Thirty three and a third.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Twenty seven in total PD

My recommendations are 3,6,17,21,25 and 27.

Thanks Jeffrey.  I've duly noted them and will have them with me when I visit record stores--so long as I remember to take my phone with me! 

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Not a clue, P. After amazingly coming up with the correct location recently of a stream by a forum member it would not surprise me if someone knows.

I can tell you that the photographer was Hans Wild in any event.  From Discogs.

PD

[Irons]

Currently listening to Miaskovsky Symphony No. 27 Moscow Radio SO cond. Alexander Gauk.
This is by far the most moving performance I have heard of this great work - it has a depth of feeling which goes beyond the more recent performances by Svetlanov and Polyansky, good as they are. The sound quality is much better than I anticipated:

You may or may not be interested Jeffrey but I find this a handy tool for dating Melodiya LPs.

http://www.pnprecords.spb.ru/vynil-labels/index.phtml

[vandermolen]

You may or may not be interested Jeffrey but I find this a handy tool for dating Melodiya LPs.

http://www.pnprecords.spb.ru/vynil-labels/index.phtml

Very interesting and helpful Lol. Thank you.
I remember that some of my earliest Melodiya LPs featured heavy vinyl and the blue label. These included Kondrashin's LP set of Miaskovsky's 6th Symphony - recently reissued on an Alto CD ( ) and Kabalevsky's 4th Symphony conducted by Kabalevsky. As far as I recall these came in plain white cardboard sleeves with no notes at all, either in Russian or English. These would have both been borrowed from the record library in London. Later ones, like Miaskovsky's 27th Symphony (Svetlanov) I acquired myself and featured the red label. It's interesting to have the historical context of those releases explained.

[Irons]

Very interesting and helpful Lol. Thank you.
I remember that some of my earliest Melodiya LPs featured heavy vinyl and the blue label. These included Kondrashin's LP set of Miaskovsky's 6th Symphony - recently reissued on an Alto CD ( ) and Kabalevsky's 4th Symphony conducted by Kabalevsky. As far as I recall these came in plain white cardboard sleeves with no notes at all, either in Russian or English. These would have both been borrowed from the record library in London. Later ones, like Miaskovsky's 27th Symphony (Svetlanov) I acquired myself and featured the red label. It's interesting to have the historical context of those releases explained.

Any LP is an artefact and some have historical importance. I am particularly interested Jeffrey in music for the home market manufactured on LP behind the old "Iron Curtain". Russia, GDR, Bulgaria, Poland and many more are a treasure trove of rare and interesting music. I have been searching for a particular string quartet for years without success only to discover over the weekend it is available on CD! Lesson learned - don't discount other music carriers. I will post my thoughts on this work in the very near future. Many others due to the passage of time the master tapes will be either lost or unusable. A LP copy may be all that has survived and if in good condition, historically significant.

Quite possibly available in digital form, but even so I prize a first pressing of Rostropvich with the Taneyev Quartet performing the Schubert String Quintet. Tully Potter describes this as the greatest recording of the Quintet and I for one have no argument with that.




   

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Any LP is an artefact and some have historical importance. I am particularly interested Jeffrey in music for the home market manufactured on LP behind the old "Iron Curtain". Russia, GDR, Bulgaria, Poland and many more are a treasure trove of rare and interesting music. I have been searching for a particular string quartet for years without success only to discover over the weekend it is available on CD! Lesson learned - don't discount other music carriers. I will post my thoughts on this work in the very near future. Many others due to the passage of time the master tapes will be either lost or unusable. A LP copy may be all that has survived and if in good condition, historically significant.

Quite possibly available in digital form, but even so I prize a first pressing of Rostropvich with the Taneyev Quartet performing the Schubert String Quintet. Tully Potter describes this as the greatest recording of the Quintet and I for one have no argument with that.




   

Cool!    You might find the reviews here to be of interest Irons.  https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Quintet-Taneyev-Mistislav-Rostropovich/dp/B007S9IWYW#customerReviews

Now you have me intrigued as to what other recording you've been searching for!

