http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/skazka-fairy-talerimsky-korsakov/
While Rimsky-Korsakov is certainly not an unsung composer some of his works certainly fall into that category and the skazka/legend work certainly does. I've compared three different recordings that I have collected over the years.
thomas
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/piano-concerto-in-c-sharp-minor-op-30rimsky-korsakov/
Lately I've been going back and revisiting all of my Rimsky-Korsakov material and I do have a multitude of recordings. Yesterday I was listening and comparing the three versions I had of his piano concerto, an area he seldom got involved in.
'Antar' has had a few recordings,but it's qualities are under appreciated. Some critics regard it as superior to 'Scheherazade'. I find it more subtle & to be quite honest, I prefer it. (I also think Balakirev's best orchestral works are in the same category. It would be nice if they got a bit more attention in the concert halls,too).
The problem with Antar is that it's not as flashy as Scheherazade - RK hadn't yet figured out the orchestral technique he needed to make Sheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, and Russian Easter so brilliant sounding. In generations gone by it used to be more popular in the concert hall. There was a time when Antar, the Kalinnikov symphonies, Ippolitov-Ivanov's Caucasian Sketches, and Balakirev's music was better known by conductors. But alas, there's a lot of music from the Russian nationalists that is known only through recordings and the occasional outing by amateur/community groups. I played Antar several years ago and the conductor asked for a show of hands who knew this music? One hand went up - mine.
It is unfortunate that R-K's operas are so under-appreciated. The suites drawn from them are readily available, but watching the DVDs or listening to the recordings of the complete operas, one discovers that much of R-K's best music is in his operas, more innovative and varied than that of the core repertoire we so often hear from him. There were 16 operas, I think.
One interesting discovery in his operas involves his innovative compositional techniques, using whole tone and octatonic scales, especially in his fantasy segments. The resulting harmonies were considered quite radical to Western ears at the time, although to us, now, the music seems quite conventional. But of course, those who learned from him, including Stravinsky and others, pushed their use further than he did.
It is the operas containing fantastical and fairy tale elements that were most creative (to me), such as Mlada, The Snow Maiden, Kashchey the Immortal, The Tale of Tsar Saltan. In these, he employed lyrical and lushly melodic music that we associate with R-K (like Scheherazade) for "real world" segments of the operas, with the whole tone and octatonic music for the fantastical and magical segments. This turned out to be (to me) quite an interesting and successful compositional strategy.
For those unfamiliar with R-K's operas, I personally prefer the DVDs, since I did not grow up with opera and need the visual guidance and subtitles.
If you haven't heard it, Sviatoslav Richter's recording of the Rimsky-Korsakov concerto (Moscow SO/Kondrashin) is well worth a listen. The opus number (30) places the concerto in the general vicinity of Capriccio espagnol, Scheherazade, and Russian Easter Overture. I find it atmospheric, tuneful, and well constructed, as those works are. Haven't played it, but it sounds just as pianistic as the Capriccio is violinistic.
I first heard Skazka in the 1970s on the old Philips recording by David Lloyd-Jones, which also included the first recording of the original version of Musorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain, Balakirev's King Lear overture and Borodin's unfinished Third Symphony - then something of a rarity (still a bit 'unsung', I'd say). I still enjoy it today and have often wondered by it hasn't won a place in the orchestral repertoire.
The many orchestral suites Rimsky-Korsakov extracted from his operas provide colourful and exuberant additions to the Russian Nationalist orchestral repertoire and I'd urge people to hear the suites from The Tale of Tsar Saltan (from which also comes the ubiquitous Flight of the Bumble Bee, curiously omitted from the concert suite, Le coq d'or (The Golden Cockerel) (Rimsky's last major work), The Invisible City of Kitezh, The Snow Maiden, Mlada (from which comes The Procession of the Nobles) and Pan Voyevoda.
I'm afraid I have to say I find the Rimsky symphonies a little flabby and uninspiring. Only a Svetlanov-type conductor can make these worth extended or repeated listening for me.
And one last thing - Sheherazade needs no 'c' at the beginning in an English transliteration - the 'c' seems to be some inexplicable hang-over from the German version of the word (rather like the unnecessary 'T' in Tchaikovsky comes from the French!). But that's another topic of discussion entirely ... Thankfully, the correct spelling of Sheherazade is being taken-up widely (including by the BBC). In fact, it should really be Sheherazada with an 'a' at the end (in German, the final 'e' is pronounced - another reason for not transferring transliterations from one language to another!).
