Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

[vandermolen]

Hello cilgwyn.
Actually I didn't get his autograph but I recognised him sitting in a box at the Bolshoi during a performance of a very tepid and banal ballet composed by him. This was in 1985 - New Year's Day to be precise. I went on my own as my friends were too hung over from the New Year's Eve celebrations in Red Square the night before - quite an experience in itself. The programme notes for the ballet were all in Russian but I worked out that it was Khrennikov and recognised him from photos on old Melodiya LPs. I have two CDs of his Second Symphony, one on a Vox CD coupled with his Violin Concerto 2 (I think) and the other on a CD with all three symphonies on a label with a name like 'Scribendium' I think. I have a set of his piano concertos on a double CD set. Therefore I didn't buy the nice looking Melodiya box which just duplicates everything although this doesn't always stop me! My favourite Khrennikov is the end of the slow movement of the Second Symphony which conveys a depth not encountered, by me at least, anywhere else in his orchestral output. On to Kabalevsky I like the CPO sets of the symphonies, piano concertos and cello concertos. Great art work I agree. I love his PC No.1 and maybe being introduced to it via the Chandos CD influenced my preference for it although it is a very powerful performance of a fine work. His Cello Concerto 2 and Symphony 4 are my other favourites. I hope that Unicorn release Eugene Goossens's First Symphony which was never released on CD. Christo would be pleased too.

[cilgwyn]

I'm listening to Khrennikov's Piano Concertos now. I love this music. Yes,I suppose it is all very derivative of Shostakovich and Prokofiev really;but great fun to listen to imho.......and Khrennikov certainly was no mean pianist. I think that if he wasn't who he was,listeners wouldn't be quite so vitriolic. Just reading the reviews,and comments,attached to some of the Khrennikov cds on Amazon's website. He really does provoke heated debate!!! I must admit to being too scared to get involved!
On the other hand,maybe I should really just get a life and listen to the real thing........so I'm going to put on Shostakovich and Prokofiev later. Although,I might play this Khrennikov cd again,first!
I would buy the Cpo set of Kabalevsky's Piano Concertos now;but oh dear,it is a little pricey for me at the moment. A pity,because I think that if you do respond to the more populistic aspects of Soviet culture,Khrennikov and Kabalevsky's music does have quite allot in common;although Khrennikov's idiom seems closer to Shostakovich than Prokofiev,and strikes me having a more astringent sound than Kabalevsky. Again,I like them both;and unlike Vandermolen,I like just about everything I've heard so far!

[vandermolen]

The CD below has a good performance of Kabalevsky's First PC which is my favourite and the CD is inexpensive.
The Vox CD with Khrennikov's Second Symphony is coupled with his VC No.1 and not 2 as I said above and the CD with all three Khrennikov symphonies is on the Scribendum label.
[asin]B00KAIALTM[/asin]

[cilgwyn]

Thanks,Vandermolen. I will bear that one in mind. There's a nice selection of music on it & fun artwork. Some of the alto Khatchaturian cds have nice artwork,too. Of course,you have to be careful about buying a cd just because you like the artwork.........another reason why temptation got the better of me & I HAVE now bought the Cpo set of the Piano Concertos. I really do like the painting on that one. In that sense cd collecting probably has some similarity with stamp collecting. Ooh,that's a nice penny black! Or what about those old PG Tips tea cards. I mean,what kind of mug would buy a particular brand of tea just because it had a tiny piece of card inside with a dinosaur on it?!!
The Cpo set will take a little while,because it's from one of those US sellers. Although,the dvds I bought from them recently,arrived very quickly. I was a bit surprised.

I listened to the Khrennikov Piano Concertos last night. Reading some of those posts on Amazon accusing Khrennikov of pinching ideas from his betters created some panic here. The opening of his First Piano Concerto is startlingly similar to Prokofiev.......everything about it;so much so that I suddenly thought,"What if it's like one of those Joyce Hatto cds?" or "Perhaps it IS a Prokofiev cd?". Anyway,I took the thing out and,yes,according to the cd,it IS BY Khrennikov. Subsequent movements sound more like the Khrennikov of the Symphonies cd,or Kabalevsky and.......b**** what a mish-mash of styles! I personally loved it;and I think his playing is terrific,but I can understand the accusations of some of his detractors. Personally,I can't resist it. Although,I must confess I only played the cd twice last night because it started skipping part of the way through. I have a feeling my cd players don't approve of Khrennikov. I will also put the cd into my pc a bit later,just in case it IS Prokofiev or a Joyce Hatto compilation. I seem to remember that was how the 'scam' (maybe I shouldn't use that word?) was rumbled!!