PD

[vandermolen]

Any LP is an artefact and some have historical importance. I am particularly interested Jeffrey in music for the home market manufactured on LP behind the old "Iron Curtain". Russia, GDR, Bulgaria, Poland and many more are a treasure trove of rare and interesting music. I have been searching for a particular string quartet for years without success only to discover over the weekend it is available on CD! Lesson learned - don't discount other music carriers. I will post my thoughts on this work in the very near future. Many others due to the passage of time the master tapes will be either lost or unusable. A LP copy may be all that has survived and if in good condition, historically significant.

Quite possibly available in digital form, but even so I prize a first pressing of Rostropvich with the Taneyev Quartet performing the Schubert String Quintet. Tully Potter describes this as the greatest recording of the Quintet and I for one have no argument with that.




   

Interesting indeed Lol. Works like Balanchivadze's excellent First Symphony, which a kind person copied for me years ago, may only be available on LP for all I know.

[Irons]

Cool!    You might find the reviews here to be of interest Irons.  https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Quintet-Taneyev-Mistislav-Rostropovich/dp/B007S9IWYW#customerReviews

Now you have me intrigued as to what other recording you've been searching for!

PD

Thank you very much for that, P. Does this mean there is indeed no CD release?

Secrets from you I will not keep    https://youtu.be/QOl04Ap_wTU

[Irons]

Interesting indeed Lol. Works like Balanchivadze's excellent First Symphony, which a kind person copied for me years ago, may only be available on LP for all I know.

Checked but no Balanchivadze sadly, I will keep the name in mind, if not the spelling. Sifting through I seem to have accumulated quite a few Rakov LPs, is he known to you, Jeffrey?

Many Melodiya LPs for the home market are printed in Russian only. I have found by googling birth/death dates the English translation appears. Pakob born 1908 = Rakov.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Thank you very much for that, P. Does this mean there is indeed no CD release?

Secrets from you I will not keep    https://youtu.be/QOl04Ap_wTU

Thank you for the link, but it's not working/playing.  It shows String Quartet No. 3 and Naxos of America, but the screen is black.  What is it for Irons?

I'll try and google further for you Irons.  I did see it uploaded to youtube though.  I did find this on Discogs showing other releases on vinyl.  https://www.discogs.com/Taneyev-Quartet-Mstislav-Rostropovich-Franz-Schubert-String-Quintet-Op-163/release/10045110

You might try posting this question elsewhere too (perhaps more people might read it)?  Maybe on a Schubert thread or it there is one on Rostropovich or the Taneyevs, etc.?

PD

EDIT:  By the way, I've been tempted to create a 'cheat sheet' to bring to record stores...of Russian  (and maybe also some non-Russian composers?), some groups and orchestras, performers and also of conductors with their names in Russian to help me try and identify what I'm looking at.    Clever idea, Irons to use their dates.  Are they normally on the LPs?

[Irons]

Thank you for the link, but it's not working/playing.  It shows String Quartet No. 3 and Naxos of America, but the screen is black.  What is it for Irons?

I'll try and google further for you Irons.  I did see it uploaded to youtube though.  I did find this on Discogs showing other releases on vinyl.  https://www.discogs.com/Taneyev-Quartet-Mstislav-Rostropovich-Franz-Schubert-String-Quintet-Op-163/release/10045110

You might try posting this question elsewhere too (perhaps more people might read it)?  Maybe on a Schubert thread or it there is one on Rostropovich or the Taneyevs, etc.?

PD

EDIT:  By the way, I've been tempted to create a 'cheat sheet' to bring to record stores...of Russian  (and maybe also some non-Russian composers?), some groups and orchestras, performers and also of conductors with their names in Russian to help me try and identify what I'm looking at.    Clever idea, Irons to use their dates.  Are they normally on the LPs?

The link is good, P. I have checked. Must be an issue with licensing to the US. Try searching Yuri Falik there is a very noisy vinyl upload on YT of the 3rd Quartet which introduced me to the work. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The link is good, P. I have checked. Must be an issue with licensing to the US. Try searching Yuri Falik there is a very noisy vinyl upload on YT of the 3rd Quartet which introduced me to the work.

