Nikolay Miaskovsky (1881-1950)

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

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vandermolen

Quote from: pencils on July 14, 2013, 12:31:16 PM
Well, 1 through 6 are excellent. I think I am going to listen chronologically seeing as how I have started that way.I am loving it so far.

No 6 is a great epic. I was very lucky to see it live in London a while back. No 21 is the other one I have heard live. No 21 is considered the finest by many.
"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: karlhenning on July 14, 2013, 12:23:00 PM
Jeffrey, I'm cryin' here . . . .
But I like much Prokofiev Karl. Like symphonies 3,5 and 6+ Ivan the Terrible, which I think is a greater work than Alexander Nevsky.
"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

#202
I have been listening to Miaskovsky's 11th Symphony (1931-2) and have come to the conclusion that it is one of the best. Of it Miaskovsky said: I wanted to give free rein to certain moods of subjective substance. The slow movement (out of three) is especially impressive - it has a dark chill wind quality about it. Miaskovsky said that part of the epic Sixth Symphony was inspired by the windswept and depopulated Petrograd and memories of his deserted family house following the death of his aunt (a surrogate mother figure). Well, the 11th Symphony has something of that feel to it. Well worth exploring. It seems to be one of those old pre-Svetlanov Olympia CDs that are available (on UK Amazon at least) at a non ridiculous price ( having said that I just checked - it is available new for £99 new  :o or second hand for £3.99  :)). It is a great disc with both the 5th and 11th symphonies featured (USSR SO/Moscow SO, conds. Ivanov/Dudarova.

Actually, you can get the same CD in a Melodiya manifestation on American Amazon very cheaply (they spell his name: 'Miaskowsky'). The Sveltanov recording (see below, with Symphony 4) is available at under £3.00 on UK Amazon. I could, however, only get the picture link to work from the US Amazon site, where it is more expensive.
[asin]B000060K8Q[/asin]
"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).

pencils

Quote from: vandermolen on July 17, 2013, 05:32:06 AM
I have been listening to Miaskovsky's 11th Symphony (1931-2) and have come to the conclusion that it is one of the best. Of it Miaskovsky said: I wanted to give free rein to certain moods of subjective substance. The slow movement (out of three) is especially impressive - it has a dark chill wind quality about it. Miaskovsky said that part of the epic Sixth Symphony was inspired by the windswept and depopulated Petrograd and memories of his deserted family house following the death of his aunt (a surrogate mother figure). Well, the 11th Symphony has something of that feel to it. Well worth exploring. It seems to be one of those old pre-Svetlanov Olympia CDs that are available (on UK Amazon at least) at a non ridiculous price ( having said that I just checked - it is available new for £99 new  :o or second hand for £3.99  :)). It is a great disc with both the 5th and 11th symphonies featured (USSR SO/Moscow SO, conds. Ivanov/Dudarova.

Actually, you can get the same CD in a Melodiya manifestation on American Amazon very cheaply (they spell his name: 'Miaskowsky'). The Sveltanov recording (see below, with Symphony 4) is available at under £3.00 on UK Amazon. I could, however, only get the picture link to work from the US Amazon site, where it is more expensive.
[asin]B000060K8Q[/asin]

Thank you for this!

vandermolen

"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: sanantonio on July 19, 2013, 05:08:46 AM






As is usually the case, I prefer the string quartets to the symphonies. 

This recent CD by the Pacifica Quartet couples Shostakovich 5-8 quartets with the Myaskovsky 13th; first rate.



Thanks. The last CD looks especially interesting.
"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).

Brahmsian

Quote from: sanantonio on July 19, 2013, 05:08:46 AM






As is usually the case, I prefer the string quartets to the symphonies. 


Hmm, this is going to have to go on my wish list!!  :)  I thoroughly enjoyed my first run through all the Miaskovsky complete symphonies.

Karl Henning

Quote from: sanantonio on July 19, 2013, 05:08:46 AM
This recent CD by the Pacifica Quartet couples Shostakovich 5-8 quartets with the Myaskovsky 13th; first rate.



+ 1
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

snyprrr

Quote from: sanantonio on July 19, 2013, 05:08:46 AM






As is usually the case, I prefer the string quartets to the symphonies. 

This recent CD by the Pacifica Quartet couples Shostakovich 5-8 quartets with the Myaskovsky 13th; first rate.



