Nikolay Miaskovsky (1881-1950)

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

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Dundonnell

The recording of Symphony No. 21 seems more modern than that of No. 17. Do you know when the Svetlanov recordings were made?

The only references I can find on the net suggest that Miaskovsky's father was a military engineer who was gunned down on a train station platform by a revolutionary soldier. Would be interesting to find out more about this.

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on May 13, 2008, 04:33:26 PM
The recording of Symphony No. 21 seems more modern than that of No. 17. Do you know when the Svetlanov recordings were made?

The only references I can find on the net suggest that Miaskovsky's father was a military engineer who was gunned down on a train station platform by a revolutionary soldier. Would be interesting to find out more about this.

Yes, I agree. I'll try to find out about the recording dates.

Symphony 17 has certainly been available before, as I have it on an old Melodiya CD.
"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).

karlhenning

Berkshire Record Outlet now has available the complete Myaskovsky symphonies, for any who may be interested.

vandermolen

Quote from: ChamberNut on May 13, 2008, 04:29:01 AM
Thank you for the recommendation.  I'll be on the lookout!  :)

Despite the bizarre cover photograph, this is a very good (and very cheap) Miaskovsky CD which contains both cello sonatas, as well as a good performance of the Cello Concertro (Miaskovsky's best known work).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikolai-Miaskovsky-Cello-Concerto-Sonatas/dp/B000F9RLDK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1210765346&sr=1-5
"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).

The new erato

Quote from: vandermolen on May 14, 2008, 03:45:54 AM
Despite the bizarre cover photograph, this is a very good (and very cheap) Miaskovsky CD which contains both cello sonatas, as well as a good performance of the Cello Concertro (Miaskovsky's best known work).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikolai-Miaskovsky-Cello-Concerto-Sonatas/dp/B000F9RLDK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1210765346&sr=1-5
I think there are also a Regis CD with the same coupling in very good Russian performances!

vandermolen

Quote from: erato on May 14, 2008, 04:15:58 AM
I think there are also a Regis CD with the same coupling in very good Russian performances!

Yes, you are right. It is also excellent value. It's an old Olympia disc which was "CD of the Month" in CD Review magazine (sadly now folded), when it first came out.

Here is is, with less bizarre cover art!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miaskovsky-Cello-Concerto-Sonatas/dp/B000UNMU9Q/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1210834542&sr=1-6
"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: Dundonnell on May 13, 2008, 04:33:26 PM
The recording of Symphony No. 21 seems more modern than that of No. 17. Do you know when the Svetlanov recordings were made?

The only references I can find on the net suggest that Miaskovsky's father was a military engineer who was gunned down on a train station platform by a revolutionary soldier. Would be interesting to find out more about this.

Colin, my Melodiya CD tells me that Symphony No 17 is a 1991 recording. Not sure about No 21.
"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).

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on May 17, 2008, 07:13:25 AM
Colin, my Melodiya CD tells me that Symphony No 17 is a 1991 recording. Not sure about No 21.

Sounds earlier!! :) Thanks, though!

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on May 17, 2008, 07:14:41 AM
Sounds earlier!! :) Thanks, though!

I shouldn't be disloyal to Alto but I actually think that the best performance of Miaskovsky's 17th Symphony can be found in the Gauk box set on Brilliant and that is a 1956 recording. Gauk was the dedicatee of the Symphony.
"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).

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on May 17, 2008, 07:20:00 AM
I shouldn't be disloyal to Alto but I actually think that the best performance of Miaskovsky's 17th Symphony can be found in the Gauk box set on Brilliant and that is a 1956 recording. Gauk was the dedicatee of the Symphony.

One of my oldest LPs is of David Oistrakh playing Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole with Gauk conducting! A Fidelio LP from 1963(now we really are going back in time!) but goodness knows when it was recorded!

Gauk doesn't usually get that good a press from the critics but he was obviously a sound conductor.

vandermolen

#50
Quote from: Dundonnell on May 17, 2008, 07:28:14 AM
One of my oldest LPs is of David Oistrakh playing Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole with Gauk conducting! A Fidelio LP from 1963(now we really are going back in time!) but goodness knows when it was recorded!

Gauk doesn't usually get that good a press from the critics but he was obviously a sound conductor.

