Nikolay Miaskovsky (1881-1950)

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

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vandermolen

A new biography (in English  :)) is coming out next Spring: 'Myaskovsky, the conscience of Russian music' by Gregor Tassie. This will be the first one in English since the one written by Ikkonikov in c 1944 (translated from Russian). Great news!
"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).

J

Quote from: vandermolen on November 21, 2013, 08:02:15 AM
A new biography (in English  :)) is coming out next Spring: 'Myaskovsky, the conscience of Russian music' by Gregor Tassie. This will be the first one in English since the one written by Ikkonikov in c 1944 (translated from Russian). Great news!

Good news, - a wish of mine for many years (the Ikkonikov volume is slender overall and the biographical
section even more meagre).

Now, if only an English language biography of Gustav Allan Pettersson would appear also (my other great
desire along these lines). 

vandermolen

Quote from: J on November 21, 2013, 09:02:35 AM
Good news, - a wish of mine for many years (the Ikkonikov volume is slender overall and the biographical
section even more meagre).

Now, if only an English language biography of Gustav Allan Pettersson would appear also (my other great
desire along these lines).

Yes, the Ikkonikov, useful as it was, was very much a soviet view of the great man.
"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).

J

#243
Quote from: vandermolen on November 21, 2013, 08:02:15 AM
A new biography (in English  :)) is coming out next Spring: 'Myaskovsky, the conscience of Russian music' by Gregor Tassie. This will be the first one in English since the one written by Ikkonikov in c 1944 (translated from Russian). Great news!

I see the Tassie biography (a 450 page volume) now available, Jeffrey.  It's pricey (as feared).   Have you acquired and/or read it yet?  Quite probably I'll be biting the bullet soon enough, long as I have wished for this, but a positive review would lessen my anxiety.   

torut

Quote from: J on June 22, 2014, 06:05:33 PM
I see the Tassie biography (a 450 page volume) now available, Jeffrey.  It's pricey (as feared).   Have you acquired and/or read it yet?  Quite probably I'll be biting the bullet soon enough, long as I have wished for this, but a positive review would lessen my anxiety.   
That's good news. Thank you for your post. I missed or have forgotten vandermolen's notice. The book seems informative.

vandermolen

#245
Quote from: J on June 22, 2014, 06:05:33 PM
I see the Tassie biography (a 450 page volume) now available, Jeffrey.  It's pricey (as feared).   Have you acquired and/or read it yet?  Quite probably I'll be biting the bullet soon enough, long as I have wished for this, but a positive review would lessen my anxiety.   

Greg,  I proof read it and therefore got a free copy (and a mention in the acknowledgments)  :). I think that it is a fine book, especially strong in the discussion of the music - great photos too. I am sure that you will not regret getting hold of it.
"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).

J

#246
Quote from: vandermolen on June 26, 2014, 07:42:24 AM
I think that it is a fine book, especially strong in the discussion of the music - great photos too.

One expects in a substantive composer biography to encounter detailed consideration of the music, of course, but non-musicologist that I am I always dread long sections of over-my-head technical analyses (with score extracts), and prefer treatment of the music to be more descriptively oriented within the thread of the life itself.

How do things go in the Tassie volume?  Does he keep to a narrative flow throughout its course and closely integrate music with life in a holistic way, or are there interludes and even whole chapters given over to musicological analysis of the scores?

Is the flavor of the book more one of literary biography or specialist monograph?

vandermolen

Quote from: J on June 27, 2014, 03:09:47 PM
One expects in a substantive composer biography to encounter detailed consideration of the music, of course, but non-musicologist that I am I always dread long sections of over-my-head technical analyses (with score extracts), and prefer treatment of the music to be more descriptively oriented within the thread of the life itself.

How do things go in the Tassie volume?  Does he keep to a narrative flow throughout its course and closely integrate music with life in a holistic way, or are there interludes and even whole chapters given over to musicological analysis of the scores?

Is the flavor of the book more one of literary biography or specialist monograph?

Greg, there is no highly technical musical analysis, which I would not understand anyway. Instead there is, as you suggested, close integration of 'life' and 'music' which achieves a genuine synthesis. Hope this helps.
"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).

torut

I received a copy of the Tassie book and just read the first chapter. It is very interesting so far. The photos are so nice (I saw photos of Myaskovsky with a (faint) smile on his face for the first time), and the discography, the list of the works and the detailed index are very useful.

vandermolen

Quote from: torut on June 29, 2014, 12:04:55 AM
I received a copy of the Tassie book and just read the first chapter. It is very interesting so far. The photos are so nice (I saw photos of Myaskovsky with a (faint) smile on his face for the first time), and the discography, the list of the works and the detailed index are very useful.

I agree very much. The photos are super.
"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).

J

#250
I'll be acquiring the book, - but one thing I've wondered about in passing from time to time is whether Miaskovsky was married and had a family?

Now that it's mentioned, Miaskovsky with even a faint smile will be unprecedented for me also, I believe.  Can't imagine that.

