Rimsky-Korsakov/Skazka

[Delicious Manager]

The RCA Symphony Orchestra was the Los Angeles Philharmonic in freelance mode. Interestingly, after Kondrashin moved to the west, he was invited to conduct the LA Phil twice - in July 1979 and February 1981 (3 weeks before his untimely death).

The Naxos Myaskovsly CD mentioned above is perfectly fine, although it doesn't respresent the best of Myaskovsky. The complete set conducted by Svetlanov (at bargain price) is the one to have, as long as you don't mind appalling booklet notes.

[eschiss1]

The RCA Symphony Orchestra was the Los Angeles Philharmonic in freelance mode. Interestingly, after Kondrashin moved to the west, he was invited to conduct the LA Phil twice - in July 1979 and February 1981 (3 weeks before his untimely death).

The Naxos Myaskovsly CD mentioned above is perfectly fine, although it doesn't respresent the best of Myaskovsky. The complete set conducted by Svetlanov (at bargain price) is the one to have, as long as you don't mind appalling booklet notes.

Since that's still pretty expensive, I hope I may recommend (though this is painfully off-topic and I apologize)- the string quartets series performed by the Taneyev quartet (newly released by Northern Flowers, and still available over amazon and maybe generally; I recommend quartets 1,4,12,13 especially, which used to be on 2 CDs on Russian Disc- but try quartets 1-3 on one Northern Flowers CD, or qts. 12&13 on volume 5, say. Or really, any of them; it's a fine series of quartets, well played. There's a new performance of quartet 13 that's not bad either with the Kopelman Quartet on Nimbus, available at MP3s at Classics Online...) Among the symphonies, the Downes CD (Marco Polo) of symphonies 5 and 9 has a performance of 5 much preferable to Svetlanov's performance (which is much much too slow!), and is, generally, quite good; also avail. on ClassicsOnline and Amazon too I think. And those two symphonies are I think also a really good introduction to his music, or at least a certain part of it. (Soon after symphony 9 - actually, while he was finishing composing it - he was falling under different influences, partly because of his one and only trip to Germany. This shows up in his 4th piano sonata (haven't heard the Marco Polo recording which may be the only one now available, but MacLachlan's is good if you can find it), 10th symphony, and the 1st and 2nd quartets, esp. the 1st. The 3rd and 4th are revisions of student works- quite good, relistenable, memorable student works, mind, in my opinion, especially no. 4, but it does remind me some of Tchaikovsky.
If you can find Svetlanov's recording of symphony 6 separately, outside of the complete box (the label Olympia, when it existed, was starting to release the Svetlanov series on separate discs, and then Alto was, but I don't know if the Alto effort exists anymore, and again Olympia is apparently a defunct label?) that's a very good performance of a difficult symphony. He doesn't include the optional chorus at the end of Myaskovsky's longest symphony, which makes a moment that should be enhanced by the addition of a chorus just a repetition of something earlier instead, but - he does so well by the symphony I can hardly mind. Maybe because I only knew Stankovsky's Marco Polo recording, but Svetlanov's makes me understand what all the fuss is about (and there has been a fuss about this 1923/1947 work), and Stankovsky's does not.
Do try too one of Rostropovich's recordings of the cello concerto, and a good recording of the two cello sonatas from the two ends of his career (op. 12, 1911 but I think revised later; op. 81, 1948) (I like Tarasova/Polezhaev if it's still around)
Eric

[mbhaub]

The RCA Symphony Orchestra was the Los Angeles Philharmonic in freelance mode.

Are you sure about that? The recordings were made at the Manhattan Center in NYC in Oct. 1958. The RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra was a working name for various orchestras under the banner of RCA. On the east conductors included Bernstein, Stokowski, Reiner, Krips, as well as Kondrashin. Orchestra members were drawn from the finest groups in the area: NY Philharmonic, NBC Symphony, the Met Opera orchestra as well as top freelancers. (A bassoon teacher of mine did a lot of the contracting.)

[DennisS]

It has been very interesting to read the many posts on this thread on Rimsky-Korsakov. I have a particular soft spot for this composer, not merely just for Sheherazade, but also for his two symphonies (but especially Antar) and all the Suites from his operas. I only have one version of Skazka, on Naxos, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Igor Golovchin, but over the years, have listened to it a number of times and always enjoyed it. For those interested in the suites from the operas, I recommend the Kontrapunkt series, volumes 1, 2 + 3 - Odense Symphony Orchestra, Edward Serov. The playing and sound are both excellent.

Cheers
Dennis

[sdtom]

It has been very interesting to read the many posts on this thread on Rimsky-Korsakov. I have a particular soft spot for this composer, not merely just for Sheherazade, but also for his two symphonies (but especially Antar) and all the Suites from his operas. I only have one version of Skazka, on Naxos, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Igor Golovchin, but over the years, have listened to it a number of times and always enjoyed it. For those interested in the suites from the operas, I recommend the Kontrapunkt series, volumes 1, 2 + 3 - Odense Symphony Orchestra, Edward Serov. The playing and sound are both excellent.

Cheers
Dennis

If you have a soft spot in your heart then mine must be melted I plan on doing a review of most of his material. If money isn't an issue for you Dennis pick up the Chandos recording. The brass is a little on the weak side but it is well recorded and performed by the BBC.  http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/skazka-fairy-talerimsky-korsakov/
Thomas

[Pengelli]

The BIS recordings of Rimsky Korsakov with the Malaysian Philharmonic under Kees Bakels have been given some very good reviews.