I also love that old Soviet style brass. The raspy way it blares out. I was listening to Ashkenazy's Decca recording of The Nutcracker a few days ago and part way through I switched it off. I'd been listening to Svetlanov conducting Balakirev and Liadov,and I started thinking,"that's what this ballet was missing". More expense?!! Not that I always need that sound,of course. Anyway,I digres............

[vandermolen]

Interesting post cilgwyn.
That characteristic raucous brass playing was an appealing feature of those old Melodiya recordings. Now the Russian brass tends to lack that quality (and I do regard it as a quality) and sound too 'perfect'. Of course you still want decent playing and I'm not sure how many times I'll be listening to my CD of Moeran's great Symphony played by the Shrewsbury Philharmonic (complete with church bells in the background). Like you I am sometimes influenced by cover art work and have even been known, in a fine example of obsessive compulsive CD nutterdom to buy the identical recording to one I already have if it is released with preferable artwork  . I have, for example the Faberman recording of Gliere's Third Symphony on Unicorn, Regis and Alto. Must listen to those Khrennikov concertos - which would you recommend of the violin and piano concertos?

[cilgwyn]

I'm listening to Shostakovich now. Interesting to listen to his music after Kabalevsky and Khrennikov. I wish Cpo would record some Khrennikov. I'd like to hear an up to date recording without the Soviet brass. I think that either politics or an opinion that Khrennikov just WAS a hack is an ostacle to any recordings. My money is on the latter!  I would also like to hear a really good recording of a Lev Knipper symphony (or two) from a label like Cpo. He was a particularly prolific composer who was obviously very prominent and well thought of in the Soviet Union. The only recordings I have been able to hear are uploads of old Russian Lps with rotten sound quality and Northern Flowers which were very disappointing in terms of playing and recording quality. Of course there is the Fourth Symphony on Olympia;but again,I wouldn't care to judge his music on that example of populist outpouring. He might be uninteresting,but until a decent recording comes along I will reserve judgement!!
Kabalevsky and Khrennikov aside;I do wish Melodiya would hurry up and get to some of the rarer and less obvious composers and music in their vast back catalogue. For example,Boris Asafiev's The Fountain of Bakhchisarai ballet. I seem to remember the original 2 lp set was coupled with  excerpts from another ballet,Flames of Paris. I have heard a selection of music from the Fountains ballet and very pleasent it was..............,but no cds of it!! Yet,it was in every catalogue and mailing list I received from Collets and the Russian Record Company!  Of course,there are numerous other examples. That's just one!
Actually,just out of interest I will just have a look and see if I can see that set on ebay,perhaps? I'm just wondering what it looked like. I used to like some of the designs with that lovely Russian script. I even quite liked the wierd smell of those boxes. I was told that it was possibly 'animal glue'? Is there any truth in that?!! Do you remember that smell,Vandermolen? Even with your eyes closed you'd have known it was the genuine article. Phew!!!

I'm listening to Barshai conducting Shostakovich's Seventh on Regis,now!

I just saw your post!
I love the Khrennikov Piano Concertos;but I'm not sure I could call them good. Maybe they are what is referred to as a gulty pleasure,like Khatchaturian's third symphony?! I'm going to have to skip through my set of the Prokofiev Piano Concertos just to make sure that the engineer behind my Khrennikov cd didn't have a Joyce Hatto moment. The opening movement of his First Piano Concerto really does sound just like Prokofiev,and not just LIKE him! Not that I mind,as long as it  isn't ACTUALLY Prokofiev I'm listening to! I certainly found the similarity startling! The rest of the music on the cd has a more identifiably Khrennikov sound,whatever that might be? To my ears he has a more astringent sound to his music than Kabalevsky. In the Piano Concertos there are the motoric rhythms and percussive sounds of Prokofiev and moments of repose. There is one very curious moment where a motif is repeated almost like chiming. It is very striking and quite memorable imho. I think the inspiration is uneven in places,and there is a vulgarity and kitschness at times which you wouldn't find in Kabalevsky or Prokofiev;but  my overall response is that it is great fun to listen to,and some it is viscerally very exciting. Khrennikov was obviously a very accomplished pianist. I would like to hear him playing some other composers. I wonder if there are any recordings;not necessarily on Lp,but possibly ones made for broadcasts?
Incidentally,I only have the first three Piano Concertos. There is a recording of a Fourth,which is played by someone else. I haven't heard any of his other concertos!

