Vadim Salmanov 1912-1978

[vandermolen]

Thanks very much John, Calyptorhynchus (did I spell that right?), Torut, Snyprr and Cilgwyn. I think that I had more replies since yesterday than over several months/years on the original thread  .
I have not received the new Melodiya yet but have been listening to all the symphonies on an older CD manifestation. The recordings are a bit boxed-in and raucous but this oddly adds to the soviet atmosphere of the project. All the symphonies are worthwhile and I was quite wrong about No. 3 in my original posting. No. 1 remains my favourite - a powerful, moving and eloquent work and the valedictory No. 4 I find rather moving. Presumably Mravinsky's must have had faith in these works. The original IM Lab release suggests that all the recordings are live (1950-1977).

[Mirror Image]

Thanks for your feedback, Jeffrey.

[torut]

I heard Salmanov's symphonies for the first time. Frankly speaking, the sound of Symphony No. 1 (recorded in 1957) is too dated and it muddles at loud sections. No. 2 sounds fine (maybe because the music is less aggressive?) The sound of No. 3 and No. 4 are good enough for me. I liked No. 4 the most. The strings part is beautiful. No. 1 is surely powerful, but the poor sound prevented me from fully enjoying it.

Symphony No. 1 in D minor (1952) rec. 20 Mar 1957
Symphony No. 2 in G major (1959) rec. 30 Sept 1960
Symphony No. 3 in A minor (1963) rec. 24 May 1964
Symphony No. 4 in B minor (1972) rec. 28 Jan 1977

The fact that all the symphonies were recorded within 1~5 years after they were composed seems to indicate that Salmanov's music was highly regarded.

These symphonies (especially No. 1) should be re-recorded by a contemporary orchestra with good sound quality.

[vandermolen]

I heard Salmanov's symphonies for the first time. Frankly speaking, the sound of Symphony No. 1 (recorded in 1957) is too dated and it muddles at loud sections. No. 2 sounds fine (maybe because the music is less aggressive?) The sound of No. 3 and No. 4 are good enough for me. I liked No. 4 the most. The strings part is beautiful. No. 1 is surely powerful, but the poor sound prevented me from fully enjoying it.

Symphony No. 1 in D minor (1952) rec. 20 Mar 1957
Symphony No. 2 in G major (1959) rec. 30 Sept 1960
Symphony No. 3 in A minor (1963) rec. 24 May 1964
Symphony No. 4 in B minor (1972) rec. 28 Jan 1977

The fact that all the symphonies were recorded within 1~5 years after they were composed seems to indicate that Salmanov's music was highly regarded.

These symphonies (especially No. 1) should be re-recorded by a contemporary orchestra with good sound quality.

Thanks for posting. I have just received the Melodiya set and I find the recordings clearer and with less distortion than in the earlier set (see my initial posting) but I agree that a new recording, especially of Symphony No.1 is needed. However this is probably wishful thinking. In the meantime I would recommend the Melodiya set.

[torut]

Thanks for posting. I have just received the Melodiya set and I find the recordings clearer and with less distortion than in the earlier set (see my initial posting) but I agree that a new recording, especially of Symphony No.1 is needed. However this is probably wishful thinking. In the meantime I would recommend the Melodiya set.

Naxos may be interested in...?  But yes, I can enjoy the Melodia set for now.

I found this very beautiful work but no detailed information is available.

Vadim Salmanov - Suite for string quartet
https://www.youtube.com/v/7TfJ101x6o0

I believe this is the one but cannot find anything else. Even this site does not list it. Does anyone know about it?

Six plays for the string quartet (suite)
I. Andante
II. Allegretto giocoso
III. Adagio sostenuto e molto cantabile
IV. Molto allegro e sempre grazioso
V. Adagio cantabile
VI. Allegretto capriccioso

[vandermolen]

Naxos may be interested in...?  But yes, I can enjoy the Melodia set for now.

I found this very beautiful work but no detailed information is available.

Vadim Salmanov - Suite for string quartet
https://www.youtube.com/v/7TfJ101x6o0

I believe this is the one but cannot find anything else. Even this site does not list it. Does anyone know about it?

Six plays for the string quartet (suite)
I. Andante
II. Allegretto giocoso
III. Adagio sostenuto e molto cantabile
IV. Molto allegro e sempre grazioso
V. Adagio cantabile
VI. Allegretto capriccioso

Must look out for that.

[torut]

I found another good one. I think there is no CD of this work. Very Romantic, sometimes it reminds me of Brahms.

