Sergei Taneyev's Tent of Twirbling Tones

[Brahmsian]

I am neither a fox or a peng, but I can put in a very good word for all the Sanderling/Naxos recordings for Taneyev.  I have all of them, including the symphonies, Damascus cantata, Suite for violin and orchestra, Oresteia Overture, etc.

All wonderful performances that I return to repeatedly, and in my opinion, great recorded sound.

Strong recommedation from the Nut.

[foxandpeng]

I don't have this Naxos series, but I have very fond memories of the cantata "John of Damascus" from the LP days and would like to revisit it. What's your impression of these Sanderling performances and the recording quality? If they're good, I'll probably buy the box and then probably lose it under another heap of CDs...

I am neither a fox or a peng, but I can put in a very good word for all the Sanderling/Naxos recordings for Taneyev.  I have all of them, including the symphonies, Damascus cantata, Suite for violin and orchestra, Oresteia Overture, etc.

All wonderful performances that I return to repeatedly, and in my opinion, great recorded sound.

Strong recommedation from the Nut.

Yeah, I like what I hear. The quality of the recording seems really good to my untrained ear. I always prefer sound that feels pretty immersive and immediate over something that sounds as though it is coming from 'over there'.

As to whether these are better than the Polyansky that I have heard, I'm not really sure. Sounds good to me, though 😁

[Brahmsian]

As much as I do enjoy Taneyev's symphonies and other orchestral works, I am more drawn to his chamber music.  I feel this is where he excelled.

[vandermolen]

Tell me about it: one of the innumerable CD towers in my bedroom (to which I am confined, for health rather than legal reasons) is Russian (Glinka through to Shostakovich) and threatens to collapse at any time. There is just so much gorgeous repertoire which is totally ignored. I'll be found dead underneath a pile of plastic and simply be shovelled off along with the same. DO seriously give Taneyev a try, especially symphonies 2 and 4, both are splendid and the Chandos disc is good as there is. I gave up caring about how much stuff (CDs, scores and books) I have years ago when I started to become increasingly immobile and now I just add to the general chaos to the point where I can't bloody find anything. I recently discovered Bax buried with Sullivan, Biber, Poulenc, Tovey, Scott, John Adams and Tchaikovsky (not that I could excavate any of it without causing terminal injury)... 

Good to find someone with an equally chaotic 'filing system'. My old office at the school where I used to teach looked like the 'Steptoe and Son' junk shop, consisting of 100s of old history books and magazines, a large collection of obsolete VHS videos, old exam papers, maps, photographs and a papier-maché owl, presented to me by one of the pupils. One day the Deputy Head appeared in my office telling me that the Headmistress had asked him to instruct me to tidy up my office, adding that the school would help me, for example (and this is quite genuine) by 'hiring a skip'. I expect that the same fate is in store for my CD collection one day.

[Brahmsian]

Now listening to this excellent performance of the Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30, featuring Tamara Fidler on the piano with the Taneyev String Quartet.  The 3rd movement Largo featuring a Passacaglia never fails to move me!

[Brahmsian]

@foxandpeng

Some other chamber music recommendations (although I highly recommend the Northern Flowers/Taneyev Quartet box set above):

The Naxos Carpe Diem Quartet recordings of the complete string quartets are also quite good, and they were my introduction into the composer.  Overall, I do prefer the performances of the Taneyev SQ, but the sound here on the Naxos is better.

These two CDs:

The Leopold Trio are fantastic here!



This includes the Piano Quintet and Piano Trio.

[Brahmsian]

Something to keep in mind.  Although Taneyev wrote 9 string quartets, the numbering is misleading.

Basically, the order of composition is:

7,8,9,1,2,3,4,5,6

[Albion]

Good to find someone with an equally chaotic 'filing system'. My old office at the school where I used to teach looked like the 'Steptoe and Son' junk shop, consisting of 100s of old history books and magazines, a large collection of obsolete VHS videos, old exam papers, maps, photographs and a papier-maché owl, presented to me by one of the pupils. One day the Deputy Head appeared in my office telling me that the Headmistress had asked him to instruct me to tidy up my office, adding that the school would help me, for example (and this is quite genuine) by 'hiring a skip'. I expect that the same fate is in store for my CD collection one day.