The Gauk box set on Brilliant is well worth investigating. I know that Shostakovich was apparently scathing about "Gauk" in "Testimony" but the Brilliant box has fine performances of Symphony 5 and 11 as well as Khachaturian Symphony 1 (an underrated score) and of course the Miaskovsky, with much else besides(lots of Tchaikovsky).

http://www.selections.com/AH416/alexander-gauk-edition-10cds/
"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

Very pleased to report that I've just returned from seeing my first ever live concert featuring the music of Miaskovsky: Symphony No 21 performed by the Kensington Symphony Orchestra under Russell Keable at St John's Smith Square London. The Kensington SO is truly "the most professional of non-professional orchestras" and the performance was excellent, sandwiched between some Smetana and Dvorak's 6th Symphony. Never though I'd ever hear a Miaskovsky symphony in England!
"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).

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on June 24, 2008, 03:37:53 PM
Very pleased to report that I've just returned from seeing my first ever live concert featuring the music of Miaskovsky: Symphony No 21 performed by the Kensington Symphony Orchestra under Russell Keable at St John's Smith Square London. The Kensington SO is truly "the most professional of non-professional orchestras" and the performance was excellent, sandwiched between some Smetana and Dvorak's 6th Symphony. Never though I'd ever hear a Miaskovsky symphony in England!

Of course it was the Kensington Symphony Orchestra under Leslie Head which gave the first performances of Havergal Brian's 2nd and 5th Symphonies.

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on June 24, 2008, 03:46:52 PM
Of course it was the Kensington Symphony Orchestra under Leslie Head which gave the first performances of Havergal Brian's 2nd and 5th Symphonies.

You are quite right. I'd forgotten that. Thanks for reminding me.
"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

#54
Made a very interesting discovery. Miaskovsky's 21st Symphony in a classic 1968 recording from Morton Gould and the Chicago SO is available on CD, with a fine performance of Rimsky Korsakov's 'Antar' Symphony (its companion on the old RCA LP).

It is issued by a small company who make private reissues of material otherwise not on CD.

www.bearacreissues.com  (it is no BRC-2869)

The package was sent from Greece. I have just listened to it and am very pleased. The Miaskovsky was commissioned during the War for Chicago and this is a unique performance. The transfer from LP has a warmth, depth and richness missing from many CDs.
"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).

scarpia


I noticed that his complete symphonies are soon to be available on Warner (the Olympia set).  Twenty seven symphonies, such a daunting pile of works.  Did he really have that much to say, or was he just churning them out?  Where is one to start?


PerfectWagnerite

Quote from: scarpia on August 07, 2008, 08:06:13 AM
I noticed that his complete symphonies are soon to be available on Warner (the Olympia set).  Twenty seven symphonies, such a daunting pile of works.  Did he really have that much to say, or was he just churning them out?  Where is one to start?


Not soon to be available, but already available from Berkshirerecordoutlet since May. But they ran out and had to restock in July. Then they ran out again and says they will have more in September. It seems to be a popular item since it only took two days for them to run out both times. The asking price is 60 something dollars which I guess is pretty reasonable for 17cds. It might be slightly cheaper in Europe. I almost bought it from Berkshirerecordoutlet but I don't think I will ever listen to them so I passed.

scarpia

Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on August 07, 2008, 08:18:32 AM
Not soon to be available, but already available from Berkshirerecordoutlet since May. But they ran out and had to restock in July. Then they ran out again and says they will have more in September.

In other words, soon to be available (in the US).  The set has been available for some time in the UK for a slightly higher price.   Given the exchange rates I'm expecting the best deals to be available when the set is officially distributed in the states.

Still, anyone actually listen to any of this set?  The individual discs are also available in many cases, is there one that would be recommended as a litmus test of whether this music is to my taste?

PerfectWagnerite

Quote from: scarpia on August 07, 2008, 08:57:49 AM

Still, anyone actually listen to any of this set?  The individual discs are also available in many cases, is there one that would be recommended as a litmus test of whether this music is to my taste?

You can listen to some of Miaskovsky's works on rhapsody.com as in symphonies 7 and 10 from Marco Polo, or the 6th symphony conducted by N. Jarvi. You have to download the player and you get 25 free tracks to play.

scarpia

Well, I managed to get one volume of the complete symphony set, including #27 and #15.   One of the worst things I can remember.  Poor audio quality, lackadaisical performance, incoherent composition.  Saved myself a lot of money!