Rubinstein Don Quixote & Ivan IV from Delos

[Peter1953]

For those who like Rubinstein's dark openings of orchestral works and get surprised in the course of the music this new release might be interesting.

[Alan Howe]

Of course, it's actually a reissue...

[sdtom]

It seems to be part of the continuing Russian Disc re-release series that Delos has undertaken. It not only includes Rubinstein but Kabalevsky and Shostakovich film material.
Tom

[sdtom]

I've gone back to this one again and I'm finding more likes than dislikes. His take on Quixote is quite different from what Strauss did. It does have a dark opening, swirling turmoil, and little of the gaiety we are use to.  The Ivan 1V reading is definitely in the Russian stoic style. Borodin wrote that the piece was quite good and didn't sound like Rubinstein at all. Perhaps this was a rare compliment from the Mighty Five who put him in the unsung class where he is today.
Tom

[JimL]

Well, apart from a mere handful of works, most of the music of the Mighty Five also falls in the unsung class!

1. RK: Scheherezade
2. Balakirev: Islamey
3. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
4. Borodin: SQ 2
5. Borodin: S 2 (which is becoming increasingly more rarely performed).
6. Borodin: Steppes of Central Asia

Other than the operatic efforts of RK, Mussorgsky and Borodin (which are almost all known by concert excerpts except for Godunov) what else by any of them gets performed regularly?  And what of Cui?

[eschiss1]

Hrm. Also to be performed in concert a lot this year (well, not Sheherezade-level, but still fairly often) by Rimsky- Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the Capriccio Espagnol.

You forgot Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain, btw. -- which is also performed fairly often this year I gather (Bachtrack lists 17 concerts for it to Pictures' 15+16+7 (unspecified, orchestral, piano- could be some overlap there, I guess))- not quite as many, but substantial-ish. The vocal cycle Songs and Dances of Death comes in at a mere 4 on their site, but that's not too bad considering their self-imposed requirements (self-reporting, etc.)

[JimL]

Hrm. Also to be performed in concert a lot this year (well, not Sheherezade-level, but still fairly often) by Rimsky- Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the Capriccio Espagnol.

You forgot Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain, btw. -- which is also performed fairly often this year I gather (Bachtrack lists 17 concerts for it to Pictures' 15+16+7 (unspecified, orchestral, piano- could be some overlap there, I guess))- not quite as many, but substantial-ish. The vocal cycle Songs and Dances of Death comes in at a mere 4 on their site, but that's not too bad considering their self-imposed requirements (self-reporting, etc.)

As far as RK is concerned, Eric, quite right.  Good catch.  As far as Mussorgsky's NOBM, I agree, with the caveat that much of that work was recomposed by RK and Borodin, so it's almost a posthumous collaboration.

[sdtom]

Well, apart from a mere handful of works, most of the music of the Mighty Five also falls in the unsung class!

1. RK: Scheherezade
2. Balakirev: Islamey
3. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
4. Borodin: SQ 2
5. Borodin: S 2 (which is becoming increasingly more rarely performed).
6. Borodin: Steppes of Central Asia

Other than the operatic efforts of RK, Mussorgsky and Borodin (which are almost all known by concert excerpts except for Godunov) what else by any of them gets performed regularly?  And what of Cui?

All fine works in my opinion
Tom

[eschiss1]

JimL- let's not bring in the ill-fated history of their various operas then, esp., as you say, Godunov, which only recently starts getting performed not only in Mussorgsky's original but in dramatically relatively more sensible uncombined versions, I gather (not at all first-hand).

I wonder if the worlds of operatic and non-operatic classical music seemed nearly as distant two centuries ago as they do now (to me anyway), maybe bridged only by other kinds of vocal music and instrumental operatic suites etc. but not by a real meeting of the worlds and minds (then again, at the time, both weren't increasingly the province of smaller and smaller groups of fans which, like any such in other fields, definitely did not want to hang together even if the alternative was eventually (financially) seeing their love hanging separately...-- anyway. Irrelevant rant. Sorry.)

[Alan Howe]

Erm, back to Rubinstein, please...

[sdtom]

Erm, back to Rubinstein, please...

It did get a bit off course.
Tom