Rodion Shchedrin (b. 1932)

[Mirror Image]

Recently I was revisiting Shchedrin's epic and poignant Symphony No. 1 in E-flat minor (in my favorite key, btw!), and man, this is some stirring stuff! For me, it's the work of a genius, and he doesn't sound like Shostakovich or Weinberg or others.

I dig it, too, Cesar. One of the finest post-Shostakovich Soviet symphonies, IMHO.

[Symphonic Addict]

Yes, and regarding ballets, The Little Hump-backed Horse left me wonderfully delighted. One of my finest revelations thank this forum.

[Mirror Image]

Yes, and regarding ballets, The Little Hump-backed Horse left me wonderfully delighted. One of my finest revelations thank this forum.

[vandermolen]

Recently I was revisiting Shchedrin's epic and poignant Symphony No. 1 in E-flat minor (in my favorite key, btw!), and man, this is some stirring stuff! For me, it's the work of a genius, and he doesn't sound like Shostakovich or Weinberg or others.

It's a fabulous work Cesar. I came across it on an LP, coupled with Miaskovsky's equally fine 23rd Symphony on an old EMI/Melodiya LP in my local record library in London in the early 1970s I think. I love the ending - you think that it's building up to a grand climax and then, suddenly, the whole thing dissolves down and deconstructs into nothingness. I've enjoyed much of his music ('Chimes' for example) but nothing IMO compares with the brilliance of his 1st Symphony.

[Symphonic Addict]

It's a fabulous work Cesar. I came across it on an LP, coupled with Miaskovsky's equally fine 23rd Symphony on an old EMI/Melodiya LP in my local record library in London in the early 1970s I think. I love the ending - you think that it's building up to a grand climax and then, suddenly, the whole thing dissolves down and deconstructs into nothingness. I've enjoyed much of his music ('Chimes' for example) but nothing IMO compares with the brilliance of his 1st Symphony.

That's my thought as well, Jeffrey. This symphony is a real stunner. Btw, good memories from that LP. Nostalgia is never absent on moments like this.

Do you know his ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse? It's a sensational and magical score. It was a revelation last year thank this forum, I think John was, so thank you! And the orchestration is to die for, not to mention melodically speaking. Just fabulous.

[Mirror Image]

That's my thought as well, Jeffrey. This symphony is a real stunner. Btw, good memories from that LP. Nostalgia is never absent on moments like this.

Do you know his ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse? It's a sensational and magical score. It was a revelation last year thank this forum, I think John was, so thank you! And the orchestration is to die for, not to mention melodically speaking. Just fabulous.

I believe I did give you The Little Humpbacked Horse nudge, indeed, Cesar. But that's no matter, I believe you would've found the piece eventually. I also like that Chamber Suite from that Humpbacked Horse box set. I'm not sure if you've heard it, but the movement Amoroso never fails to move me:

https://www.youtube.com/v/M0KJJBkhafA&list=OLAK5uy_neF_EbndZxjm6_CGcTxzxX9XL75P0VMHY&index=47

[vandermolen]

That's my thought as well, Jeffrey. This symphony is a real stunner. Btw, good memories from that LP. Nostalgia is never absent on moments like this.

Do you know his ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse? It's a sensational and magical score. It was a revelation last year thank this forum, I think John was, so thank you! And the orchestration is to die for, not to mention melodically speaking. Just fabulous.

I'm sure that I enjoyed the Little Humpbacked Horse years ago, but I will try to search it out. I'm sure that Olympia CD is now incredibly expensive - come to think of it I think that I had the TLHBH on a very old Olympia audio-cassette!

[T. D.]

An A/V recording of Shchedrin's opera The Left-Hander just showed up at Berkshire. 2 Blu-Ray discs on the Mariinsky label.

Andrei Popov [The Left-Hander], Edward Tsanga [Ataman Platov], Vladimir Moroz [Alexander I / Nicholas I], Kristina Alieva [The Flea], Maria Maksakova [Princess Charlotte] et al. Mariinsky Orchestra and Chorus/ Valery Gergiev. Directed by Alexei Stepanyuk. (Running time approx. 119'. Double-play set: contains Blu-Ray disc {PLEASE NOTE: BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER REQUIRED} and DVD)

I've never heard of this work (but rather enjoy the old Melodiya recording of Dead Souls, the only Shchedrin opera I've heard). With a character called The Flea, it might be funny.

Reviews:
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/m/mrn00588blua.php
https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2015/7/Recordings/SHCHEDRIN__The_Left-Hander_(Levsha).html
https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2016/12/Recordings/Shchedrin__The_Left-Hander.html

[relm1]

How do you differentiate the symphonies from the concertos for orchestra?  Since he composed 3 symphonies, but 5 concerti for orchestra but the first two concerti for orchestra are brief, the others are symphony duration, are they symphonies in all but name?

[Symphonic Addict]

How do you differentiate the symphonies from the concertos for orchestra?  Since he composed 3 symphonies, but 5 concerti for orchestra but the first two concerti for orchestra are brief, the others are symphony duration, are they symphonies in all but name?

I haven't heard his 3rd Symphony yet (hopefully it will be on CD soon), but his 2nd Symphony is rather disappointing taking into account how powerful the No. 1 is.

I wouldn't say his concertos for orchestra are symphonies in disguise. For me, they're more like symphonic poems. No. 3 Old Russian Circus Music is one of the best IMO. Nos. 4 and 5 are less interesting for me.