   

When they find me buried underneath a mountain of CDs, DVDs, books, scores, overflowing ashtrays, empty lager cans and tins of Heinz Big Soup they'll probably just consign me to the skip as well...

[foxandpeng]

@foxandpeng

Some other chamber music recommendations (although I highly recommend the Northern Flowers/Taneyev Quartet box set above):

The Naxos Carpe Diem Quartet recordings of the complete string quartets are also quite good, and they were my introduction into the composer.  Overall, I do prefer the performances of the Taneyev SQ, but the sound here on the Naxos is better.

These two CDs:

The Leopold Trio are fantastic here!



This includes the Piano Quintet and Piano Trio.

Thank you for these. String quartets and string trios on the list! I did very briefly poke the SQs a while ago, but got distracted by a passing badger or something, so didn't give them the attention they deserve.

My SQ 'to do' list is growing... Myaskovsky, Simpson, Taneyev...

I hear good things about the Taneyev. Thank you for the actual order, too 🙂

[Harry]

Good to find someone with an equally chaotic 'filing system'. My old office at the school where I used to teach looked like the 'Steptoe and Son' junk shop, consisting of 100s of old history books and magazines, a large collection of obsolete VHS videos, old exam papers, maps, photographs and a papier-maché owl, presented to me by one of the pupils. One day the Deputy Head appeared in my office telling me that the Headmistress had asked him to instruct me to tidy up my office, adding that the school would help me, for example (and this is quite genuine) by 'hiring a skip'. I expect that the same fate is in store for my CD collection one day.

I was waiting for your reaction on Albion's home storage problem, as I know you were struggling also with space and chaos. Did a lot of grinning about this, since my collection is super organized, so all is safe, no chance of collapsing CD piles, or CD's I cannot find. Just go on a 2 months holiday and let me organize your home.    

[foxandpeng]

I was waiting for your reaction on Albion's home storage problem, as I know you were struggling also with space and chaos. Did a lot of grinning about this, since my collection is super organized, so all is safe, no chance of collapsing CD piles, or CD's I cannot find. Just go on a 2 months holiday and let me organize your home.    

I'm also like you, Harry, in that I am immensely organised, even though I am a hoarder of all things musical, literary, glossy or collectable. I know where it all is, I just have too much of it. Apart from CDs. I got rid of those a while ago because it was just unmanageable. My primary challenge is too many books.

[Albion]

I am neither a fox or a peng, but I can put in a very good word for all the Sanderling/Naxos recordings for Taneyev.  I have all of them, including the symphonies, Damascus cantata, Suite for violin and orchestra, Oresteia Overture, etc.

All wonderful performances that I return to repeatedly, and in my opinion, great recorded sound.

Strong recommedation from the Nut.

That's a great help to know, thanks for the assessment! The set is now in my Amazon basket awaiting the next payday...





...can't wait to hear "John of Damascus" again.

I was waiting for your reaction on Albion's home storage problem, as I know you were struggling also with space and chaos. Did a lot of grinning about this, since my collection is super organized, so all is safe, no chance of collapsing CD piles, or CD's I cannot find. Just go on a 2 months holiday and let me organize your home.    

I now adopt a policy that whatever happens to be reasonably near the top of a pile has a chance of being listened to, and if that pile happens to fall over I may find something of interest amongst the resulting debris...

[Brahmsian]

That's a great help to know, thanks for the assessment! The set is now in my Amazon basket awaiting the next payday...





...can't wait to hear "John of Damascus" again.



I now adopt a policy that whatever happens to be reasonably near the top of a pile has a chance of being listened to, and if that pile happens to fall over I may find something of interest amongst the resulting debris...

Glad to hear you have added it to the pending basket!    Looks like Harry and Foxandpeng need to visit you as well as vandermolen for organizational services! 

