Otar Taktakischvili (1924-1989) Georgian

[Balapoel]

My experience with this composer has reinforced to me, not to be scared off by birth dates or swayed by descriptors (a la Groves, or wiki, or even composer fan-pages). Otar Taktakischvili has been described as everything BUT what he actually was, which was an unabashedly late romantic, in the vein of Kabalevsky. Don't let his birth date sway you. I've perused now about 7 hours of his music, so I feel I can speak with some authority. Enough has been high quality, and all different, and I sense an individual voice through elements that remind me of Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Elgar, and even Mozart.

I highly recommend this composer to you all, and you all know my romantic interests (Foerster, Dvorak, Novak, Austro-German tradition composers, etc.).

Good places to start are his Piano Concerto No. 1 in c minor (1950), the Gurian Songs, Kantate für 8 Männerstimmen, Chor und Orchester (1971), and Symphony No. 1 in a minor (1949)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in c minor: Big, bold, written in clear, approachable, late romantic style, and very good. There's more emphasis on transparent textures and structure rather than empty virtuosity. The tunes are lyrical and seem to me to incorporate folk-like tunes (a la Dvorak). The first movement is reminiscent of Rachmaninoff and Medtner, though not as academic as the latter, with more sweeping harmonies, like the former. The second movement is an almost Mendelssohnian scherzo - very light on its feet.

The Piano Concerto No. 4 in d minor (written 33 years later) seems to have the same style - so once he found his voice, he didn't radically change it. Another Mendelssohnian or Schumanesque scherzo.

Symphony No. 1 in a minor (1949) is powerful yet lyrical. The idiom is largely 1900s-1930s, late Romantic (and not of the Mahler variety). It's full of melodies, again some folk-like. Some of it reminds me of Dvorak, but with more brass (like Grechaninov). The 2nd movement has a beautiful, haunting main melody, simply but interestingly developed. The 3rd movement is a delightful quick-paced light scherzo, with a particularly beautiful oboe solo in the trio. The fourth movement has good contrasts between the powerful first section and lyrical second section - reminding me of Dvorak, perhaps with some Elgar influences.

I haven't spent as much time with Symphony No. 2 in c minor (1953), but at first hearing, it is also compelling. It inhabits the same late romantic tone-world as the first symphony. He's particularly good with woodwind solos, as in the scherzo for this symphony. The fourth movement incorporates some interesting rhythms and exotic-sounding melodies.

The Gurian Kantate for 8 voices, chorus, and orchestra could have been composed 60 years earlier - Russian complex vocal harmonies in the tradition of Rachmaninoff, but with more folk harmonies - interesting intermixture. Some more modern elements enter about 10 minutes in, but the early part is awesome.

His most famous work is probably the flute sonata, and it is interesting, bringing to mind Mozart (yes!), but with a more pastoral bent.

In sum, Taktakischvili's work, to me, is immediately appealing, in a way that the Slavic romantic composers are. This to me is a mark of high quality, and I would encourage everyone to give him a chance. Most of his orchestral music is available on youtube for those that want to sample it. Unfortunately it seems most of it is from out of print LPs.

Worklist

Chamber
Poem and Allegro for cello and piano   1969
Cello Sonata   1985
Flute Sonata in C   1968
Piano Quintet   1987
Piano Trio   1969
Piano Trio   1987
String Quartet in c minor   1984
2 Pieces for violin and piano (Melody, Rondo)   1968
Violin Sonata in C   1969
3 pieces for violin and piano   1971
Violin Sonata in C (Transcription of Flute Sonata)   1975

Opera
King Oedipus, incidental music   
Vassa Shelesnova, incidental music   
Winter Tale, incidental music   
Mindia (1959/60)   1960
3 Tales, Operatic Tryptichon from 3 short operas (1967, rev. 1972)   1967
The Abduction of the Moon, opera in 3 acts   1976
Mususi (The Lady Killer), comic opera in one act   1978
First Love, comic opera in 2 acs   1980

