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The manager of an orchestra I know, who used to record for ASV and Naxos once told me that for a particular recording for ASV, the orchestra were required to purchase/take as part of their fee (I forget which) 5000 copies of the CD, so that the label wouldn't lose out if it was a flop. I don't think that is uncommon. I believe he still has a great many sitting round his office!

You'll notice, if you have the immense patience required, that scrolling through the 100,000s CDs on somewhere like emusic.com will show that there are far more unsung recordings of piano and chamber works than there are orchestral works, and a lot of the orchestral ones are re-releases or LP transfers. Unfortunately, an orchestra costs a fortune - music hire, rehearsal time, conductor/soloist/player fees, studio time etc etc. It all adds up. God forbid you should want to record a large choral work by a recently-deceased composer for example (i.e. he can't just give you the music!).

I'm definitely in the 'be thankful for what we get' camp, but i have to say, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I think I would flood the market with recordings of obscure russian music! Complete Napravnik orchestral works anyone?

Lee

Interestingly, Triodin is mentioned by Sabaneyev in his 1927 'Modern Russian Composers' (translated by Judah A. Joffe). He is mentioned only very slightly and in company with Shishov and Shenshin. It always struck me as a little odd that, of all the composers active or recently active in Russia at the time, he should get picked out! Perhaps just to stick the boot in... Here is what Sabanayev writes:

'Shishoff, Shenshin and Triodin, who cannot conceivably be numbered among the champions of modernism in music, belong to the more mature generation. These composers consciously abide by the old standards... Triodin, a dilettant composer, must be mentioned merely because he is one of the few who are striving to resurrect the style of the national "naive opera" of the last century. This attempt must on principle be set down as hopeless; at any rate it requires genius which Triodin, a musician of feeble technique for all his great energy, does not possess. His operas were produced on the stage in Moscow and enjoyed rather clamorous success. The Silver Prince and Styepan Razin are typically epigonic music in which the achievements of Chaykoski, Rimski-Korsakoff and Borodin are repeated in weaker form and often with too great exactness.'

This may sound rather harsh, but Sabaneyev is quite harsh about quite a few composers in the book (the word 'feeble' seeming to crop up a few times, I remember). There seems to be little ground, for him, between genius and 'everyone else'.

Just thought people might be interested. Sabaneyev's 85-year-old opinions aside, I'd like to hear some of Triodin's music!

Lee

Speaking of Birmingham composers, and apologies for it being slightly off topic, but I had the great pleasure of hearing the premiere of Andrew Downes's Horn Concerto last night. Marvelous piece!

Back to topic! I live in Birmingham and had no idea there was even an exhibition about Dorothy Howell. They're not very good at publicising things in this city sometimes. I wonder if there is a complete catalogue of her works anywhere? Maybe when the new library opens and they have a bit more space, they can put on a larger one to do her justice, and tell people about it! I even know Ursula a bit, who was featured in the article, and she didn't say anything!

Very interesting indeed! I feel that if I also had a 'windowed' mother, I would find moving to Letchworth equally helpful... they know their windows there...

Thank you Mykulh! Your discographies are amazing! I have spent long hours with them and google, trying to track down recordings

Lee

Oops! Sorry - that'll teach me to skim read 

I came across another. Apparently Alexander Ilinsky (who taught both Kalinnikov brothers, amongst others) wrote a single un-dated symphony. I don't think I have ever heard any of his music, though apparently some sections of one of his operas (Nur and Amitra, off the top of my head - reference book not with me), have been recorded.

Mmm... Grove    The more I use it the more I find it lacking. Very sad really. I once wrote to them, saying that they really should have composers listed as being alive, who died more than 10 years ago. They chap who wrote back was very apologetic. I rather got the impression they were short of staff and money. Shouldn't complain really - it's a massive resource, and completely free, on-line in the UK with your library card! 

Hi JimL,

I'd be very interested in knowing where you read that. The only mentions I've ever come across are in Feofanov and Ho's Dictionary and in the Dictionary published by the Ukrainian Composers' Union, both of which mention it as his only symphony. Neither is very forth coming with detailed work lists or much about his life, so they could well be wrong! In fact the Ukrainian dictionary lists it as his only purely orchestral work, which I find hard to believe.

Lee

I remember I had heard of the Blaramberg for some reason, and the Kalashevsky, but none of the others, until I read about them! I can't imagine they are ever likely to be performed. I wonder if the parts or scores survive? The details are all from Feofanov and Ho's dictionary.

I forgot to add that Nikolai Zaremba (one of Tchaikovsky's teachers) wrote and un-dated single symphony too - from the same book.

Lee

Edit - apologies, Alan. I mis-read yoru reply. The answer is no, except for the Kalashevsky. I have a recording, but have not noted the source - part of me thinks it most likely it was from this forum!

I can add a few 'minor' Russian's (and surrounding countries) to this list.

Apollon Gussakovsky has an unfinished Symphony from 1860.
Moussorgsky apparently wrote a youthful Symphony in D major, dating from 1862. I'm not sure if he ever finished it.
Another unfinished - Mikola Lysenko's from 1869.
Leonid Malashkin's single example dates from 1873. He was primarily a composer of songs.
One very interesting piece is Mikhailo Kalashevsky's from 1876, titled 'Ukrainian' - probably by his publisher. This is apparently the first Ukrainian symphony and it has also been recorded.
Pavel Blaramberg's only finished symphony, in B minor, dates from 1886. There's another unfinished one dated around 1907.
Catoire's Symphony in C minor dates from 1889, or 1899, depending upon where you look.
Vassily Vrangel's single symphony dates from 1894, as does Nikolai Kazanli's Symphony in F minor (though he wrote a Sinfonietta in G minor a few years before).
Arseny Koreshchenko's Lyrical Symphony in A flat major Op.23 dates from 1895 - I'm fairly sure this is his only example.
Mikolajus Ciurlionis has a Symphony in D minor from 1902, though again, I'm not sure if it is complete.
Paul Juon only wrote one full-blown symphony, the Op.23 in A minor from 1903.
The completely unheard of Yevgeny Bukke has a single Symphony, dated 1906.
Equally unheard of is Yuri Sakhnovsky, who's symphony dates from 1908.
Of course, then there is Blumenfeld's Symphony in C minor To the Beloved Dead Op.39 - his only example, I believe. A lovely piece of which there are a few recordings.
Another unheard-of is Sergei Shabelsky, who's only symphony dates from 1910 (although he wrote a Sinfonietta in 1954).
Alexander Alexandrov's single symphony dates from 1912.
Arkady Dubensky's Symphony in G minor dates from 1916 (he also composed a Fugue for 18 violins, a Suite for 9 flutes and an Overture for 18 toy trumpets!)
Alexander Yuranovsky's 'Spring Symphony' dates from 1918.

And there, I shall stop!

Lee

Thank you all! I shall try downloading them again.

Lee

Sometimes the discussions one here inspire me to go and just buy stuff, which is what I have just done with the Becker CD.  It is, incidentally, slightly cheaper on Amazon UK than on DE.

Wow! Jongen's music seems to have created quite a stir - thank you for the uploads! I shall download them later. I remember listening to his cello concerto many years ago and being a little non-plussed - my failing entirely, I'm sure - my tastes change a lot over time, I find. I have several of the CDs mentioned above, and the string quartets, waiting in my emusic download list - I shall have to get listening!

My thanks once again

Lee

Maybe they have run foul of copyright laws?