Originally released on Marco Polo #8.223320 in 1988 Naxos has reissued this recording on there regular series of recordings #8.557005.
I think the refreshing thing that I liked about the 5th was the Russian influence that it has to offer, at least the first two movements for certain. I certainly wasn't bored by it at all as some of the previous comments from 3 years ago.
Tom
Last night I listened to Tchaikovsky's 'Winter Dreams' as some said it compared with Rubinstein's 5th
but I couldn't here much at all in the way of similarities. I think that both works have had their share of negativity.
Tom
... I thought it was usually compared with Volkmann's 1st, or somesuch- not Rubinstein's 5th. New to me, that.
Compare the respective openings of Borodin 2 and Volkmann 1 - now that is interesting.
Anyway, back To Rubinstein 5...
Quote from: eschiss1 on Sunday 28 July 2013, 01:24
... I thought it was usually compared with Volkmann's 1st, or somesuch- not Rubinstein's 5th. New to me, that.
I was quoting Keith Anderson from Naxos. Is the Volkmann symphony worth having in the collection?
Tom
Quote from: sdtom on Sunday 28 July 2013, 18:23
Is the Volkmann symphony worth having in the collection?
Emphatically, YES!! Here are some audio excerpts (Symphony No.1 = tracks 2 to 5):
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Robert-Volkmann-1815-1883-S%E4mtliche-Orchesterwerke/hnum/6019596 (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Robert-Volkmann-1815-1883-S%E4mtliche-Orchesterwerke/hnum/6019596)
Without hesitation I heartily endorse Alan's "Emphatically, YES!!" (I think that means, Tom, that he rather admires Volkmann!)
But Alan has been a little 'economical' in offering his advice. For next to nothing you can easily acquire the 2CD CPO set of the two symphonies, plus the Cello Concerto (short but a veritable marvel) and a couple of Concert Overtures.
And if you become hooked then there are String Quartets 1 & 4, 2 & 5, and 3 & 6 available again on CPO - plenty of S/H bargains to be had. Oooh, and the two Piano Trios Op. 3 and 5.
Grab and enjoy!
Yes, Volkmann is indeed a very rewarding composer. Dare I say, in this thread, more consisently so than is Rubinstein?
I went ahead and ordered the two CD set from CPO which includes both symphonies. I'm looking forward to hearing it and seeing how it compares to Rubinstein.
Tom
Volkmann, of course, is in the Schumann tradition, with pointers to, say, Brahms. In that respect a comparable composer would be Albert Dietrich rather than more discursive (and less satisfactory) Rubinstein.
Volkmann? In some ways quite possibly. More forward-looking (but then, Brahms was no hidebound conservative either). Consider his chamber music (not just a one-movement piano trio, but the - not unique (think of Hirschbach as another counterexample) but rare- example for his time of a rather unusually structured string quartet (the 5th in F minor (pub.1859), iirc) (not an insight original to me.))
I thought the discussion was about the reissue of Rubinstein's Fifth. Not that he is as a composer less than others. Well, my contribution is that I don't understand why Naxos re-released this old recording.
I could be one of the few who really like to see a completely new performance of this very fine symphony. Actually of all his symphonies. Another first class orchestra, an inspired conductor who understands Rubinstein, a state-of-the-art recording. I suppose Naxos is not interested because of the MP series, but Chandos might. After all, we are talking about one of the greatest Russian composers ever. IMHO of course.
Quote from: Peter1953 on Monday 29 July 2013, 18:26
After all, we are talking about one of the greatest Russian composers ever. IMHO of course.
He isn't - IMHO of course. Important? Yes. Influential? Yes. Great? No - he's far too flawed a composer to be that.
What do friends think of Faust, Op.68 on this CD?
Quote from: Alan Howe on Monday 29 July 2013, 21:27
Quote from: Peter1953 on Monday 29 July 2013, 18:26
After all, we are talking about one of the greatest Russian composers ever. IMHO of course.
He isn't - IMHO of course. Important? Yes. Influential? Yes. Great? No - he's far too flawed a composer to be that.
I put him in the average range. His contemporaries far exceeded him. I agree with Alan that he did make an impact especially with the starting of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, teaching (Tchaikovsky for one), and as a classical pianist.
Tom
was it Anton or Nicolas Rubinstein who taught Tchaikovsky, or both?... I need to look these things up/remember/etc. ...
Anton founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory where Tchaikovsky became one of the first students. His brother Nikolay founded the Conservatory in Moscow.
Tom
I've been listening to the Naxos reissue - a very nice CD indeed which I bought mainly for the Faust piece which was apparently supposed to be part of a Faust Symphony. However, I really can't work up any more enthusiasm than in the past for the Symphony - Rubinstein's full of good, attractive ideas, but with little apparent notion of how to knit them together in a convincing symphonic argument. Instead there's a lot of seeming repetition which quickly palls - I kept saying to myself 'not that bit again' in the first movement in particular. It seems to me that he's at his best in the rather lovely slow movement where full rein is given to his (considerable) talent for melody. But too often I just don't know where he's going.
...just to add: I find Faust a far more interesting and arresting piece than any movement in Rubinstein's numbered symphonies. Perhaps it's a shame he never completed his projected Faust Symphony of which this was supposed to be the opening movement. The music is certainly immensely powerful, often glowering in tone. The CD is worth the low asking price for this piece alone. Who knew? I certainly didn't!
Perhaps I need to listen to the Faust again. I got very little out of it.
Tom :)
As is many times the case additional visits to a work improve the listening experiences. I raise my opinion one notch on the FAUST and I too wonder why Rubinstein abandoned the project.
Tom :)
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/symphony-no-5rubinstein/ (http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/symphony-no-5rubinstein/)
This is a revised review of the release. Keep in mind that individual tracks can be downloaded for $3.99. If you've not registered with Naxos you're entitled to five free tracks. Just a thought.
A very fair review, Tom. Thanks.