Andrej Eshpai (1925 - 2015)

[calyptorhynchus]

Eshpai's last symphony, No.8, now available on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baGLYrPMabE

It's a good one!

[vandermolen]

Eshpai's last symphony, No.8, now available on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baGLYrPMabE

It's a good one!

Great news. Thanks. I love Symphony 5.
Have just listened to it. It is a fine work with a definite valedictory feel at the opening and close. I have heard a few of Eshpai's symphonies but this one, along with No.5, has made the greatest impression on me. No.4 is good too. Thanks very much for alerting us to this fine work.

[Scion7]

I'll have to check this guy out in more detail - some day.  But in the meantime, he be dead! Time to adjust the subject of the topic to reflect this, and merge with the later thread started by Weiland ......

Draws runes on floor, summons Administrator spirit-being . . . .



THESE GIRLS wish to thank you for the threads-merge, Gurn!!

[calyptorhynchus]

Re the Symphony No.8, this is driving me nuts, which Bach fugue is it he quotes towards the end? I can't think which one it is.

[calyptorhynchus]

And does anyone know what the words in the Symphony No.6 are?

[calyptorhynchus]

And another thing, I've just realised that the theme that begins the 8th Symphony, and which also occurs, or variants of it do, in his other works, is very similar to the main theme of Tapiola.

Eshpai makes his theme a bit more liturgical-sounding, but I think it has the same function, viz signifying the forests and the natural world generally.

I guess most probably this is a conscious reference by Eshpai, less likely I suppose is the notion that it might be a common Ugric melodic motif, descending into both Mari and Finnish folkmusic and used unconsciously by both composers!

[arpeggio]

Interesting new composer I have to check out   

[CRCulver]

I guess most probably this is a conscious reference by Eshpai, less likely I suppose is the notion that it might be a common Ugric melodic motif, descending into both Mari and Finnish folkmusic and used unconsciously by both composers!

While the Mari language and Finnish are related, there isn't really any such thing as "Finno-Ugric music". All Uralic peoples tend to have music that is more similar to their non-Uralic-speaking neighbours than to distant Uralic relatives. (Much the same way as musicologists ridiculed the "Celtic music" tag in the 1990s as meaningless marketing.) If you are interested further, I'd point you to the introduction of Bereczki & Vikár's collection Cheremis Folksongs, as well as the introductions to the other collections of folksongs from the Volga-Kama area that they put out in the '60s and '70s.

As for the words in Esphai's Symphony No.6, if you can provide text, I can translate them.

[calyptorhynchus]

While the Mari language and Finnish are related, there isn't really any such thing as "Finno-Ugric music". All Uralic peoples tend to have music that is more similar to their non-Uralic-speaking neighbours than to distant Uralic relatives. (Much the same way as musicologists ridiculed the "Celtic music" tag in the 1990s as meaningless marketing.) If you are interested further, I'd point you to the introduction of Bereczki & Vikár's collection Cheremis Folksongs, as well as the introductions to the other collections of folksongs from the Volga-Kama area that they put out in the '60s and '70s.

As for the words in Esphai's Symphony No.6, if you can provide text, I can translate them.

I wasn't really being serious, though I would have thought that the folk-music of Finland and the area across to the Urals might share similarities (have the same preferred modes or scales or whatever).

Fraid I don't have the words for the Sixth, I 've just heard them.

[BrianSA]

So just for clarity, Eshpai has composed eight or nine symphonies?

The work list that starts this thread lists nine (although we apparently have the charming aberration of no 9 having been composed before no .  But the link to no 8 at the top of this page describes it as his last symphony.  Which, come to think of it, I guess it is....if, in fact, no 9 was composed first....

Brian

[calyptorhynchus]

I understand that the 8th and the 9th were composed in the order 9.... 8

Confusing.

[vandermolen]

I've been enjoying the 'Symphonic Dances on Mari Themes' (1952) and Symphony 2 'Praise to Light' on the first Albany CD. I'm sorry that there is no recording of his 'Passacaglia in Memory of N. Myaskovsky' (1951) for Organ. Some of his work is a little derivative and a section of his fine Symphony 2 reminded me of Prokofiev's 3rd Symphony but he still has an original and approachable style which keeps my attention. The 'Andante dolente' is especially fine I think.
[asin]B000006PCS[/asin]

[SymphonicAddict]

I don't know his music yet, so I'm gonna start listening to the symphonies very soon.

