March 2025 - Russian Symphony March Madness!

[Cato]

Mravinsky with the LPO in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5:

Overall, it is a solid work and can be enjoyed solidly.

Yes, indeed: my first hearing was a marvelous monaural recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky.

The Mravinsky is also marvelous!

 

[Cato]

Yes, indeed: my first hearing was a marvelous monaural recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky.

The Mravinsky is also marvelous!

 

I found this official remastering:

[Karl Henning]

Today's selection!!

Miaskovsky

Symphony No. 24 in F minor, Op. 63

It's been a while for me, so:

[hopefullytrusting]

Glinka's Symphony in B-flat major (completed by Petr Klimov) played by the Musica Viva Ensemble conducted by Alexander Rudin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-rYRtcFF7A


I believe this is the first "Russian" "symphony," and if it was not connected to Glinka's name; it would have been lost to the dustbin of history (thank the lord for bureaucrats and bureaucracy). It is only a fragment (6 minutes 32 seconds), so not much can be deciphered or derived, but more than enough to make this worth your time. This is clearly separate from the European tradition (unlike Anton Rubinstein's First Symphony, which is grounded in that tradition), so this really is Glinka establishing new grounds upon which to composer (he was an iconoclast in that sense). I would highlight the flute interplay in particular (giving a bird-like performance). Even in so short a time, you can tell that Glinka had a mind of a different sort - the beginning of the paradigm shift, as it were.

High recommend.

[Karl Henning]

Today's offering is the Lyapunov Symphony #2: on one YouTube screen, rather than 4!


I only heard the First Movement yesterday and was very impressed!

I'm in!

[Karl Henning]

Today's offering is the Lyapunov Symphony #2: on one YouTube screen, rather than 4!


I only heard the First Movement yesterday and was very impressed!

A dreamy start, esp. considering its era.

TD:

[Karl Henning]

[Cato]

Today, another visit to the Shostakovich Symphony #10:

And...another visit to the Lyapunov Symphony #2:

A first time visit to Glinka's (incomplete) Symphony on Two Russian Themes:

Not to be confused with this 6+ minute fragment:

[ChamberNut]

Today's selection!

Glazunov

Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 48

[ChamberNut]

Today's selection!

Glazunov

Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 48

This was A LOT better than I remembered!

[Cato]

Today's selection!

Glazunov

Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 48

This was A LOT better than I remembered!

Okay, it looks like I will need to explore the Glazunov Symphony #4!

[hopefullytrusting]

Arseny Avraamov's Symphony of Sirens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz2MoALz8I8

That we have a recording of this work should literally blow everyone's mind. This piece, when originally composed, was essentially an intentional happening, and I cannot imagine the charisma Avraamov must have had to bring something like this together, but I doubt any living composer could accomplish this feat without the help of the nation itself (which is how we have this recording). I mean it essentially uses an actual cannon as a conductor. The piece is off the wall, but it is a piece - nothing here is by accident, everything is well-planned out and intentional. This is peak avant garde, so it most definitely is not for the faint of heart, but I think anyone interested in composition should be interested in this.

An awesome work (here awesome is not a superlative, as it often is elsewhere).

Highest recommendation.

[Roasted Swan]

Okay, it looks like I will need to explore the Glazunov Symphony #4!

I think Serebrier's Glazunov is a lot better than his Dvorak FWIW......

[Karl Henning]

[ChamberNut]

Today's selection!

Rimsky-Korsakov

Symphony No. 2, Op. 9 'Antar'

Philharmonia Orchestra
Butt

[ChamberNut]

@Elgarian Redux

The more I listen to Antar, the more it is becoming one of my favourite symphonies. It is so inventively and beautifully orchestrated!

[Cato]

@Elgarian Redux

The more I listen to Antar, the more it is becoming one of my favourite symphonies. It is so inventively and beautifully orchestrated!

Antarmania is contagious! 


For your consideration: Alexander Tcherepnin's Symphony #4 (in 3 movements)

[foxandpeng]

Antarmania is contagious! 


For your consideration: Alexander Tcherepnin's Symphony #4 (in 3 movements)

I find Tcherepnin really satisfying 🤗

[hopefullytrusting]

Mosolov's Symphony No. 5 played by the MSO conducted by Arnold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mza8p_iM2gE&list=OLAK5uy_kuPrlwr_zujDG1vYJhrkG5mU_rFRx4cVQ

Mosolov is an interesting composer, and I think he suffers because of it. He's sort of a one-hit wonder, but that isn't very unique save his one-hit is a piece of avant garde, futurism which means it is often a task to get that one-hit off the ground, which also means that his other music, for better or worse, gets stained, and as we know - recordings are very expensive, even if you engage cheaply (as they did on this recording, and the music suffers for it, in my opinion). Nothing feels connected, everything feels disengaged, and it hurts because there are also some moments of brilliance that shine through which drag you back in, when in reality this is proof positive of what not following the law of diminishing returns gets you. It sounds wrong, but Mosolov needs a Soviet orchestra and a Soviet conductor.

I cannot recommend this recording of this symphony.

[hopefullytrusting]

Mosolov's Symphony No. 5 played by the MSO conducted by Arnold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mza8p_iM2gE&list=OLAK5uy_kuPrlwr_zujDG1vYJhrkG5mU_rFRx4cVQ

Mosolov is an interesting composer, and I think he suffers because of it. He's sort of a one-hit wonder, but that isn't very unique save his one-hit is a piece of avant garde, futurism which means it is often a task to get that one-hit off the ground, which also means that his other music, for better or worse, gets stained, and as we know - recordings are very expensive, even if you engage cheaply (as they did on this recording, and the music suffers for it, in my opinion). Nothing feels connected, everything feels disengaged, and it hurts because there are also some moments of brilliance that shine through which drag you back in, when in reality this is proof positive of what not following the law of diminishing returns gets you. It sounds wrong, but Mosolov needs a Soviet orchestra and a Soviet conductor.

I cannot recommend this recording of this symphony.

Color me not shocked, but my summary judgment, based on intuition, was correct: Mosolov's Symphony in E Major conducted by Titov with the St. Petersburg State Academic Capella Symphony Orchestra



Electric, exciting, vibrant, vivacious. It has life!