Salmanov - Story of our day (1947) Quartet for Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano.
Artists: Violin - Alexander Uromicheva, piano - Anastasia Uromicheva, cello - Olesya Babenkova, viola - Oksana Menshikov
Music collection "St. Petersburg Renaissance", dedicated work of the composer Vadim Nikolayevich Salmanova, held in St. Petersburg Conservatory November 22, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/v/xRU3Oj3QtTE

[torut]

Even just searching his music using Google or Youtube is difficult. I needed to search in Russian. Probably this is the last. There are few more at youtube but the qualities are not good. (Could someone who knows Russian find out more sound clips of Salmanov?  )

Salmanov - Sonata number 2 for Violin and Piano (1962)
Performed by Genghis Ottomans (violin), Ivan Alexandrov (piano).
https://www.youtube.com/v/bEky19kFmjE

Salmanov - Song
Concert Choir performs the Institute of Art Education of the Volgograd State Pedagogical University.
Choir Director - Alexander Lavrushkin, conducts Elena Zheleznyakova.
May 19, 2011.
https://www.youtube.com/v/JFFdQ7T4vBA

Russian choirs/songs somehow move me.

[calyptorhynchus]

Hi Torut

Culd you post the URLs of those last two, the links don't seem to work.

Thanks

[amw]

Working here.

There's some more stuff here including two string quartets & some more choral stuff, but I can't speak for sound quality.

[torut]

Hi Torut

Culd you post the URLs of those last two, the links don't seem to work.

Thanks

Hi calyptorhynchus, these are the links to youtube website.

Салманов.Соната № 2 для скрипки и фортепиано
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEky19kFmjE&list=PLfp_G_-JF2fIoBVjTmdLjWIF3j_p2eNS3&index=28

Концертный хор ИХО ВГПУ - Вадим Салманов, "Песня"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFFdQ7T4vBA&list=PLfp_G_-JF2fIoBVjTmdLjWIF3j_p2eNS3&index=27

The embedded links worked on my MacBook Air & Kindle HD tablet.

Working here.

There's some more stuff here including two string quartets & some more choral stuff, but I can't speak for sound quality.

Thank you very much, amw. I took a quick look, and there is a clip of violin sonata by Gidon Kremer. 

[calyptorhynchus]

Thanks Torut, petty sure it's a problem that I have this end, something to do with flash not working.

[vandermolen]

Just been listening to the valedictory 4th Symphony, the last movement of which is especially poignant and eloquent. It should appeal to admirers of Shostakovich and Bartok.

[Rons_talking]

I'm quite impressed with the 2nd Symphony. It's got the classic wit of Shostakovitch and some very exciting rhythms. The final movement of the 4th is also very picturesque. I like the frequent use of bass to infuse added drama to the various episodes throughout the 4th.

[vandermolen]

I'm quite impressed with the 2nd Symphony. It's got the classic wit of Shostakovitch and some very exciting rhythms. The final movement of the 4th is also very picturesque. I like the frequent use of bass to infuse added drama to the various episodes throughout the 4th.

Thanks for the response. I like the First Symphony too (No.3 is the weakest I think) although the one available recording is not very well recorded.

[Scion7]

Salmanov learned to play the piano as a child from his father. At 18, he was about to attend the Leningrad Conservatory when he decided to study geology instead, eventually working as a geologist until 1935 when he finally decided to attend the Conservatory where he studied composition with Mikhail Gnesin. After graduating, he worked as a composer until the onset of World War II, when he enlisted in the Soviet Army. After the war, he set poems by Blok and Yesenin relating to the war. Later on in his life, Salmanov set poems by Federico García Lorca and Pablo Neruda as well as by Soviet poets.
Salmanov's Symphony No. 1 in D minor was written in 1952 and dedicated to the conductor Evgeny Mravinsky, who would go on to record all of his symphonies. The work uses Slavic folk melodies and a motto theme heard at the beginning of the first movement recurs in the Finale. His Symphony No. 4 was likewise dedicated to Mravinsky.
Although not nearly as political as Tikhon Khrennikov, Salmanov held various political appointments, including Secretary of a Composers' Union. He also taught at the Leningrad Conservatory, his alma mater.


Chamber: 6 string quartets, 1945, 1958, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1971;
2 violin sonatas, 1945, 1962;
2 piano trios, 1946, 1949;
Piano Quintet (Quartet?), 1947;
Cello Sonata, 1963;
Monolog, cello, 1970

Orchestral: Les [The Forest], symphonic picture, 1948;
Russkoye kaprichchio, 1950;
Sym. no.1, 1952;
Slavyanskiy khorovod [Slavonic Round-Dance], 1954;
Poeticheskiye kartinki [Poetic Pictures], sym. suite after H.C. Andersen, 1955;
Sym. no.2, 1959;
Privetstvennaya oda [Greeting Ode], 1961;
Detskaya simfoniya [Children's Sym.], 1962;
Sonata, strings, piano, 1962;
Sym. no.3, 1963;
Violin Conc., 1964;
Nochi bol'shogo gored [Nights in a Big City], violin, chamber orch, 1969;
Velichal'naya [Welcome Song], 1972;
Violin Conc. no.2, 1974;
Sym. no.4, 1976

Vocal & Orch: Zoya, 1949; Dvenadtsat' [The Twelve] (orat poem, A. Blok), 1957; Oda Leninu [Ode to Lenin] (P. Neruda), 1969

