Rimsky-Korsakov recommendations?

[Karl Henning]

... dislike of an overlong and repetitive piece of orientalism ....

Your opinion has already been noted. One needn't consider any item of the standard repertory "sacrosanct" to invite you to consider the dangers of repetition yourself. Just saying.

[Elgarian Redux]

What on earth is the point of having a row about whether one likes or dislikes Scheherazade, or whether one can identify a bit of Haydn?  Several of us in this thread have been enjoying discussing the music for its own sake, and surely there's room for the expression of all genuine opinion, without everything going up in flames?

Could I just ask for a little bit of self-discipline, please? There's no contest here. I thought it was about a sharing of opinion for (one hopes) the illumination and enjoyment of all who are interested.

[Cato]

A usually overlooked, and short work in the spirit of The Russian Orthodox church, a work whose title is translated in various ways, e.g. At/On the Tomb, At/Over the Grave, etc.

[Cato]

A usually overlooked, and short work in the spirit of The Russian Orthodox church, a work whose title is translated in various ways, e.g. At/On the Tomb, At/Over the Grave, etc.

Another Rimsky-Korsakov work which might be under the radar for at least some of us here: a "secular cantata," The Song of Oleg the Wise.

[vandermolen]

I just discovered that some kind soul has uploaded the Gould Antar to Soundcloud. Here's the link, for anyone who's interested:
Morton Gould/Chicago SO/Antar

(Only the first 30 minutes or so is Antar. Something else is stuck on the end, presumably by accident.)

It's the complete Symphony No.21 by Miaskovsky - Antar's companion on the original RCA LP.

[Elgarian Redux]

It's the complete Symphony No.21 by Miaskovsky - Antar's companion on the original RCA LP.

I briefly wondered if that might be the case, but I'm entirely unfamiliar with Miakovsky and thought it unlikely that his 21st symphony would only last 14 minutes. Wrong! Many thanks for enlightening me.

[vandermolen]

I briefly wondered if that might be the case, but I'm entirely unfamiliar with Miakovsky and thought it unlikely that his 21st symphony would only last 14 minutes. Wrong! Many thanks for enlightening me.

My pleasure! It's a concise but eloquent, poetic and poignant work. It was commissioned by the Chicago SO and Frederick Stock in 1940 at a time of rapprochement between the USA and the USSR (let's not go there!) It was also recorded by Eugene Ormandy.

[Que]

I encountered Rimsky-Korsakov's piano trio on the recording below, and much enjoyed it.

[Roasted Swan]

Regarding the Rimsky symphonies - a quick shout-out for Yondani Butt's set over 2 discs on OOP ASV;



These can still be found at reasonable prices although you need to beware of bronzing on some ASV discs.  Butt was very good in this Romantic Russian repertoire - see his Glazunov that I praised quite recently.  And the recording and playing is suitably opulent and powerful

[vandermolen]

Regarding the Rimsky symphonies - a quick shout-out for Yondani Butt's set over 2 discs on OOP ASV;



These can still be found at reasonable prices although you need to beware of bronzing on some ASV discs.  Butt was very good in this Romantic Russian repertoire - see his Glazunov that I praised quite recently.  And the recording and playing is suitably opulent and powerful

Agreed! This is a very nice disc:

[Elgarian Redux]

The first of my recent Antar purchases has arrived, and I've just finished listening to it. And I realise that in a way, I ought to disqualify myself from commenting on all these recordings, because I haven't yet heard a performance of Antar that didn't wring my heart and leave me in a state of wonder. So I fear that I might end up just gushing about one recording after another. We'll see. If that happens, I promise I'll stop.

It might be as well to note that my 'goto' performance, at present is this one:

I don't propose to compare everything with this, not by any means, but it may be helpful to know that this is the recording that first blew me away a couple of weeks ago.

So, then, to this Supraphon recording, conducted by Jiri Belohlavek with the BRNO State Philharmonic Orchestra. It has the distinction of being recommended by distinguished GMG friend and colleague, vandermolen.

This is not like Svetlanov. To find overarching words to describe it, I'd go for 'lyrical', 'smooth', 'expressive but restrained'. At times it felt a little bit 'Hollywood', but in the nicest, smoothest possible way - I say this not as a derogatory comment but a tentatively descriptive one. In the two middle movements the guy on the big drum earns his pay very effectively and sensitively without bashing the heck out of my ears.

