Belyayev Circle - recordings

[Christopher]

I am trying to ascertain which works (orchestral, or vocal+orchestra) by the lesser known members of the Belyayev Circle have been recorded, and was wondering if members here might add their expertise? (Belyayev also spelt Beliaeff, Beliaev, etc)

The lesser known ones would include: Fedor Akimenko, Nikolay Amani, Konstantin Antipov, Felix Blumenfeld, Zygmunt Blumenfeld, Jazeps Vitols, Vasily Zolotarev, Ivan Kryzhanovsky, Witold Maliszewski, Nikolai Sokolov, Nikolai Artsybushev, Nikolai Tcherepnin, Alexandr Kopylov, Nikolai Klenovsky, Maximilian d'Osten-Sacken, Viktor Evald, Vassily von Wrangell, and Alexandr Winkler.  Any others?

Their works which have been recorded, that I am aware of, are:

Fedor Akimenko (1876-1945)
Angel - poem-nocturne
Lyric Poem
Nocturne for strings

Felix Blumenfeld (1863-1931)
Allegro de Concert in A
Symphony in C minor "To the Dear Beloved", Op.39

Jazeps Vitols (1863-1948)
Gems - suite, Op.66
Fantasie Sur Des Chants Populaires Lettons, Op.42
King Brusubārdis and Princess Gundega, Op.46 (incidental music)
Seven Latvian Folksongs
Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.1
Variation 2 from Variations on a Russian Theme
Dramatic Overture, Op.21
Latvian Rural Serenade
The Bard of Beverīna], Op.28
Līgo, Op.4 (symphonic poem)
Song], Op.35
Ziemeļblāzma, Op.45
Spriditis, Op. 37
Autumn Song
movement 13 "Reconnaissance" - orchestration of Schumann's Carnaval suite

Vasily Zolotarev (1872-1964)
Symphonies 1 to 7
The Decembrists (fragments)
The Prince Lake (fragments)

Witold Maliszewski (1873-1939)
Festive Overture in D-major, Op.11
Kujavian Fantasy, Op.25
Piano Concerto in B♭, Op.27
Symphony No.1 in G minor, Op.8
Symphony No.3 in C minor, Op.14

Nikolai Sokolov (1859-1922)
A Tear (BEAUTIFUL orchestration of piece for solo piano by Mussorgsky
Variation 5 from Variations on a Russian Theme
movement 17 "Aveu" - orchestration of Schumann's Carnaval suite

Nikolai Artsybushev (1853-1937)
Variation 1 from Variations on a Russian Theme

Nikolai Tcherepnin (1973-1945)
Orchestration of "Tàti-Tàti, Paraphrases sur un thème enfantin" written for piano by other Belyayev composers
Le Destin, Op. 59 - 3 symphonic fragments on a ballad by Edgar Allan Poe
Le Pavillon d'Armide (Fantastic Ballet)
Narcisse et Echo, Op. 40
Piano Concerto in C#, Op. 30
Die Reise der heiligen Jungfrau zum Kalvarienberg -  Oratorium
Svat - overture
La Princesse lointaine, Op.4
Le Royaume enchanté, Op.39
Oh, le calme des nuits d'été - aria
movement 8 "Papillons" - orchestration of Schumann's Carnaval suite

Alexandr Kopylov (1854-1911)
Scherzo in A, Op. 10
Concert Overture in D minor, Op.31
Symphony in C minor, Op.14

Nikolai Klenovsky (1857-1915)
movement 3 "Harlequin" - orchestration of Schumann's Carnaval suite
movement 18 "Promenade" - orchestration of Schumann's Carnaval suite

Alexandr Winkler (1865-1935)
movement 12 "Estrella" - orchestration of Schumann's Carnaval suite

If anyone is aware of any other works (orchestral, operatic or other vocal+orchestra) from this circle that have been recorded, please do volunteer.

[eschiss1]

Interesting. I know also of recordings (mostly or all by matesic...) on IMSLP of works by Winkler (quartet 1, string quintet),  Kopylov (quartet 2), Akimenko (nocturne, violin sonata no.2), Maliszewski (quartet 3), Vitols (string quartet) and Sokolov (quartets 2 and 3, a couple of other works), e.g., but did not know of any recordings of any kind of Zolotarev's symphonies and find that information very interesting and intriguing (there was some discussion here a bit back of his music but very little of his music on record could be found).

[Balapoel]

I thought Mussorgsky's 'Une Larme' was orchestrated by Hans Kindler.

[Christopher]

yes, also. More than one person can orchestrate! See Pictures at an Exhibition for example....

[Balapoel]

True enough, but I can't seem to find any recording of Sokolov's version, but did easily find one by Kindler (Cala CD with Geoffrey Simon).