Thank you for that DM. I am afraid I just googled the name to answer your post. I have a huge abridged hardback edition of Richard Burtons 'Tales from the 1001 Nights' somewhere. I wonder how they spell it in there? (Incidentally,some of it is VERY rude! There are allot of words I definately couldn't use here). Come to think of it, I think I have seen 'Sheherazade used,recently, in BBC listings,so I haven't got that much of an excuse & I used to love those stories,when I was young. On the other hand, the BBC always get the Welsh language excrutiatingly wrong,especially the pronounciation, ie 'Coomrie',instead of 'Cymru',and 'Laneli',instead of 'Llanelli. Although,they are a bit better than they used to be. Anyway..........
Incidentally, I have never heard Kalinnikov or Ippolitov-Ivanov. How good are they? As good as 'Antar'? (Have I got the spelling right?) Also,Borodin's magnificent Second Symphony seems to have dropped out of favour. I can't even remember the last time I saw a new recording reviewed.
I am a great fan of Kalinnikov's works (his is another name spelt a number of ways, but 'Kalinnikov' transliterates exactly and perfectly well from the original Cyrillic). He was an almost exact contemporary of Glazunov and he died just short of his 36th birthday and was not a particularly prolific composer. Nonetheless, he left behind some beautiful orchestral works, many of them recorded in the 1960s and 1970s in excellent, idiomatic performances by Yevgeni Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony Orchestra. The two-CD MBG/Melodia 'twofer' is worth hunting down on eBay or Amazon. It contains the wonderfully lyrical 2nd Symphony along with many other shorter works. the 1st Symphony used to get an occasional airing many years ago and there is a wonderful performance by Kirill Kondrashin and the Moscow Philharmonic worth tracking down. Svetlanov also recorded the 1st Symphony, although this recording is much more elusive. Neeme Järvi recorded both symphonies with the RSNO for Chandos. Originally on separate CDs with fillers, they have now been squeezed onto one very well filled CD on Chandos's medium price label.
Ippolitov-Ivanov is also worth investigating as there are fine, inexpensive performances available. The first of the Caucasian Sketches suites was, again, once reasonably popular, but has slipped in recent times. There is a Naxos CD with both Caucasian Sketches suites and the evocative Turkish Fragments.
If you like these, also look-out the beautiful short orchestral tone poems of Anatol Lyadov. A very fine, if lazy composer, Lyadov's main claim to fame is as the composer originally commissioned by Diaghilev for a Firebird ballet in 1909. Lyadov's failure even to make a start on this project gave a certain young and hitherto 'unsung' Igor Stravinsky his big break.
I used to have a Melodiya LP of the Lyadov works you mention. Also,the more famous Balakirev symphony. I used to love some of the record sleeves with the 'cyrillic',(have I got that right?) writing,which was sometimes very ornate. Some of the Melodiya box sets were quite beautiful & quite different from anything else in my collection. And that includes the smell! I am told they used some kind of animal glue. Is this true? Also,another thing about the boxes. They weren't individually printed like ours & just seemed to have the design pasted onto the fronts. I still have two boxed sets,one is a performance of Kalman's 'Bajadere',c 1980. Very good too,if you like that sort of thing. It's a pity they don't re-issue it. Apparently,Kalman's very popular over there.
(Supraphon boxes were rather nice too. I found the eccentric booklet translations,that some people complained about, were all part of the charm).
I also,rather like the sound of the Russian orchestras in this repertoire. I remember they used to get sneered at by the critics,years ago,but attitudes seemed to have changed. It's as if,this is the authentic Russian sound,this is how this music is played. And it is,really.
The new generation of Russian conductors have also helped. But is it also,because they're not communist,(ie 'the enemy)',any more? So it's okay to praise what they do.
Regarding Rimsky Korsakov's opera's. One thing I hate,nowadays,is the way allot of opera venues try to update opera's with fairy tale or supernatural storylines,with modern day settings & all kinds of pseudo psychological mumbo jumbo,as if they are ashamed of them. I like the way the Russians do their Glinka & Rimsky,with all the traditional scenery and props.
A review of a recording of Sadko noted the elephants... yes, I can see that. I do like a lot of R-K personally, for what that's worth, and his later music got strange (not a complaint. Though some I know more by reputation and look forward to hearing :) )
As to Ippolitov-Ivanov, has anyone recorded, I wonder, his string quartet or his violin sonata? Good stuff by him too, so far, what I've heard and seen of it.
