned or incorporated into some other work (in 1866 he completed his Fantasy
in E minor, Op. 77). In any case, the time for examinations was fast approaching,
and this would mean there would be little time for composing. He had received
another opera libretto, which he had found suitable: this was The Oprichnik
adapted by Pyotr Kalashnikov from the play by Ivan Lazhechnikov.108
The latter part of 1865 had seen the rst public performance of works by
Tchaikovsky. Johann Strauss had conducted his Characteristic Dances at the
pleasure gardens in Pavlovsk on 30 August/11 September, and the rst perfor-
mance of the Quartet Movement in B
(probably rst heard privately at the Con-
servatory in August) had its ofcial premiere on 30 October/11 November.
Tchaikovsky made his rst appearance as a conductor with the original version
of his Overture in F major for a small orchestra on 14/26 November at the Mik-
haylovsky Palace. Finally, on 29 December/10 January 1866 his cantata Ode to
Joy was performed as part of the rst public examination of the St. Petersburg
Conservatory. Among the audience were the directors of the RMS and an ex-
amination committee consisting of government delegates appointed by the
Ministry of the Imperial Court (the director of the Court Cappella Bakhmet-
yev and the conductors of the Imperial Theaters Viktor Kazinski, Konstantin
Lyadov, and Ricci). The program of the graduation concert is published in Dni
i god P. I. Chaykovskogo.109 The program shows that seven examinees that had
completed the full course were eligible to receive the diploma and the award
Free Artist (some of these students were already junior teachers at the Con-
servatory):
Tchaikovsky (Professor Zarembas class) for theory;
Messrs. Homilius and Kross110 (Professor Rubinsteins class), for piano
Mr. Reykhardt (Professor Dreyschocks class), for piano
Mr. Rbasov (Professor Gerkes class), for piano
Mr. Bessel (Professor Veykmans class), for viola
Mr. [Ludwig] Albrecht (Professor Davdovs class) for cello

There were an additional ve graduates who had completed the course for
instrumentalists:
Mme Malozyomova (Professor Leshchetizkys class), piano
Mess. Ivanov, Pushilov, and Salin (Professor Wieniawskis class), violin
Mr. Makarov (Professor Ferreros class), double-bass

The examination began at 12.30 pm and commenced with the handing out
of theoretical assignments. The program of the examination concert itself
included nine items by Mendelssohn, Ferrero, Chopin, Viotti, and Ernst, but

The Founding of the Russian Music Society 115