Orchestral
Cello Concerto No. 1 in d minor   1947
Cello Concerto No. 2 in D   1977
Piano Concerto No. 1 in c minor   1950
Piano Concerto No. 2 in f# minor (Mountain Tunes)   1973
Piano Concerto No. 3 in F 'Youth'   1973
Piano Concerto No. 4 in d minor   1983
Trumpet Concerto   1954
Violin Concertino in C   1956
Violin Concerto No. 1 in f minor   1976
Violin Concerto No. 2   1987
Festive overture   1951
Simple Overture in C for small orch   1961
Overture to the opera 'The Abduction of the Moon'   1976
Overture to the opera 'First Love'   1980
Choreographic Suite, ballet in one act   1976
Dance Suite, 3 dances from the opera Mususi   1978
Festivities in Georgia, dance suite for symphony orchestra   1980
Orchestral Miniatures (4) for orch (Larghetto, Intermezzo, march, Mountaineer's Dance)   1980
Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra   1982
Suite No. 1 from the ballet 'Gorda'   
Suite No. 2 from the ballet 'Gorda'   
Suite No. 3 from the ballet 'Gorda'   
Samgori, symphonic poem   1950
Mtsyri, symphonic poem (u.a. "Der Mziri", 1956)   1956
Symphony No. 1 in a minor 'Youth'   1949
Symphony No. 2 in c minor   1953
Elegy, symphonic miniature   1954
Sachidao, symphonic miniature   1954
Shairi, symphonic miniature   1954
Humoresque for chamber orchestra   1961

Piano
Poem   1951
The Prisoner   1951
Toccata (1961)   1961
6 Children's pieces for piano   1969
Native Tunes, 5 pieces for piano   1970
Imitation georgischer Volksinstrumente, Suite (1973)   1973
Imitation of Georgian Folk instruments, suite for piano   1973
6 Children's pieces for piano   1980
Piano Sonata   1985
23 Water-colors for piano   1987
Humoresque for 2 pianos   1987

Vocal
5 Lullabies for women's chorus a capella   1980
Kartalin Tunes, choral cycle for chorus a capella   1982
7 romances for tenor and piano   1955
5 vocal poems   1956
5 vocal poems for duet and piano   1960
Our Swallows   1960
7 romances for soprano, baritone, and piano   1962
Kesaneh   1962
6 romances for tenor, bass, piano   1963
7 romances for tenor, bass, piano   1965
The Sun has vanished, poem   1967
6 Romances for soprano and piano   1980
8 Romances   1984
Hymne der georgischen SSR (1945)   1945
5 vocal poems for soprano, violin and piano/orchestra   1958
O Tblisi, cantata   1958
The Rock and the Stream, vocal-symphinc poem for chorus and orch   1962
Die lebendige Heimstatt [The Live Hearth], Oratorium (1963)   1963
Auf Rustawelis Spuren [In Rustaveli's Footsteps (solemn chants)], Oratorium (1964)   1964
Twilight above Mtazminda, poem for tenor, chorus and orch   1968
Nikolas Baratashvili, Oratorium (1970)   1970
Gurian Songs, Kantate für 8 Männerstimmen, Chor und Orchester (1971)   1971
Mingrelische Lieder, Suite für Tenor, 8 Männerstimmen und Kammerorchester (1972)   1972
Mengrelian songs, suite for tenor, chorus, chamber orch   1972
Love songs, Lyrical songs, suite for soprano, chorus, and orch   1974
Summer Lightnings Aflame, cantata   1976
Secular Hymns, for soli, chorus, percussion and 2 harps   1979
To the Holy Shushanik, Georgian hymn for baritone, chorus, and percussion   1979
Mit der Lyra von Akaki, Suite für Soli, Chor, Flöte, Harfe und Schlagzeug (1983)   1983
With Tsereteli's Lyre, oratorio   1984
Chamber Oratorio for men's chorus, soli, piano, organ, trumpet   1987

[Mark Thomas]

This is all very enticing, Ben. I have very much enjoyed Taktakischvili's Piano Concerto No.1 over the years, which I find intensely lyrical and melodic, but had never really though about the rest of his oeuvre. He's truly a composer "out of time", as you make clear. Time to do some serious Googling, I think.