Eric
I wish Melodiya would hurry up and re-issue some of their less well known repertoire. I remember the catalogues from the 'Russian Record Company',(anyone here remember them? They always used to have an ad in the back of 'Gramophone),used to contain page after page of composers and recordings that never appear to have been re-issued in the cd format. It used to take me ages to pore through the listings. Very good they were too. I wonder what happened to the folks who ran it? If not,then maybe they could license the recordings to someone else. Melodiya,the one good thing about the Soviet Union!
...arguably!
QuoteI wonder what happened to the folks who ran it?
In the early 1970s, I ordered several LPs from the Russian Record Company, particularly performances of Glazunov symphonies. IIRC Nos.3 and 5 had come out on western LPs, but the others weren't available. Those old Melodiya LPs were as heavy and solid as dinner plates and the recordings were invariably tinny, but how else was one to get hold of these rarities?
My order for Glazunov's Fourth went awry. I wrote and wrote and got no reply, tried to 'phone but never got through, and in the end, when I was in London to attend a concert, I went to the address given in those Gramophone advertisements. It turned out to be a single room, on the third floor of a run down building in a side street off the Charing Cross Road. Foyles bookstore was opposite. In the height of Winter the room was unheated, its sole occupant sitting there in overcoat, scarf and thick wollen gloves. First of all he denied getting my order or my follow up letters. Then he said that he had written to me to explain that a shipment from Russia was delayed and finally, went I stood my ground, he dug out a small EP-sized disk which, he said, was the recording of Glazunov's Fourth. I took it reluctantly (because I couldn'd read the cyryllic and he seemded to be so untrustworthy) but, when I got it home, it turned out to be the Symphony. Obviously the operation was by then existing on a financial shoe string.
One upshot of the experience is that I have never liked the Symphony itself. It is always spoiled for me by that too- quirky sounding scherzo, which reliably brings back the memory of my visit to the Russian Record Company.
Quote from: Pengelli on Friday 23 July 2010, 12:56Incidentally, I have never heard Kalinnikov
Certainly pick up the symphonies: "Kalinnikov would bring to mind early Tchaikovsky."
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/n/nxs53417a.php (http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/n/nxs53417a.php)
Quote from: Pengelli on Friday 23 July 2010, 12:56or Ippolitov-Ivanov. How good are they?
A minor composer, but: "a masterful purveyor of the musical picture-postcard"
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/a/asv01102a.php (http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/a/asv01102a.php)
That doesn't sound like a very cheerful experience,Mark! I,personally, always found 'them' (!) very good & the catalogues were so meticulously annotated. 'They' probably took so long to compile & print maybe that's why he had to lay off all the staff!
What is even stranger is that the whole tone of the catalogues gave an impression that it was some kind of family concern. I should point out also,that I was buying LP's from them around the late 70's,early 80's,so it is possible that it could have changed hands or business might have picked up a little,by the time I found their ad.
A great story,though. I often wonder what the people are like 'at the other end' of these ads. And,by the way,was he,by any chance,wearing a Russian hat?!
Of course I am being a little 'rose tinted' here in my memories of Melodiya LP's. But,I was a teenager then,so everything was still new and exciting.
Collets bookshop was another source.
Quoteby the way,was he,by any chance,wearing a Russian hat?!
As far as I recall, and it's almost forty years ago now, he was an east end "geezer" with a very heavy grey woollen greatcoat (Soviet army surplus, perhaps?) but no hat. About fifty, maybe? He struck me at the time as a most unlikely music lover...
Still quite busy with going through all of my Rimsky material. Wish I could hear the Kondrashin Capriccio Espagnol, something I never purchased but I have several others and a hard copy of the JVC CD was $70 at Amazon a bit steep for my budget. Right now I'm tending to enjoy what Dorati and the London did with the recording. Any thoughts???
sdtom - the Kondrashin Capriccio espagnol has been reissued, along with the other recordings from the same sessions of Tchaikovsky's Capriccio italien (one of the best of this piece), Kabalevsky's The Comedians and Khachaturian's Maskerade ON RCA Victor Living Stereo. You will find it very cheaply on Amazon.
