Aside from the famous ones, who is your favorite Soviet composer?

[Mirror Image]

Kalinnikov nor Rimsky-Korsakov were Soviet Era composers.

[Mirror Image]

I have a simple test to evaluate the worth (to me) of "unknown" Soviet composers. Invariably I find the pieces interesting, but are they interesting enough to re-listen repeatedly or do they sit like a trophy on my shelves. Eshpai and the conductor/composer Konstantin Ivanov are most worthwhile and bare repeated listening. But the two works above all the others is Bunin's 8th Symphony.


Even better the 24 Preludes for Piano by Tsintsadze played by Gorelashvili from 1971. Which is the one I treasure the most. There is a noisy transfer on YT.

I wish some enterprising label would record more of Bunin's music. I loved his 6th symphony (dedicated to Shostakovich), but that's all I've heard.

[vandermolen]

You should definitely checkout Myaskovsky, Andrei. And while you're at it, Weinberg as well.

+1
My recommendations, for starters, are;
Miaskovsky/Myaskovsky symphonies 21,6,17,27,24,3 + Cello Concerto + Cello Sonata No.2 = SQ 13
Weinberg Symphony 5, Piano Quintet

[Mirror Image]

+1
My recommendations, for starters, are;
Miaskovsky/Myaskovsky symphonies 21,6,17,27,24,3 + Cello Concerto + Cello Sonata No.2 = SQ 13
Weinberg Symphony 5, Piano Quintet

That's A LOT of Myaskovsky 'for starters', Jeffrey. Good recommendations for the Weinberg, but I would also perhaps suggest the 3rd and 6th symphonies and the Cello Concerto.

[Florestan]

Kalinnikov nor Rimsky-Korsakov were Soviet Era composers.

True. They didn't even live long enough to witness the establishment of the USSR. Neither were Rachmaninoff, Medtner or Bortkiewicz Soviet composers --- they would have nothing to do with Bolsheviks, Soviets and the USSR; actually, they left their homeland never to return precisely because of Bolsheviks, Soviets and the USSR.

[Mirror Image]

True. They didn't even live long enough to witness the establishment of the USSR. Neither were Rachmaninoff, Medtner or Bortkiewicz Soviet composers --- they would have nothing to do with Bolsheviks, Soviets and the USSR; actually, they left their homeland never to return precisely because of Bolsheviks, Soviets and the USSR.

Yep and I find it curious that Rachmaninov was included in the OP's initial post.

[Maestro267]

While I do not think of Rachmaninov as a Soviet composer at all, when one is not thinking properly it's easy to make mistakes like that. Rachmaninov was born in Russia (or whatever it was called when he was born), and his life overlapped that of the USSR by some 26 years or so.

[relm1]

Yep and I find it curious that Rachmaninov was included in the OP's initial post.

I think he's a grey area.  Wouldn't you agree Prokofiev was a Soviet composer?  Was the thing that made him a Soviet that he returned to Russia despite decades in the West?  Do you consider Stravinsky a Soviet composer because I think he left Russia in 1919 to live in France and then US in 1957.  It's a grey area so feel free to disagree with my composer list and add whoever you want or take out whoever I wanted.

[Mirror Image]

While I do not think of Rachmaninov as a Soviet composer at all, when one is not thinking properly it's easy to make mistakes like that. Rachmaninov was born in Russia (or whatever it was called when he was born), and his life overlapped that of the USSR by some 26 years or so.

Read Andrei's post (#104). He explains why Rachmaninov wasn't a Soviet composer and relm1 seems to be believe that he was, which is odd. Also, Prokofiev was a Russian and Soviet composer having been born there, but also because he came back and started writing there under that oppressive system. Stravinsky was a Russian composer, but not a Soviet one. His history is like Rachmaninov in that he remained in exile.

[Mirror Image]

I think he's a grey area.  Wouldn't you agree Prokofiev was a Soviet composer?  Was the thing that made him a Soviet that he returned to Russia despite decades in the West?  Do you consider Stravinsky a Soviet composer because I think he left Russia in 1919 to live in France and then US in 1957.  It's a grey area so feel free to disagree with my composer list and add whoever you want or take out whoever I wanted.

It's not a 'grey area' at all. It's quite clear that Rachmaninov and Stravinsky weren't Soviet composers. To me, a Soviet composer is one that wrote music under that government's rule and lived/worked in that environment. Rachmaninov and Stravinsky were Russian composers but not Soviet ones.

[Artem]

Ustvolskaya or Gubaidulina, probably.

[relm1]

It's not a 'grey area' at all. It's quite clear that Rachmaninov and Stravinsky weren't Soviet composers. To me, a Soviet composer is one that wrote music under that government's rule and lived/worked in that environment. Rachmaninov and Stravinsky were Russian composers but not Soviet ones.

Since you are the definitive source, what about Schnittke?

[Mirror Image]

Since you are the definitive source, what about Schnittke?

Schnittke is most definitely a Soviet composer. He was born and raised in the Soviet Union. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory and he didn't move to Germany until 1990. A similar path Gubaidulina took in her own career. As for me being a 'definitive source'...ummm...no, I'm not, but my definition of a Soviet composer isn't as all-inclusive as your own.

[vandermolen]

That's A LOT of Myaskovsky 'for starters', Jeffrey. Good recommendations for the Weinberg, but I would also perhaps suggest the 3rd and 6th symphonies and the Cello Concerto.

I agree with your additional Weinberg choices John. I'd also suggest Symphony No.1.

[Mirror Image]

I agree with your additional Weinberg choices John. I'd also suggest Symphony No.1.

Cheers, Jeffrey.

[relm1]

I thought this was an excellent recording very much worth exploring.  I was surprised how much the Sergei Slonimsky sounded like a mix of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Shostakovich.  All the works were fabulous!