[vandermolen]

Thanks Cilgwyn. Yes, I do remember 'the smell'. I was often in Colletts when I lived in London and made some fantastic discoveries there. Occasionally there were LPs in thick white cardboard sleeves and nothing else! This was how I discovered Kabalevsky Symphony 4 (conducted by Kabalevsky - Olympia released it with Kabelevsky's secular Requiem as part of a two CD set. Great cover art but now sells for £2,000,000 or something like it. There is a more recent cheaper release on a single CD of Kabalevsky conducting his own Symphony 4. His First Symphony, showing the influence of his teacher Miaskovsky is the other one I really like. Miaskovsky's epic 6th Symphony is another one I first owned on a two LP set in a white plain cardboard sleeve from Colletts. Do you know Eshpai's Symphony 5? A great work which I'm sure would appeal to you.

[cilgwyn]

The CD below has a good performance of Kabalevsky's First PC which is my favourite and the CD is inexpensive.
The Vox CD with Khrennikov's Second Symphony is coupled with his VC No.1 and not 2 as I said above and the CD with all three Khrennikov symphonies is on the Scribendum label.
[asin]B00KAIALTM[/asin]

I think I marginally prefer the artwork on the Regis issue! A little more expensive. Yes,I am tempted by the atrwork.......I mean the music!   I'll put it on my list! Unfortunately,I was a bit of an idiot,and I took the Cpo set of the symphonies to a charity shop. My excuse? Well,short of some kind of Heath Robinson (you may be familiar with the drawings?) apparatus,I could do with a bit more room here? I did rip the Fourth Symphony,however;and I may......hopefully,have the rest on an external drive. I will hook it up a bit later and hopefully I will find it! The truth is I wasn't so impressed by the First and third.........but,maybe I will change my mind. It does happen. You leave something for a while,then when you returny,find yourself warming to it. Not always,of course. Last time around,Gliere's First and Second Symphonies still ended up getting switched off!! The third is the one for me!! And it has to be the Unicorn recording. Preferably the one with the all important painting of that bloke on that horse that grabbed my imagination as a teenage,all those years ago. The downside of cds? He's much smaller now!
Yet,unlike you,and a good few other listeners I gather;the Chandos recording of Respighi's Sinfonia Drammatica has my up on my feet,conducting the orchestra!! I love it! Pizzetti's Canti della Stagione alta for Piano & orchestra is another one. Everytime I rave about it I just get -----------------------------------------------! Chandos must be getting fed up with me pleading with them to record it!!
On the other hand,I think in the case of Kabalevsky's First I may have been so excited by the Second and Fourth,that I didn't give it enough time. I didn't like the Chandos recording of the Second at all & I thought the recording on the Olympia label was awful. Where were those huge whacks on the drum?  The Unicorn was the one for me! As to the Fourth. I did have an old Lp of it with Kabalevsky conducting. The sound was very thin and scrawny and I remember being a bit excited that it had got a new recording from a label like Cpo. I was intrigued by what I heard on that hard old vinyl Lp;but as I say,the sound quality was a major problem for me. I think the label was MK. Thick vinyl things. There seemed to be a series of them at the time. I think they were reissued Melodiya recordings. Do you remember them? My grandparents had some of them. They were very hard. I think the Kabalevsky had long grass,or some kind of crops taken close up on the front. There was also an album of the Red Army Chorus. My English grandfather (as opposed to the Welsh one) used to like the Soviet Union. He was a very mixed up man,I fear!! The Red Army Chorus were (are?) very singers,though;and I admit I did play the record myself,at times.

Anyway!! Even then,I didn't warm to the Cpo recording immediately. However,repeat listenings have led me to believe that it is a very fine symphony indeed. I love the melancholy atmosphere of the music. There is tragedy there,but it isn't gloomy;and some of the Shostakovich like moments are very thrilling indeed. I have to say at this point that,I do rather like Khrennikov's music,as you will have gathered,and I think it is a pity about his politics,because I think it hinders appreciation of his musixc;but I do think Kabalevsky is the finer composer. I think he assimilated his influences more successfully,his music has more fluency (it flows better) he has better taste and there is a sense humour. The latter is surprising really,when you think of what he seems to have been like as a person. He also had an ear for catchy tunes!
Regarding Eshpai. I remember his name in those old catalogues,too;if I'm not mistaken. I just looked at some reviews on Amazon for a cd of his Fourth and Fifth symphonies and saw what I would refer to as rave reviews!!!

