Reinhold Gliere (1875-1956)

[Cato]

... Less 'cutting edge' than the 3rd symphony though.... any other works where he is as adventurous?

I would say no.  After the Symphony #3, for orchestral works at least, he stepped back and stayed with his rather conservative style from before 1912.

Somewhat similar to Richard Strauss abandoning the path which had led to Elektra.

[vandermolen]

Just received the Bearac Reissue transfer of Symphony No 3 (Rakhlin). The transfer is incomporably better than the same performance on Russian Disc. I think that it's the greatest recorded performance of the work.

[Daverz]

Just received the Bearac Reissue transfer of Symphony No 3 (Rakhlin). The transfer is incomporably better than the same performance on Russian Disc. I think that it's the greatest recorded performance of the work.

I have the Locked In the Vault transfers (and also the CBS-Melodiya Lps).  Where can one get this transfer?

[vandermolen]

I have the Locked In the Vault transfers (and also the CBS-Melodiya Lps).  Where can one get this transfer?

http://www.bearacreissues.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=335&category_id=1&keyword=gliere&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=12

[Daverz]

http://www.bearacreissues.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=335&category_id=1&keyword=gliere&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=12

Thanks.  Maybe I'll try transfering my own copy.

[cilgwyn]

The Red Poppy may not be great, but it's a good piece.    Avoid the Faberman 3rd, I agree it makes bad Bruckner sound good.     The concertos - for coloratura soprano (vocalising, no words) and horn are quite pleasant too.

With due respect,I'm afraid I just have to,completely, disagree with that. The Faberman recording was my introduction to the symphony,as a teenager,courtesy of my local library. I like his approach. As one 'critic' observed,there is a sense of timelessness. His pacing is slow & measured,but this is justified,imho,by a feeling of scale,grandeur & atmosphere which is absent from the more hectic,technicolor approach favoured by many of his rivals. Yes,they are superficially exciting,if you like the Hollywood blockbuster approach;but that's the problem with allot of these recordings as far as I'm concerned. I think Faberman was spot on! A marvellous performance. Alto should have kept the original Unicorn cover 'painting',though. I remember rummaging through that library record rack,all those years ago & thinking,'Whoa! That's wierd!' I just had to take it out!

[vandermolen]

With due respect,I'm afraid I just have to,completely, disagree with that. The Faberman recording was my introduction to the symphony,as a teenager,courtesy of my local library. I like his approach. As one 'critic' observed,there is a sense of timelessness. His pacing is slow & measured,but this is justified,imho,by a feeling of scale,grandeur & atmosphere which is absent from the more hectic,technicolor approach favoured by many of his rivals. Yes,they are superficially exciting,if you like the Hollywood blockbuster approach;but that's the problem with allot of these recordings as far as I'm concerned. I think Faberman was spot on! A marvellous performance. Alto should have kept the original Unicorn cover 'painting',though. I remember rummaging through that library record rack,all those years ago & thinking,'Whoa! That's wierd!' I just had to take it out!

I agree about the Alto cover! The Regis one was better but not as good as the Unicorn.  Rakhlin remains my favourite for the epic Russian/soviet atmosphere of the playing and it is more deeply felt than some recordings; I think highly of the Faberman too. My own introduction was Ormandy's RCA LP which I have never seen on CD.

[Brian]

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and JoAnn Falletta are the somewhat unlikely combo who will present the next CD version of "Ilya Murometz." Last month, between concerts in Buffalo and at Carnegie Hall, they recorded the piece for Naxos. Falletta writes, "People travelled to Buffalo and to New York City from all over the country to hear the performance(s).... The musicians of the Buffalo Philharmonic embraced the gorgeous fabric of this extraordinary work and—from the solo contrabassoon to the nine courageous horns to the large string section and everyone else—performed the work with complete conviction, passion and high drama. It was a very memorable week for all of the members of the orchestra, and has become a high point in our BPO musical history. The Buffalo Philharmonic performed and recorded the symphony complete and uncut."

Here's a tiny recording session clip on YouTube.