BTW, listening to Gould's rendering of Symphony 21 again just now (thanks Jeffrey) I must say how superb it is, - far more urgent than the languorous Svetlanov which I like also, and surely my favorite recording of the piece.  He seems to get the flow of things just right for me in a way I perfectly resonate with.  Very communicative and satisfying.

BTW too, Gregor Tassie has quite the alluring stable of beautiful young Japanese babes (one after another) among his Facebook Friends.  What does he do besides writing?  You stick out there like a sore thumb, Jeffrey.

vandermolen

#251
Quote from: J on June 29, 2014, 12:44:09 PM
I'll be acquiring the book, - but one thing I've wondered about in passing from time to time is whether Miaskovsky was married and had a family?

Now that it's mentioned, Miaskovsky with even a faint smile will be unprecedented for me also, I believe.  Can't imagine that.

BTW, listening to Gould's rendering of Symphony 21 again just now (thanks Jeffrey) I must say how superb it is, - far more urgent than the languorous Svetlanov which I like also, and surely my favorite recording of the piece.  He seems to get the flow of things just right for me in a way I perfectly resonate with.  Very communicative and satisfying.

BTW too, Gregor Tassie has quite the alluring stable of beautiful young Japanese babes (one after another) among his Facebook Friends.  What does he do besides writing?  You stick out there like a sore thumb, Jeffrey.


Greg, totally agree with you about the Gould performance, which is my favourite, although I also like the Measham and Ormandy (oddly none of them are Russian!) Miaskovsky was never married and I think lived a rather solitary existence. I would have been interested to know more about his personal life but my guess is that he was very shy. As a young man he was good looking but there is no information about anything other than close friendships. Tassie interestingly implies that some terrible childhood trauma may have affected him. He was very close to his two sisters and indeed is buried alongside them.

As for the 'Japanese babes' my guess is that they could be former students - who knows? As a teacher my Facebook includes many former students from the Far East.
"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).

J

#252
Quote from: vandermolen on June 30, 2014, 12:12:58 AM

Greg, totally agree with you about the Gould performance, which is my favourite, although I also like the Measham and Ormandy (oddly none of them are Russian!)

Measham's recording of No.21 was the first to be issued on CD and my initial exposure to the work, - but I recall after reading so often previously about this being Miaskovsky's finest Symphony feeling somewhat let down by it at the time.  It was only with the appearance of Svetlanov's take on the piece that it really became significant for me, and Gould unveiled another dimension entirely that deepened my absorption.  The Titov recording is different again, and my other favorite among those now available.  As I hear them, Titov expertly brings out the counterpoint in the score, - one can hear all the layering and individual voices within it clearly exposed and contrasted, whereas Svetlanov emphasizes the Symphony's Russian Romantic roots, - dark, heavy, and throbbing.  Gould OTOH makes it sound as anticipatorily modern as the music can bear, - streamlined and seamless, completely unsentimental, unindulgent, and unlingering, with perfect ensemble and unflagging direction.  Whatever the approach, in its combination of structural coherence and thematic distinction I now cede to the consensus judgement that No.21 is Miaskovsky's most perfect and effective Symphony. There may be individual movements in some of the others that move or excite me more while listening, but No.21 I find makes the deepest impression and stays in my consciousness the longest.


vandermolen

#253
Quote from: J on July 04, 2014, 08:45:23 PM
Measham's recording of No.21 was the first to be issued on CD and my initial exposure to the work, - but I recall after reading so often previously about this being Miaskovsky's finest Symphony feeling somewhat let down by it at the time.  It was only with the appearance of Svetlanov's take on the piece that it really became significant for me, and Gould unveiled another dimension entirely that deepened my absorption.  The Titov recording is different again, and my other favorite among those now available.  As I hear them, Titov expertly brings out the counterpoint in the score, - one can hear all the layering and individual voices within clearly exposed and contrasted, whereas Svetlanov emphasizes its Russian Romantic roots, - dark, heavy, and throbbing.  Gould OTOH makes it sound as anticipatorily modern as the music can bear, - streamlined and seamless, completely unsentimental, unindulgent, and unlingering, with perfect ensemble and unflagging direction.  Whatever the approach, in its combination of structural coherence and thematic substance I now cede to the consensus judgement that No.21 is Miaskovsky's most perfect and effective Symphony. There may be individual movements in some of the others that move or excite me more while listening, but No.21 I find makes the deepest impression and stays in my consciousness the longest.

What a fine analysis Greg! Don't know the Titov version at all. Is it on Northern Flowers? The Measham Unicorn LP was my first encounter with the work and I did greatly enjoy it although the Gould was in a class of its own (it can be found on Bearac Reissues with 'Antar' as on the original RCA LP). Do you know the Salmanov symphonies? I like the recent issue of Symphony 21 by Blunier.
"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).

J

#254
Quote from: vandermolen on July 05, 2014, 01:27:17 AM
What a fine analysis Greg! Don't know the Titov version at all. Is it on Northern Flowers? The Measham Unicorn LP was my first encounter with the work and I did greatly enjoy it although the Gould was in a class of its own (it can be found on Bearac Reissues with 'Antar' as on the original RCA LP). Do you know the Salmanov symphonies? I like the recent issue of Symphony 21 by Blunier.