[relm1]

I don't know his music yet, so I'm gonna start listening to the symphonies very soon.

Eshpai is a consistently solid composer if you like folk oriented soviet era music like I do.  I really like this composer and wish more of his works were circulated. Like the best Russian composers, he had a mixture of hymn folk inspiration, color, tradition, melody, and structure.

[SymphonicAddict]

Eshpai is a consistently solid composer if you like folk oriented soviet era music like I do.  I really like this composer and wish more of his works were circulated. Like the best Russian composers, he had a mixture of hymn folk inspiration, color, tradition, melody, and structure.

Your commentaries have left me even more intrigued. I like oriental influences on Soviet/European music, too. Definitely I'll hear his works as soon as possible.

[vandermolen]

I don't know his music yet, so I'm gonna start listening to the symphonies very soon.

Symphony 5 is his masterpiece I think but I always seem to enjoy his music.

[vandermolen]

Eshpai is a consistently solid composer if you like folk oriented soviet era music like I do.  I really like this composer and wish more of his works were circulated. Like the best Russian composers, he had a mixture of hymn folk inspiration, color, tradition, melody, and structure.

Yes, this is totally my view of Eshpai.

My favourite Eshpai CD is the Russian Disc one with symphonies 4 and 5 on. Sometimes it's absurdly expensive but I just checked and it's available for under £10 on the Amazon UK site.

...and it's even cheaper on the U.S. Amazon site.

[SymphonicAddict]

Just a while ago played the 5th symphony (thanks Jeffrey and relm1 for the suggestions). Awesome in all respects, a rather impressive composition. There is a great solemnity in places, contrasted with a strong dose of energy. His style sounds authentic. Somehow, the music also reminds me of that by Boris Tchaikovsky (though Eshpai is a little more tuneful and less dry), a bit of Khachaturian (in terms of folk influences), and Shostakovich.

It's a work compact in one movement very well distributed, there is a generous content of thematic material. I really liked it. This symphony encourages me to continue listening to his oeuvre. Now I'm playing the Symphonic dances on Mari themes. At the beginning, I thought they were funeral dances because of the tremendous feeling that there is at the first part, something truly worthy of a tragedy, with deep sentiment. Then came the festive counterpart, much more vigorous, warm and optimistic. Another great piece, without a doubt.

[vandermolen]

Just a while ago played the 5th symphony (thanks Jeffrey and relm1 for the suggestions). Awesome in all respects, a rather impressive composition. There is a great solemnity in places, contrasted with a strong dose of energy. His style sounds authentic. Somehow, the music also reminds me of that by Boris Tchaikovsky (though Eshpai is a little more tuneful and less dry), a bit of Khachaturian (in terms of folk influences), and Shostakovich.

It's a work compact in one movement very well distributed, there is a generous content of thematic material. I really liked it. This symphony encourages me to continue listening to his oeuvre. Now I'm playing the Symphonic dances on Mari themes. At the beginning, I thought they were funeral dances because of the tremendous feeling that there is at the first part, something truly worthy of a tragedy, with deep sentiment. Then came the festive counterpart, much more vigorous, warm and optimistic. Another great piece, without a doubt.

I'm delighted that you enjoyed Symphony 5 Caesar and I agree with what you say about the possible influences on Eshpai. I've also just got to know the Symphonic Dances on Mari Themes and have the same high opinion of it as yourself. In fact that CD with the equally fine Symphony 2 is getting played a lot here at the moment.

[SymphonicAddict]

I'm delighted that you enjoyed Symphony 5 Caesar and I agree with what you say about the possible influences on Eshpai. I've also just got to know the Symphonic Dances on Mari Themes and have the same high opinion of it as yourself. In fact that CD with the equally fine Symphony 2 is getting played a lot here at the moment.

I plan to visit all the symphonies on these days. The no. 9 is not recorded yet I think, or at least I haven't seen any recording of it. Certainly Eshpai's style is very affined to my tastes