Personally, I'd recommend the Volume with 7 & 8, otherwise just start with No.13 (which is on a couple of different issues of various guises). If you like No.13, be warned: it's the closest to the Myaskovsky of the Cello Concerto, and you will collect the series in vain looking for smooth melancolie(?). Myaskovsky has an overwrought development gene that does not seem to allow him to completely relax, which gets in the way of my pleasure of his music. 5-6 have moments of great beauty that are swept into a modulating development style that drives me crazy.

Trust me here. In order of preference:

No.11- magical
No.7- should be paired with 11
No.9- paired with 11 on the original Russian Disc. Very gothic

No.3- early, creepy, gothic, Grieg
Nos. 1-2, 4- early, interesting, gothic... I like early Myaskovsky here

No.13- the one everyone cites as their basic favorite. Lots of beauty in the first movement, but there is still oodles of wrought development that makes it less pleasing than a solid DSCH SQ (like DSCH No.6).

No.8- my favorite of the last four. The melodies aren't exactly minor key,... this might be the most... mm... it's definitely an elegy, but a very 'not obvious melodies' type.

Nos. 5-6- these have moments of beauty rubbing right up against Myaskovsky's 'development bug'. He gives you a little halcyon peace, and then goes and develops and modulates to no end.

No.12- those thinking it's another No.13 will be disappointed. It's well wrought, but the melodies won't leave you weeping. Put this in his 'craftsmanship' category.

No.10- a Haydnesque throwback. Nothing bad, just not what I wanted from him. It's a youth SQ redone in later years (No.11 is the same, but wholly original and beguiling).


I believe No.11 is the most magical, followed by No.7.

There, that should kept curiosity seekers busy!! ;)

vandermolen

Quote from: snyprrr on September 11, 2013, 07:16:06 AM
Personally, I'd recommend the Volume with 7 & 8, otherwise just start with No.13 (which is on a couple of different issues of various guises). If you like No.13, be warned: it's the closest to the Myaskovsky of the Cello Concerto, and you will collect the series in vain looking for smooth melancolie(?). Myaskovsky has an overwrought development gene that does not seem to allow him to completely relax, which gets in the way of my pleasure of his music. 5-6 have moments of great beauty that are swept into a modulating development style that drives me crazy.

Trust me here. In order of preference:

No.11- magical
No.7- should be paired with 11
No.9- paired with 11 on the original Russian Disc. Very gothic

No.3- early, creepy, gothic, Grieg
Nos. 1-2, 4- early, interesting, gothic... I like early Myaskovsky here

No.13- the one everyone cites as their basic favorite. Lots of beauty in the first movement, but there is still oodles of wrought development that makes it less pleasing than a solid DSCH SQ (like DSCH No.6).

No.8- my favorite of the last four. The melodies aren't exactly minor key,... this might be the most... mm... it's definitely an elegy, but a very 'not obvious melodies' type.

Nos. 5-6- these have moments of beauty rubbing right up against Myaskovsky's 'development bug'. He gives you a little halcyon peace, and then goes and develops and modulates to no end.

No.12- those thinking it's another No.13 will be disappointed. It's well wrought, but the melodies won't leave you weeping. Put this in his 'craftsmanship' category.

No.10- a Haydnesque throwback. Nothing bad, just not what I wanted from him. It's a youth SQ redone in later years (No.11 is the same, but wholly original and beguiling).


I believe No.11 is the most magical, followed by No.7.

There, that should kept curiosity seekers busy!! ;)

A very helpful survey. Many thanks. 7 and 11 are high on my listen to list. I like No 13 very much.
"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).

snyprrr

Quote from: vandermolen on September 12, 2013, 10:27:10 AM
A very helpful survey. Many thanks. 7 and 11 are high on my listen to list. I like No 13 very much.

Just put in No.7. Same basic Myaskovsky searching, but the melody is quite early-evening pastoral. Same development, but not so overwrought as in other works.

Oh... wait... I just heard some of that stuff... you know, it may actually be the infamous playing of the Taneyev Quartet (some love, some hate the... was it Cato who found the playing absolutely microtonal?).

Well, the sound of it all has an old fashioned charm (that Russian style of playing?) Still, on Myaskovsky's more vigorous music, the Taneyev will transport you to a place where you may get that 'huh? dog face'. Perhaps it is because Myaskovsky goes everywhere in his developments, always wringing cross notes out of the simplest melodies.


Octave

#211
Sorry if this is a bad place to ask, but has anyone purchased any of those Northern Flowers quartets discs over the past several months, and if so, were they CDRs? 

I ask because I purchased the 2cd of Taneyev quintets (Northern Flowers) from Importcds, and after a long backorder, it arrived and was CDRs.  I complained to the label and they were really nice to correct the problem; but it sounds like different 'wings' of the NF operation put out different kinds of product.  It almost sounds like Albany does burn-to-order stuff for them in the USA.

