Nikolay Miaskovsky (1881-1950)

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

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vandermolen

Quote from: Maestro267 on February 12, 2020, 08:02:03 AM
Ordered a copy of Myaskovsky's Cello Concerto coupled with Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto. Maisky/Russian National Orchestra/Pletnev.
The Myaskovsky is a great work. I much prefer it to the Prokofiev.
"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).

Irons

Quote from: vandermolen on February 12, 2020, 07:42:52 AM
Very interesting analysis Lol. There is a kind of authenticity about those old Soviet recordings which adds to the atmosphere for me. I was very lucky to attend a live performance of the work in London conducted by Vladimir Jurowski whom I had the pleasure of meeting. I wish that the recording was issued on CD. In the rehearsal I recall him requiring the LPO choir to 'sound like Demons from Hell' at the opening of the wailing choir in the fourth movement and telling the ladies of the choir that they needed to sound like 'Russian peasant women'.

I would love to attend a concert of the 6th, or any other Miaskovsky symphony, Jeffrey. In the country of his birth would probably be a step too far - although I did for a Prokofiev ballet - a Prom would be great. 
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

#442
Quote from: Irons on February 12, 2020, 11:55:33 PM
I would love to attend a concert of the 6th, or any other Miaskovsky symphony, Jeffrey. In the country of his birth would probably be a step too far - although I did for a Prokofiev ballet - a Prom would be great.
Apparently it was performed in Manchester recently Lol.

https://seenandheard-international.com/2020/02/sinaisky-and-the-bbc-phil-look-east-from-manchester/

"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).

Irons

#443
8th Symphony.

Right from the opening bars this symphony does not have a bad word to say, and I love that. More contentment then unbridled joy. Miaskovsky shows this work as another side of his nature and I find this most attractive. All four movements are excellent but the third is something else, for those unconvinced of the composer listen to this movement on YT. A critic described it as "Delius of the Steppes", I beg to differ, if Delius has written anything as beautiful I have yet to hear it.

The sound of this set I find so far as variable. Svetlanov's 6th pretty poor, no.5 OK and no.3 excellent. This, the 8th, is thankfully as good as the 3rd and such beautiful orchestration deserves nothing less.

I'm not claiming this the best so far, I believe that to be the 6th. But the 8th is the one that gave the most pleasure to this listener.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

BasilValentine

Quote from: Irons on February 17, 2020, 12:48:17 PM
8th Symphony.

Right from the opening bars this symphony does not have a bad word to say, and I love that. More contentment then unbridled joy. Miaskovsky shows this work as another side of his nature and I find this most attractive. All four movements are excellent but the third is something else, for those unconvinced of the composer listen to this movement on YT. A critic described it as "Delius of the Steppes", I beg to differ, if Delius has written anything as beautiful I have yet to hear it.

The sound of this set I find so far as variable. Svetlanov's 6th pretty poor, no.5 OK and no.3 excellent. This, the 8th, is thankfully as good as the 3rd and such beautiful orchestration deserves nothing less.

I'm not claiming this the best so far, I believe that to be the 6th. But the 8th is the one that gave the most pleasure to this listener.

The 9th is my favorite among the early ones but, alas, in the Svetlanov performance the first movement is so lugubrious that I couldn't get through it. It starts out grim but ends optimistically.


vandermolen

#445
Quote from: Irons on February 17, 2020, 12:48:17 PM
8th Symphony.

Right from the opening bars this symphony does not have a bad word to say, and I love that. More contentment then unbridled joy. Miaskovsky shows this work as another side of his nature and I find this most attractive. All four movements are excellent but the third is something else, for those unconvinced of the composer listen to this movement on YT. A critic described it as "Delius of the Steppes", I beg to differ, if Delius has written anything as beautiful I have yet to hear it.

The sound of this set I find so far as variable. Svetlanov's 6th pretty poor, no.5 OK and no.3 excellent. This, the 8th, is thankfully as good as the 3rd and such beautiful orchestration deserves nothing less.

I'm not claiming this the best so far, I believe that to be the 6th. But the 8th is the one that gave the most pleasure to this listener.
That slow movement of No.8 is very special and I'm glad you enjoyed it Lol. There is also a recording of the work on Marco Polo which is where I first discovered it. Stankovsky conducted the first recording of Symphony No.6 to be released on CD and I rate that version very highly although some others don't. I much prefer it to the (perfectly serviceable) recording by Dudarova for example.
"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).

vandermolen

Quote from: BasilValentine on February 17, 2020, 01:05:18 PM
The 9th is my favorite among the early ones but, alas, in the Svetlanov performance the first movement is so lugubrious that I couldn't get through it. It starts out grim but ends optimistically.
Must listen to No.9 again. I think that Edward Downes recorded it for Marco Polo.
"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).

