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[Amphissa]

I'm a big fan of Myaskovsky, and considered a couple of his later symphonies as possible candidates in this thread. However, although I like the 5th a lot, Rachmaninoff's 2nd does not delve into the kind of tonal complexity found in Myaskovsky's 5th.

[JimL]

Rachmaninoff and not, say, Rimsky, Gliere or others? Interesting comparison for the Myaskovsky. (Not the first composer that work brings to mind... some of the composers it brings to mind- e.g. at the very opening- may not even all be Russian or even Eastern European. Maybe a hint of ... I don't know. Bax or Delius or - something??? (Or Debussy, more likely, Eric. That's where your mind is heading...) )

Several spots in Myaskovsky 5 bring Sibelius to mind, particularly the secondary themes in the first movement.

[Elroel]

How about the Requiem of Osip Kozlovsky opposite to Verdi's?
Kozlovsky wrote it at the end of the 18th century (1798 to be exact), but IMHO quite an early romantic feel.
http://youtu.be/Ik8ktuRwIRo

[Alan Howe]

If you like Kozlovsky, try Cherubini...

[sdtom]

I'm a big fan of Myaskovsky, and considered a couple of his later symphonies as possible candidates in this thread. However, although I like the 5th a lot, Rachmaninoff's 2nd does not delve into the kind of tonal complexity found in Myaskovsky's 5th.

I much prefer the Myaskovsky 5th to the Rachmaninoff. It is a favorite symphony.
Tom

[Amphissa]

By the way, Rachmaninoff was a student of Tanayev. Rachmaninoff's 2nd symphony was dedicated to Taneyev. So EWK, you might want to check out Taneyev's 4th.

I enjoy Myaskovsky's 5th a lot and admire many of his works for their creative structure, harmonic complexity and melodies. But it's a completely different sound world than Rachmaninoff. One can enjoy both individually, but they have little in common.

That said, some of Myaskovsky's later symphonies reside more firmly in the Romantic idiom. For someone looking for symphonies that compare to Rachmaninoff's, I would start there.

[eschiss1]

or his 2nd and 3rd symphonies (though maybe they follow more naturally on from Scriabin's early symphonies- though I prefer the earlyish Myaskovsky symphonies to the Scriabin or to his 5th too... , the 3rd with the tread of its final funeral march- both of them.)

[X. Trapnel]

There really is no other composer like Rachmaninoff when it comes to the symphonies, though I think the sound world of the 3rd has some echoes in later Bax. I'm very fond of Miaskovsky, but even at his most symphonically expansive he just didn't have the melodic invention of Rachmaninoff (who did?); I think the 17th is the closest he comes, and it's certainly one of Miaskovsky's best. The Kalinnikov symphonies occupy a middle ground between Borodin and Rachmaninoff, are of unflagging melodic inspiration and have a sparkle and translucency that complement the darker and more dramatic qualities of the Rachmaninoff 2nd.

[John H White]

If you like Beethoven's late choral works, such as the Missa Solemnis and the finale of the 9th Symphony, you'll probably like the Cherubini Requiem, as already mentioned by Allan. Beethoven, of course, being a great fan of Cherubini.
     Cheers,
     John.

[chill319]

Interesting to play Symphony 1 by Rachmaninov and Symphony 1 by Skryabin back to back. The first, a brilliant extension of Liszt (Faust symphony). (My current favorite recording is Kagan and the Moscow State SO on Alto.)  The second a piece I play more and more often as I get to know it. (My current favorite recording is Segerstam and the Swedish PO on Bis.)

[Amphissa]

Interesting to play Symphony 1 by Rachmaninov and Symphony 1 by Skryabin back to back. The first, a brilliant extension of Liszt (Faust symphony). (My current favorite recording is Kagan and the Moscow State SO on Alto.)  The second a piece I play more and more often as I get to know it. (My current favorite recording is Segerstam and the Swedish PO on Bis.)

Am I reading this correctly? A recording of Rachmaninoff's 1st symphony by Kagan and the Moscow State Symphony on the Alto label? I don't find it on the Alto website, and Google doesn't give me a lead. Can you point me to the recording?

[eschiss1]

thinking he might have meant the Faust symphony instead, I had a look and could only turn up Schnittke's Faust Cantata recorded by Kagan instead...

[chill319]

@Amphissa: Apologies for an uncaught typo. I meant to say Kogan. (I once worked with a musician and scholar named Susan Kagan and that may be why the name looked right.) Unfortunately, at the moment Kogan's recording seems hard to find, despite being recent. It's well worth seeking out, interpretively and sonically, if the symphony appeals to you.  Alto ALC 1032. Rachmaninov. Symphony No. 1; Isle of the Dead.  Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. Pavel Kogan. Recorded Moscow Film Synchro Studios, Oct. 1990. First issue 2009.

[eschiss1]

Oh! Should have thought of that possibility, as I have some of Pavel Kogan's recordings myself (accompanying Leonid Kogan in some cases). Silly Eric...

[eschiss1]

Oh, Susan Kagan- now that name is familiar- Ferdinand Ries expert, commissioned a translation of the Wegeler/Ries "Biographische Notizen über Ludwig van Beethoven.", and has undertaken a series of recordings for Naxos of Ries piano works, among other things.  Some really good contributions, imho...