War music

[jowcol]

Has Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky come up?  It was based on a much older war, but for propaganda move (which I LIKE) anticipating WWII.

Love Diamond's second Symphony.

[The new erato]

Thanks for the reply.  Will get it it.  Thought I had every everything by by Kachaturian.

Available for £ 4.40 on mdt as from today.

[schweitzeralan]

Available for £ 4.40 on mdt as from today.

Got it.  Thanks.  Found out I actually did own the LP version, which I no longer have. Relistened.  Wonderful work!

[vandermolen]

I certainly find Honeggers 2nd and 3rd symphony closely related to the V-W "war trilogy" and somehow dealing with the same subject matter. All 5 symphonies are major masterpieces.

Very much agree with this. Strong link IMHO between VW Symphony No 6 and Honegger's 'Liturgique' although the latter ends on a more hopeful note.

[schweitzeralan]

Available for £ 4.40 on mdt as from today.

I've been listening to several Khachaturian works, including the 2nd. Symphony, which I actually owned for many years but hadn't accessed it; bought another but haven't been listening until quite recently. The 2nd is a remarkable work, full of  color and menacing impressions which pervade the Russian horrors experiences in World War II. Stalingrad may have been the ultimate source of the symphony.  The 2nd may well be Khachaturian's most notable symphony.

[Catison]

I've been listening to several Khachaturian works, including the 2nd. Symphony, which I actually owned for many years but hadn't accessed it; bought another but haven't been listening until quite recently. The 2nd is a remarkable work, full of  color and menacing impressions which pervade the Russian horrors experiences in World War II. Stalingrad may have been the ultimate source of the symphony.  The 2nd may well be Khachaturian's most notable symphony.

I cut my teeth on Khachaturian as I started listening to classical music.  One of my most cherished recordings is the full Gayaneh with the USSR Ministry of Culture SO.  I've had it for 15 years now, and I listen to it often.  (I also remember sweeping my parents' garage to the Masquerade Suite as a teenager.)  As much as my tastes have ventured off into the netherlands of classical music (Babbitt, Xenakis, Lachenmann, etc.), I continually return to Khachaturian and his rhythmically beautiful music.

Yet I don't have the symphonies?  Luckily now, thanks to this thread, I've filled in those gaps.  Its really wonderful music!

[listener]

Liszt: Battle of the Huns
Prokofiev: Story of a Real Man

[alkan]

For me, without a shadow of doubt, the most powerful and harrowing work based on war is Britten's War Requiem.     Founding the music on the constrast between Wilfred Owen's visceral war poems and the text of a Requiem Mass is an absolute masterstroke, and the music amplifies the message magnificently.

[vandermolen]

Available for £ 4.40 on mdt as from today.

That is a good CD but the Jarvi/RSO version on Chandos is even greater - with its massively intimidating opening - yes, a great war symphony.

[schweitzeralan]

For me, without a shadow of doubt, the most powerful and harrowing work based on war is Britten's War Requiem.     Founding the music on the constrast between Wilfred Owen's visceral war poems and the text of a Requiem Mass is an absolute masterstroke, and the music amplifies the message magnificently.

I fully agree.  So many vernerable works the sources of which would be the horrors of war and conflict.

[listener]

add: Samuel Barber's Symphony no.2
"The second movement - in its original version -used an electronic tone-generator built by Bell Telephone Laboratories to symbolize the sound of the radio beam used to guide flyers at night."

[schweitzeralan]

add: Samuel Barber's Symphony no.2
"The second movement - in its original version -used an electronic tone-generator built by Bell Telephone Laboratories to symbolize the sound of the radio beam used to guide flyers at night."

I often thought about that section of the symphony but never did ascertain the meaning or the composer's thoughts or sources. Again,like in te case for Khachaturian, it's been many years since I've listened to the Barber symphonies.  First rate artist, Barber.

[schweitzeralan]

That is a good CD but the Jarvi/RSO version on Chandos is even greater - with its massively intimidating opening - yes, a great war symphony.

This is a posting on an old forum on war music which was inaugurated back when.  I just wanted to mention it along with Vandermolen's CD mentionables on the Khachaturian 2nd. I just listened to it, and it's been a long time since I've heard it and wanted to mention it here and now, as I think it's a masterpiece.  The theme is that of the Battle of Stalingrad.  There were many other excellent ideas and posts on the subject; the 2nd right now is racing through my mind.

[Wanderer]

Two more:

Janáček: Taras Bulba
Foulds: A World Requiem

[Maciek]

I believe no one has mentioned Penderecki's Dies Irae yet. War and its atrocities are its main subject. Many of the texts are chilling; it's an amazing selection; the choir chanting "cor-po-ra par-vu-lo-rum" is both terrifying and tragic.

(The full title of the piece is: Dies Irae: Oratorium ob memoriam in perniciei castris in Oświęcim necatorum inexstinguibilem reddendam.)

[Grazioso]

Martinu's Memorial to Lidice

Info: http://www.answers.com/topic/memorial-to-lidice-pam-tn-k-lidic-m-for-orchestra-h-296

[vandermolen]

Miaskovsky symphonies 22-24. Northern Flowers have done a whole series on music from the war years. Weinberg's (Vainberg's) Symphony No 1 is a fine example (on Chandos now too).

[Lethevich]

That Wartime Music 1941-1945 series is excellent, I value it especially for the lesser-exposed composers: Shcherbachov, Knipper and a generous two discs of Popov.

[vandermolen]

That Wartime Music 1941-1945 series is excellent, I value it especially for the lesser-exposed composers: Shcherbachov, Knipper and a generous two discs of Popov.

Yes, Scherbachov's 5th Symphony is especially impressive.

[jowcol]

Forgive me if I've already posted this, but Holmboe's 5th symphony is a great wartime symphony, and the first two movements are really powerful.

Also Othel's 3rd is a wonderfully brooding work written under Nazi Occupation, and is easily on my ever-changing list of the top 10 20th Century Symphonies.