I really hate it when they start messing with "standard" spellings. It makes cataloging a real mess. For example, how many spellings are there for Mussorgsky? When you catalog it,which do you use? Prokofieff should always be that way, after all that's how he signed his own signature. But almost everyone spells it Prokofiev, which may be correct, but I think the composer's own wishes override any language purist. And Conus! Is it Conyus, Konyus, Konus? There are of course, many more examples, and I have noticed lately Scheherazade becoming Sheherazade. But for me, the latter spelling was always the Ravel, the former R-K. So now when I see "Sheherazade" I'm not instantly sure what Scheherazade they're talking about.
The Kondrashin Capriccio is legendary, and it is quite exciting. But it was a rush job, and whatever it's qualities (and they are many), there are many other versions that hold their own. Maazel's from the 1960's with Berlin is certainly in that category, and the Mackerras on Telarc is also quite thrilling and is coupled with a top-notch SCHEHERAZADE. The Paray is dreadful if anyone is considering it.
And as luck would have it, my main orchestra of which I am a member is opening our season with the Kalinnikov 1st! Haven't played it for several years and it's always a fun romp.
Actually, Kondrashin's Sheherazade is considered one of the best. It was the only studio recording Philips managed to complete with the great maestro after he'd moved to the Netherlands in December 1978 ('defected' while on tour, effectively) and was appointed joint principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra (alongside Haitink, who invited him do do so). Kondrashin's early and untimely death in March 1981 put a stop to all that, sadly.
I don't agree about 'spellings'. Just because something has been wrong for a long time doesn't automatically make it right. I think you will find there's an Atlantic gap here. 'Rachmaninoff' and 'Prokofieff' are common in English-speaking North America, while 'Rachmaninov' (or occasionally 'Rakhmaninov' or 'Rachmaninof') is common in the UK. So, there isn't really a 'standard' spelling at all. And, of course, every language transliterates these names differently again.
Nor do I worry about there being two Sheherazades in the same way i don't fret over there being more than one Eugene Onegin ((T)chaikovsky, Prokofiev), Nocturnes (Chopin, Debussy) or many, many Romeo and Juliets (Berlioz, Gounod, Kabalevsky, Prokofiev, (T)chaikovsky, et al).
I have the recording by Beecham in my collection. I wonder what you think of that? Also,Goossens,on an LP. (I have of course heard other interpretations over the years. At one point,I seemed to have heard it so many times,I could practicaly hum the work all the way through,from beginning to end!)
I'd forgotten about Beecham. It's MANY years since I heard it (I don't own a copy), but remember it being very fine indeed. His Balakirev First Symphony was also wonderful.
I just ordered the Kondrashin recording for $8.00 from Amazon. I'll wait to finish my review of Capriccio Espagnol until I've had the opportunity to fully digest it. I will say that right now I find the Dorati recording to my liking even though there is a tad too much treble. I like the pace and I also like how he plays the beginning of the 4th part Scena e canto gitano with the violin, flute, and a silence before the gong is hit. Different from any recording I have of it. :)
It's hard not to like anything Beecham conducted. (I wish he had lived long enough to record some Holbrooke! He was thinking about it,apparently) As to the Goossens,I only mentioned it, because some people rave about Everest recordings, his career ended in disgrace,and the LP sleeve has an interesting cover. It strikes me as quite an exciting reading,although not as characterful as Beechams more red blooded reading. By the way,I looked Eugene Goossens up just now on Wikipedia,out of curiosity. I must say, I knew about the Porno scandal,but not Rosaleen Norton,(an occultist!). Yikes! Learn something new every day,(albeit,not exactly that new!). Apparently,the scandal inspired a novel,a play,an opera and a film. Mind you,I can't help wondering if the poor old duffer was set up??!
Anyway,back to Skazka'......
The Beecham Scheherazade is one of the most beautiful of all, but not the most electric of it's vintage. It's very sensuous, exotic and belongs in every collection in my opinion. The recorded sound shows its age. I have a lot of Beecham recordings and it's true: there's not a dud among them, and many (Bizet, Grieg, Haydn, Balakirev, Handel) he remains unmatched. I wish Beecham had recorded Gliere's 3rd symphony and the Rachmaninoff 2nd.
Goosens in a scandal? I've got to look this up!
Yep - see Goossens scandal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Aynsley_Goossens#Scandal) among other references.
I've got to say this,terrible paintings!But I assume he had more than her painting skills on his mind. Dear,oh,dear! I suppose he was lucky they hadn't invented the internet. Rosaleen sounds pretty tame by todays standards.
Think I'll put the Kondrashin on my list. I need a more up to date interpretation,although,to be fair,the Beecham is a belter,sonically, for it's age. A nice cover too. What you call,'fin de siecle'. (And I hope I've got that right!).