[Alan Howe]

All I can say is 'wow' - and thanks! I have immediately ordered PC1 and Symphony No.2. What undiscovered riches...

[jerfilm]

Yes, back in the Iron Curtain days I traded many lps with a chap in Moscow and he sent me tons of Soviet bloc composer works.  And one of the few that caught my fancy was Taktakischvili. 

Here are some of the works to seek on old Melodiya lps - perhaps some have been reissued on CDs:

Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Concertino for violin & orchestra
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Five vocal poems for mezzo, soprano & orchestra
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Mtseiri (Georgian Monk)
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Piano Concerto #1 in c
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Piano Concerto #2 - Mountain Melodies
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Piano Concerto #3 - For Youth
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Piano Music: Pieces for piano
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Piano Music: Poem, Humoreske & Aria (4 hands)
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Sonata in C for violin & piano
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Summer Heat Lightning: Cantata
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Symphony #1 in a- Majestic
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Symphony #2 (1953)
Taktakishvili, Otar (1924-1989)   Violin Concerto in f

Jerry

[Balapoel]

No problem! I'm listening to Symphony No. 2 now - great stuff. What's amazing is that some of this was written during my lifetime!

The fun of it for me is to hear back - let me know what you think of the pieces. Speaking of which, Mark, did you receive the Schumann complete works for piano and orchestra I mentioned a few months back?

[Mark Thomas]

Yes I did, Ben, and I'll post my comments in the Schumann box thread later on.

[Christopher]

I look forward to getting to know his music better too.   Bear in mind that, being Georgian, he is mostly certainly NOT Slavic!!

[Balapoel]

True enough - I was referring to the tonal experience - which Russians and many of the nations they dominated (specifically under the Soviet regime) have expressed. For me, he reminds me equally well of Dvorak as Kabalevsky. One thing he does not remind me of were his contemporary Georgian composers (Machavariani, Tsintsadze, etc.).

[Alan Howe]

I confess I can't hear much Kabalevsky in Taktakishvili's PC1: it seems much more backward-looking. In fact the idiom doesn't seem to me much, if any, more advanced than, say, Rachmaninov. Not that I'm complaining! It's a great listen!

[Balapoel]

The connection, to me, was the simple (though not simplistic) melodies and treatments/developments. As I listen to him more, a more distinctive voice comes through.The Rachmaninoff similarities (in the harmonies, not piano treatment) becomes clearer too. Must have been an influence on Taktakischvili.

[Alan Howe]

...and Tchaikovsky.

[Gauk]

I discovered Taktakishvili's music earlier this year; his works are consistently rewarding. I would not agree, though, that his style did not vary. The first piano concerto is a very lush Rachmaninoff-like piece, but I would not say the same about the second, nor the violin concertos. He is recognisably a Soviet composer; there's a streak of Prokofiev in the first violin concerto.

[Balapoel]

True enough - I found the VC and PC No. 2 to be particularly astringent. However, his 4th PC sounds relatively similar to his 1st.

[Christopher]

I wouldn't normally mention this as Taktakishvili is outside the usual remit of this site, but for the fact that he has very recently been discussed and for some reason he seems to have some following among members here (he's not my cup of tea tbh).

Anyway, daughter of a very well-known (in that part of the world) Belarusian tenor, Mikhail Galkovsky (1942-2010) has contacted me to say she has a complete private recording of Taktakishvili's opera "Mindia" with her father in the title role. She is very keen to raise awareness of her father's recordings beyond the Russian-speaking world and asked if I might post about it on English-language websites.  I hope the moderators will permit this here!  (She is also helping me to track down archived recordings in Minsk of Belarusian composers from "our" era - Zolotarev, Orda, etc etc)

Please PM me if you would like me to send you a link to the opera.   There are also links to operas by Belarusian composers, though not of "our" era, in which her father sings.

[Mark Thomas]

As you know Christopher, it all depends on the style in which Taktakischvili wrote the opera as he is outside our normal date range. Could you point me to some excerpts, please?