[Harry]

I'm also like you, Harry, in that I am immensely organised, even though I am a hoarder of all things musical, literary, glossy or collectable. I know where it all is, I just have too much of it. Apart from CDs. I got rid of those a while ago because it was just unmanageable. My primary challenge is too many books.

O well I am happy there is also someone on GMG that is as organized as I am.    
I was an hoarder of CD'S but since I bought a streamer, that problem is over also.
I just culled out a lot of CD"s and gave them away, so there is light at the end of the tunnel

[Albion]

Glad to hear you have added it to the pending basket!    Looks like Harry and Foxandpeng need to visit you as well as vandermolen for organizational services! 

That, together with the Reger orchestral set on DG and the Respighi set on Brilliant Classics, so that's the rent blown and another week of soup.

I'm intrigued by the reference on the Naxos to Symphony No.2 being "completed and edited by Vladimir Blok" - there's no reference to this on the Chandos recording as far as I can see. Is this of any relevance?

[Albion]

That, together with the Reger orchestral set on DG and the Respighi set on Brilliant Classics, so that's the rent blown and another week of soup.

I'm intrigued by the reference on the Naxos to Symphony No.2 being "completed and edited by Vladimir Blok" - there's no reference to this on the Chandos recording as far as I can see. Is this of any relevance?

I've just read on the Naxos site that

Despite Tchaikovsky's encouragement to finish the symphony, Taneyev did not complete it. Although the Introduction and Allegro and Finale were finished, the second movement was only partially scored, and not a single musical idea for the Scherzo survives. The Soviet musician Vladimir Blok edited the first and last movements of the symphony and orchestrated the Andante, which was published and given its première in 1977.

So that's all well and good...

 

[Brahmsian]

That, together with the Reger orchestral set on DG and the Respighi set on Brilliant Classics, so that's the rent blown and another week of soup.

I'm intrigued by the reference on the Naxos to Symphony No.2 being "completed and edited by Vladimir Blok" - there's no reference to this on the Chandos recording as far as I can see. Is this of any relevance?

Yes, this symphony is considered "unfinished".  Taneyev has substantially finished the first and final movements, although Blok did some editing.  The Andante second movement was orchestrated by Blok.  The symphony is in only three movements since Taneyev never completed the scherzo and there is nothing that survives from the scherzo.  I believe both the Chandos and Naxos are the exact same versions though.

[Brahmsian]

I've just read on the Naxos site that

Despite Tchaikovsky's encouragement to finish the symphony, Taneyev did not complete it. Although the Introduction and Allegro and Finale were finished, the second movement was only partially scored, and not a single musical idea for the Scherzo survives. The Soviet musician Vladimir Blok edited the first and last movements of the symphony and orchestrated the Andante, which was published and given its première in 1977.

So that's all well and good...

 

You beat me to the race. 

[foxandpeng]

O well I am happy there is also someone on GMG that is as organized as I am.    
I was an hoarder of CD'S but since I bought a streamer, that problem is over also.
I just culled out a lot of CD"s and gave them away, so there is light at the end of the tunnel

Same journey here about 4 years ago. I did rip all my CDs to HD before they went to Oxfam, however, even though I almost exclusively stream. My downloads, rips and YouTube grabs do get used where there is no streaming alternative. I also have inordinate amounts of downloads courtesy of Albion's hard work elsewhere. He is a star.

It does mean that all my listening comes through my phone and headphones now, barring Sonos plays through the house when I can convince my poor wife to endure listening to 'that dreadful tuneless rubbish/lift music/depressing banging'.

She particularly loves PMD. Oh, yes.

Taneyev is almost acceptable.

[Albion]

Yes, this symphony is considered "unfinished".  Taneyev has substantially finished the first and final movements, although Blok did some editing.  The Andante second movement was orchestrated by Blok.  The symphony is in only three movements since Taneyev never completed the scherzo and there is nothing that survives from the scherzo.  I believe both the Chandos and Naxos are the exact same versions though.

Blok clearly did an amazingly idiomatic job with the slow movement. Personally, I don't really think that the second symphony needs a scherzo...