[relm1]

Recently I was revisiting Shchedrin's epic and poignant Symphony No. 1 in E-flat minor (in my favorite key, btw!), and man, this is some stirring stuff! For me, it's the work of a genius, and he doesn't sound like Shostakovich or Weinberg or others.

Thanks for the recommendation.  I just listened to it and loved it!  Now I'm on to No. 2 which I'm also enjoying.  I am friends with someone who is close friends with Shchedrin so must enquire on his health and welfare.  We hadn't connected much since Boris Tishchenko had died but there are very few Soviet era major composers still around and at 89, Shchedrin must be among the last.  One of the things I love most about his No. 1 and 2 is how there is such a clear connection to the Russian tradition.  You can hear Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Rimsky-Korsakov too...even if it's brief, it's still there.  BUT, Shchedrin, like Schnittke and Tishchenko and some can argue Gabriel Prokofiev are the more cosmopolitan versions who incorporate influences far outside their natural influences.  With Shostakovich, the Mussorgsky, Mahler, and Bach influences are obvious.  With Stravinsky, the french impressionist influences get added too.  A generation later, jazz and the 20th century avant-garde too like ligeti/Stockhausen.  Then with Grabriel Prokofiev, you can add hip hop and DJ too! But in Shchedrin this progression is very clear.  I'm loving his No. 2 and find it a wonderful counterpart to Schnittke's collage where there are literal moments in other styles, but in Shchedrin's No. 2, not so overt. 

[Symphonic Addict]

I saw a semi-staged production of this with Gergiev conducting the Mariinsky and the composer in attendance.  It went down very well with the London audience, not least for the mercilessly satirical view it presented of the British Royal Family.

Could I ask you anything about you?

Why do you delete your posts? You have had more than 20 contributions in these lives and many more!

[Symphonic Addict]

Thanks for the recommendation.  I just listened to it and loved it!  Now I'm on to No. 2 which I'm also enjoying.  I am friends with someone who is close friends with Shchedrin so must enquire on his health and welfare.  We hadn't connected much since Boris Tishchenko had died but there are very few Soviet era major composers still around and at 89, Shchedrin must be among the last.  One of the things I love most about his No. 1 and 2 is how there is such a clear connection to the Russian tradition.  You can hear Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Rimsky-Korsakov too...even if it's brief, it's still there.  BUT, Shchedrin, like Schnittke and Tishchenko and some can argue Gabriel Prokofiev are the more cosmopolitan versions who incorporate influences far outside their natural influences.  With Shostakovich, the Mussorgsky, Mahler, and Bach influences are obvious.  With Stravinsky, the french impressionist influences get added too.  A generation later, jazz and the 20th century avant-garde too like ligeti/Stockhausen.  Then with Grabriel Prokofiev, you can add hip hop and DJ too! But in Shchedrin this progression is very clear.  I'm loving his No. 2 and find it a wonderful counterpart to Schnittke's collage where there are literal moments in other styles, but in Shchedrin's No. 2, not so overt.

Good to read, relm1! Please, give to him my sincere admiration and how I love his works, when you have the opportunity, from Cesar! 

There is much to discover by him yet indeed. He is a composer of a league of his own. I am bewitched by his style, atmosphere and sonorities.

[Symphonic Addict]

Just revisited his First Piano Concerto, and oh my... what an incredibly impassionate, eloquent, magnificent, sparkling and hyper-Romantic work it is! The kind of stuff that would go to PTHBYAR thread. Superb stuff. I don't remember having heard his PCs in their entirely. Something to keep in mind in my case. The composer on the piano in company of Svetlanov and the USSR SO are unbeatable. One of my favorite rediscoveries lately.

BTW, this Melodiya sets are really a treasure trove.

[Mirror Image]

Just revisited his First Piano Concerto, and oh my... what an incredibly impassionate, eloquent, magnificent, sparkling and hyper-Romantic work it is! The kind of stuff that would go to PTHBYAR thread. Superb stuff. I don't remember having heard his PCs in their entirely. Something to keep in mind in my case. The composer at the piano in company of Svetlanov and the USSR SO are unbeatable. One of my favorite rediscoveries lately.

BTW, this Melodiya sets are really a treasure trove.

Nice! I should revisit those works. I recall enjoying them a lot. Shchedrin, for me, is the last of those Soviet Era composers that's still around with the exception of Gubaidulina, but she fled to Hamburg many years ago.

[Symphonic Addict]

Nice! I should revisit those works. I recall enjoying them a lot. Shchedrin, for me, is the last of those Soviet Era composers that's still around with the exception of Gubaidulina, but she fled to Hamburg many years ago.

Of the late Soviet composers, he's one of my favorites too! Shchedrin has had an interesting evolution as a composer.

[Mirror Image]

Of the late Soviet composers, he's one of my favorites too! Shchedrin has had an interesting evolution as a composer.

And what would that evolution be? I don't know his own stylistic history well at all. I know he started off Shostakovich-inspired, but then branched off into a plethora of different directions. It's difficult for me to pin-down his style in general.

[bhodges]

You might want to check out his second one, also great. I bought Hamelin's Hyperion disc mostly for the two Shostakovich concertos, but the Shchedrin was the revelation.

--Bruce

[Symphonic Addict]

You might want to check out his second one, also great. I bought Hamelin's Hyperion disc mostly for the two Shostakovich concertos, but the Shchedrin was the revelation.

--Bruce

Thank you! I don't know why I never paid attention to the Shchedrin coupling in that Hyperion CD

[bhodges]

Thank you! I don't know why I never paid attention to the Shchedrin coupling in that Hyperion CD

It's because those two Shostakovich concertos rock! 

--Bruce