The gazelle/princess Gul Nazar music is deliciously sensual whenever it occurs, rippling through the score like a silk scarf in a gentle breeze. Anyone would fall in love with her on the basis of listening to this.

If this recording had been my first experience of Antar, would I have been blown away? Oh yes. Would this replace my Svetlanov CD? No. But neither would the Svetlanov be able to replace this. I want both readings of this music. I have both. I am, in that respect, a happy fellow.

I await the postman for the next one.

[Elgarian Redux]

Regarding the Rimsky symphonies - a quick shout-out for Yondani Butt's set over 2 discs on OOP ASV;



These can still be found at reasonable prices although you need to beware of bronzing on some ASV discs.  Butt was very good in this Romantic Russian repertoire - see his Glazunov that I praised quite recently.  And the recording and playing is suitably opulent and powerful

Thanks for this. The bronzing issue seemed disturbing, but I now see that Presto Classical offer this as a 'Presto CD' - recently made and therefore free of the problem. Looks like I should get one.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

At @Elgarian Redux, I can only second your preference for the Svetlanov recording of Antar. It really is something special.

[Elgarian Redux]

At @Elgarian Redux, I can only second your preference for the Svetlanov recording of Antar. It really is something special.

Not 'preference' (though it may eventually become that), but 'reference'. I've yet to hear any recording of Antar that didn't make me melt, and that's why I offered the caveat at the start of my review of the Jiri Belohlavek. My point about the Svetlanov is that it fired the starting pistol.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Not 'preference' (though it may eventually become that), but 'reference'. I've yet to hear any recording of Antar that didn't make me melt, and that's why I offered the caveat at the start of my review of the Jiri Belohlavek. My point about the Svetlanov is that it fired the starting pistol.

Excellent. Well, to be fair, I need to revisit this work myself as it's been probably more than a decade since I've listened to it. In fact, spending more time with Rimsky-Korsakov should be something I have to set my sights on in the near future.

[Elgarian Redux]

Excellent. Well, to be fair, I need to revisit this work myself as it's been probably more than a decade since I've listened to it.

I hope you get as much joy out of it as I'm getting at present.

[Karl Henning]

Not 'preference' (though it may eventually become that), but 'reference'. I've yet to hear any recording of Antar that didn't make me melt, and that's why I offered the caveat at the start of my review of the Jiri Belohlavek. My point about the Svetlanov is that it fired the starting pistol.

I, too, have some pieces of which I feel I've never heard a bad performance/recording.

[Florestan]

Regarding the Rimsky symphonies - a quick shout-out for Yondani Butt's set over 2 discs on OOP ASV;



These can still be found at reasonable prices although you need to beware of bronzing on some ASV discs.  Butt was very good in this Romantic Russian repertoire - see his Glazunov that I praised quite recently.  And the recording and playing is suitably opulent and powerful

Better still, they can be found in this set:



Full content and positive review here:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/oct02/Rimsky_Brilliant.htm

[Elgarian Redux]

Better still, they can be found in this set:



Full content and positive review here:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/oct02/Rimsky_Brilliant.htm

Sir, I have long considered you to be a Gentleman and a Scholar, and this confirms my belief! I've just picked up that Brilliant set for £4!! Thank you, Andrei.

[LKB]

I confess that I never went through a phase of finding Scheherazade a 'flashy ... orchestral spectacular', but I did love its programmatic aspect right from the beginning, and never fell out of love with it in 60 years. I kept on accumulating other music and just took Scheherazade along with me.

The weird thing though is that I've listened to Antar several times over the years, and it made no impact on me at all - until NOW. (Why now? It's not exactly hard to listen to, is it?) And here I am today, its tunes running through my head even when I'm not listening to it, accompanied by dazzlingly coloured mental images of gazelles, fearsome giant birds, ruined cities, desert winds, and magic temptresses. Bloomin' marvellous!
 

Tbh, while Rimsky-Korsakov was a very early acquaintance in my musical exposure ( l can sing Scheherazade in its entirety to anyone brave/ foolish enough to listen ), Antar has somehow eluded me completely... right up to this specific thread.

So I'll catch up with y'all, and post my take on the work.

Besides... magic temptresses? I'm definitely in!