Unsung composer living just 110 years after Mozart : Vassili Kalinnikov !

[redieze]

victim of tuberculosis, protégé of Tchaikovsky,friend of Rachmaninov,ploughed by Rimsky-Korsakov (the Young wife o Vassili ...send a faulty copy of his 1st symphony to the professor..!)fortunately, russian Maestros (incl.Svetlanov & Jarvi recorded his orchestral works, Following the cd of Veronika Dudarova on Olympia

[Alan Howe]

ploughed by R-K??

[eschiss1]

there's quite a few recordings of his 2 symphonies. ... if he's unsung what is Myaskovsky? Kalafati?...

[Mark Thomas]

I'd still class Kalinnikov as unsung - I bet that the "average" music lover has never heard of him, even though those two fine symphonies are very familiar to us more adventurous souls. And then, how many of us are at all familiar with the rest of his music: the Tsar Boris music, the symphonic pictures, overtures, intermezzos and Serenade?

[TerraEpon]

there's quite a few recordings of his 2 symphonies. ... if he's unsung what is Myaskovsky? Kalafati?...

Not really "quite a few". I don't think there's any in the digital era outside the ones on Naxos, Chandos and BIS.

[eschiss1]

There seems to be one other, on the Octavia Records label, according to Worldcat, released in 2013. (Kazuki Yamada, Czech Symphony.) Coupled with Glazunov 5 and even then that's just Kalinnikov 1, not both symphonies. I didn't know about that one until just now, though. I think otherwise you're right... (and symphony no.1 was also recorded alone in 1996 conducted by Samuel  Friedmann. Hrm. Ok, of recordings of both symphonies, you're still right...)

Actually, Dudarova's 1992 recording of both symphonies is digital also, mentioned above, I believe. So that -is- 4...

[eschiss1]

"I'd still class Kalinnikov as unsung"

Maybe our classical stations (radio when we had them, Music Choice TV now that that's what we have) play (or used to play) more Kalinnikov symphony 1 than BBC3 and Classic FM - there was a time I recall hearing that symphony fairly often when I tuned in, is what I suppose I respond to. (The first symphony was performed a few months ago in Edmonds, WA I see, fwiw. I agree about his other works, though that often happens anyway!)

[adriano]

I love the 3CD Melodiya set conducted by Svetlanov (some of the works were recorded in 1968-7) and others in 1987-9.

[hyperdanny]

My reference for the 2 symphonies is the BIS issue, that happily substituted the Chandos because for me is altogether superior, but I am very fond of a recent acquisition: there's a japanese (Exton) release that pairs the Kalinnikov 1 and the Glazunov 5.
Very well conducted by the young japanese conductor Kazuki Yamada, gorgeously recorded, but above all fabulously played by that "Old World" Rolls-Royce of an orchestra that is the Czech Philharmonic.
As all things Jap, it cost quite a bit, but I don't regret a penny.

[eschiss1]

TE was referring specifically to recordings of the two in the "digital era". When I noticed the Exton release mentioned online Worldcat described it as an Octavia (Octavian?) CD release ("from Exton") which seemed odd since it was definitely from Japan, but I went with it...

[hyperdanny]

interesting..I'll go look, but I'm pretty sure on the cd there's only mention of Exton...

[Alan Howe]

This is the CD in question:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kalinnikov-Symphony-Glazunov-Khachaturian-Masquerade/dp/B01AYQ3KY2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=kalinnikov+glazunov&qid=1553702085&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Exton is one of the labels under the aegis of the Japanese company Octavia Records Inc:
https://rateyourmusic.com/wiki/Music:Octavia+Records+Inc%2e

[Mark Thomas]

Download is £19.98 at Amazon UK (no CD on offer that I can see), but only £11.99 at Qobuz.

[Alan Howe]

...or at Presto:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8039743--kazuki-yamada-conducts-kalinnikov-glazunov-khachaturian

[Mark Thomas]

I haven't listened yet to the Kalinnikov, but I was utterly wowed by the Glazunov Fifth with which it's coupled. Alan started a thread on this recording a few tears ago.