Konstantin Antipov: Allegro Symphonique Op 7

[dhibbard]

I am working on scoring this on Sibelius... does anyone know of a radio performance or any known recording?   Just thought I would ask as we have wealth of knowledge on this forum.

Antipov, Konstantin Afanasyevich 18.jan.1858-1927 Russia, St Petersburg - ?, ?
1878-1886 studied and graduated from St Petersburg Conservatory, criticised by his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov for his lack of base knowledge, member of the Belyayev Circle, after 1893 he gave up composing

this is an excerpt from The Beauty of Belyayev:

Rimsky-Korsakov  gives  a  brief  insight  into  Antipov's  progress  towards  graduation  in  the season   of   1885/86.   Writing   in   his   Memoirs,   he   remarks 4,   'Of   my   pupils   at   the Conservatoire, I.I. Vitol, A.A. Petrov 5 and Antipov finished the course. Not withstanding an undoubted talent, the last-named, due to sloth and his characteristic indiscipline, would not have succeeded in finishing his examination task, an 'Allegro', if Glazunov had not given him surreptitious  assistance,  completing  the  orchestration  of  the  composition  for  him.  Antipov remained convinced that he would have completed the orchestration had he not run out of time. Glazunov who orchestrated this for practice, kept it a secret. The composition sounded beautiful and was later published by Belaieff to whom, however, the secret was well known.' The  work  received  its  première  at  the  third  Russian  Symphonic  Concert  of  the  1887 winter season on 7th. November, and it, together with works of other composers, performed at  this  and  the  next  two  concerts  was  the  subject  of  poor  reviews  by  Cesar  Cui.  Stasov counter  attacked  in  an  article  titled  'Pechelnaya  Katastrofa/A  grievous  catastrophe 6.'  This was  followed  by  Cui's  celebrated  polemic,  'Ottsy  i deti/Fathers  and  Children'  which  was published  on  21st.  January,  1888 7.  Apart  from  generalised  issues,  Cui  made  specific reference  to  the  fact  that  Antipov's  work  consisted  of  only  one  movement  of  what  Cui assumed should be a complete symphony; consequently it was difficult to judge it in such a fragmentary state. Nevertheless, Cui acknowledged Antipov's gifts.

Besides the Symphonic Allegro9 and the songs, Op.4. there are nearly thirty piano pieces, all published by Belaieff and running consecutively from Op.1 to Op.13. M

[eschiss1]

It seems that at least four of his solo piano works (preludes Op.8 no.1 in E and Op.10 in F, Romance Op.5 no.1 in F-sharp major, also: Impromptu et Valse, Op.13 in F minor) have been recorded either on CD and/or YouTube but I don't know how much else of his music has. (Ah, also a fuguette Op.9 No.1, orchestrated and performed by synthesized strings by Jairo David Antolinez. That took a little extra searching. Also @ YouTube.)

[dhibbard]

the last half of the  article from The Beauty.......

On 23rd. July, 1888, Glazunov wrote to Rimsky-Korsakov about Lyapunov's piano pieces, Op.1 which were published that year by Belaieff. He compared their qualities with those of Antipov, 'A great contrast with the manuscripts of Antipov, of whom Belaieff is printing six pieces. 

The  music  in  them  is  not  the  best,  but  done  badly,  although  for  all  that,  thanks  to routine form, they are not so disconnected as the previous work by the maestro8'. Besides the Symphonic Allegro9 and the songs, Op.4. there are nearly thirty piano pieces, all published by Belaieff and running consecutively from Op.1 to Op.13. Mostly attractively written  for  the  instrument,  many  of  them  call  for  an  advanced  technique.  Not  all  are  of equal  merit.

Perhaps  one  of  the  best  of  Antipov's  many  short  pieces  is  the  Romance,Op.5, no.1.  With  all  the  charm  which  one  associates  with Lyadov,  it  leaves  one  with  a  feeling  of disappointment that this miniaturist of undoubted gifts, ceased so abruptly after a promising start.  Like  some  others  of  Cui's  'children',  Antipov  disappears  from  the  Belaieff  catalogue within  only  a  short  time  of  making  his  first  appearance. He  presumably  continued  with his career  in  the  Russian  Navy  where  he  received  a  technical  education  and  served  as  an engineer.

[Richard Moss]

IIRC, some 20-30 or so years ago, Bhagwan Thadani took an interest in a number of 'unsung' Russian composers including, I believe, Antipov. 

I do not know whether he is/was aware of 'Casanova' (I think his main - but not exclusive-  interest was piano works) and whether he is still contactable (he lives in Canada if you google his name).

Anyway, just a thought

Best wishes and stay safe

Richard

[Gareth Vaughan]

Good heavens! Is Bhagwan still alive? I thought he had died. Very glad to find I was mistaken.

[dhibbard]

oh yes. I have correspondence from him in the early 2000's   I will look it up.   I remember he performed a huge midi collection onto DVDs.   Let me reach out.   Thanks

[Gareth Vaughan]

Oh, I have correspondence with him dating from around that time - but since about 2003 nothing... And a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. But I would be very happy to know he was still with us. A real enthusiast. He greatly encouraged my interest in Bortkiewicz and Blumenfeld.

[dhibbard]

hmm  he did not answer my email and his website is now forsale...   I do have his phone number.. so let me try there.As you know, he was instrumental in finding Bortkeiwicz works buried in boxes at the Fleisher Library that he apparently sent there in the evacuation of Crimea (Ukraine at the time).