Abstract
The author of the article investigates the image of the composer and the teacher of music T. Ch. G. Lemm in I.S. Turgenev’s novel “A Nest of the Gentry” (1859). This character is of interest to researchers for his belonging to a different national culture and because he is perceived as a talented and inspired musician. The author proceeds from the assertion that the writer’s choice of Lemm’s nationality (he is German) is not random and is connected with the German romanticism and Germany’s rich musical traditions. The life and destiny of the character are viewed in their national specificity, basing on the fact that such a type of person was widely spread in the Russian society of the mid 19th century. Lemm’s background, full of hardship, wanderings and search for better life both at home and abroad makes his image very sentimental (and here he is very much similar to sentimental Karl Ivanich Mauer from Leo Tolstoy’s trilogy “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth”). The author of the article investigates Lemm’s speech, his role in the novel’s plot, his relationships with other characters and the “Lemm – Panshin” antithesis. The author also talks about the musicality of the novel and about the emotional impact of music on a person, in Turgenev’s opinion. It is proved that the lyrical melody, composed by Lemm, plays an important role in the artistic system of the novel: it helps Lavretsky realize his love for Liza and makes them happy for a while. In the traditions of romanticism, music makes the characters feel deeply. In the end of the article the author makes conclusion about the mixture of sentimental and romantic components in the image of Lemm.
Keywords
I. S. Turgenev, “A Nest of the Gentry”, Lemm, German romanticism, sentimentalism, ethnostereotype, imagology.