- Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg
-
Duke Peter Georgievich Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg Spouse Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg Issue Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of Russia
Duke Nicholas
Duchess Cecile
Duke Alexander
Duchess Katherine
Duke George
Duke Konstantin
Therese, Princess George of LeuchtenbergHouse House of Holstein-Gottorp Father Duke George of Oldenburg Mother Catherine Pavlovna of Russia Born 26 August 1812
Yaroslavl, Russian EmpireDied 14 May 1881 (aged 68)
St. Petersburg, RussiaBurial Maritime Monastery of St. Sergius Duke Konstantin Friedrich Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg (26 August 1812, Yaroslavl, Russian Empire – 14 May 1881 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire) was a Duke of the House of Oldenburg. He was the grandfather of Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg as well as grandfather of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich, General of the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. His great-great grandson, Nicholas Romanov, is the current President of the Romanov Family Association.
Peter of Oldenburg was a scholar and philanthropist. He was also noted composer of music. In 1857 he composed the music for Marius Petipa's ballet La Rose, la Violette et le Papillon. The Pas d'Esclave from the ballet Le Corsaire, which is taken from his score for this work, is still heard in theatres all over the world.
Contents
Early life
Peter Georgievich was born on 26 August 1812 in Yaroslavl, Russia as Prince Peter Konstantin Friedrich of Oldenburg. His father, Duke George, who was only the second son of the reigning Duke of Oldenburg, had no prospects of inherited his father's state or fortune of his own and was living in Russia since his marriage in 1809 to Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia. Duke George, who had been appointed governor on the Volga, died six month after Peter Georgievitch, his second, was born. Peter's mother Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia was the favorite sister of Tsar Alexander I of Russia who took his two nephews, Peter and his older brother Alexander, under his protection. The brothers lived in Russia until his mother married King William I of Württemberg in 1816.[1] They moved to Württemberg and were educated in Stuttgart. At the death of his mother, less than three years later, Peter and his brother were sent to their grandfather in Oldenburg. Being in direct line of succession to the throne of Oldenburg, as their uncle the hereditary Grand Duke Augustus was unmarried at the time, both boys were given the same extensive education by their grandfather Duke Peter as he had given his own sons and were regularly sent on instructive trips around Germany to broaden their education.[1]
In May 1829 his grandfather died and after the death of his brother Alexander in November of the same year, Peter maternal uncle, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia sent for Peter, and named him a Colonel in the Lifeguards.[1] He quickly rose through the ranks and was subsequently appointed Lieutenant General. After four years service he retired, and became active in St. Petersburg government. In 1834 he was made a Russian Senator, and it was from that time that his name began to be known as a great philanthropist, devoting his energies primarily to education. He founded the Imperial School of Jurisprudence, at which Russia's future judges and administrators were educated, and in 1844 he was appointed head of an organization to further the education of women.[1]
Peter of Oldenburg was also a scholar, speaking eight languages. As Honorary President of the Tsarina Maria Trust he also played a leading role in overseeing the development of hospitals in Russia, one of which in St Petersburg was called the Prince Peter of Oldenburg Children Hospital. He also made substantial donation to school building programs in Oldenburg, his country of origin.[1]
Marriage
On 23 April 1837 Duke Peter married Therese Wilhelmine Friederikke, Princess of Nassau-Weilburg in Biebrich. This was a happy marriage that lasted for more than thirty years. They had eight children, three of them died early. A daughter Cecilie died in childhood in 1843 and another daughter, Catherine and a son George died from tuberculosis in 1866 and 1871 respectively.[2] Peter Georgievich and his wife led an exemplary family life, and looked carefully after the education of their children. The family spent the winter months in Peterhof and moved for the summer to their other residence Kamenoi-Ostroff.
Composer
Duke Peter was a talented pianist and composer, and in 1842 he composed his first major piano concerto. In 1844 his second piano concerto was performed for the first time at the Mikhailovsky Palace by the great pianist Clara Schumann, and conducted by his longtime friend and colleague Adolf Henselt.
As with most Russian nobility, Duke Peter was a longtime balletomane and patron of the arts. In 1857 he was commissioned to compose the score for Marius Petipa's ballet-divertissement La Rose, la Violette et le Papillon, which was given as a performance for the royal court at the Imperial Theatre of Tsarskoe Selo. In 1858 Petipa extracted a Pas de Deux from the Duke's score and added it to his revival of the ballet Le Corsaire, re-naming the piece the Pas d'Esclave. It is the only composition of Duke Peter's still heard today in the theater.
Many of Duke Peter's compositions were used as educational tools by the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. The composer and teacher Adolf Henselt, a close friend of the Duke's, expanded on many of his compositions in order to utilize them for instructional purposes.
