Music by Evgeny Svetlanov

[Theodore S.]

Hello again,

I couldn't tell you where the performance of the Wind Quintet came from, beside an upload of the same recording on "classic-online.ru", and it's possible that this is the only recording this group ever made (considering I can't find any other performance by this group online). It seems more likely to me that recording wasn't from an LP, but a live concert - I think the description on that video refers to this LP: https://www.discogs.com/release/12187273-%D0%95-%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%AE-%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA-%D0%A4-%D0%A8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%82-%D0%9A%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%94%D1%83%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%85-%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82

You're in luck regarding that recording of the Russian Variations for gusli-duo and folk orchestra, it's available here: https://poiskm.me/show/%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B5-%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80-%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B9; other performances of that arrangement exist on YouTube (as well as the original harp-and-orchestra arrangement).

I've also been looking for that Violin Sonata recording with Eduard Grach and Svetlanov for a long time, but for now I have absolutely no idea where to find it - I've even checked the Russian State Library's online catalogue, and it isn't listed there. The only things I can suggest are:
1.) - write to the Svetlanov Foundation about it;
2.) - check other Russian/Ex-Soviet libraries' online catalogues;
3.) - ask Eduard Grach, as he's still living (if you're in a position to contact him);
4.) - try the Melodiya Label. If it does actually exist somewhere as an LP, my guess is that it probably was recorded by Melodiya - maybe they have some information about it (though I imagine it would have to be one of their most obscure recordings, if they did in fact record it).
Otherwise, regarding the Violin Sonata, there is a video from a school performance of the 1st movement posted not long ago. Sometimes I wonder if the Grach/Svetlanov LP even exists considering there is almost no public information about it, but then again Svetlanov's music in general is quite rare to find.

Here is the Romantic Ballade: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DOi7a49AfA1huQkNz9T1asS7UavneARG/view?usp=drive_link

[tuatara442442]

Wow, thank again for your detailed answer!

[tuatara442442]

I didn't realize the the gusli duo concertante is really an arrangement of Russian variations for harp

[tuatara442442]

I didn't find the student recording of the sonata on youtube，including typing in russian (светланов соната Для скрипки is all the keyword I can come up with). Only a video of students playing 1st sonatina exists. Maybe it's on a Russian video website?

[Theodore S.]

This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHF57NqhuZU

[tuatara442442]

Oh, this indeed is a much bigger work than the sonatinas

[tuatara442442]

Are you the pianist-composer Theodore Servin I remembered seeing on YouTube?

[Theodore S.]

That's me, yes.

[Martin Eastick]

I have the score and part for the violin sonata. I was talking to the violinst Hideko Udegawa a few years ago as she was enquiring about obscure Russian repertoire that I had performance material for. I introduced her to the Svetlanov scores that I have, and she was very interested to make a complete Svetlanov CD, as all the pieces would fit nicely onto one disc it would seem! I haven't spoken to here recently, but she was hoping to get some sponsorship in place. This post has now prompted me to find out if this potential recording is still likely to happen - I hope so as Svetlanov's music for violin and piano is really attractive and well worth recording, especially the sonata!

[Alan Howe]

How interesting, Martin. Let's hope you manage to get this project off the ground. You've sold it to me!

[Theodore S.]

Martin, that would be absolutely wonderful! I really hope the project can take off, especially with the sonata. I actually found a PDF online of the violin sonata, in case anyone wants it (full score and violin part): https://thecellist.ru/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/svetlanov-e.-sonata-for-violin-and-piano.pdf

Also, since you were thinking of doing all the violin pieces, these's one other piece that's also similarly obscure in terms of recordings, the Waltz in D major: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14qZicgZ4n6zYNXlggza2gDiBJ-31lMw3/view?usp=drive_link. Supposedly this piece was also recorded by Grach and Svetlanov, but that recording also seems out of reach.

[tuatara442442]

Considering her recent releases were on Northern Flower, an all Svetlanov disc would be most apt.

[Theodore S.]

There is one other piece by Svetlanov for which I don't know if it has been recorded - "Родние Поля" ("Rodniye Polya"), or "Native Fields", a 5-movement cantata for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra written in 1949. So far, the only part of the cantata which has definitely been recorded is the orchestral prelude called "Рассвет в Поле" ("Rassvet v Polye"), or "Dawn in the Field", which has a score video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOZx1XCKRcA. It's a gorgeous prelude, one of my favorite pieces by Svetlanov, so I think it can be safely assumed the rest of the piece is probably also very beautiful; a couple Russian articles suggest it had a successful premiere.

The complete orchestral and vocal manuscripts for the cantata can be found on the online archive of the Glinka Museum of Music.

[Theodore S.]

Hello everyone, a little update. I've been talking with a friend about Svetlanov's music (and I've also come across several interesting recordings never previously digitized, which I'll soon share here), and he sent me a PDF of a book with the complete discography of Svetlanov as of 1987, including his own works. What's interesting is that in this book, the catalogue numbers of these recordings are also included. As there has been discussion regarding the recording of Svetlanov's Violin Sonata in G minor by Eduard Grach and the composer, this is the information given about that recording:

Соната для скр. и ф-п. Э. Грач и Е. Светланов.
Д.з.29.10; зап. 1967: Д-78914
(the last "4" may or may not have a space before the previous number, it's a bit hard to tell.)

This recording is part of a section titled "Фонограммы Всесоюзного радио" ("Phonograms of All-Union Radio"); after this is a section called "Грамзаписи Всесоюзной студии «Мелодия» и фирмы EMI (Великобритания)" ("Recordings of the studio 'Melodiya' and the firm 'EMI' (Great Britain)"). The Violin Sonata is only mentioned in the former section and not the latter, suggesting it may not have been released as a vinyl on "Melodiya". However, this does not necessarily mean the recording is lost, because another recording from the former section, Svetlanov's Cello Sonata, has been rereleased as a track on a CD in 2014 ("Evgeni Svetlanov - Piano Works, Vol. 7" from Russian Disc).

I'll share the pages with Svetlanov's compositional discography, as well as the section containing a list of compositions up to the publication of the book:

Фонограммы Всесоюзного радио
Грамзаписи Всесоюзной студии «Мелодия» и фирмы EMI (Великобритания)
Каталог Сочинений Е, Ф, Светланова

[tuatara442442]

thank you for your new information Theodore. We are closer to the truth!