Oh,and yes,futile though,I know,but I wish Beecham had done Gliere,too.
My first encounter with the Gliere was the old Unicorn Kanchana set,with that wierd painting of that warrior on a horse,on the front,which grabbed my attention,straight away. It was in my local branch library,back in the days when libraries still had some really interesting records. I was a teenager,then. I have the recording by the late lamented Edward Downes,now. It's tauter,and more exciting,I supose,but the Unicorn recording had a timeless,legendary quality about it that I,sorely, miss.By the way,does anyone think Gliere's Second is worth the 'dosh'? I keep mulling over whether to buy it,but can't make my mind up! Oh,and I have listened to excerpts. I remember one of those old record guides disparaging the first movement as sounding like the soundtrack for an old silent western(?).
Other Kondrashin recordings I recommend highly:
Beethoven - Eroica Symphony (Philips - live Concertgebouw performance)
Beethoven - Fourth Symphony (Melodia - studio Moscow Phil performance)[he was one hell of a Beethoven conductor]
Dvořák - New World Symphony (Decca/London - studio Vienna Phil performance)
Mahler - Seventh Symphony (Tahra - live Concertgebouw performance)
Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No 3 (Philips - studio Moscow Phil performance with Byron Janis)
Rakhmaninov (Rachmaninoff) - Symphonic Dances (Melodia and various transfers - studio Moscow Phil performance)
Ravel - Daphnis et Chloë (Philips - live Concertgebouw performance
Shostakovich - Fourth and Seventh symphonies (Melodia and various pressings - studio Moscow Phil performances)
Tchaikovsky - Sixth Symphony (various - one studio and two live Moscow Phil performances)
Oh, yes .... Skazka ....
Regarding my last post. I think I/or he meant,the piano accompaniment. You know,the bloke in front of the screen at the piano,(or organ). A bit before my time....
hrm. i checked http://www.radiostephansdom.at (http://www.radiostephansdom.at) to see if Glière 2 would be in the monthly-or-so numbered-symphonies series (which begins on August 21st) but it isn't. There are some videos of the symphony on YouTube, though, including http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpQ56UzvgtI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpQ56UzvgtI).
Thank you. I must get used to the fact that Youtube has lot's of music as well.
This sounds to be in a very similair vein. The excerpts I've heard just don't give you the scale of the music. Incidentally,one of the reviewers on Musicweb seemed to think Gliere was a more subtle composer than Tchaikovsky. Going a bit to far perhaps,but he's pretty good!
His First symphony sounds pretty stirring on there,too!
The first two Gliere symphonies are certainly worth a hearing, especially for anyone who is on this site. Are they great music? No, not by any stretch, but entertaining enough. The Naxos (Marco Polo) recordings are good enough, although Macal on Delos has better playing and sound.
No,there's no comparison with Tchaikovsky's symphonies in terms of emotional range and depth,but Gliere's 3rd is certainly one of the best Russian symphonies of it's period. Although,Gliere certainly pushes his material to it's limits!
No 2 is the kind of symphony I would have been playing full blast,if I had known it,when I was a teenager,along with my Khatchaturian LP's. (Although,it probably would have been difficult to find a decent LP. Maybe,in my 'Russian,man in a very cold room, Record Company lists?) Not deep,but quite exciting,when you're in the right mood. Definately,music to play loudly,if you can do so without annoying the neighbours!
Incidentally,is that definately the right way to spell Khatchaturian? (Who was an Armenian,of course).
I prefer to spell it 'Khachaturyan' especially as the accent in Armenian is on the 'YAN'), but, for once, I'm bowing to convention because Armenian script can be difficult to transliterate clearly.
Quote from: mbhaub on Tuesday 27 July 2010, 21:01
The first two Gliere symphonies are certainly worth a hearing, especially for anyone who is on this site. Are they great music? No, not by any stretch, but entertaining enough.
I'd put that the 2nd is one of the most emotionally charged pieces I've ever heard. I'd rather listen to it any day of my life over Beethoven's 3rd, Brahms's 2nd, or any of Bruckner's.
Though I guess if you want to talk about "great" Gliere you have to go with the 3rd...but this is getting off topic I guess.
And fun too,like Khatchaturian's First Symphony. Who cares what anyone else thinks!
For a real wallow, nothing beats the Khachaturian 3rd -- 18 trumpets, organ, what more could one want!
