Two Standout Unsung Composers

[Dundonnell]

I was not sure where to post this and since the two composers concerned are from different countries I would have ended up repeating myself on two separate national threads....so, with your permission, may I just write this here

The very nature of "Unsung Composers" is that not necessarily all of them will turn out to have composed music which make a particularly favourable impression on a listener. We will differ in our assessment of the quality of a composer's work because we all respond to music in our own individual ways. There may well be a critical consensus regarding a "Sung Composer's" work but such a consensus-if it exists at all-may be difficult to access in the case of composers with whose work most of us are almost completely unfamiliar.

In the case of many of the "Unsungs" I am encountering here for the first time, whose names, in most cases, were previously unknown to me, all one can do is to offer an individual perspective.

Sometimes, I must confess, I find the music may be banal, trite, frankly-in my estimation-pretty awful. I shall refrain from identifying the composers to whose music I have suffered that reaction It was a purely personal response, others will disagree, and I have no wish to disappoint or deter those through whose kindness in uploading the music we benefit enormously

Two composers who have "grabbed me" in the last few days have been the Russian Evgeni Golubev and the Latvian Imants Kalnins. I had never heard of either composer previously but was immediately struck by their music. These are composers who wrote (and in the case of Kalnins is presumably still writing) music which spoke to me, which struck me as definite 'standouts'

The 'good' composers are those whose music impels one to an urgency of expectation and hope. When I hear a piece and immediately think "I want to hear more of this composer's work and as soon as possible!" I know that I have stumbled upon real treasure.

Golubev strikes me as well above the common run of Soviet composers. His music most certainly does not deserve to be unsung or neglected. As a pupil of Miaskovsky Golubev seems to me to merit the same rediscovery as that of his teacher.

As for Kalnins ......all I can do is to offer my most sincere and heartfelt thanks to those members who have brought him to my attention. Kalnins' somewhat 'minimalist' style will not appeal to all but I found the Symphony No.5 absolutely gorgeously beautiful and moving, certainly well-qualified to stand with Silvestrov's 5th as an example of a modern symphony of genuine beauty and expressive power.

I can only repeat my thanks and to urge others who might like the music of these composers to investigate without delay

[petershott@btinternet.com]

"Sometimes, I must confess, I find the music may be banal, trite, frankly-in my estimation-pretty awful. I shall refrain from identifying the composers to whose music I have suffered that reaction. It was a purely personal response, others will disagree, and I have no wish to disappoint or deter those through whose kindness in uploading the music we benefit enormously......"

I was enormously glad to read the above words - it reveals a mind both sensible and generous.

For all of us on this forum music is one of life's most special and prized things. We value it highly, and because of that are always seeking to explore new works and new composers. Someone who didn't do that, and enjoy doing so, would simply stagnate (and their views would cease to gather interest or command respect).

In these 'experiments in listening' (to modify a phrase of J S Mill's) it is inevitable we will encounter things we don't care for, or even which cause our hackles to rise. That is perfectly healthy. But on such occasions I believe (and strongly) that we should simply remain silent.

Why? Well, for one thing all judgments are fallible and we might simply be relying on an unexamined prejudice and be wrong (I have no difficulty in a judgment made on a musical work to be both wrong - in a quite objective sense - and yet based in the end on subjective factors). I happily confess that until a few years ago I considered Myaskovsky a dreadful composer. I now think my former view was especially stupid!

Second, there are some things that, doubtless for complex reasons (heck knows what goes on deep in the brain) we don't respond to. Second confession, whilst I'm deeply impressed by Mozart's chamber music, and am in awe of it, I simply can't abide most of the orchestral music. (One vision of hell would be being trapped in a confined space with out of range loudspeakers constantly blaring out the Jupiter symphony!)