Thanks Irons; I found the 'noisy' one.  Strange that I couldn't listen to the other one as it was uploaded by Naxos of America!  I'll listen to the other upload whilst eating my breakfast....which I'm off to prepare. 

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Just listened to it (post-breakfast).  Eerie and haunting at times...intriguing Irons.  Thanks for sharing that with me.  I hadn't heard of him before now.  Wonder how well known his music is outside of Russia?  Despite the comments by the uploader, I read in several other places that his music isn't well-known outside of there.  What are you thoughts though?  I'd be interested to hear them.

I see that he's written at least one cello concerto; have you heard them?

PD

[Irons]

Just listened to it (post-breakfast).  Eerie and haunting at times...intriguing Irons.  Thanks for sharing that with me.  I hadn't heard of him before now.  Wonder how well known his music is outside of Russia?  Despite the comments by the uploader, I read in several other places that his music isn't well-known outside of there.  What are you thoughts though?  I'd be interested to hear them.

I see that he's written at least one cello concerto; have you heard them?

PD

I am relieved your breakfast wasn't spoilt, P. I first heard the vinyl YT upload about five years ago which left a deep impression. Falik does feature on my LP shelves with a short work (12.55) "Music for String Instruments".


I'm not even close in making any sort of judgment how important Falik is, but like you I am intrigued. Apparently he enjoyed considerable success in Soviet Russia as a composer, teacher and cellist and enjoyed the trappings of success, yet to my ears the little music I have heard, is angry - there are no peasants dancing in fields. His music is extremely rhythmic, which I love, dissonance is sparingly used. My initial impression is a mirror of post-Stalin Soviet city life. 

[MusicTurner]

My small Falik collection 

lp    Falik:"Musik for Strings" (1965)/Vronsky,PragSO/sup 79 1110 2280
LP   Falik:"Elegiac Music I.M.Stravinsky" f.Ens. (1975)/Rozhdestvensky,LeningradCO/mel-eterna 827 369
lp    Falik:"Elegiac Music I.M.Stravinsky" f.Ens. (1975)/Rezucha,SlovakPO/opus 83 9110 1448
LP   Falik:"Concerto for Orchestra no.1, Tyll Ulenspiegel" (1967)/Rozhdestvensky,LenPO/mel-eterna 827 369
CD  Falik:"Concerto for Orchestra no.2, Symphonic Studies" (1988)/Dmitriev,StPetPO/north flow 04 nfpma9924
CD  Falik:"Cello Concerto, Delle Passione" (1988)/Gutman,Dmitriev,StPetPO/north flow 04 nfpma9924
LP   Falik:"3rd String Quartet" (1975)/Taneyev4/mel-eterna 827 369

[Irons]

My small Falik collection 

lp    Falik:"Musik for Strings" (1965)/Vronsky,PragSO/sup 79 1110 2280
LP   Falik:"Elegiac Music I.M.Stravinsky" f.Ens. (1975)/Rozhdestvensky,LeningradCO/mel-eterna 827 369
lp    Falik:"Elegiac Music I.M.Stravinsky" f.Ens. (1975)/Rezucha,SlovakPO/opus 83 9110 1448
LP   Falik:"Concerto for Orchestra no.1, Tyll Ulenspiegel" (1967)/Rozhdestvensky,LenPO/mel-eterna 827 369
CD  Falik:"Concerto for Orchestra no.2, Symphonic Studies" (1988)/Dmitriev,StPetPO/north flow 04 nfpma9924
CD  Falik:"Cello Concerto, Delle Passione" (1988)/Gutman,Dmitriev,StPetPO/north flow 04 nfpma9924
LP   Falik:"3rd String Quartet" (1975)/Taneyev4/mel-eterna 827 369

Just the person I would like to have a word with. Yuri Falik could never be described as a rounded composer but I am resisting the urge to go OTT with difficulty. His music is ugly and brutal at times but never short of excitement and enters the "great" category on a regular basis. What do you think?

[MusicTurner]

Just the person I would like to have a word with. Yuri Falik could never be described as a rounded composer but I am resisting the urge to go OTT with difficulty. His music is ugly and brutal at times but never short of excitement and enters the "great" category on a regular basis. What do you think?

