Soviet Russia (1917-1953) : 6-17 November

[EdgeleyRob]

Greatly enjoying these COTW programmes,anyone else been listening ?

I'm not too familiar with Roslavets and Mosolov (Iron foundry excepted) so I need to put that right.
Today Marina Frolova-Walker picked out Myaskovsky Symphonies 5,6,13,21 & 27 as masterpieces so she'll do for me.
A chance to hear his 10th in today's episode,probably only a mini masterpiece at around 15 mins

Elsewhere on Radio 3 today a feast of Russian piano music.

[Lat-Literal]

Greatly enjoying these COTW programmes,anyone else been listening ?

I'm not too familiar with Roslavets and Mosolov (Iron foundry excepted) so I need to put that right.
Today Marina Frolova-Walker picked out Myaskovsky Symphonies 5,6,13,21 & 27 as masterpieces so she'll do for me.
A chance to hear his 10th in today's episode,probably only a mini masterpiece at around 15 mins

Elsewhere on Radio 3 today a feast of Russian piano music.

Well, I haven't but I will take up on your recommendation. I know nothing but the etching of the map produces various thoughts. First, I bet they wont do the Tcherepnins which would be a predictable outrage. Nor Gliere, of whom I am fond given that he is world or at least ethnic music and Lourie who I like and I think Bryn likes Lourie too? I would expect them to do Ustyvolyskya. If not, why not? There are some who I like but I would not expect to be featured - Boris Tchaikovsky, Gretchanikov etc. Conus is a family - I thought I liked them more than I do. Denisov is quite interesting. The very dominant Glazunov - it easily fits into his time. It's at the end of Liadov. Lyapanov and Taneyev all who require to varying degrees revisiting. This is beyond the obvious inclusions. Of the bigwigs, I could see myself going large on Khachaturian against what I sense is general indifference but I haven't built up enough knowledge yet. It's a feeling. And I'm vaguely aware that in heavy classical music opinion, it is Russia v Germany with Germany winning out. I've got to get to grips with this one. Clearly the time references are different - but my instinct says Russia but mostly neither. I'm a sort of Anglo-American Mediterranean but you knew that - new romantic!

[Richard Barrett]

Today Marina Frolova-Walker picked out Myaskovsky Symphonies 5,6,13,21 & 27 as masterpieces so she'll do for me.

That reminds me, I never got anywhere near listening through the box of Myaskovsky Symphonies, I must find time to do that eventually. One Russian composer of that period and subsequently whose work interests me greatly is Ivan Wyschnegradsky (1893-1979), who spent his life in Paris from 1920 onwards although to my ears remains a highly Russian composer of post-Scriabin stylistic tendencies, and indeed left Russia not for political reasons (he was a convinces supporter of the revolution in its initial stages) but to find a way of having a quartertone piano built, which he was then intending to take back to Russia with him. His 24 Preludes (1934) for two pianos a quartertone apart are very impressive I think. I was thinking about his music because recently I acquired a copy of his newly translated Manual of Quartertone Harmony which is really fascinating in the way that it deals with these intervals in terms of extending tonal harmony. The ideas work beautifully in his pieces anyway.

[BBMmk2]

It makes me wonder why the BBC are celebrating this event. Quite a monstrous affair.

[vinteuil]

It makes me wonder why the BBC are celebrating this event. Quite a monstrous affair.

... I think they are commemorating it, not 'celebrating' it.

Whether you approve of them or not, events like this Russian revolution and the French revolution before it were epoch-changing, and surely worth marking for the significance they have.

.

[Stanfordian]

Greatly enjoying these COTW programmes,anyone else been listening ?

I'm not too familiar with Roslavets and Mosolov (Iron foundry excepted) so I need to put that right.
Today Marina Frolova-Walker picked out Myaskovsky Symphonies 5,6,13,21 & 27 as masterpieces so she'll do for me.
A chance to hear his 10th in today's episode,probably only a mini masterpiece at around 15 mins

Elsewhere on Radio 3 today a feast of Russian piano music.

I love to play the Myaskovsky Symphonies from time to time and have the complete set. I'm not sure I would describe all those mentioned by Marina Frolova-Walker as masterpieces.

[Richard Barrett]

It makes me wonder why the BBC are celebrating this event. Quite a monstrous affair.

Maybe you ought to find out a little more about the history of it before making such a sweeping statement!

[EdgeleyRob]

I love to play the Myaskovsky Symphonies from time to time and have the complete set. I'm not sure I would describe all those mentioned by Marina Frolova-Walker as masterpieces.

Would you consider any of them to be so Stan ?

[EdgeleyRob]

That reminds me, I never got anywhere near listening through the box of Myaskovsky Symphonies, I must find time to do that eventually.

If you ever do Richard I would be interested to know your thoughts.

[teamsaint]

Haven't managed to listen to any of COTW, what with work etc.

Have been listening to a bit of Myaskovsky recently though. I like the Symphony-Ballade No 22, and currently spinning the Russian PO/Grubert Naxos disc.

I'm not all that struck by the soloist on this, maybe the playing is " Idiomatic", or maybe there is a better recording available ? ER ?

I'm certainly going to give the Wyschnegradsky Preludes a spin soon as well. They sound fascinating.

[Serial_Apologist]

Wyschnegradsky

Bless you!

[EdgeleyRob]

Haven't managed to listen to any of COTW, what with work etc.

Have been listening to a bit of Myaskovsky recently though. I like the Symphony-Ballade No 22, and currently spinning the Russian PO/Grubert Naxos disc.

I'm not all that struck by the soloist on this, maybe the playing is " Idiomatic", or maybe there is a better recording available ? ER.

For the Violin concerto ts ?
I don't think the Naxos is too bad although the coupling of the Weinberg Concerto is probably more successful.
Repin under Gergiev is fab.(Naxos Library)
Oistrakh is fantastic too if you can bear the 1939 sound.(Naxos Library and YouTube)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... I think they are commemorating it, not 'celebrating' it.

Whether you approve of them or not, events like this Russian revolution and the French revolution before it were epoch-changing, and surely worth marking for the significance they have.

.

Indeed. Though, as expected, they use it as another excuse to give us constant reminders of their "Breaking Free" season.

[BBMmk2]

Maybe you ought to find out a little more about the history of it before making such a sweeping statement!

I know quite abit about already. I still think that it was a pity that George V couldn't help the Tsar and his family to come to this country, when he had the chance but, unfortunately his hands were tied in this instance.

[Serial_Apologist]

Would it be feasible to keep this thread going for next week's COTW, dealing with the post-Zhdanov period of Soviet music, about which I for one know far too little, apart from in the area of jazz, maybe? Last night I caught the second piano concerto of Rodion Shchedrin of 1964 on TTN, a marvellous work which, listened to "blind", I had assumed to be early Henze, and just now found this interview on the composer's website, from 3 years ago:

http://www.shchedrin.de/index.php?id=28