I have been jamming the Myaskovsky symphony recordings by Svetlanov and I am pretty keen on scooping up at least several of these quartets discs; but I'd hate to get a bunch of expensive CDRs.

Also my thanks to snyprrr for the rundown.
Help support GMG by purchasing items from Amazon through this link.

snyprrr

Quote from: Octave on September 13, 2013, 08:12:32 AM
Sorry if this is a bad place to ask, but has anyone purchased any of those Northern Flowers quartets discs over the past several months, and if so, were they CDRs? 

I ask because I purchased the 2cd of Taneyev quintets (Northern Flowers) from Importcds, and after a long backorder, it arrived and was CDRs.  I complained to the label and they were really nice to correct the problem; but it sounds like different 'wings' of the NF operation put out different kinds of product.  It almost sounds like Albany does burn-to-order stuff for them in the USA.
I have been jamming the Svetlanov symphony recordings and I am pretty keen on scooping up at least several of these quartets discs; but I'd hate to get a bunch of expensive CDRs.

Also my thanks to snyprrr for the rundown.

My Northern Flowers SQ discs look legit. You can always get the same recordings on RussianDisc, Used.

CRI is the label that is re-issuing their old catalog in CDr.

Octave

Where did you buy your NF discs, snyprr?  I'd prefer to not have to deal with the CDR hassle again.  Also I'd prefer to find an outlet that offers them for less than $18 a pop if such can be had.
Help support GMG by purchasing items from Amazon through this link.

kyjo

Quote from: Octave on September 14, 2013, 03:56:57 PM
Where did you buy your NF discs, snyprr?  I'd prefer to not have to deal with the CDR hassle again.  Also I'd prefer to find an outlet that offers them for less than $18 a pop if such can be had.

Try Amazon Marketplace. They have great deals on new and used CDs alike. :)

vandermolen

Can't stop listening to String Quartet No 13. In its way as moving as the valedictory Symphony 27.
"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).

snyprrr

Quote from: Octave on September 14, 2013, 03:56:57 PM
Where did you buy your NF discs, snyprr?  I'd prefer to not have to deal with the CDR hassle again.  Also I'd prefer to find an outlet that offers them for less than $18 a pop if such can be had.

Yea, I think mine came from some odd place on Amazon. Perhaps when they first came out they were normal cds, but maybe the went OOP and they're now making CDrs? Get it Used.

Otherwise, it probably WILL be $18 a pop.

Also, you can just get the old RussianDiscs for Used (should be cheaper): same recordings, no dif to my ears. Sorry I didn't get back earlier.

vandermolen

#217
I have been listening to Symphony No 15 (Svetlanov and Kondrashin versions) and consider it one of the very best, as it features the characteristic Miaskovsky gloomy, soul-searching nostalgia with the heroic 'triumph against the odds' ending. I find the climax of the slow movement to be extremely moving ( in much the same way as I find similar moments in Piston's Second Symphony and David Diamond's Third Symphony). I love the triumphant ending. In many ways I think that Symphony 15 would be an ideal introduction to Miaskovsky as it demonstrates his importance as the link between the old Russian Romantics, Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Liadov (Miaskovsky's teacher), Balakirev and the great 20th Century composers, Shostakovich and Prokofiev (the great friend of Miaskovsky). So, a strong recommendation for Symphony 15 (I marginally prefer the Kondrashin but both CDs are great). In some ways Miaskovsky's music is rather 'academic' but, at key moments (as in the middle of the slow, second movement of the 15th Symphony) the emotion, which had previously been hinted at, finally breaks through, and I find the effect even more overwhelming in this context. It is the juxtaposition of the 'academic' with the emotional that I find so poignant about Miaskovsky and this is why I love his music so much.
"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: Octave on September 14, 2013, 03:56:57 PM
Where did you buy your NF discs, snyprr?  I'd prefer to not have to deal with the CDR hassle again.  Also I'd prefer to find an outlet that offers them for less than $18 a pop if such can be had.
I bought mine here:

http://www.russiancdshop.com/?lang=en

No hassles.

Brahmsian

Quote from: The new erato on September 21, 2013, 01:14:00 PM
I bought mine here:

http://www.russiancdshop.com/?lang=en

No hassles.

Thanks NErato!  I may have to go that route.  Amazon (even Amazon marketplace) seems excessively pricey on some of the Northern Flowers/Taneyev Q. recordings of the 5 volumes (?) of Miaskovsky's string quartets.

I must have them!  :)