This is way off topic, and a long time ago we spent considerable time on the Gliere 3rd, a work I love dearly, but just this week I happened to hear a recording totally new to me, but quite old. A collector friend loaned me a copy of an old LP with Ferenc Fricsay conducting (1956, RIAS). It's cut, as were all versions in that era, but just like everything Fricsay did, it's a thrilling version and far better than many other old recordings that have made it to cd. DG has made a cd but I've never seen it over here.
Boy this is going to be a hard call for me!! I got the Kondrashin in the mail today and I do admit it is excellent. I also like the Dorati and I wonder if the remastering has anything to do with it? Mercury made good recordings.
I've earmarked today for my review of Capriccio Espagnol. This is going to be a tough choice for me
Where did the majority of the members of the RCA Symphony come from???
Saw the Naxos cd of Myaskovsky 24 & 25,while I was looking for Kalinnikov. Tried some excerpts out of curiosity. Rather liked what I heard. Off topic a bit,but the cover photo & music seem to have a 'fairy tale' quality to them.
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.
Quote from: Delicious Manager on Saturday 31 July 2010, 00:01
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
Quote from: Delicious Manager on Saturday 31 July 2010, 00:01
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.)
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
Quote from: DennisS on Saturday 31 July 2010, 11:21
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
The BIS recordings of Rimsky Korsakov with the Malaysian Philharmonic under Kees Bakels have been given some very good reviews.
Quote from: DennisS on Saturday 31 July 2010, 11:21
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!
The last time I heard a RK symphony I remember quite enjoying it.
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
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).
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.
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
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?
Quote from: JimL on Saturday 31 July 2010, 23:48
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) (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
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. :) :)
Quote from: JimL on Sunday 01 August 2010, 00:57
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. :) :)
While I pedantically ;) prefer Robert Simpson's (unique) definition of progressive tonality as tonality that goes from one place to another in apparently definite steps/directions ("progressing", seeming to follow a path, rather than the end seeming to be a random spot given the beginning)- and agree with Simpson (2nd edition of his book on Nielsen's symphonies) that this seems true of all (even the 6th) of Nielsen's symphonies- I haven't heard Antar nearly often enough to know if this more restrictive (and as I said, unique) idea would apply. But that would be moving the goalposts *G* Anyway-- yep
Eric
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/capriccio-espagnolrimsky-korsakov/ (http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/capriccio-espagnolrimsky-korsakov/) This turned out to be a project for me. If you hear of any conducting opportunities for this piece let me know.
Thomas
Since I'm still spending a lot of time with Rimsky-Korsakov who thinks what about who had the best 'Antar' recording.
Thomas
Of the recordings I've heard (all of the third version, which R-K downgraded from a symphony to a symphonic suite), I particularly like the Svetlanov/SO of Russia recorded with clear and bright sonics in Bruges for BMG/RCA in the early 1990s; and the Kitajenko/Bergen PO recorded by Chandos (also in the 1990s) with (its customary) exemplary engineering. (I haven't auditioned Svelanov's early 2000s version of Antar with the Philharmonia.)
Both recommended versions sound "authentic" to me. To oversimplify, Svetlanov's reminds me more of a pointed Toscanini performance, Kitajenko's of a broader but coherent Furtwängler performance.
And I have neither recording. I have it with the Pittsburgh/Maazel, Gothenburg/Jarvi, and St. Petersburg/Anichanov. I also have the old Chicago/Gould on a worn out lp. Have you heard any of these recordings?
Thomas :)
Nyet. Gould rushes everything I've heard him conduct. Jarvi is wonderful in metronomic composers like Chadwick; also in Tubin; he's not my first choice in music that profits from a prosodic or operatic approach. I'd be interested in hearing the Maazel. I enjoyed his concerts in Pittsburgh (the few where I was present). Also of note: the Maazel recording received a rosette in the Penguin Guide.
Following up on the initial entry in this thread: does anyone have a recommended recording of the "Mazurka on three Polish themes for violin and orchestra" or "Fantasia on two Russian themes for violin"?
Quote from: chill319 on Saturday 07 August 2010, 21:49
Following up on the initial entry in this thread: does anyone have a recommended recording of the "Mazurka on three Polish themes for violin and orchestra" or "Fantasia on two Russian themes for violin"?
Rinsky is a 'completionist' composer of mine, but I don't have ANY for the Mazurka. Archive doesn't even list one. Would love to have one though...
