Taneyev Symphony No.4 on Naxos

[Alan Howe]

If any friends don't yet know Taneyev's stupendous masterpiece, his Symphony No.4, the new release on Naxos conducted by Thomas Sanderling should fit the bill nicely. If you can afford full price, go for Järvi on Chandos - the playing's the best on CD and the recording is spectacular - but if you'd prefer a bargain-price CD, the Sanderling's an excellent choice, and you get the lovely 2nd Symphony thrown in!

[mbhaub]

That's a marvelous symphony in the grand Russian tradition. The finale is exceptional. And here's another fine symphony that would be a wonderful addition to the concert hall. Many orchestra's have "Russian Festivals" and you know what that means, more Tchaikovsky (4, 5, 6, PC 1) more Rachmaninoff (if is has no. 2 after it), another reading of Pictures at an Exhibition and so forth. Audiences would love the Taneyev if only conductors were brave enough to program it.

[sdtom]

That's a marvelous symphony in the grand Russian tradition. The finale is exceptional. And here's another fine symphony that would be a wonderful addition to the concert hall. Many orchestra's have "Russian Festivals" and you know what that means, more Tchaikovsky (4, 5, 6, PC 1) more Rachmaninoff (if is has no. 2 after it), another reading of Pictures at an Exhibition and so forth. Audiences would love the Taneyev if only conductors were brave enough to program it.

I couldn't agree more
Thomas

[DennisS]

Reading the comments on Taneyev on the forum prompted me to get out my 2 cds of his symphonies nos 1-4, purchased quite some time ago! At the time, I was left a little unmoved by his music, in spite of loving all Russian music! Listening again now made me realise that I had somewhat underestimated Taneyev's music! His music has more going for it than I first realised and symphony no 4 is indeed a marvelous work in the grand Russian tradition"! A salutory lesson to be learned here - don't judge a piece of music too quickly!

[Alan Howe]

Dennis is absolutely spot-on there. Some music takes a number of listens to sink in properly - and the more ambitious, the more listens may be needed...

[Peter1953]

I have another Chandos disc which couples the 2nd and 4th, performed by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valery Polyansky. I don't know Järvi's version, but can it be even more impressive than Polyansky's?

Dennis, if Taneyev impresses you I can recommend the Toccata disc with his only PC (unfinished, consisting of a very long, maybe even too long, first movement, and a most stunning, sombre and serene 2nd) and solo piano music of real beauty.

I'm also fascinated by Taneyev's strong personality (read the text in the Toccata booklet) and his influence in his days. It makes one wonder how he could be so neglected in our days. His music is rarely broadcast and vanished from the concert halls.

[eschiss1]

His piano quintet is - in my opinion deservedly - very well-regarded, and the one or two I've heard (and the others I've skimmed) of his string quartets make me want to hear all of them - I think the Taneyev Quartet series from Melodiya LP is now on Northern Flowers CDs, and a new Naxos series of them has begun (I believe).  I am under the impression that the 4th (in A minor- there seem to be several impressive 4th quartets in A minor around, eg Stenhammar, Glazunov if score is any indication, Raff likewise?, ...) may be the best of them, from score anyhow- I look forward to hearing it soon.

Eric apologizing again for the parentheses

[Amphissa]

When I saw this post, I looked at my spreadsheet and was surprised at how many recordings I have of the Taneyev C minor in my collection.

Ahronovitch - London Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Rozhdestvensky - Moscow Radio Large Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Gauk - USSR Radio & TV Large Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Svetlanov - USSR Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Gunzenhauser - Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra (CD)
Jarvi - Philharmonia Orchestra (CD)
Polyansky - Russian State Symphony Orchestra (CD)
Snitko - Academic Symphony Orchestra of St Petersburg Philharmonic (CD)

I love this symphony. In it, he reprises a main theme and  some other passages from the Oresteia Overture, which is structurally and musically something of a marvel to me.

I was just listening to this symphony again last week. I'm not sure why, but lately I have gravitated toward the Ahronovitch and the Gauk recordings. I don't think either of them ever made it to CD. But I know there are some in my collection (mostly CDs) that I have not listened to for quite awhile. I suppose that I need to buy the Sanderling CD and then have a Taneyev 4 smack down. What fun!