[vandermolen]

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and JoAnn Falletta are the somewhat unlikely combo who will present the next CD version of "Ilya Murometz." Last month, between concerts in Buffalo and at Carnegie Hall, they recorded the piece for Naxos. Falletta writes, "People travelled to Buffalo and to New York City from all over the country to hear the performance(s).... The musicians of the Buffalo Philharmonic embraced the gorgeous fabric of this extraordinary work and—from the solo contrabassoon to the nine courageous horns to the large string section and everyone else—performed the work with complete conviction, passion and high drama. It was a very memorable week for all of the members of the orchestra, and has become a high point in our BPO musical history. The Buffalo Philharmonic performed and recorded the symphony complete and uncut."

Here's a tiny recording session clip on YouTube.

Great news about the new recording.

[Karl Henning]

Well, I shan't have any excuse not to listen to the piece now ; )

[kyjo]

I don't think I've expressed my admiration for Gliere's music yet; allow me to do so now. His music may not be the most profound ever composed, but it is great fun for those (like myself) who enjoy a romantic wallow and is full of gorgeous and memorable tunes. He did write some embarrassingly trite, tub-thumping stuff, such as the late Heroic March (which goes on for a painful eleven minutes!), but the fact that he wrote such marvelous works as Symphony no. 3, The Sirens, The Red Poppy and the concertos for coloratura soprano, horn and harp far outweigh this fact.

What are everyone's favorite recordings of the irresistible Symphony no. 3? My favorite is Farberman's 93-minute (!) account which, surprisingly, keeps the dramatic tension going as much as any performance. It has, thankfully, been reissued on the Alto label along with his Cello Concerto, a fine but rather overlong piece, which, in the end, is rather disappointing and not one of Gliere's better efforts. It's still a worthwhile listen, though. Back to Symphony no. 3, my second favorite performance is Downes', which is captured in Chandos' opulent sound. I advise anyone new to this work to steer well clear of Botstein's and Stokowski's truncated recordings of the piece. I don't find the piece one bit overlong and the cuts certainly don't benefit it at all.

Is anyone familiar with this disc? I'm particularly interested in it because it includes the only recording of the first movement of Gliere's unfinished VC:

[vandermolen]

I don't think I've expressed my admiration for Gliere's music yet; allow me to do so now. His music may not be the most profound ever composed, but it is great fun for those (like myself) who enjoy a romantic wallow and is full of gorgeous and memorable tunes. He did write some embarrassingly trite, tub-thumping stuff, such as the late Heroic March (which goes on for a painful eleven minutes!), but the fact that he wrote such marvelous works as Symphony no. 3, The Sirens, The Red Poppy and the concertos for coloratura soprano, horn and harp far outweigh this fact.

What are everyone's favorite recordings of the irresistible Symphony no. 3? My favorite is Farberman's 93-minute (!) account which, surprisingly, keeps the dramatic tension going as much as any performance. It has, thankfully, been reissued on the Alto label along with his Cello Concerto, a fine but rather overlong piece, which, in the end, is rather disappointing and not one of Gliere's better efforts. It's still a worthwhile listen, though. Back to Symphony no. 3, my second favorite performance is Downes', which is captured in Chandos' opulent sound. I advise anyone new to this work to steer well clear of Botstein's and Stokowski's truncated recordings of the piece. I don't find the piece one bit overlong and the cuts certainly don't benefit it at all.

Is anyone familiar with this disc? I'm particularly interested in it because it includes the only recording of the first movement of Gliere's unfinished VC:

Yes, I have that disc. I like Symphony 2, which gets a bad press. Didn't make much of the VC but must listen again. Rakhlin and Faberman are my favourite versions of Symphony No 3 with Downes not far behind.

[cilgwyn]

I like Symphony No 2 better!! And his first isn't bad! But I need another listen.
I agree with kyjo's first choice for No3. The Faberman has that feeling of 'timelesness' noted by one reviewer/critic (I can't remember who or where?). It evokes a remote past and has a sense of scale and architecture;a result of Faberman's often slow tempi;yet knowing where to move on when he needs to. Downes is initially exciting,but ultimately,after a few listens,too hard driven. It's all spectacle on the surface,but ultimately a rather hollow experience,good as it is.
A pity they couple the Faberman with the Cello Concerto. I don't want that,I just want the symphony. Who cares if the duration of cd 2 ends up being 'too short'. And yes,I know you can use the program button,or make cdrs!!!
What a pity Gliere doesn't seem to have conducted a recording. I'd have killed to hear him conduct even a cut version,through the swish,crackles & even boxy sound!

