Rodion Shchedrin (b. 1932)

Started by Maciek, December 30, 2010, 11:13:57 AM

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The new erato

Quote from: Apollon on April 19, 2011, 07:37:20 AM
Sometimes the search functionality is a bit dodgy here : )
If only that were the only thing dodgy around.....

PaulR

About a year and a half ago, I played the Carmen Suite at school and didn't have a real positive impression of the piece.  I don't know why I didn't like it, perhaps it was more the fact that it was getting closer and closer to my graduation, and I was just a bit burnt out of school orchestra's or whatever.  But regardless of the reason, I dismissed it.  The performance wasn't the best, because a mixture that it didn't comprise the best players at the school, and the others already putting up a performance in the regular orchestra.  (This was a string orchestra with the orchestra directors grad assistant).

Anyways, this past Monday, i saw a Naxos recording of the same piece and decided to buy it.  It was mostly for nostalgia purposes, and see if my feelings of it have improved.  I had low expectations for the piece, and figured I would have the same reaction towards the piece now than I did when I played it.  But to my surprise, I enjoyed it.   The melodies of Carmen have always seemed to get stuck in my head for a period of time, and I also was fond of the melodies found in the suite.  Perhaps it was due to my enjoyment of the source material Shchedrin used that got me to enjoy the piece, but whatever the reason, it got me to want to listen to more of Shchedrin. 

Mirror Image

I'm just starting to get into Shchedrin again after quite a long hiatus. The result of this resurgence and interest has come from two ballets: Anna Karenina (1971) and The Seagull (1980).

Mirror Image

A write-up on Anna Karenina -

Since Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, the authors of ballets, particularly in Russia, have not been afraid to translate great literary subjects into dance. Tolstoy's novel is another story of forbidden and doomed love: the married Anna loses everything because of her adulterous love in this tragic classic. Shchedrin, a fine composer, became a composer of ballets because of his marriage to Maya Plisetskaya, a prima ballerina for the Bolshoi. This sweeping, romantic score was written for her to portray the most touching heroine in all of Russian literature. The music darkens and becomes more dissonantly oppressive as Anna becomes more and more hopelessly trapped by her situation. It ends starkly with a tour de force of orchestration, as Shchedrin manages the most naturalistic and authentic-sounding railroad engine imitation in all of music: This train strikes Anna with a sound of almost brutal ugliness, and the train sounds recede with an indifferent mechanical soullessness which reflects how Anna has been abandoned by society. This is excellent score, in a style best described as "post-Prokofiev"; its 1972 premiere in Moscow was one of the grand musical events of the later Soviet era. There are also echoes of Tchaikovsky, the preeminent Russian ballet composer. "Although I borrowed some elements from the music of Tchaikovsky," Shchedrin has stated, "it was never my intention to fully retain its style or resort to a mere compilation. The subject of the novel, its essence and heart of the conflict are understandable to our contemporaries. What I undertook, therefore, was to synthesize the external characteristics of the times -- the costumes, manners and intonations -- with a modern viewpoint of Tolstoy's novel."

[Taken from All Music Guide]

Scion7

Just starting to investigate his music / chamber pieces.  Interesting. 
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

snyprrr

Quote from: Scion7 on September 13, 2014, 04:03:29 PM
Just starting to investigate his music / chamber pieces.  Interesting.

I'm going to need recommendations for a sceptic- me. I don't trust I'm going to hear anything by him that I'll like. Am I wrong?

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 04, 2013, 08:52:40 PM
I'm just starting to get into Shchedrin again after quite a long hiatus. The result of this resurgence and interest has come from two ballets: Anna Karenina (1971) and The Seagull (1980).

Quote from: PaulR on April 22, 2011, 07:14:21 PM
About a year and a half ago, I played the Carmen Suite at school and didn't have a real positive impression of the piece.  I don't know why I didn't like it, perhaps it was more the fact that it was getting closer and closer to my graduation, and I was just a bit burnt out of school orchestra's or whatever.  But regardless of the reason, I dismissed it.  The performance wasn't the best, because a mixture that it didn't comprise the best players at the school, and the others already putting up a performance in the regular orchestra.  (This was a string orchestra with the orchestra directors grad assistant).

