Nikolay Miaskovsky (1881-1950)

Started by vandermolen, June 12, 2007, 01:21:32 PM

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vandermolen

Quote from: calyptorhynchus on February 19, 2022, 01:03:52 PM
Just listening to some Miaskovsky today. Sad to think of tragic events happening in Russia and Ukraine at the moment.  :(
Yes, I totally agree with you. Very disturbing. My daughter worked for MSF in Ukraine and they want her to go back but I hope that she does not.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

relm1

I've performed in concerts for the Ukrainians (I forgot exactly what it was but think it was an Independence Day concert) and they were all so generous and lovely.  The kind of people who have little but give all they have for a visitor.  The concert had ballet, chorus and orchestra, it was such a memorable experience.  They were all so kind and lovely, and proud of their national heritage. I'm heartbroken and wish a positive outcome but fear there won't be. 

vandermolen

Quote from: relm1 on February 19, 2022, 04:11:06 PM
I've performed in concerts for the Ukrainians (I forgot exactly what it was but think it was an Independence Day concert) and they were all so generous and lovely.  The kind of people who have little but give all they have for a visitor.  The concert had ballet, chorus and orchestra, it was such a memorable experience.  They were all so kind and lovely, and proud of their national heritage. I'm heartbroken and wish a positive outcome but fear there won't be.
Same here - I have very happy memories of my visit to Kyiv a few years ago.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Maestro267

I've reached No. 20 in my symphony cycle. It's listed as being in E major although the two outer movements begin in E minor, so I feel like it's more in that key than in the parallel major. Unless the key listed is doing so as a goal rather than a centre. Maybe it should be "Symphony No. 20, striving towards E major"?

relm1

#824
Quote from: Maestro267 on March 18, 2022, 01:55:31 AM
I've reached No. 20 in my symphony cycle. It's listed as being in E major although the two outer movements begin in E minor, so I feel like it's more in that key than in the parallel major. Unless the key listed is doing so as a goal rather than a center. Maybe it should be "Symphony No. 20, striving towards E major"?

The main theme (rehearsal 6) in the first movement is in E major and symphony ends in E major.  Though it starts in E minor, don't think too much about how it starts.  Sometimes composers set up their home key with a leading tone or dominant harmony so when it lands on the tonic it has a bigger impact.   Additionally, the second theme of the first movement is in g minor which is the relative minor of the dominant key to E major.  These are significant tonal relationships.  Harmonic context also helps explain what key a work is.  What the other significant keys are.  For example, in sonata form, the development section is supposed to be somewhat harmonically ambiguous as it should go as far away from the tonic as possible so when it arrives back at the home key in the recapitulation, it's a big moment...an arrival.  And of course, composers in twentieth century were expanding tonal relationships due to influences from other styles of music.

Maestro267

Got to what I think is my favourite in the cycle, No. 25. There's something radiant and cleansing about D flat major.

During the listen I realized that Myaskovsky abandons the four-movement symphony for full orchestra after No. 17. The rest are in either three movements or one. No. 22 could be either. Only No. 19 is in four movements and that is scored for wind band.

kyjo

Quote from: Maestro267 on March 21, 2022, 12:31:10 AM
Got to what I think is my favourite in the cycle, No. 25. There's something radiant and cleansing about D flat major.

During the listen I realized that Myaskovsky abandons the four-movement symphony for full orchestra after No. 17. The rest are in either three movements or one. No. 22 could be either. Only No. 19 is in four movements and that is scored for wind band.

Oh yeah, No. 25 is definitely one of my favorites, due in no small due part to it being written in that luscious key. When the full string section enters after the opening clarinet solo - what a glorious moment that is!
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Roy Bland


Mirror Image

Here's a photo just for Jeffrey (Vandermolen):

Myaskovsky with his student Khachaturian in 1933

Karl Henning

Quote from: vandermolen on June 12, 2007, 01:21:32 PMAny other nutter fans of this great Russian composer? Am listening to Polyansky's fine recording of Symphony 27 (Chandos) with a fine coupling of the Cello Concerto (Alexander Ivashkin, soloist).
That is a superb disc!

Cross-post

I dawdled an unnecessarily long time between purchasing the mp3 album of Murray McLachlan playing the piano sonatas and actually listening. I'm enjoying it v. much
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

vandermolen

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 02, 2023, 12:41:00 PMThat is a superb disc!

