What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

This is from Elizabeth Wilson's Shostakovich: A Life Remembered.
Rumours that Shostakovich had written a work 'in secret' satirizing the Zhdanov Decree had been in circulation for some time after the composer's death.The existence of the satirical cantata Rayok (variously translated as The Peep-Show, The Gods, and A Learner's Manual) was finally confirmed when it received a first public performance in Washington in January 1989 by Mstislav Rostropovich. He used a copy made available to him by the musicologist Lev Lebedinsky. The Rayok was  a popular entertainment at traveling fares, where a booth housing a box which has specially made peepholes allowing viewing of a series of pictures turning on a revolving drum. The booth was manned by a 'Rayoshnik' whose running commentary was made in doggerel verse, using many invented and ridiculous diminutives. When young, Shostakovich had been fascinated by the Rayok and its language, as he informed his friend Oborin in a letter dated 26 September 1925. 'How are your delishki [diminutive of "dela," meaning "affairs, things"] [...], how go things with Shebalishki [Shebalin] and Mishki [Misha Kvadri]?  Forgive the last two phrases — I have recently begun to study rayoshni language.' This typically Russian form of musical satire has its roots in the centuries-old Skomorokhi lampoons. Shastakovich also knew and loved the satirical songs of the 19th-century classics such as Dargomyzhsky's The Worm and Mussorgsky's 'The Seminarist' and 'The Flea.' In Soviet times the most popular form of musical political satire could be found in the 'shastushki', a kind of limerick usually peppered with indecent puns and illusions, and also the kapustnik, a kind of home bred 'review'. Shostakovich's Rayok nevertheless has a direct antecedent in Mussorgsky's work of the same name. Whereas he created a caricature of the enemies of the 'New Russian School' (more commonly known as 'The Mighty Handful'), Shostakovich lampoons the cultural activists who launched the 'struggle with formalism'.

Shortly after the Washington performance Shostakovich's widow produced from the family archive the original manuscript(s) together with some preliminary sketches. They are written in the characteristic purple ink Shostakovich used until the early 1960s, and none of them are dated. The work was performed in the Soviet Union a few months after the Washington premiere in a slightly different version. Later that year an additional excerpt was found, constituting an extended concluding scene (which Venyamin Basner remembers Shostakovich playing to him around 1967.)  There is also disagreement about the time of Rayok's creation. The curator of the Shostakovich archive, Manashir Yakubov. who was responsible for finding all the rough sketches and various manuscript versions of it in the archive, claims that the work was conceived and partly written already in 1948 and that it was completed in two further stages, in 1957, then the late 1960s. This version of events is supported by Izaak Glikman. He alone of Shostakovich's friends claims that the composer played Rayok for him in the summer of 1948 from a rough sketch written on a single sheet of paper. Vissarion Shebalin's widow remembers Shostakovich playing it at their Moscow flat 'sometime in the 1950s', in any case after Shebalin fell ill. Shebalin's  advice to Shostakovich was to destroy all trace of the work, as 'you could be shot for such things'.
Lebedinsky dates Rayok to the time of the second Union of Composers' Congress, which took place between 28 March and 5 April 1957....

[Que]

Cracking disc - great trio of players.....

I've had it for years now, but still return to it once in a while. 

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No.5 in B Flat Major, 1878 Version Ed. Leopold Nowak
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28

[brewski]

Orff: Catulli Carmina (Ormandy/Philadelphia, recorded 1967). Another recording new to me, along with the piece itself. Those weary of Carmina Burana might find this a welcome change. In any case, the sound quality is particularly present here, with sharply characterized percussion, a beautiful Temple University Choir, and soloists Judith Blegen and Richard Ness.

[Symphonic Addict]

Now playing Braunfels Hebridentanze, Op. 70 (Divertimento after Scottish Dances for piano and orchestra)

I didn't know about the existence of that recording, less so about that Orchestral Suite in E minor.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I didn't know about the existence of that recording, less so about that Orchestral Suite in E minor.

It's a good one, Cesar. I think you'll enjoy it, especially if you've enjoyed the previous volumes.

[brewski]

Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra, Little Suite, and 4th Symphony:

Of the three versions of the Concerto posted on the Frankfurt Radio Symphony's YouTube channel, I might like Urbański's take the best, though it would be a tough call.

Definitely want to hear his 4th Symphony, too, after a bit of a break from hearing it last weekend.

What think you of the NDR recording?

[Linz]

Jean-Philippe Rameau Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts  CD1
Musica Amphion, Pieter-Jan Belder

[Symphonic Addict]

Henze: Antifone, Scorribanda sinfonica sopra la tomba di una maratona and Erlkönig. Orchesterfantasie aus 'Le Fils de l'air'

Quite strong works, above all Scorribanda and Erlkönig. This composer continues surprising me for good.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing two of Britten's chamber works for viola/piano --- first up: Reflection



Followed by Lachrymae, Op. 48

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Petrushka. Steinberg/Pittsburgh.

[foxandpeng]

William Alwyn
String Quartet 10, En Voyage
String Quartet 11
String Quartet 12, Fantasia
String Quartet 13
Tippett Quartet
SOMM

Not music with which I am hugely familiar, but very enjoyable

[foxandpeng]

William Alwyn
The Early String Quartets
String Quartets 6 - 9
7 Irish Tunes for String Qt, Nos 1, 4, 7
Villiers Qt
Lyrita

First listen to these after hearing the later quartets. Only a short way in, but I like these pretty well.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Before dinner --- Britten Children's Crusade Op. 82

[JBS]

And for me, it's after dinner, with another run at this CD

[Karl Henning]

[Karl Henning]

And for me, it's after dinner, with another run at this CD

Nice! I need to return to Carter.

[Cato]

And for me, it's after dinner, with another run at this CD

Nice! I need to return to Carter.

Yes!  And Oliver Knussen was a great advocate and conductor of modern composers like Carter!

That CD looks like an all-around fave! 

[Symphonic Addict]

William Alwyn
String Quartet 10, En Voyage
String Quartet 11
String Quartet 12, Fantasia
String Quartet 13
Tippett Quartet
SOMM

Not music with which I am hugely familiar, but very enjoyable

Big fan of these quartets.