GMG Classical Music Forum

The Music Room => Composer Discussion => Topic started by: Thatfabulousalien on July 29, 2017, 11:53:00 PM

Title: Discovering Nikolai Korndorf
Post by: Thatfabulousalien on July 29, 2017, 11:53:00 PM
Today is a rediscovery for me but an introduction for many. This man was one of my favorite composers for quite a while till he fell of the radar for me.
His music ranges from post-Shostakovich/Varese/Stravinsky aggressive 20th C. style to "post"-modern and "holy-minimalist".

Some of my favorite works include:

Concerto Capriccioso (which even has a drum kit at one point)
Hava Nagila variations (the most bad-ass one can get!)
Symphony no 2 (a relentless surge of energy and violence)
Symphony no 3 (a prime example of the power of his "minimalist" period, euphoric and gorgeous and longer than the average Mahler symphony)
Symphony no 4 (Dark, industrial, underground mines. Coal-driver vehicles, in search of gold)
Hymn's 1 & 2 (more minimalist works, often evoking a Mahler-like sense of intense emotional, mental and spiritual expression)
Lullaby (for 2 pianos) - A quiet, serene and contemplative song (sic)
Yarlio (Bach meets Debussy meets Xenakis)

That is only just touching the surface too!

Sadly he is one of those composers who has little commercially available recordings, so many of his amazing works have never seen a CD or Vinyl before  :(