Russian & Soviet Music

[eschiss1]

Agreed!

[Amphissa]

Myaskovsky could certainly write some atmospheric music. Sure wish we could get some labels interested in doing some better recordings of the symphonies than the Svetlanov cycle -- or some orchestra interested in playing them occasionally. You rarely hear any Myaskovsky other than the cello concerto in concert.

[JimL]

I thought someone downloaded one of his (Miaskovsky's) cello sonatas, but I couldn't find it.  Really like the Raff and Rozycki.  I'm starting to get into chamber music a little more after Hiller. 

[Amphissa]

I've now added a rare live performance of Myaskovsky's 6th symphony, and also his dark, beautiful 22nd symphony. They will show up in the morning, I presume.

[eschiss1]

On archive.org there's a recent performance (Barbara Schubert/Chicago school orch.) of the Myaskovsky 22nd symphony (one of many works she's conducted uploaded there with her full permission, not a pirate performance, I gather, though due to the recent (post-1922-pub.) nature of the symphony there may be that issue... don't know...) - anyway - it really is a fine work I agree; I'm only really familiar with Svetlanov's performance (originally an LP, but which I know from the Olympia/Melodiya CD once coupled with the violin concerto, as I recall.)
Symphonies 5 and 9 got a very good recording/performances (the premiere of the 9th) under the late Sir Edward Downes on Marco Polo - may no longer be available, may be on Naxos, don't know. Better recording of the 5th than the lugubrious Svetlanov (and I say this though I rather like some of Svetlanov's recordings and performances here and in other repertoire, even where there are multiple alternatives.)
Both cello sonatas (the 1st in its late revision- I don't think I've heard the original version of the first sonata - and the 2nd also) are, yes, very fine, lyrical works rather different theone-theother. The 4th piano sonata (like his 13th symphony and maybe his 1st string quartet) show a different side of him and very well, too...
Eric

[Amphissa]

Schubert's Chicago recording is the one I've uploaded.

[eschiss1]

Ah, thanks. Several of her recordings of less recent works (plus Vaughan Williams' 9th, by me, which was then temporarily blocked understandably) have been uploaded to IMSLP via archive.org and seem quite good performances/recordings - I look forward to hearing that of Myaskovsky's 22nd. (The score of that was in my college's library and I think I skimmed the score before hearing much by him besides - a couple of times - his cello concerto. Probably was awhile before I encountered anything by him that ended in minor though quite a lot by him does, sometimes with vehemence, fatalism or... (e.g. the concluding funeral march of the 3rd symphony...) Or in neither, like some of his middle-period works! )

[Dundonnell]

I am uploading an extremely rare British performance of Tikhon Khrennikov's Symphony No.1 given by the Halle Orchestra in 1973 conducted by Arvid Yansons.

[semloh]

I am uploading an extremely rare British performance of Tikhon Khrennikov's Symphony No.1 given by the Halle Orchestra in 1973 conducted by Arvid Yansons.

Interesting to have a British performance, Colin.    I only know the Svetlanov version.

It's de rigeur in 'the West' to dismiss Khrennikov's music as mediocre and his past importance as pay-off for pandering to the Stalinist regime. But is his music really that poor?
I wonder what the arts community in today's Russia and ex-Soviet states thinks of his music??   

[eschiss1]

I know I enjoy what little I know of Khrennikov's music but that's just my opinion. I still haven't heard his string quartet though it seems good (if influenced by Prokofiev's ballet music maybe, there are worse things!...) from a quick glance... The symphonies (nos. 1 - Gauk, I think, not Svetlanov, in my case - and 2, and part of no.3) and concertos of his I've heard sound good to me, also.

[semloh]

A.S. These two works by Svetlanov are brilliant!  I see that his web page gives a long list of compositions, but I've never heard any before.
http://www.svetlanov-evgeny.com/EN/compositeur/index.php

It's not often that conductors are good composers, and the reverse is perhaps even more unusual. Being both a great conductor and great composer is rare indeed - Mahler, Bernstein ... but that's another (contentious) thread! 

Thank you! 

[TerraEpon]

Yeah, I love those Svetlanov pieces....but is there any possible way of fixing the very slight cut offs at the beginning of the tracks?

(as for his other music, some years back I bought a piece on eMusic called "Poem in Memory of W.M. Schukschin 'Red Snowball'" arranged for balalaika orchestra. Very wonderful piece there too)

[ahinton]

A.S. These two works by Svetlanov are brilliant!  I see that his web page gives a long list of compositions, but I've never heard any before.
http://www.svetlanov-evgeny.com/EN/compositeur/index.php

It's not often that conductors are good composers, and the reverse is perhaps even more unusual. Being both a great conductor and great composer is rare indeed - Mahler, Bernstein ... but that's another (contentious) thread! 

Thank you! 

Svetlanov was also a considerable pianist - and anyone wanting a clue as to how considerable can perhaps do no better than to listen to his accounts of the hardly unchallenging piano parts of Medtner's three splendid sonatas for violin and piano.

[eschiss1]

Agreed. I don't know how challenging his part in the quintet is but he (and the Borodin Quartet) do very well by that work, too (or at least I can say I go back to that recording very often.)

[Latvian]

Sure wish we could get some labels interested in doing some better recordings of the (Miaskovsky) symphonies than the Svetlanov cycle

Yes!