Choral: Lebyodushka [The Hen Swan] (Rus. trad.), choral conc. no.1; Dobrïy molodets [A Good Lad], choral conc. no.2, chorus, eng hn, accdn; In memoriam, De profundis, S, chorus, org, 1973; many a cappella pieces (A. Pushkin, F. Tyutchev, S. Yesenin and others)

Stage: Chelovek [Man] (ballet, after E. Mezhelaytis), Leningrad, 1966

1 voice and piano: Vityaz' [Hero] (P. Katenin), song cycle, 1957;
Ispaniya v sourest [Spain in the heart] (F. García Lorca, Neruda), song cycle, 1960;
Ochishcheniye [Purification] (T. Rushevich), song cycle, 1966;
Pesni ob odinochestve [Songs about Loneliness] (García Lorca), song cycle, 1967;
romances (Blok, A. Fet, Tyutchev, Yesenin and others)

[vandermolen]

Salmanov learned to play the piano as a child from his father. At 18, he was about to attend the Leningrad Conservatory when he decided to study geology instead, eventually working as a geologist until 1935 when he finally decided to attend the Conservatory where he studied composition with Mikhail Gnesin. After graduating, he worked as a composer until the onset of World War II, when he enlisted in the Soviet Army. After the war, he set poems by Blok and Yesenin relating to the war. Later on in his life, Salmanov set poems by Federico García Lorca and Pablo Neruda as well as by Soviet poets.
Salmanov's Symphony No. 1 in D minor was written in 1952 and dedicated to the conductor Evgeny Mravinsky, who would go on to record all of his symphonies. The work uses Slavic folk melodies and a motto theme heard at the beginning of the first movement recurs in the Finale. His Symphony No. 4 was likewise dedicated to Mravinsky.
Although not nearly as political as Tikhon Khrennikov, Salmanov held various political appointments, including Secretary of a Composers' Union. He also taught at the Leningrad Conservatory, his alma mater.


Chamber: 6 string quartets, 1945, 1958, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1971;
2 violin sonatas, 1945, 1962;
2 piano trios, 1946, 1949;
Piano Quintet, 1947;
Cello Sonata, 1963;
Monolog, cello, 1970

Orchestral: Les [The Forest], symphonic picture, 1948;
Russkoye kaprichchio, 1950;
Sym. no.1, 1952;
Slavyanskiy khorovod [Slavonic Round-Dance], 1954;
Poeticheskiye kartinki [Poetic Pictures], sym. suite after H.C. Andersen, 1955;
Sym. no.2, 1959;
Privetstvennaya oda [Greeting Ode], 1961;
Detskaya simfoniya [Children's Sym.], 1962;
Sonata, strings, piano, 1962;
Sym. no.3, 1963;
Violin Conc., 1964;
Nochi bol'shogo gored [Nights in a Big City], violin, chamber orch, 1969;
Velichal'naya [Welcome Song], 1972;
Violin Conc. no.2, 1974;
Sym. no.4, 1976

Vocal & Orch: Zoya, 1949; Dvenadtsat' [The Twelve] (orat poem, A. Blok), 1957; Oda Leninu [Ode to Lenin] (P. Neruda), 1969

Choral: Lebyodushka [The Hen Swan] (Rus. trad.), choral conc. no.1; Dobrïy molodets [A Good Lad], choral conc. no.2, chorus, eng hn, accdn; In memoriam, De profundis, S, chorus, org, 1973; many a cappella pieces (A. Pushkin, F. Tyutchev, S. Yesenin and others)

Stage: Chelovek [Man] (ballet, after E. Mezhelaytis), Leningrad, 1966

1 voice and piano: Vityaz' [Hero] (P. Katenin), song cycle, 1957;
Ispaniya v sourest [Spain in the heart] (F. García Lorca, Neruda), song cycle, 1960;
Ochishcheniye [Purification] (T. Rushevich), song cycle, 1966;
Pesni ob odinochestve [Songs about Loneliness] (García Lorca), song cycle, 1967;
romances (Blok, A. Fet, Tyutchev, Yesenin and others)

Many thanks for the interesting info. I must play his symphonies again.

[Scion7]

Sonata for Violin and Piano Nr.2:

I. Allegro molto  -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwVVcKADV7U&list=PLMWCbEFWI1COFyfh6nsxhS43qyiZb6QcH&index=5

II. Andante  -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXhG6YUDQ7o&list=PLMWCbEFWI1COFyfh6nsxhS43qyiZb6QcH&index=4

III. Presto  -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6sZVcxEQ0s&list=PLMWCbEFWI1COFyfh6nsxhS43qyiZb6QcH&index=2




Gidon Kremer and Maria Bondarenko, available on 4 other various-artist CD's, 3 on Brilliant Classics

[Scion7]

Apparently, we'll not be hearing the Piano Quartet?/Quintet? (1947), the cello sonata, the two piano trios or the first violin sonata - unrecorded.  Probably no rush to, either.
Just another inequity of life in this earthly vale of tears . . .   

[Roy Bland]