Targonsky Yakov Borisovich (1898-1974)

Targonsky Yakov (Jakow) Borisovich (3 July 1898, Nikolaev, Kherson province — 14 February 1974, Moscow) — violin soloist, ensemble performer, and outstanding pedagogue.

Yakov Targonsky received his initial musical education at the music school of the Imperial Russian Musical Society under the Czech violinist and composer Professor M. Karbulka. In 1916, he entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory (class of Leopold Auer), but soon interrupted his studies: during the революtion and Civil War, he served in the Red Army.

In 1924, he resumed his studies at the Moscow Conservatory under Professor A. Yampolsky, combining study with teaching at a workers’ faculty. In 1933, he completed postgraduate studies under Professor K. Mostras (receiving the degree of Candidate of Art History) and worked as his assistant until June 1941.

Alongside his studies, he performed extensively as a soloist and as first violinist in the Glière Quartet, which he founded. Later, he played in the Quartet of the Union of Soviet Composers. He also performed in Persimfans (the First Symphonic Ensemble of the Moscow Soviet), and for many years was concertmaster of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Radio Orchestra.

For a long time, he headed the orchestral department of the Central Music School at the Moscow Conservatory. In the 1930s, he wrote two scholarly works: “Harmonics on String Instruments” and “On the Natural System of J. Wojku.”

In 1941–1944, he worked in Alma-Ata as concertmaster of the Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1944, he was transferred to Vilnius. From 1948, he was a professor, training many prominent Lithuanian violinists, including E. Paulauskas, J. Fledžinskis, and K. Kalinauskaitė.

In 1952, he was invited to Riga, where he became a professor at the Latvian State Conservatory. He also taught at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School and the Jāzeps Mediņš Music School.

In 1960, together with V. Stūrestep, he published the textbook “School of Violin Playing” (Part 1), the first such manual issued in Soviet Latvia. Among his students in Latvia were V. Zariņš, A. Zvaigzne, A. Reinholde, D. Feigelson, L. Grozovsky, I. Katsnelson, R. Talan, B. Sorkin, D. Tombak, A. Ioffe, R. Spektor, T. Lifshits, A. Kotser, and I. Mityagina.

He was a prominent representative of the Soviet violin school and an excellent pedagogue. He had deep knowledge of violin pedagogy literature and concert repertoire, which he skillfully applied in teaching.

From 1963, he was artistic director of the quartet of the State Philharmonic of the Latvian SSR (V. Bergs, V. Stabulnieks, Yu. Madrevich, M. Grinberg). He was awarded the title Honored Art Worker of the Latvian SSR (1963) and the Order of the Badge of Honour.

In 1966, he retired and moved to Moscow, where he continued active work as a pedagogical consultant.

V. Shebalin dedicated his “Concertino” to him.

Works:

Smilga P., Targonskis J. Vingrinājumi vijolei 1. pozīcijā. Riga: LVI, 1960.

Targonskis J., Stūrestep V. Vijoļspēles skola. Riga: LVI, 1960.

Literature:

Braun J. Vijolmākslas attīstība Latvijā. Riga: LVI, 1962, pp. 231–234.