Cross-post

I dawdled an unnecessarily long time between purchasing the mp3 album of Murray McLachlan playing the piano sonatas and actually listening. I'm enjoying it v. much
Good to hear Karl. Coincidentally I was listening to them a couple of days ago. No.5 is a particular favourite, especially the last movement with its highly memorable theme.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Maestro267

I've just finished listening to Symphony No. 8 again and I'm always struck by how brutally dark that ending is! A lot of Myaskovsky's early symphonies have dark endings. Nos. 1-3 and 7-8 at the very least.

vandermolen

Quote from: Maestro267 on February 02, 2023, 01:57:48 AMI've just finished listening to Symphony No. 8 again and I'm always struck by how brutally dark that ending is! A lot of Myaskovsky's early symphonies have dark endings. Nos. 1-3 and 7-8 at the very least.
I love No.3, an early discovery for me on LP, which ends in the deepest gloom.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Albion

Quote from: vandermolen on February 02, 2023, 04:13:59 AMI love No.3, an early discovery for me on LP, which ends in the deepest gloom.

Always a treat, just the thing to cheer up another dismal Thursday. I simply cannot take any more CDs as my floor will collapse and send the contents crashing down into the flat below (what a blessing to be showered by Sullivan, Parry, Glazunov, Schreker, Korngold, Dyson, Scott, Bax and Brian). But I still buy 'em and ignore the energy bills that fall through the door, which are uniformly destined for the recycling bin. I must get that Miaskovsky box just to ensure that my downstairs (noisy) neighbours are truly killed in the deluge...  ;D
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

vandermolen

#834
Unlike most other Olympia CDS the 3rd Symphony is usually available inexpensively online, coupled with the beautiful Lyric Concertino (£1.52 + postage on Amazon UK today)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Albion

Quote from: vandermolen on February 02, 2023, 06:26:01 AMUnlike most other Olympia CDS the 3rd Symphony is usually available inexpensively online, coupled with the beautiful Lyric Concertino (£1.52 + postage on Amazon UK today)


Thanks for the recommendation, this might not cause the widely-anticipated domestic structural devastation...

 8)
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

foxandpeng

Quote from: vandermolen on February 02, 2023, 06:26:01 AMUnlike most other Olympia CDS the 3rd Symphony is usually available inexpensively online, coupled with the beautiful Lyric Concertino (£1.52 + postage on Amazon UK today)


Listening to this now. Suitable for a Friday afternoon after a long week before transitioning to something more upbeat, I think.
"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people ... then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness"

Tolstoy

vandermolen

Quote from: foxandpeng on February 03, 2023, 05:33:37 AMListening to this now. Suitable for a Friday afternoon after a long week before transitioning to something more upbeat, I think.
Hi Danny!
The Lyric Concertino is more upbeat I think  :)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Symphonic Addict

Going through the 27 symphonies (once again) was a rewarding experience. There's much captivating stuff along this cycle that reminded me of the importance of the composer on the development of Soviet symphonism, reflecting the situation and context of those times and also of himself, of course. Not all of his symphonies grabbed me as much as I wanted, but they were the minority. His sense of melody was an element I found striking and highly appealing, mostly in the slow movements where he greatly excelled.

On the other hand, some aspects that put me off a little bit were that a good deal of the passages in several symphonies meander and seem unfocussed; the recurrent gloomy mood that permeated some of these works, in some cases it didn't provide much contrast or variety in the musical discourse; the writing for woodwinds, which seemed somewhat uninspired in places and more given to the low registers.

If I ranked them, it would be something like this:


Excellent or the most consistent

16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 27


Very good

6, 15, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26


Compelling

3, 5, 12, 14


Neither good nor bad

1, 2, 7, 9, 11


The least interesting

4, 8, 10, 13
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

foxandpeng

Quote from: Løvfald on March 15, 2023, 09:01:15 PMGoing through the 27 symphonies (once again) was a rewarding experience. There's much captivating stuff along this cycle that reminded me of the importance of the composer on the development of Soviet symphonism, reflecting the situation and context of those times and also of himself, of course. Not all of his symphonies grabbed me as much as I wanted, but they were the minority. His sense of melody was an element I found striking and highly appealing, mostly in the slow movements where he greatly excelled.

On the other hand, some aspects that put me off a little bit were that a good deal of the passages in several symphonies meander and seem unfocussed; the recurrent gloomy mood that permeated some of these works, in some cases it didn't provide much contrast or variety in the musical discourse; the writing for woodwinds, which seemed somewhat uninspired in places and more given to the low registers.

If I ranked them, it would be something like this:


Excellent or the most consistent

16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 27


Very good

6, 15, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26


Compelling

3, 5, 12, 14


Neither good nor bad

1, 2, 7, 9, 11


The least interesting

4, 8, 10, 13

Brilliant! This is just very helpful, thank you 😁. I'm so glad you've benefitted from your survey, and even more glad you've taken time to share some thoughts. It really does appear that the best part of my discovery starts with the symphonies to come!

Thank you, again for sharing your knowledge 🥳🥳
"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people ... then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness"

Tolstoy