Catoire & Blumenfeld Symphonies from Dutton

[Alan Howe]

New from Dutton this autumn is a CD containing the Symphonies in C minor by Georgy Catoire and Felix Blumenfeld.  Martin Yates conducts the RNSO.

[Mark Thomas]

Now that's an welcome prospect. Two very attractive and slightly quirky late romantic Russian symphonies. Good coupling. Dutton really are on a roll.

[eschiss1]

The Blumenfeld symphony - "To the Dear Beloved", in C minor - was on a Russian Disc CD. I was just humming its opening bars by coincidence a few hours ago - they're a real earworm (I remember spending quite awhile trying to remember where they were from, last summer- my first thought was Tchaikovsky's Manfred, or something similar, ... -- it opens with this introduction that itself opens with , well, striking, gloomy (ok, no surprise there) and well-defined scale-fragments... that doesn't put it quite right. If you haven't heard it in the Russian Disc recording conducted by Golovschin, and you like late Tchaikovsky (the Pathetique influence has been noticed by others - the slow finale, for one thing?... - there's others too in the work, I think the scherzo reminded me a little of someone, maybe Saint-Saëns... - actually, the immediate formal parents seem to be Saint-Saëns' 3rd symphony and similar works)- anyway...! - this 2 parts-of 2 parts each work is, I think, quite good and well worth hearing.

[Gareth Vaughan]

A very welcome prospect indeed - definitely a MUST BUY.

[Alan Howe]

It's now available at Dutton's website:
http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7298

[Christopher]

I see Dutton has marked the Catoire Symphony as a World Premiere Recording.....it's not, as Melodiya recorded this work with Boris Khaikin conducting....

[eschiss1]

I know there is a recording, but when was it released commercially, if ever, what are the Cnos if known? I was very much under the impression the Khaikin was a broadcast.

[JimL]

No.  There's a few copies of the LP bouncing around Amazon.com with pictures.  It even says "in C" rather than "in C minor" on the front of the jacket.

[Alan Howe]

I can't locate the Khaikin LP anywhere. Can you provide a link, please, Jim?

[Mykulh]

As a discographer, this is of great interest to me. However, I must say that I have never seen even a hint of such a recording. So, if it isn't a phantom, someone out there must have the details.

Michael

[Gareth Vaughan]

I can't locate the Khaikin LP anywhere. Can you provide a link, please, Jim?

No - I can't find it either!

[Christopher]

The recording of the Catoire symphony has actually already been reported on this site, over a year ago.  Anyway, it can be found here - http://classical-music-online.net/en/composer/Catoire/2640 - I know this is a somewhat dubious site, though I think that in relation to this particular work copyright rules won't apply as it's an old Soviet recording?

[Alan Howe]

The recording of the Catoire symphony has actually already been reported on this site, over a year ago.  Anyway, it can be found here - http://classical-music-online.net/en/composer/Catoire/2640 - I know this is a somewhat dubious site, though I think that in relation to this particular work copyright rules won't apply as it's an old Soviet recording?

Unfortunately this takes us no further forward as the site gives no details as to the provenance of the Khaikin performance.

[eschiss1]

Right - just a link to a digital file, such as we used to have whether it was an LP or a broadcast. Unless that site has policies opposite to our present ones- no files unless they're from LPs, in their case, instead of no files/links unless they're from broadcasts that were definitely made for radio and not for/from commercial release - I agree; doesn't do. Now even an ebay post with a jpg image claiming to be the back cover of the Khaikin would go aways (a considerable ways, though it's true those things can be forged, I don't see the reason in that case).

[JimL]

Well, the Khaikin performance is on YouTube for sure.  And I believe it's also in our archives.