Is this not the same as the Concert Fantasy for violin and orchestra, op. 33? It is included on the vox box I talked about VOX CDX5082.
Thomas
Quote from: mbhaub on Saturday 31 July 2010, 05:53
Quote from: Delicious Manager on Saturday 31 July 2010, 00:01
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.)
Ooops. You're right. Profuse apologies. I was confusing the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra which WAS a NYC-based 'scratch' orchestra) with Columbia/CBS's 'Columbia Symphony Orchestra', which was often most or all of the Los Angeles Phil. Sorry for the blind alley!
I'm busy at work on Rimsky-Korsakov's 1st Symphony review and have a question for all? Has there ever been a recording of the original version of his symphony in E Flat Minor and not the revised version of twenty years later. I would be curious to hear the differences in what was changed.
Thomas :)
You may be a bit ahead of the curve on R-K, Thomas. But please let us know if you find a recording of the E-flat Minor version premiered in 1865. I, too, would like to hear it. Such an audacious key for its time!
Quote from: sdtom on Wednesday 11 August 2010, 00:17
I'm busy at work on Rimsky-Korsakov's 1st Symphony review and have a question for all? Has there ever been a recording of the original version of his symphony in E Flat Minor and not the revised version of twenty years later. I would be curious to hear the differences in what was changed.
Thomas :)
If you see a track list for a recording of symphony 1 and it starts with Andante or Andante-Allegro, it's version 1. If it starts with Largo assai or Largo assai-Allegro, it's version 2. (The other movements of version 1 are, according to the IMSLP score,
*Scherzo: Vivace
*Andante (I can't translate the Russian header above that, though...)
*Allegro
(in version 2, they're Andante tranquillo -- Scherzo: Vivace - Allegro assai. So he switched the scherzo back to place 3, too...)
I thought maybe based on a description Butt (despite "E minor") might have done so, and Amazon doesn't label the movements, but the 2nd movement is slow, suggesting that no, it's the 1884 version... no, I don't know of a recording of the first version. Had thought there was, for some reason.
Eric
Eric
Quote from: TerraEpon on Sunday 08 August 2010, 06:48
Quote from: chill319 on Saturday 07 August 2010, 21:49
Following up on the initial entry in this thread: does anyone have a recommended recording of the "Mazurka on three Polish themes for violin and orchestra" or "Fantasia on two Russian themes for violin"?
Rinsky is a 'completionist' composer of mine, but I don't have ANY for the Mazurka. Archive doesn't even list one. Would love to have one though...
Do you happen to have the Svetlanov/Warner Bros set and if so what do you think of his intreptation? Would this set be worth investing in?
Thomas
Quote from: sdtom on Wednesday 11 August 2010, 04:55
Quote from: TerraEpon on Sunday 08 August 2010, 06:48
Quote from: chill319 on Saturday 07 August 2010, 21:49
Following up on the initial entry in this thread: does anyone have a recommended recording of the "Mazurka on three Polish themes for violin and orchestra" or "Fantasia on two Russian themes for violin"?
Rinsky is a 'completionist' composer of mine, but I don't have ANY for the Mazurka. Archive doesn't even list one. Would love to have one though...
Do you happen to have the Svetlanov/Warner Bros set and if so what do you think of his intreptation? Would this set be worth investing in?
Thomas
I don't have the Warner set, but I know Svetlanov's recording of Antar. As he did with most second (and worse)-rate compositions he conducted, he makes a very convincing case for it.
Probably worth the investment
Thomas :)
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/symphony-no-1-in-e-minor-op-1rimsky-korsakov/ (http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/symphony-no-1-in-e-minor-op-1rimsky-korsakov/)
Don't have a lot of recordings although I've decided to get the Warner/Svetlanov set. While this was his first opus it was revised 20 years later so I don't know if you can really count it as a first work.
Thomas :)
My next Rimsky-Korsakov work I'm reviewing is the 'Antar' which is usually mistakenly called his second symphony. From what I can tell are there three versions? Has anyone listened to all three? I don't have the original but I do have the second and third versions. My second version I think is with Maazel and the Pittsburgh. The third version I have several versions. Who is the resident expert on this unsung work? I say that because Scheherazade is performed 100-1 over this neglected wonderful work.