In these cases of music we don't respond to, or actively dislike, the decent thing to do is simply to keep silence. I also believe that if a piece of music is no good then it will eventually simply disappear without the need for anyone to waste precious energy in condemning it. There is absolutely no need for anyone to appoint themselves a judge and start hectoring others or making unduly dismissive remarks about particular works or composers. To do so is very much against the 'house rules' laid down by Alan, Mark and others. Nonetheless such practices do persist! (Whenever they do, and one of my own valued composers is the subject of it, I am offended, go off in a complete huff, mutter to myself 'narrow minded bigots', and don't read the forum for a few weeks until I can no longer resist having a peep in case I'm missing out on something).

And for all those reasons I welcomed Dundonnel's sagacious words.

End of preaching, and to the point. I also don't know these two composers - and very much appreciate the names being thrown my way. From the next to nothing I've read I guess that Imant Kalnins isn't my thing at all. But ever eager to be proved wrong and thereby have those blinkers removed, I shall have a go.

Evgeni Golubev, to me, appears much more interesting. One more to explore!

And talking of fairly unknown (at least to me) Russian composers anyone encountered Leonid Polovinkin (1894-1949)? Given the dates he is almost exactly contemporary with Myaskovsky - but only wrote a very modest number of 9 symphonies as opposed to the 27 of the latter! He is represented on a couple of recent Northern Flowers CDs which seem to have generated a bit of a buzz in some circles. Observations (other than hostile ones!) on Polovinkin would be welcome.

[Dundonnell]

Thank you for your kind words

Regarding Polovinkin...no, I certainly had not heard of this composer nor did I realise that Northern Flowers had issued Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9. I do have other cds in their series of Wartime Composers but seem to have missed these two.

You say that the music "has generated a bit of a buzz in some circles" Could you be any more specific I would certainly like to read a review

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I picked up on a brief review in Bob McQuiston's newsletter of 20 January 2012 at www.CLOFO.com

I rather like Bob's reviews - they are wild and whacky. I've been receiving these regular newsletters for 2-3 years now. I wrote to him again at Christmas thanking him, and making the remark that what was refreshing was the evident enthusiasm and enjoyment of music. It struck me that in 2-3 years I'd never come across him being rude or saying a recorded performance was rubbish - quite unlike the venerable Mr Hurwitz. He embodies all the principles I was getting at in my post. I also owe to Bob the discovery of several composers / works that I would otherwise not have encountered. Hopefully Polovinkin will be another.

[Dundonnell]

What an excellent website from a man of obvious good taste Thanks for providing the link

Oh dear, however, this does mean that more money will now have to be spent investing in the two Polovinkin discs

[fr8nks]

Colin, I share your enthusiasm about the music of Imants Kalnins. I fell in love with his Symphony No.5 in 1997. It grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I told my family that when I died I wanted the second movement of this symphony played in their presence in my memory. In 1998 I felt compelled to travel to Latvia from the United States for the sole reason to shake hands with the man who composed this music. I had never been outside of the United States before. Kalnins was one of two men to receive the highest honor his country had to offer and the first composer to receive it. He told me the second movement depicted the suffering of his people under Russian dominance and that the glorious fouth movenent held their hope for freedom. I uploaded his 4th and 5th Symphonies and today I will upload his beautiful Sixth Symphony. Thanks for your kind words.

[JimL]

Alright, alright!  Enough already!  I get the idea!  I'll download it TODAY!!! 

[Dundonnell]

Alright, alright!  Enough already!  I get the idea!  I'll download it TODAY!!! 

You may, of course, hate it

[JimL]

I haven't hated much, even the music I don't listen to over and over.  Those Latvians really do seem to have a gift.  I really like the Ivanovs Violin Concerto.  I should probably listen to the Cello and Piano Concertos some more, too.

[eschiss1]

Even if one hasn't heard Golubev's music, historically he's interesting as a connection between Myaskovsky and Schnitke But I very much like Golubev's music (especially his string quartets) too...

[JimL]

I enjoy the D minor Cello Concerto, and am considering downloading the Golubev Violin Concerto when I get home today.