Last years
Peter spent fifty years In Russia's service, for which he was widely respected and was thanked by a massive celebration in St Petersburg in 1880 attended by his first cousin Tsar Alexander II of Russia and most of the Imperial family, his cousin Grand Duke Nicholas of Oldenburg and representatives of the many organizations with which the Prince was connected. He was close to Tsar Alexander II and took his assassination in March 1881 very badly and died two months later on 14 May 1881 in St. Petersburg.[1]
Children
- Alexandra of Oldenburg (2 June 1838, St. Petersburg – 13 April 1900 Kiev, Ukraine); m. Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1831–1891).
- Nicholas Friedrich August of Oldenburg (9 May 1840, St. Petersburg – 20 January 1886, Geneva, Switzerland); m. Maria Bulazel created Countess von Osternburg.
- Cecile of Oldenburg (27 February 1842 St. Petersburg – 11 January 1843, St. Petersburg)
- Alexander of Oldenburg (2 June 1844, St Petersburg, – 6 September 1932, Biarritz, France). Heir of the Russian Oldenburgs. He was once a candidate to the Bulgarian throne. He married Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg. Their only son, Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, married Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia.
- Katherine of Oldenburg (21 September 1846, St. Petersburg – 23 June 1866, St. Petersburg)
- George of Oldenburg (17 April 1848, St. Petersburg – 17 March 1871, St. Petersburg)
- Konstantin Friedrich Peter of Oldenburg (27 April 1850, St. Petersburg – 18 March 1906 in Nice, France); m. Agrafena Djaparidze, created Countess von Zarnekau
- Therese of Oldenburg (30 March 1852, St. Petersburg – 18 April 1883 St. Petersburg); m.George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg (1852–1912)
Titles and styles
- 26 August 1812 – 14 May 1881 His Imperial Highness Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg
Ancestry
Notes
Bibliography
- McIntosh, David, The Russian Oldenburgs, in Royalty History Digest.
External links
The generations are numbered from the ascension of Frederick August I as Duke of Oldenburg in 1774 and remain unchanged even when its ruler became Grand Dukes.1st Generation William I2nd Generation Augustus I · Duke George3rd Generation Duke Alexander Georgievich · Duke Peter Georgievich · Peter II · Duke Alexander · Duke August · Duke Elimar*4th Generation Duke Nikolaus Petrovich* · Duke Alexander Petrovich · Duke Georg Petrovich · Duke Konstantin Petrovich* · Frederick Augustus II · Duke Georg Ludwig5th Generation 6th Generation Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg · Duke Peter · Duke Egilmar · Duke Friedrich August · Duke Huno · Duke Johann7th Generation Duke Friedrich August · Duke Christian · Duke Nikolaus · Duke Georg Moritz · Duke Paul Wladimir · Duke Konstantin Nikolaus8th Generation Duke Christoph · Duke Georg · Duke Alexander · Duke Oscar · Duke Philipp · Duke Anton Friedrich · Duke Kirill · Duke Carlos · Duke Paulall Dukes were also by right Princes of Holstein-Gottorp
*may have lost his title due to an unequal marriageBallet General information History of ballet · Ballet timeline · Glossary of ballet · List of ballets · Ballet music · Ballet company · Ballet PortalBallet by genre Ballet by region Ballet technique Ballet apparel Ballet schools Cuban National Ballet School · Elmhurst School for Dance · English National Ballet School · John Cranko School · La Scala Theatre Ballet School · Moscow State Academy of Choreography · The National Ballet School of Canada · Royal Ballet School · Royal Winnipeg Ballet School · School of American Ballet · Vaganova Academy of Russian BalletBallet companies American Ballet Theatre · Atlanta Ballet · Australian Ballet · Bavarian State Ballet · Berlin State Ballet · Birmingham Royal Ballet · Bolshoi Ballet · Boston Ballet · Cape Town City Ballet · Carolina Ballet · Cuban National Ballet · Dayton Ballet · Dutch National Ballet · English National Ballet · Finnish National Ballet · Georgian National Ballet · Les Grands Ballets Canadiens · Hamburg Ballet · Houston Ballet · Iranian National Ballet Company · Joffrey Ballet · K-ballet · Korea National Ballet Company · Mariinsky Ballet · Moldova National Opera Ballet · National Ballet of Canada · National Ballet of China · National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico · New Jersey Ballet · New York City Ballet · Norwegian National Opera and Ballet · Oklahoma City Ballet · Paris Opera Ballet · Queensland Ballet · The Royal Ballet · Royal Danish Ballet · Royal New Zealand Ballet · Royal Swedish Ballet · Royal Winnipeg Ballet · San Francisco Ballet · La Scala Theatre Ballet · Scottish Ballet · Shanghai Ballet Company · Stuttgart Ballet · Tulsa Ballet · West Australian BalletCategories:- 1812 births
- 1881 deaths
- House of Oldenburg in Oldenburg
- Russian royalty
- Ballet composers
- Members of the State Council of the Russian Empire
- People from Saint Petersburg
- Dukes of Oldenburg
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.