I'll be checking the material in the coming days, it's been a long time since I heard it. But overall, there are often certain motoric or martial characteristics to be found in the music of many Soviet era composers - such as with Boris Tischenko, Boris Tchaikovsky, Shchedrin, Khrennikov or Herman Galynin, for example.

[MusicTurner]

Have been listening to this old LP, bought second/hand, of both music by Falik, plus apparently a celebration of USSR transformer stations and constructivism, cf. the cover ...  there is the 3rd String Quartet, Elegiac Music IM Stravinsky for strings and trombones, and a Concerto for Orchestra.

The quartet (1975) has some similarities with late Shostakovitch or some Schnittke, with feverish, martial rhythms, partly in pizzicato. Somewhere into the work, elegiac solo passages add more sweeping melodies, also reminding of Faliks background as a cello player. It is not a long work, lasting only 16 minutes, so it does not become that emotionally arresting. As regards the Elegiac Music (1975), the liner notes, written by a GDR professor, say that Falik seems to get inspiration from late Stravinsky, but as a layman I am not hearing much of a classicist or emotional restrain in the work, the trombones do perhaps add a bit of it, but it is a dark work.
The Concerto for Orchestra (1967) is in a lighter, very virtuoso and episodical style, with a lot of orchestral brilliance and including an organ, reminding of say the orchestral concertos by Bartok and Lutoslawski, or a Shostakovich ouverture. There is social and revolutionary optimism in the celebration of the Tyl Eulenspiegel hero story. It is quite ambitious and lasts more than 22 minutes.

Overall, I think his expression is somewhat varied, if one just thinks of the selection on this LP, but it is within the typical USSR and Eastern Bloc expression of the day, often sombre. Maybe it is characteristic that this applies especially to the works from the 70s. A cleaner CD sound might contribute further to the experience of it.

[vandermolen]

Checked but no Balanchivadze sadly, I will keep the name in mind, if not the spelling. Sifting through I seem to have accumulated quite a few Rakov LPs, is he known to you, Jeffrey?

Many Melodiya LPs for the home market are printed in Russian only. I have found by googling birth/death dates the English translation appears. Pakob born 1908 = Rakov.

I have this CD Lol:

[Irons]

Have been listening to this old LP, bought second/hand, of both music by Falik, plus apparently a celebration of USSR transformer stations and constructivism, cf. the cover ...  there is the 3rd String Quartet, Elegiac Music IM Stravinsky for strings and trombones, and a Concerto for Orchestra.

The quartet (1975) has some similarities with late Shostakovitch or some Schnittke, with feverish, martial rhythms, partly in pizzicato. Somewhere into the work, elegiac solo passages add more sweeping melodies, also reminding of Faliks background as a cello player. It is not a long work, lasting only 16 minutes, so it does not become that emotionally arresting. As regards the Elegiac Music (1975), the liner notes, written by a GDR professor, say that Falik seems to get inspiration from late Stravinsky, but as a layman I am not hearing much of a classicist or emotional restrain in the work, the trombones do perhaps add a bit of it, but it is a dark work.
The Concerto for Orchestra (1967) is in a lighter, very virtuoso and episodical style, with a lot of orchestral brilliance and including an organ, reminding of say the orchestral concertos by Bartok and Lutoslawski, or a Shostakovich ouverture. There is social and revolutionary optimism in the celebration of the Tyl Eulenspiegel hero story. It is quite ambitious and lasts more than 22 minutes.

Overall, I think his expression is somewhat varied, if one just thinks of the selection on this LP, but it is within the typical USSR and Eastern Bloc expression of the day, often sombre. Maybe it is characteristic that this applies especially to the works from the 70s. A cleaner CD sound might contribute further to the experience of it.

An interesting summery and thanks for making it. I am not keen when labels mix up differing genres on the same issue preferring keeping orchestral and chamber separate.
Interesting that you make the point of the length of the 3rd Quartet and emotional depth. All the quartets, 3, 4, 5 & 6, with the exception of the 6th, are cast in a single movement and of similar length. The 6th, the most original, has two movements and the shortest of all at 13:23.
As you say there is a tangible 1970's era flavour which bothered me at first but faded as I delved deeper in the music.