[JimL]

It has been very interesting to read the many posts on this thread on Rimsky-Korsakov. I have a particular soft spot for this composer, not merely just for Sheherazade, but also for his two symphonies (but especially Antar) and all the Suites from his operas. I only have one version of Skazka, on Naxos, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Igor Golovchin, but over the years, have listened to it a number of times and always enjoyed it. For those interested in the suites from the operas, I recommend the Kontrapunkt series, volumes 1, 2 + 3 - Odense Symphony Orchestra, Edward Serov. The playing and sound are both excellent.

Two symphonies?  Got news for you, buddy.  RK composed three symphonies, and, according to RK himself, Antar isn't one of them!  Although it is usually numbered as his 2nd, he ended up calling it a 'Symphonic Suite'.  Which would leave the E minor Symphony (#1, originally in E-flat minor) and the C Major Symphony (#3), which should actually be his #2, if he didn't want Antar counted as a symphony!

[Pengelli]

The last time I heard a RK symphony I remember quite enjoying it.

[DennisS]

Hi JimL

Of course you are absolutely right. Silly mistake on my part, especially as I have the double cd of R-K's complete symphonies 1, 2 AND 3.

Dennis

[Pengelli]

I think I might try & splash out on the Myaskovsky box later this year,perhaps Xmas? Mind you there is that pricey 'Marriage of Figaro' with Lucia Popp,I keep eyeing up.( I just can't resist anything with Lucia Popp).

[Amphissa]

 
Although I can appreciate the *value* of the Sveltanov box set of Myaskovsky symphonies, I can't really say that I like the performances. In almost every case, when there are alternatives available, I prefer one of the alternatives. Of course, many of the alternatives are on LP or OOP cds, which makes them a more pricey option. And in a few cases, the Svetlanov recording is the only recording.

However, I'll just have to disagree with Eric on the 6th. Recording the 6th without the chorus was just plain irresponsible by Svetlanov, as the symphony builds to that final choral movement.

Accounts of the premier tell of the audience in tears at the end, on their feet applauding for 15 minutes until Myaskovsky was compelled to appear on stage, and even then return repeatedly. The choral part is essential to this symphony.

There are good alternatives to the Svetlanov available on cd. By far the best is the splendid 1959 Russian Disc recording by Kondrashin (not to be confused with the newer, much inferior later recording by that conductor on the Melodiya label). Two other very good performances are by Neeme Jarvi with the Gothenberg Symphony and Liss with the Ural Philharmonic.

Another popular and notable Myaskovsky symphony is the 21st, which was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony for their centennial. It was first  and first recorded by Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and then by Gould with the Chicago Symphony. I like both of those recordings better than Svetlanov's.

The 5th symphony is a personal favorite of mine. I'm convinced that Jarre cribbed the opening melody from this symphony in writing Laura's Theme for Dr. Zhivago. This symphony was a great success in Europe. I prefer Ivanov's recording, but at least I like Svetlanov better than Downes and Manalov.

Another favorite of mine is the 27th. This is one in which Svetlanov's recording tops the list. Polyansky's recording is okay, and has the advantage of being coupled with a good performance of Myaskovsky's cello concerto featuring Ivashkin. It's an attractive coupling.

[eschiss1]

As to R-K's symphonies, in a sense, both exist in two versions- I think the 2nd version of the C major symphony differs substantially, in fact, from the first version (with the first movement of the first version ending more or less in minor, unlike the first movement of the second version.) Except for changing the key, I forget how much revision R-K applied to his E-flat minor symphony, though. (There are scores of both versions of both symphonies in the collected works, published decades ago by the USSR; which collected works good university libraries have. There is a similar but much less complete collected scores edition for Myaskovsky, carried by, in my experience, rather fewer libraries (Cornell doesn't have that, but New York City Lincoln Center library does, or used to.))
Eric

[JimL]

I've always been rather curious as to why Antar is never referred to by key, either as a symphony or symphonic suite?  Does it begin in one key and end in another?  Or is it one of those things where it begins in, say C-sharp minor and ends in D-flat Major, which is enharmonically the same as C-sharp Major, but makes it hard to find an actual tonality to refer to?

[eschiss1]

I've always been rather curious as to why Antar is never referred to by key, either as a symphony or symphonic suite?  Does it begin in one key and end in another?  Or is it one of those things where it begins in, say C-sharp minor and ends in D-flat Major, which is enharmonically the same as C-sharp Major, but makes it hard to find an actual tonality to refer to?

It begins in one key and ends in another. However, it is sometimes referred to as being in a key (F-sharp minor), the key it starts in.

See http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.2,_Op.9_(Rimsky-Korsakov,_Nikolai)
(there's also the complication of the different versions...- 3 of them. Version 1 begins in F-sharp minor, finale begins in B minor and ends in B minor (no picardy third); version 2 (1875, itself revised in 1903, so version 2/4 starts in F-sharp minor; the finale begins in B minor and ends in D-flat major.

In version 3 (1897), again we start in F-sharp minor, and the finale again begins in B minor and ends in D-flat major.
Eric

[JimL]

Hmm.  Sounds like a bit of progressive tonality (although D-flat Major is enharmonically the same as C-sharp Major, the dominant of F-sharp).  Well, now I know.