[Christopher]

It's on a CD called Russian Soul.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Russian-Soul-Various-Composers/dp/B00000J86G/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1373964977&sr=1-2&keywords=russian+soul

It's an anthology which contains a few others unsungs, eg Gedike/Goedicke, Aslamazian, or unsung arrangements of "sung" works:

RUSSIAN FOLK SONG (arr. Sergei Aslamazian) The Rush Light / 3:31
TCHAIKOVSKY (arr. Glazunov) Meditation from Souvenir d'un lieu cher / 8:51
R. GLIERE (arr. I. Mortensen) Folk Song from 12 Easy Pieces, Op. 45 / 2:58
SCRIABIN Andante / 3:41
SHOSTAKOVICH Nocturne / 3:35
TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade Melancolique, Op. 26 / 8:48
TCHAIKOVSKY Elegie from Serenade for Strings, Op. 48 / 8:41
A. GEDIKE (arr. S. Aslamazian) Miniature, Op. 8 No. 2 / 3:29
TCHAIKOVSKY (arr. Glazunov) Melodie from Souvenir d'un lieu cher / 3:41
MUSSORGSKY (arr. N. Sokolov) Tears / 4:03
TCHAIKOVSKY (arr. Tchaikovsky) Andante Cantabile from String Quartet No. 1 / 7:21
BORODIN (arr. L. Gosman) Chorus of the Peasants from Prince Igor / 3:45
TCHAIKOVSKY Melodrama / 4:16

Constantine Orbelian
Moscow Chamber Orchestra

Corey Cerovsek, violin

[Mykulh]

Where are the orchestral works of Akimenko and Zolatarov orchestral works  that you mention to be found? I'm very curious.

Mykulh

[Christopher]

Akimenko:
Angel (Poem-Nocturne) - http://youtu.be/vtOfmQCqqJw

Lyric Poem - http://youtu.be/cSxXAvSnmPA

St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, under Igor Blazhkov - in both cases

The composer is listed on this youtube page as Fedir Yakymenko, the Ukrainian rendering of his name.

I think the other piece is on IMSLP as a sound file, will need to check.

Zolotarev:
These pieces were recorded by Melodiya and released in a 3-LP box set, but it seems they only made a very few copies.  I wish I wish I could get my hands on one!
The performers were:
State SO of the Belarusian SSR,  recorded 1971, 1973  copyright 1989 Melodiya
Conductors:  Engelbrecht / Afanasyev / Katayaev / Yefimov

Also there are rumours that the St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic Symphony recorded the 1st and 2nd symphonies in2002, 2003 or 2004 - but I have no further information on this.

[eschiss1]

At this time I'm only aware, I think, of chamber works by Ewald. What -did- he write that was composed (by him, not later arranged) for orchestra? (And I see very few works - published anyway - by Vasily Grigorievich Vrangel' (1862-1901) - this is who you mean?... - at all - but Worldcat doesn't list the Russian libraries much yet (when they started digitizing a few years ago, it was -very- interesting, especially since the small Russian publishers ... well... anyway!) Hrm. ... Anyhow. Do tell - please

[Mykulh]

I would greatly appreciate further details about that Melodiya set of the Zolatarov Symphonies such as the catalogue numbers. I can find nothing about this online and they definitely belong in my Russian Soviet Symphonies Discography.

Mykulh

[Christopher]

At this time I'm only aware, I think, of chamber works by Ewald. What -did- he write that was composed (by him, not later arranged) for orchestra? (And I see very few works - published anyway - by Vasily Grigorievich Vrangel' (1862-1901) - this is who you mean?... - at all - but Worldcat doesn't list the Russian libraries much yet (when they started digitizing a few years ago, it was -very- interesting, especially since the small Russian publishers ... well... anyway!) Hrm. ... Anyhow. Do tell - please

"especially since the small Russian publishers" what? Eric you always write in fragments, and I rarely get your sense!

[Christopher]

I would greatly appreciate further details about that Melodiya set of the Zolatarov Symphonies such as the catalogue numbers. I can find nothing about this online and they definitely belong in my Russian Soviet Symphonies Discography.

Mykulh

That's all I know. I've got dealers in Moscow and London on the case.  All are aware of the existence of the recording, but all have said that "only a few were ever issued".  It's infuriating!

[eschiss1]

Erg. Sorry, Christopher.

Ever since- if I caught the gist of something that happened a couple of years ago - some Russian libraries started digitizing and uploading their music collections, one found out that they had some very interesting collections and not just of unusual Russian music.  Just as with music published in the US, small Russian publishers had come out, at the time, with editions (I think) of then popular European music, some of which has now gone by the wayside or even mostly disappeared, meaning that some of their editions may be almost the only way to find some of those lighter now-unsung works. Hrm.

Here's a link of pages at IMSLP containing workpages with scores-or-parts downloaded from the Russian State Library:
What links to the RSL Template

Here's a link to the relevant Russian State Library subpage I think... (use a Russian-to-English translator if English works better for you than Russian, like it does for me)

RSL

[Christopher]

Thanks Eric - I will look at these with great interest.

[Christopher]

At this time I'm only aware, I think, of chamber works by Ewald. What -did- he write that was composed (by him, not later arranged) for orchestra? (And I see very few works - published anyway - by Vasily Grigorievich Vrangel' (1862-1901) - this is who you mean?

I am not aware of what any of the composers I named wrote (for orchestra or anything else), other than the pieces I have which I have listed here (if any).  So in a way I guess that is what I am asking.  Are there lists available for the compositions of these minor figures?

With regard to Ewald, I have his complete brass quintets (not really my thing), and a chamber piece called "Variations on a Russian folksong" that he composed with Rimsky-Korsakov, Artsybushev, Scriabin and others.  Eric - are you aware of works of his that were later arranged by others?

Vrangel', Vassili Georgevich (von) - 1862-1901.  According to the online Russian encyclopaedia Akademika (http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/biograf2/3208) his compositions include:

- suite for large orchestra
- string quartet
- trio
- fantasy for piano and orchestra
- symphony in D major,
- music to the Chaev's drama "Dmitry the Pretender" (1896),
- two ballets:  "Le mariage interrompu" and "Daughter of The Mikado" (1895-1897)
- many songs