Anyways, this past Monday, i saw a Naxos recording of the same piece and decided to buy it.  It was mostly for nostalgia purposes, and see if my feelings of it have improved.  I had low expectations for the piece, and figured I would have the same reaction towards the piece now than I did when I played it.  But to my surprise, I enjoyed it.   The melodies of Carmen have always seemed to get stuck in my head for a period of time, and I also was fond of the melodies found in the suite.  Perhaps it was due to my enjoyment of the source material Shchedrin used that got me to enjoy the piece, but whatever the reason, it got me to want to listen to more of Shchedrin. 


vandermolen

Quote from: Sandra on April 20, 2011, 05:17:08 AM
I'm glad to see Shchedrin getting wider recognition. It's impossible to place him up there with Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Prokofiev.. but his voice definitely adds to the "soviet experience"... He ranks more closely with composers like Kabalevsky and Popov.

His piano concerto no 3 is pretty original - http://youtu.be/q2Xf6TVtjJw  Really liked it!

I rate his first symphony very highly. I consider Popov to be a very fine composer whose works should also be much better known.
"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: Soapy Molloy on September 14, 2014, 09:16:59 AM
This was my Purchase Of The Year (whenever it was that I bought it. ::))  I seem to recall playing it more or less continuously for about a week after first hearing.  Still gets regular outings.


Shchedrin Concertos for Orchestra 4 & 5 etc.
Karabits / Bournemouth SO


Oh, I have that but have not played it yet. Will now! Thanks.
"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 14, 2014, 07:55:25 AM
I rate his first symphony very highly. I consider Popov to be a very fine composer whose works should also be much better known.

always a good word from the 'molen (whatever happened to your other half Dundonnell?)


Quote from: Soapy Molloy on September 14, 2014, 09:16:59 AM
This was my Purchase Of The Year (whenever it was that I bought it. ::))  I seem to recall playing it more or less continuously for about a week after first hearing.  Still gets regular outings.


Shchedrin Concertos for Orchestra 4 & 5 etc.
Karabits / Bournemouth SO


ok, Concertos for Orchestra always sound like a winner- 5 of them eh? wow

ok

Karl Henning

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: snyprrr on September 15, 2014, 06:20:36 AM
always a good word from the 'molen (whatever happened to your other

Sadly doesn't post here anymore. I miss his contributions.
"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).

Mirror Image

Quote from: Soapy Molloy on September 14, 2014, 09:16:59 AM
This was my Purchase Of The Year (whenever it was that I bought it. ::))  I seem to recall playing it more or less continuously for about a week after first hearing.  Still gets regular outings.


Shchedrin Concertos for Orchestra 4 & 5 etc.
Karabits / Bournemouth SO


That's a good recording. I haven't played it in some time.

vandermolen

I've now removed this from the Shebalin thread where I originally posted it  ::)
I greatly like Shchedrin's powerful 1st Symphony which I've known from the good old days of the Melodiya/EMI LP. I haven't been nearly as impressed by anything else by him and found Symphony 2 to be a rather dreary affair. Anyway I was rather impressed with the dark and mournful Shostakovich-like Cello Concerto on You Tube and in view of the positive comments about the Seagull above I thought I'd give this a go and have ordered it:
[asin]B00004YU8R[/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).