The Red Poppy Ballet on Naxos is very enjoyable. Some lovely music. And I didn't like the 'complete' version,at first! Does anyone here know if Melodiya ever recorded a 'complete' version. Various searches have produced no evidence of one,so far!

I believe that Melodiya did record one of his operas;but I may be wrong. It would be interesting to be able to hear one.

Update: Nothing here!

http://www.durbeckarchive.com/melodiya.htm

[kyjo]

Thanks for the replies, Jeffrey and cilgwyn! I'll check out that ASV disc as well as the Rakhlin recording of the Third, which I don't yet own.

EDIT: I read a one-star Amazon review of the Rakhlin recording (which is quite hard to obtain) that said the audio quality of the transfer is horrendous! (BTW 6 out of 7 customers agreed with this reviewer.) What transfer of this performance do you own, Jeffrey, and how is the audio quality?

[vandermolen]

Thanks for the replies, Jeffrey and cilgwyn! I'll check out that ASV disc as well as the Rakhlin recording of the Third, which I don't yet own.

EDIT: I read a one-star Amazon review of the Rakhlin recording (which is quite hard to obtain) that said the audio quality of the transfer is horrendous! (BTW 6 out of 7 customers agreed with this reviewer.) What transfer of this performance do you own, Jeffrey, and how is the audio quality?

Kyle, the Russian Disc transfer of the Rakhlin recording is poor. So, the version to get is the much better recent Bearac Reissues transfer:

http://www.bearacreissues.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=335&flypage=flypage.tpl&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=12&vmcchk=1&Itemid=12

[kyjo]

Kyle, the Russian Disc transfer of the Rakhlin recording is poor. So, the version to get is the much better recent Bearac Reissues transfer:

http://www.bearacreissues.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=335&flypage=flypage.tpl&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=12&vmcchk=1&Itemid=12

Thanks, Jeffrey. Is that transfer available from Amazon? It doesn't seem to be.

[vandermolen]

Thanks, Jeffrey. Is that transfer available from Amazon? It doesn't seem to be.

No Kyle, just from Bearac themselves. They are based in Greece I think but deliver quickly and are not too expensive.

[listener]

What a pity Gliere doesn't seem to have conducted a recording. I'd have killed to hear him conduct even a cut version,through the swish,crackles & even boxy sound!

He did conduct his horn concerto for an recording (LP, never reissued as far as I know)

[Brian]

"The Glière Symphony No. 3 has always been a piece that shimmered on my horizon – a cult piece, in a way, renowned as the composer's towering masterpiece but rarely played in concert. As long as a Mahler symphony and enormous in its instrumental requirements, it was a work that people spoke about reverently but almost never heard live. The recording was an adventure that changed our orchestra, strengthened us, and became an artistic benchmark for our musicians. We revelled in the gorgeous landscape of the Symphony – from mysterious bass murmurings to crushing walls of brass fortissimo to breathtaking impressionistic renderings of forests and birds. We performed and recorded this massive work uncut to preserve Glière's extraordinary architecture. This work is a cathedral in sound that unfolds in breathtaking swashes of colour, poetry and monumental climaxes." – JoAnn Falletta

Scheduled for release February 2014

[Cato]

"The Glière Symphony No. 3 has always been a piece that shimmered on my horizon – a cult piece, in a way, renowned as the composer's towering masterpiece but rarely played in concert. As long as a Mahler symphony and enormous in its instrumental requirements, it was a work that people spoke about reverently but almost never heard live. The recording was an adventure that changed our orchestra, strengthened us, and became an artistic benchmark for our musicians. We revelled in the gorgeous landscape of the Symphony – from mysterious bass murmurings to crushing walls of brass fortissimo to breathtaking impressionistic renderings of forests and birds. We performed and recorded this massive work uncut to preserve Glière's extraordinary architecture. This work is a cathedral in sound that unfolds in breathtaking swashes of colour, poetry and monumental climaxes." – JoAnn Falletta

Scheduled for release February 2014

The work is a barn-burner!  I have always heard the spirit of Scriabin hovering in the area. 

So the Buffalo Philharmonic is tackling this work!  I can well imagine that the work was something of an epiphany!