Name that piece! The game

[mszczuj]

Probably I wasn't enough precise.

And now I really don't know how to say more without saying too much...


I named it political censorship because I was trying to look on it from the point of view which I supposed could be the composer's point of view on this question. But this kind of censorship works in the free world as well but is considered to be a moral censorship.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Is it some Ode to Lenin or Stalin? Prokofiev wrote the latter benefactor of humanity such a piece, but this isn't Prokofiev...

[The new erato]

The hints points towards the west (USA?). Very warlike music (Honegger)? with some quite Brucknerian brass.

[listener]

Wagner?

[mszczuj]

In fact it is russian. But not Soviet. Earlier.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

In fact it is russian. But not Soviet. Earlier.

Does it celebrate some Russian victory over a Western foe?

[Brian]

Well, my second orchestra/conductor guess was MUCH better than OSR/Ansermet: State Academy SO and Svetlanov, from their Anthology of Russian Music. I knew I'd heard that sound before! So I pulled together my entire Svetlanov library, narrowed it down (according to the very specific clues given) to tracks more than 24 minutes long, did some very pleasant listening to Glazunov and Balakirev, but ultimately discovered that this is Hashish, by Aleksandr Lyapunov.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Well, my second orchestra/conductor guess was MUCH better than OSR/Ansermet: State Academy SO and Svetlanov, from their Anthology of Russian Music. I knew I'd heard that sound before! So I pulled together my entire Svetlanov library, narrowed it down (according to the very specific clues given) to tracks more than 24 minutes long, did some very pleasant listening to Glazunov and Balakirev, but ultimately discovered that this is Hashish, by Aleksandr Lyapunov.

Funny (and correct, I think)!

[mszczuj]

Hashish, by Aleksandr Lyapunov.

There is a little mistake in this answer. Correct it and go on with a new clip.

I will write more about Hashish after. Now I must leave for two hours.

[Brian]

There is a little mistake in this answer. Correct it and go on with a new clip.

I will wrote more about Hashish after. Now I must leave for two hours.

Sergei! What was I thinking. Put down his brother instead.

I am listening to the full Hashish right now - looking forward to what you write later about it, as it is a big, maybe slightly too big, but very fun piece.

[Brian]

We have a considerable departure in tone in store for the new mystery clip!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

We have a considerable departure in tone in store for the new mystery clip!

You forgot to remove the info from the clip... Now I know. 

[Brian]

You forgot to remove the info from the clip... Now I know. 

Curses! Audacity continues to be the bane of my existence!

The file and heading info should be fixed now...

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Hello Brian.

[mc ukrneal]

We have a considerable departure in tone in store for the new mystery clip!

Doesn't sound familiar. Sounds pretty interesting.

[mszczuj]

Sounds a little spanish to me. My very first thought during the first listening: Scarlatii played by Belder.

[mszczuj]

I am listening to the full Hashish right now - looking forward to what you write later about it, as it is a big, maybe slightly too big, but very fun piece.

As far as I know the recording of Svetlanov is the only existing recording of Hashish. The main problem with it is that in fact it  is not sure if it does exist any more. The original tapes of 1986 recording disappeared from archives of Melodiya and for CD reissue vinyl rip was made.

The equipment used for it was absolutely unsuitable. In silent fragments you hear some mechanical noise for example. The worse thing is that some scratch filter was used. May be there are scratch filters which don't destroy the sound somwhere - I don't know - but this was not that kind of filter. The sound is dim and dry and have nothing common with brillancy of original vinyl issue. But the worst ist that this track lasts 24:27. On Lp it was unfortunately divided between two sides of discs. These parts lasted 7:29 and 16:29 - in all 23:43!

The only hope is old Olympia OCD129 from 1988. But I'm afraid it is not very easy to find.

If somebody doesn't care too much about multiple scratches there is my own rip (far from perfection of course but I think little more colourful and at least faster) from my vinyl. Lossless in Monkey's Audio compresion.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/gKro_Dxv/Track02.html?

And there is 4 hand piano reduction sheet music:

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/e/e0/IMSLP21516-PMLP49569-Lyapunov_Hashish_Op53.pdf

There are fragments of poem Hashish of Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov (friend of Mussorgsky) before the notes as a program. These fragments were read before Svetlanov's recording on original LP .  http://www.4shared.com/audio/6GvUJAFE/Track01.html?  - if somebody wants to listen to russian recitation.
Sense of these fragments are diffrent than the sense of the whole poem. They ends with statement that hashish experience leads to cognoscence of grief of live and to weeping. The whole poem ends with praise of Allah who gave hashish for unhappy people.

Lyapunov was most faithful pupil of Balakiriev and symhonic poem Tamara of the latter was obviously model for Hashish but I think Lyapinov managed to find his own way in this work.

One of things I like most in Hashish is that it is the "real time" symphonic poem. Not whole life struggles in 10 minutes, not 10 miles night horse riding in 20 seconds. You can interpret what's going on music as strictly musical reflection of that what is going on in mind.

The other is its caleidoscope instrumentation and treating of motifs - again with good justification on program. I like it organic form.

I suppose when listened more than once it begins to work better and doesn't seem too big any more.

It is unbelivable that this work almost unknown. Besides all values of art what a marketing prospects in this title!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thank you for that very informative post, mszczuj! I am going to download, listen and read along later.

[listener]

F. COUPERIN for 2 keyboards (Pièce croisée)  Le tic-tac-choc from Ordre 18, maybe?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

My lips are sealed... Brian, wake up!