Gavriil Popov 1904-1972

Started by vandermolen, January 18, 2010, 04:13:25 PM

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J.Z. Herrenberg

Just listened to the first clip. Brilliant music!
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Mirror Image

Quote from: J. Z. Herrenberg on October 31, 2012, 03:07:11 PM
Just listened to the first clip. Brilliant music!

Absolutely, Johan. I look forward to getting those Wartime Music recordings I bought the other night. Are you familiar with Popov's music, Johan?

J.Z. Herrenberg

Yes. I listened to the First Symphony, which I called 'the wilder sibling of Shostakovich's Fourth' earlier in this thread... Popov is very good. From what I have read, his life was tragic.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Mirror Image

Quote from: J. Z. Herrenberg on October 31, 2012, 03:14:27 PM
Yes. I listened to the First Symphony, which I called 'the wilder sibling of Shostakovich's Fourth' earlier in this thread... Popov is very good. From what I have read, his life was tragic.

Yeah, you're right about Popov's 1st being wilder than Shosty's 4th, but this doesn't necessarily make it a better symphony. I've never warmed to Popov's 1st. I probably need to go back and listen to it again. I have the Botstein recording. Hopefully, I can find amid my completely unorganized CD collection.

J.Z. Herrenberg

I agree that Shostakovich's Fourth is the better work. I don't remember a thing from Popov's First, whereas I already remembered several themes after I heard Shosta's Fourth only for the first time - they are more memorable. Still, Popov's First is a thrilling ride!
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Mirror Image

Quote from: J. Z. Herrenberg on October 31, 2012, 03:20:21 PM
I agree that Shostakovich's Fourth is the better work. I don't remember a thing from Popov's First, whereas I already remembered several themes after I heard Shosta's Fourth only for the first time - they are more memorable. Still, Popov's First is a thrilling ride!

It seems that Popov's 2nd is much better than his 1st. I'd love to hear all of Popov's symphonies. Tishchenko is another composer that I bought many recordings of recently that I'm eager to explore. Are you familiar with his work?

J.Z. Herrenberg

I only know his name... No doubt I'll be listening to his music when time and inclination coincide.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

calyptorhynchus

Is the Olympia disc still at Rapidshare? I just got an error message.
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

Dundonnell

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 31, 2012, 03:34:11 PM
It seems that Popov's 2nd is much better than his 1st. I'd love to hear all of Popov's symphonies. Tishchenko is another composer that I bought many recordings of recently that I'm eager to explore. Are you familiar with his work?

You will be lucky if you ever get to hear the Popov 4th Symphony ::)  It has been consigned to the "musical scrapyard" of homage to Stalin compositions :(

GAVRILL POPOV: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1928-34:Symphony No.1, op.7: 42 minutes      + (Olympia and Telarc cds)
1933:      Symphonic Suite No.1: 17 minutes       + (Olympia cd)
1937:      Concert-Poem for Violin and Strings, op. 17
1938:      Symphonic Divertimento for orchestra, op. 23
                 Piano Concerto, op.24
1940:      "Hispania: Seven Fragments"  for orchestra, op.28
1941:      Heroic Intermezzo for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op.25
1939-46:Symphony No.3 "Heroic"/ "The Spanish" for string orchestra, op.45: 55 minutes       +   (Northern Flowers cd)
1943:      Symphony No.2 "Motherland", op.39: 35 minutes    +  (Olympia and Urania cds)
1944:      Cantata "To the Victory" for soloists, chorus and orchestra
1945:      Symphonic Aria for Cello and String Orchestra, op. 43: 15 minutes      +   (Northern Flowers cd)
1949:      Symphony No.4 "Glory to the Motherland" for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op.47
1950:      Cantata "Heroic Poem for Lenin" for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op. 58
1953:      Cello Concerto, op.71
1956:      Symphony No.5 "Pastoral", op.77: 44 minutes    +  (Olympia cd)
1969:      Symphony No.6 "Festive", op.99: 36 minutes    + (Olympia cd)
1970:      Organ Concerto
                 Overture
                 Symphony No.7   (unfinished)


madaboutmahler

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 31, 2012, 07:24:08 AM
Popov's Symphony No. 2 is outstanding!

http://www.youtube.com/v/SsoMtTgrEOI

http://www.youtube.com/v/fYChBZipBWQ

http://www.youtube.com/v/WI23f_j-nQc

This symphony is definitely my glass of vodka. Sad that Soviet composers like Popov, Mossolov, Tishchenko continue to get ignored by the classical audiences. If the New York Philharmonic or Royal Concertgebouw performed Popov's Symphony No. 2, there is no doubt that he would have some new admirers of his music. It's all about exposure.

Just listening to this now, my first experience with Popov's music.

What an intense first movement! Very very powerful. And then what a contrast with the second movement, very enjoyable, really colourful orchestration, and with a gorgeous melodic sense. Wow... the Largo.... this really is amazing music. Thrilling climaxes, very intense and beautiful. Excellent start to the finale, such great rhythmic drive! Fantastic music, very enjoyable! Very exciting ending too!!!!