[Alan Howe]

The new Sanderling performance is not an improvement on Polyansky, I think, but it is cheap! Not that either come close to Järvi, who has by far the best orchestra and recording...

[Ilja]

I agree with Alan on the 4th, where Järvi has the best cards by some margin.

Between Polyansky and Sanderling, there's not much in it. To be honest, I prefer the Sanderling disc of the 1&3 over the rather lacklustre recording by Polyansky (although neither matches Kurt Eliasberg's 1950s performance, horrid though the sound may be).

The second is an odd beast because of its unfinished status. There is a scorching performance with the USSR SO under Vladimir Fedoseyev (also marketed as the 'Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra', but it's the same recording) which I can heartily recommend.

But to me, Taneyev is at his best when composing chamber pieces. All of them are simply amazing.

[Syrelius]

The second is an odd beast because of its unfinished status. There is a scorching performance with the USSR SO under Vladimir Fedoseyev (also marketed as the 'Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra', but it's the same recording) which I can heartily recommend.

I know some people find Fedoseyevs interpretation a bit bombastic, but personally I love it! There was a horrible recording of the 2nd on Marco Polo, conducted by Stephen Gunzenhauser. Avoid!

[sdtom]

When I saw this post, I looked at my spreadsheet and was surprised at how many recordings I have of the Taneyev C minor in my collection.

Ahronovitch - London Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Rozhdestvensky - Moscow Radio Large Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Gauk - USSR Radio & TV Large Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Svetlanov - USSR Symphony Orchestra (LP)
Gunzenhauser - Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra (CD)
Jarvi - Philharmonia Orchestra (CD)
Polyansky - Russian State Symphony Orchestra (CD)
Snitko - Academic Symphony Orchestra of St Petersburg Philharmonic (CD)

I love this symphony. In it, he reprises a main theme and  some other passages from the Oresteia Overture, which is structurally and musically something of a marvel to me.

I was just listening to this symphony again last week. I'm not sure why, but lately I have gravitated toward the Ahronovitch and the Gauk recordings. I don't think either of them ever made it to CD. But I know there are some in my collection (mostly CDs) that I have not listened to for quite awhile. I suppose that I need to buy the Sanderling CD and then have a Taneyev 4 smack down. What fun!

Apparently you like it a lot

[jimmosk]

When I first got a computer setup that was capable of digitizing analog recordings, the first things I tackled were cassettes of Taneyev's 3rd (USSR State Symphony Orchestra with Karl Eliasberg) and 4th (the Ahronovitch). I agree with Amphissa; it's my favorite recording of the 4th. Another triumph from the Arabesque label, which also has by far the best performance of Glazunov's The Kremlin, with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under Aldo Ceccato (guess what I digitized next!).

-J

[Marcus]

I am just straying a little from Alan's original topic to mention the Symphony no2 in B flat minor op21 of Alexander Sergeievich Taneyev (1850-1918), an uncle of Sergey Ivanovich. Coincidentally, the two Taneyev second symphonies are in identical keys.
Alexander's symphony is equal to Sergey's fourth,in my opinion, with well developed themes, & a definate russian orchestral colour which recalls Tchaikowsky and early Rachmaninov, with the usual touch of slavic melancholy.
As it was an early Marco Polo release, (1986), it is to be hoped it will be re-released on Naxos under Sanderling, or even better by Chandos with Polyansky, together with the other two symphonies. But having said that, I have found the Marco Polo recording quite good, due I feel , to the conductor Werner Andreas Albert, who would extract the best from many mediocre bands. I am not disparaging the efforts of the Philharmonia Hungarica on this particular recording, but referring to the sometimes mediocre performances on the (early) Marco Polo Label.(Marco Polo #8.2231330
Marcus.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Scope for endless confusion here, Marcus. Not only are uncle and nephew's 2nd symphony in the same key, but to compound the confusion I note that on Amazon the cover image for Alexander Sergeyevich on the Marco Polo CD appears identical to that on the Marco Polo recordings of the Sergey Ivanovich symphonies! Either a remarkably close family resemblance (and the same barber) or else someone at Marco Polo was confused.

But as you say, two distinct composers. And I rather like the story in Grove that Alexander in his government position was in the habit of hiding the scores on which he was working under official papers. The heart warms to him.

Peter