Jeffrey, you sent me the Titov recording, he-he (yes, Northern Flowers).  You should revisit it.  As I said, he lays bare like no other everything happening in the music at once (all the interwoven strands of it), - a vertically oriented rather than horizontally ordered perspective on the piece one might say.  Very distinctive and compelling.  But as we agree, Gould is matchless and supreme in this Symphony.  It's the Chicago SO playing, and their miraculous focus and togetherness in the performance make one wonder just what qualities other of the top flight orchestras could bring to and uncover in many of the Symphonies if given an opportunity.  Blunier in No.21 is news to me, - I'll need to investigate. Surprising how many alternatives there are now for this work, albeit deserved.  Salmanov's Symphonies (again, another long ago gift from you) I recall finding difficult to get into at the time, but they're here to revisit at some point.

J

#255
Mistaken over what I referred to as the "Titov recording" of Symphony No.21 on Northern Flowers. Jeffrey.  In fact the conductor is Leonid Nikolayev (It's Titov that conducts the other Miaskovsky Symphonies on NF, hence my confusion).  Probably you can 'place" it now in your memory.

vandermolen

Quote from: J on July 05, 2014, 09:35:21 AM
Mistaken over what I referred to as the "Titov recording" of Symphony No.21 on Northern Flowers. Jeffrey.  In fact the conductor is Leonid Nikolayev (It's Titov that conducts the other Miaskovsky Symphonies on NF).  Probably you can 'place" it now in your memory.

Hi Greg, I was doing panicky searches online today for a Titov recording hehe. Anyway, delighted that I sent you the Nikolayev. Just fished it out I will play it later. The Blunier is a great recording on an interesting CD. I actually saw No 21 live in London as a birthday treat about five years ago. The other one I heard live is No 6. Have another go at Salmanov if you get the chance. 1 and 2 are especially good and the valedictory No 4 I find very moving.
"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

I'm afraid I once again attempted some slow movements (22,23,24,25) and was just singularly unimpressed with what I was hearing. The 'Caucaus'? Symphony seemed to have the most "Cello Concerto" melodies, but even it went off in directions that I personally wouldn't have wanted. I understand Miaskovsky as an "old worlder", caught up in the changes, and expressing a nostalgia that speaks to an older generation perhaps. It's music for Navy Men, imo. I DO appreciate the sentiment behind the pathos, but so much of the 'yearning' is in such a "stiff upper lip" way that I can't tell if it's a Funeral or a Graduation Ceremony. I still think there's a Miaskovsky Symphony out there for ME, but it's probably one I wouldn't have initially picked?

I'm like, Give me the payoff already!! Stop developing and just give me some Endless Melody!!

vandermolen

Quote from: snyprrr on July 07, 2014, 08:04:47 AM
I'm afraid I once again attempted some slow movements (22,23,24,25) and was just singularly unimpressed with what I was hearing. The 'Caucaus'? Symphony seemed to have the most "Cello Concerto" melodies, but even it went off in directions that I personally wouldn't have wanted. I understand Miaskovsky as an "old worlder", caught up in the changes, and expressing a nostalgia that speaks to an older generation perhaps. It's music for Navy Men, imo. I DO appreciate the sentiment behind the pathos, but so much of the 'yearning' is in such a "stiff upper lip" way that I can't tell if it's a Funeral or a Graduation Ceremony. I still think there's a Miaskovsky Symphony out there for ME, but it's probably one I wouldn't have initially picked?

I'm like, Give me the payoff already!! Stop developing and just give me some Endless Melody!!

Try the funereal slow movement of No. 16 if you get the chance (it commemorates an air disaster). I would also recommend the slow movements of No 17 and 15. In fact No 17 is one of my favourites. The short, single movement No 21 is one of the finest and most poetic as is the valedictory No 27 which perhaps has the most moving slow movement of all. There is a fine Chandos CD (the only one on Chandos) with the Cello Concerto). No. 6 has a fine choral final section and a most beautiful flute episode in the trio of the second movement - for me one of the greatest moments in all music.
"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).

J

Quote from: snyprrr on July 07, 2014, 08:04:47 AM
I'm afraid I once again attempted some slow movements (22,23,24,25) and was just singularly unimpressed with what I was hearing. The 'Caucaus'? Symphony seemed to have the most "Cello Concerto" melodies, but even it went off in directions that I personally wouldn't have wanted. I understand Miaskovsky as an "old worlder", caught up in the changes, and expressing a nostalgia that speaks to an older generation perhaps. It's music for Navy Men, imo. I DO appreciate the sentiment behind the pathos, but so much of the 'yearning' is in such a "stiff upper lip" way that I can't tell if it's a Funeral or a Graduation Ceremony. I still think there's a Miaskovsky Symphony out there for ME, but it's probably one I wouldn't have initially picked?

All heresy, of course, for which you should be put in the blocks, or worse >:D.

My own favorite M slow movements are those from No.16, 25(I), & 27.