That was certainly an incredible piece! I enjoyed it very much and shall certainly look forward to listening to it again!
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Mirror Image

Quote from: Dundonnell on November 01, 2012, 05:48:45 AM
You will be lucky if you ever get to hear the Popov 4th Symphony ::)  It has been consigned to the "musical scrapyard" of homage to Stalin compositions :(

GAVRILL POPOV: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1928-34:Symphony No.1, op.7: 42 minutes      + (Olympia and Telarc cds)
1933:      Symphonic Suite No.1: 17 minutes       + (Olympia cd)
1937:      Concert-Poem for Violin and Strings, op. 17
1938:      Symphonic Divertimento for orchestra, op. 23
                 Piano Concerto, op.24
1940:      "Hispania: Seven Fragments"  for orchestra, op.28
1941:      Heroic Intermezzo for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op.25
1939-46:Symphony No.3 "Heroic"/ "The Spanish" for string orchestra, op.45: 55 minutes       +   (Northern Flowers cd)
1943:      Symphony No.2 "Motherland", op.39: 35 minutes    +  (Olympia and Urania cds)
1944:      Cantata "To the Victory" for soloists, chorus and orchestra
1945:      Symphonic Aria for Cello and String Orchestra, op. 43: 15 minutes      +   (Northern Flowers cd)
1949:      Symphony No.4 "Glory to the Motherland" for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op.47
1950:      Cantata "Heroic Poem for Lenin" for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op. 58
1953:      Cello Concerto, op.71
1956:      Symphony No.5 "Pastoral", op.77: 44 minutes    +  (Olympia cd)
1969:      Symphony No.6 "Festive", op.99: 36 minutes    + (Olympia cd)
1970:      Organ Concerto
                 Overture
                 Symphony No.7   (unfinished)


Thanks for you this, Colin! You've done such good work with all of these composer's catalogues. Yeah, I seriously doubt I'll get to hear much of Popov since those Olympia recordings are out-of-print. As a Popov fan and collector, these are crucial recordings.

Dundonnell

I have all of the Olympia discs but I know that you are not one for copies :(

Mirror Image

Quote from: Dundonnell on November 01, 2012, 05:49:58 PM
I have all of the Olympia discs but I know that you are not one for copies :(

I like copies as long as I own the originals. ;) :D Thanks, Colin.

pencils

Since returning from work today, I have listened back to back via iPod to all 6 completed symphonies by Popov.

Wow.

Yet another composer to explore and enjoy. Nothing duff here, and on first listening, No. 5 is stunning.

kyjo

#54
Ah yes, Popov! It's been a while since I've listened to this chap's music. He's definitely a cut above a lot of other Soviet symphonists I've encountered. I own these CDs of his music:

      

High-octane music for sure! Symphony no. 1 is a brash and fun piece, but Symphony no. 3 Heroic (for large string orchestra) is a superb work which approaches masterpiece status IMO. It's easy to forget that you're just listening to just strings here because Popov makes plentiful use of divisi that gives the scoring a marvelously rich sound. The influence of Shostakovich is easy to discern, but Popov assimilates the master's style in a different way than does, say, Weinberg. The Symphonic Aria for cello and strings with which Symphony no. 3 is coupled is a very moving piece which is filled with grief and lyricism.

I've been trying to get ahold of these Olympia discs for quite a while now:

   

I see the one with Symphony no. 6 has a decently priced new copy ($17) available on Amazon, so I think I'll snap that up. Unfortunately, I can't find any copies of the disc with Symphony no. 5. :(

Now that I'm in a Soviet frame of mind, time to go resurrect that Shebalin thread (if one exists, that is)........

pencils

There are days on this forum when I kind of feel I am running round in circles, pointing at things and making childish 'Ooh, look at that', noises.

Today is yet another of those days.

vandermolen

I really like the 6th Symphony, towards the end it seems to echo Boris Gudunov. I find it to be a powerful and poignant work.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

kyjo

Quote from: pencils on August 20, 2013, 02:04:19 PM
There are days on this forum when I kind of feel I am running round in circles, pointing at things and making childish 'Ooh, look at that', noises.

Today is yet another of those days.

Care to elaborate on this? :)

Mirror Image

I own all of the Norther Flowers recordings. Popov's Symphony No. 2 "Motherland" made a strong impression when I first heard it. I remember it containing a gorgeous, heartbreaking slow movement. I can't say the same for his other music I heard. Yes, Symphony No. 1 is fun alright! :) I'd like to hear a better recording of Symphony No. 2 though.

pencils

Quote from: kyjo on August 20, 2013, 03:25:50 PM
Care to elaborate on this? :)

There is so much to discover, that it is sometimes difficult not to run around like a loon pointing at stuff and being excited. At the same time, more than ever before, I am aware of how little I know. This is rarely a bad thing, as humility is a useful trait.