SymphonicAddict

#33
Quote from: vandermolen on January 18, 2019, 01:57:20 PM
I've now removed this from the Shebalin thread where I originally posted it  ::)
I greatly like Shchedrin's powerful 1st Symphony which I've known from the good old days of the Melodiya/EMI LP. I haven't been nearly as impressed by anything else by him and found Symphony 2 to be a rather dreary affair. Anyway I was rather impressed with the dark and mournful Shostakovich-like Cello Concerto on You Tube and in view of the positive comments about the Seagull above I thought I'd give this a go and have ordered it:
[asin]B00004YU8R[/asin]

It looks interesting, Jeffrey. I will check it out in due course. As you, I also know his 2 symphonies, being the No. 1 an authentically riveting piece, whilst the 2nd much less engaging (besides the music itself, I think its form of a sort of Preludes wasn't a good idea either). The Concerto for orchestra No. 3 Old Russian Circus Music is a favorite of mine too. Oh, I almost forget the hilarious Carmen Suite.

vandermolen

#34
Quote from: SymphonicAddict on January 18, 2019, 04:15:14 PM
It looks interesting, Jeffrey. I will check it out in due course. As you, I also know his 2 symphonies, being the No. 1 an authentically riveting piece, whilst the 2nd much less engaging (besides the music itself, I think its form of a sort of Preludes wasn't a good idea either). The Concerto for orchestra No. 3 Old Russian Circus Music is a favorite of mine too. Oh, I almost forget the hilarious Carmen Suite.
Thanks Cesar. I thought it looked interesting too and it's worth at least checking out the opening of the Cello Concerto on You Tube which really held my attention. I have the Naxos CD above with the Concerto 4 and 5 for years and yet never played it! In fact it's still in its cellophane wrapper. That will be rectified soon.
Must look out for Concerto No.3. I think I had the Carmen suite with the Little Humpbacked Horse and an old audio cassette.
"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

Agreed with the symphony No. 1 and Cello Concerto sentiment.  I also liked some of his early piano concertos which have a strong sense of Prokofiev/Shostakovich mid century Soviet music which I love.  Also enjoyable to me was some work about the 500th anniversary of Christianity or something like that.

vandermolen

#36
Quote from: relm1 on January 19, 2019, 06:53:21 AM
Agreed with the symphony No. 1 and Cello Concerto sentiment.  I also liked some of his early piano concertos which have a strong sense of Prokofiev/Shostakovich mid century Soviet music which I love.  Also enjoyable to me was some work about the 500th anniversary of Christianity or something like that.
Am looking forward to receiving the Cello Concerto and Seagull Suite CD from Ondine.

Am currently enjoying this performance which I downloaded - an alternative version to Svetlanov's CD release.
The last movement, taken slower, is rather more moving in this (presumably older) recording:
"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

#37
Right, back to the Shchedrin thread!
:)

Two fine releases of Anosov's performance:
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"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).

T. D.

#38
I really like Shchedrin's opera Dead Souls, but I'm also a Gogol enthusiast. It seems slightly unfortunate that the opera includes considerable material from the sometimes maligned (see Vladimir Nabokov's Nikolai Gogol) Volume 2, but it's still fun.
Don't know about the aesthetic merits of Carmen Suite, but I enjoy the Naxos recording.
Shchedrin is an outstanding pianist. I had recordings of his Preludes and Fugues and Polyphonic Notebook, but my interest faded and I think I sold them.

Over the years on various forums, I've read some politically oriented criticism of R.S., seemingly for achieving prominence via currying favor with the Kremlin...I don't know enough to evaluate the situation.

vandermolen

#39
Quote from: T. D. on April 11, 2020, 10:21:20 AM
I really like Shchedrin's opera Dead Souls, but I'm also a Gogol enthusiast. It seems slightly unfortunate that the opera includes considerable material from the sometimes maligned (see Vladimir Nabokov's Nikolai Gogol) Volume 2, but it's still fun.
Don't know about the aesthetic merits of Carmen Suite, but I enjoy the Naxos recording.
Shchedrin is an outstanding pianist. I had recordings of his Preludes and Fugues and Polyphonic Notebook, but my interest faded and I think I sold them.

Over the years on various forums, I've read some politically oriented criticism of R.S., seemingly for achieving prominence via currying favor with the Kremlin...I don't know enough to evaluate the situation.
There was a somewhat embittered exchange between Shchedrin and the music critic David Fanning:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070101045513/http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/sovrev/shchfan.htm

Here's Shchedrin during what David Fanning describes as his 'leather jacket phase':
"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).