I hope that Kabalevsky First is on my pc. I bought the Cpo set of the Piano Concertos off one of those US sellers. Even at their current prices buying the Cpo set of the symphonies would mean a total of at least £42 spent. So,hopefully the recording IS there somewhere! If not,I notice some sites do let you download that symphony only. Not Amazon,however! The only affordable alternative seems to be one of those ASV cds of Loris Tjeknavorian conducting that Armenian orchestra. His Khatchaturian recordings with that orchestra were a crashing disappointment. The playing seemed sloppy. Of course his Kabalevsky with them might be better?!

[Sergeant Rock]

Even at their current prices buying the Cpo set of the symphonies would mean a total of at least £42 spent.

The price for the CPO set of symphonies is only Euro 15 at JPC:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Dimitri-Kabalewsky-1904-1987-Symphonien-Nr-1-4/hnum/3990087


Sarge

[cilgwyn]

Thanks for that,Sage! I will bear that in mind. Hopefuly it IS on my external drive somewhere. I haven't looked yet. I'm going to have a cup of something refreshing first!!

[vandermolen]

Cilgwyn - I very much agree with many of your points. My original LP of Kabalevsky conducting his own Symphony 4 was on one of those very thick and hard Russian LPs. Melodiya or MK probably. I agree that the Unicorn is the best version of Kabalevsky's 2nd Symphony although I prefer to listen to No.4 and No.1. Can't believe you gave your CPO set to a charity shop!  . Those Tjeknavorian ASV recordings of Khachaturian were terribly disappointing, especially after his fine RCA account with the LSO which has never been released on CD. David Measham was a fine conductor who died prematurely. That LP with Kabalevsky and Miaskovsky on was a gem. Fortunately you can still pick it up relatively in expensively second hand on CD. His Samuel Barber LP/CD was very fine too and his Goossens Symphony 1 was better than the versions by Vernon Handley and Richard Hickox (his final recording).

[cilgwyn]

I can't believe it either! I still haven't looked through that drive. I prefer No 4 to No 2 now. I also have the Unicorn recording of Samuel Barber. It really is excellent.

[Sergeant Rock]

Having very little Kabalevsky in my CD collection (only the Cello Concerto #2 and the Colas Breugnon Overture) I ordered the CPO Symphony set. I'm billing it to you, cilgwyn 

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

I'm gaffer taping the letterbox now!!

That's all you've got?!!! Two works by the great Dimitri Kabalevsky! You'll be telling me you haven't got any Karl Jenkins next!! (Have you?!!!) And there I was reading your post and thinking  I was the only one without the Cpo release!!

[vandermolen]

I'm gaffer taping the letterbox now!!

That's all you've got?!!! Two works by the great Dimitri Kabalevsky! You'll be telling me you haven't got any Karl Jenkins next!! (Have you?!!!) And there I was reading your post and thinking  I was the only one without the Cpo release!!

Did you give the Unicorn Barber CD/LP away to a charity shop too? 
Actually I have given a box of CDs to the local Oxfam shop recently but not my CPO Kabalevsky series.  0:)

[cilgwyn]

No,I've got the Barber Measham cd! To be honest,I just wasn't convinced by No's 1 & 3 at the time;particularly No 3. On a cd-r I can pick the ones I want. Once I find No 1,I will give it another go.....and hopefully,it's there?!!!

[cilgwyn]

I've found all the symphonies on the external drive. I obviously had the sense to rip the set before handing it to the charity shop! Well,some sense! Apparently,they went bust,anyway! People were going in,shaking their heads and saying,"Whose this Kabalevsky bloke........where's ABBA?!!! Having listened to the opening of his First Symphony it strikes me that it's probably a better companion for No 4 on a cd-r than No 2. I haven't got any cd-r's at the moment,so I will be listening via the pc.......via cordless headphones!

[vandermolen]

I've found all the symphonies on the external drive. I obviously had the sense to rip the set before handing it to the charity shop! Well,some sense! Apparently,they went bust,anyway! People were going in,shaking their heads and saying,"Whose this Kabalevsky bloke........where's ABBA?!!! Having listened to the opening of his First Symphony it strikes me that it's probably a better companion for No 4 on a cd-r than No 2. I haven't got any cd-r's at the moment,so I will be listening via the pc.......via cordless headphones!

Excellent news about the external drive! Now you can revisit Kabalevsky's Symphony 1.

[cilgwyn]

The Cpo set of the Kabalevsky Piano Concertos fell through the letterbox this morning. The performances and recordings are magnificent, and for once Cpo's booklet notes are fully legible. In fact,they're very good,actually. We all react to things differently;but this is the one that does it for me,not the Chandos cd's! I just feel these performances have more,erm.......how can I put it? Oomph!

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Capriccio joins in with Kabalevsky. Very differently performed PC than the one on CPO.