Irons

Quote from: BasilValentine on February 17, 2020, 01:05:18 PM
The 9th is my favorite among the early ones but, alas, in the Svetlanov performance the first movement is so lugubrious that I couldn't get through it. It starts out grim but ends optimistically.

Next up is 11th I think. As Svetlanov is the 9th I have, after reading your post not sorry I'm missing it.

Jeffrey, uncanny effect from the strings at the opening and coda of the third movement. The sound was of a hushed choir.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

#448
Quote from: Irons on February 17, 2020, 11:30:26 PM
Next up is 11th I think. As Svetlanov is the 9th I have, after reading your post not sorry I'm missing it.

Jeffrey, uncanny effect from the strings at the opening and coda of the third movement. The sound was of a hushed choir.

No.11 is very good indeed. I have the old Olympia recording conducted by Veronika Dudarova, coupled with Symphony No.5 (Ivanov conducting). I like the cover photo which reminds me of my visit to the USSR over New Year 1985. I'll post it if I can find it.
Here it is:
"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).

vandermolen

#449
Those old Olympias had some nice cover art:



"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

Idk what to do about Myaskovsky symphonies, whether to pick up some of these recommended recordings already out or to follow (if it's even happening) this apparent new Naxos cycle that started last autumn with 1 & 13.

vandermolen

Quote from: Maestro267 on February 18, 2020, 04:53:34 AM
Idk what to do about Myaskovsky symphonies, whether to pick up some of these recommended recordings already out or to follow (if it's even happening) this apparent new Naxos cycle that started last autumn with 1 & 13.
Alto have recently collected all the original Olymia recordings and the ones that Alto released after the collapse of Olympia into a boxed set:
"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).

Daverz

Quote from: vandermolen on February 18, 2020, 05:09:29 AM
Alto have recently collected all the original Olymia recordings and the ones that Alto released after the collapse of Olympia into a boxed set:


The Alto set includes excellent notes by the late Per Skans.

Irons

Quote from: Daverz on February 18, 2020, 11:18:10 AM
The Alto set includes excellent notes by the late Per Skans.

Our own vandermolen took over the baton from Per Skans on the same set and they are excellent too.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on February 18, 2020, 12:51:33 PM
Our own vandermolen took over the baton from Per Skans on the same set and they are excellent too.
:)
"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).

Irons

11th Symphony.

A fine symphony of which I'm fortunate to own two recordings, Svetlanov (CD) and Dudarova (LP). Comparisons I did not find easy or straightforward and not just owing to different formats although that is a factor. Both interpretations engaged me as a listener, and with both I found the music came first and worrying about finer points of detail a distraction. Overall Svetlanov is more epic and Dudarova lighter.

EMI issued a host of Melodiya recordings under license. Musically I find all most interesting but it must be said that sonics can be variable. Not here though, this Dudarova issue sounds wonderful, one of the best. It will be interesting in the later symphonies comparing Svetlanov in Alto/CD and EMI/LP.

You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on February 26, 2020, 01:46:58 AM
11th Symphony.

A fine symphony of which I'm fortunate to own two recordings, Svetlanov (CD) and Dudarova (LP). Comparisons I did not find easy or straightforward and not just owing to different formats although that is a factor. Both interpretations engaged me as a listener, and with both I found the music came first and worrying about finer points of detail a distraction. Overall Svetlanov is more epic and Dudarova lighter.

EMI issued a host of Melodiya recordings under license. Musically I find all most interesting but it must be said that sonics can be variable. Not here though, this Dudarova issue sounds wonderful, one of the best. It will be interesting in the later symphonies comparing Svetlanov in Alto/CD and EMI/LP.
The Dudarova is also available on CD Lol:

"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).

Irons

Quote from: vandermolen on February 26, 2020, 04:58:30 AM
The Dudarova is also available on CD Lol:



Which maybe a fairer comparison, Jeffrey.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Irons

12th Symphony.

Roughly half way on a journey through a set of symphonies which has never been dull or routine, quite the opposite as Miaskovsky always has a surprise or two up his sleeve. The 12th on paper with the long opening slow movement followed by two quicker ones seems unbalanced, which it is in a way but not in the way expected.

Quite simply the 1st movement is a symphonic nocturne. The wide open plains of the Russian countryside under a pitch black night sky are caught so evocatively that it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! There is a contrasting section of a scene from village life, also brilliantly done, but the movement ends as it began, music of the night.

After that, the following two movements were a bit after the Lord Mayor's show for me. Is it this unevenness the reason that Miaskovsky is not a household name like his good friend, Prokofiev? Saying that, the latter did not write anything remotely close as an evocation of a time and place as the first movement of Miaskovsky's 12th.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

relm1

How is this set?



I will confess, I've only heard No. 6 but many posts here make me want to remedy that.