Thomas :)
Quote from: sdtom on Saturday 14 August 2010, 14:04
My next Rimsky-Korsakov work I'm reviewing is the 'Antar' which is usually mistakenly called his second symphony. From what I can tell are there three versions? Has anyone listened to all three? I don't have the original but I do have the second and third versions. My second version I think is with Maazel and the Pittsburgh. The third version I have several versions. Who is the resident expert on this unsung work? I say that because Scheherazade is performed 100-1 over this neglected wonderful work.
Thomas :)
If I remember rightly, there are
four versions of "Antar" - the original, the revision of 1875, the 1897 one (composer's "definitive" final thoughts) and the 1903 score, a mixture of the 1875 and 1897 versions due to the publisher deciding it would be too expensive to bring out the 1897 version.
I don't know about recordings, pretty sure the original version hasn't been recorded and I read somewhere that the majority of conductors use the 1903 score in the mistaken belief that this is the final, definitive version rather than the compromise it actually is.
As for the first symphony, a hearing of the original score would have curiosity value but is a recording and the time/expense that involves really worthwhile? Rimsky-Korsakov was quite open about the limits of his knowledge in the 1860s and saw the revision as cleaning up what his later more educated self could see as mistakes in the work and also changed the key to make the work easier to perform.
Being the promoter I am Naxos should do a recording of the original version of both the 1st and 2nd symphony. Coupled together with a $9 price would attract enough of us fanatics, ya think!!!
Thomas :)
Quote from: khorovod on Saturday 14 August 2010, 14:25I don't know about recordings, pretty sure the original version hasn't been recorded and I read somewhere that the majority of conductors use the 1903 score in the mistaken belief that this is the final, definitive version rather than the compromise it actually is.
No, I'm pretty sure the 1897 one is the main one recorded, with 1903 recorded a couple times, and 1975 once.
who did the 1975? Svetlanov?
If the descriptions on IMSLP (http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.2,_Op.9_(Rimsky-Korsakov,_Nikolai)) are to be trusted then the three versions of Antar are (yes, I know I said this already *g* - and that maybe this -isn't- accurate...) --
1868; 1875 revised in 1903; and 1897.
Which is confusing as anything, of course (2nd version's final revision postdating the 3rd and final version?) ... anyhow I suspect most recordings are of the 1897 version and I doubt there are any of the 1868 version, but I may be mistaken.
Eric
I have the 1903 one listed as a "variant" of the 1875 one, whatever that means. My main source is a book called "Rimsky-Korsakov - A Guide to Research" which has a pretty comprehensive works listing.
The Wikipedia article (which as usual may or may not be right) mentions that Scherchen recorded 1903, and Svetlanov did 1875, with others doing 1897. To expand on the above, apparently it was a matter of the 1903 versions being what could be changed on the plates from the 1875 one. Strange. I almost wonder if there's some coherency lost there, and just how much is actually different between the first three anyway...
Currently I have 4 recordings on CD. The recording with Maazel and the Pittsburgh is as far as I know the second version from 1875 which he revised in 1903. The fourth movement is allegretto vivace as opposed to allegretto andante the designation for the third version from 1897. The other 3 recordings I have are the 1897 version. To my knowledge no one has recorded the original 1868 version although a published score does exist. From what I can hear there is not a lot of difference between the two versions. The miking and or emphasis is the major difference in this case.
Thomas :)
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=210068 (http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=210068)
http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Orch-Works-Complete/dp/B000PFT1Y6 (http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Orch-Works-Complete/dp/B000PFT1Y6)
Are these two sets the same recordings of the Antar???
Thomas :)
I'm still not even close to be done with Rimsky-Korsakov, just waiting for more recordings to come
Just received the Tozer/Bergen Philharmonic set. On my first listen I was impressed with the Piano Concerto. Need to pay more attention the second listen.
Thomas
I also received the Svetlanov set and revised my 1st Symphony review.
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/symphony-no-1-in-e-minor-op-1rimsky-korsakov/ (ftp://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/symphony-no-1-in-e-minor-op-1rimsky-korsakov/)
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/symphony-no-1-in-e-minor-op-1rimsky-korsakov/
I am now up to 5 different recordings of the 1st Symphony. Perhaps it will be recorded someday in its original key of e flat minor.
Thomas :)
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/fantasy-on-serbian-themesrimsky-korsakov/ (http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/fantasy-on-serbian-themesrimsky-korsakov/)
Continuing with my Rimsky-Korsakov reviews I'm working on Fantasia on Serbian Themes, Op. 6.
Thomas
Added two more recordings to the review.
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/fantasy-on-serbian-themesrimsky-korsakov/