March 2025 - Russian Symphony March Madness!

[pjme]

I'm in! Very tasty! Maybe just a simple slip, but it's (mildly) curious that the YT vid has "in four movements" in the title, when the cover clearly reads (in both English and Russian) "in four fragments."

A couple of years ago I tried to communicate with someone at the Yuri Butsko  website, but the language barrier was quasi unsurmountable....

Still, some texts are now in English and this is the only comment on the second symphony:

"The symphony uses musical material from the ballet "Insight", the libretto of which tells about the events of 1905.The first fragment can be thought of as a large folk scene: its main musical idea evokes images by Mussorgsky, perhaps the choruses from the Prologue or the scene "At Basil's" from "Boris Godunov". The awakening, the purposeful movement of the human crowd is expressed with even greater force in the second fragment, where, together with the previously heard ostinato motifs, a mournful song theme is widely developed. Its build-up is interrupted by a harsh, dry, "knocking" fugue – an opposing force, a wall, which the previous movement runs into. In the reprise-coda of the third fragment, the fugue sounds distant, detached, dying down – it is answered by deep mournful sighs of the crowd and a plaintive human voice – a recitation of the English horn. From the individual voices scattered in space, intertwining, continuing each other, a gloomy, but solemn, powerful final image is born in the fourth fragment."

[Karl Henning]

A couple of years ago I tried to communicate with someone at the Yuri Butsko  website, but the language barrier was quasi unsurmountable....

Still, some texts are now in English and this is the only comment on the second symphony:

"The symphony uses musical material from the ballet "Insight", the libretto of which tells about the events of 1905.The first fragment can be thought of as a large folk scene: its main musical idea evokes images by Mussorgsky, perhaps the choruses from the Prologue or the scene "At Basil's" from "Boris Godunov". The awakening, the purposeful movement of the human crowd is expressed with even greater force in the second fragment, where, together with the previously heard ostinato motifs, a mournful song theme is widely developed. Its build-up is interrupted by a harsh, dry, "knocking" fugue – an opposing force, a wall, which the previous movement runs into. In the reprise-coda of the third fragment, the fugue sounds distant, detached, dying down – it is answered by deep mournful sighs of the crowd and a plaintive human voice – a recitation of the English horn. From the individual voices scattered in space, intertwining, continuing each other, a gloomy, but solemn, powerful final image is born in the fourth fragment."

Most interesting, thanks!

[Cato]

A couple of years ago I tried to communicate with someone at the Yuri Butsko  website, but the language barrier was quasi unsurmountable....

Still, some texts are now in English and this is the only comment on the second symphony:

"The symphony uses musical material from the ballet "Insight", the libretto of which tells about the events of 1905.The first fragment can be thought of as a large folk scene: its main musical idea evokes images by Mussorgsky, perhaps the choruses from the Prologue or the scene "At Basil's" from "Boris Godunov". The awakening, the purposeful movement of the human crowd is expressed with even greater force in the second fragment, where, together with the previously heard ostinato motifs, a mournful song theme is widely developed. Its build-up is interrupted by a harsh, dry, "knocking" fugue – an opposing force, a wall, which the previous movement runs into. In the reprise-coda of the third fragment, the fugue sounds distant, detached, dying down – it is answered by deep mournful sighs of the crowd and a plaintive human voice – a recitation of the English horn. From the individual voices scattered in space, intertwining, continuing each other, a gloomy, but solemn, powerful final image is born in the fourth fragment."

I had something parallel to that in mind, when I heard it!  Thank you for these notes!


Today, more Butsko: Symphony #3 "Dithyramb" Almost Neo-Classical in comparison to the above!

There is apparently an introductory talk for a few minutes at the beginning:

A piano/symphony/concerto: very creative in both form and content!


Revisiting the Symphony #1 of Mikhail Nosyrev:

[Karl Henning]

I can see that I'll listen to more Butsko, but now, a piece I haven't listened to since before my stroke:

[Karl Henning]

I can see that I'll listen to more Butsko, but now, a piece I haven't listened to since before my stroke:

I had not forgotten that this symphony is a trip, but I had forgotten some of the stops on the trip.

[Karl Henning]

[Cato]

That work should be played more at concerts!


Today, Mravinsky and his orchestra show how the Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphony should be played! 

"Wow, Bob!  WOW!"

[Mapman]

Shostakovich: Symphony #4
Slovák: Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

This is as good of a time as any to revisit my favorite Shostakovich symphony!

[Karl Henning]

Shostakovich: Symphony #4
Slovák: Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

This is as good of a time as any to revisit my favorite Shostakovich symphony!

The only time that's a bad time is when there's too little time!

[hopefullytrusting]

Yannick with the RPO at Proms playing Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5:

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

Extraordinary.

[Karl Henning]

Yannick with the RPO at Proms playing Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5:

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

Extraordinary.

I'm in!

[ChamberNut]

Via: Idagio Streaming

First Listen. Quite an epic work!

Gliere

Symphony No. 3 in B minor, Op. 42

Botstein
London Symphony Orchestra

[Cato]

Via: Idagio Streaming

First Listen. Quite an epic work!


Gliere

Symphony No. 3 in B minor, Op. 42

Botstein
London Symphony Orchestra

Yes!  Welcome to the club!  Check out his earlier symphonies, for they will not disappoint you either!


Speaking of epic...yesterday and today:


Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov: Symphony #1


We need more recordings of all of his works: YouTube offers Symphonies I, II, what might be the last movement of III, and IV.  Wikipedia mentions a 1991 Symphony V, but I can find nothing about it,

Also:

Popov: Symphony #1

[ChamberNut]

Today's selection, via Idagio streaming

First listen! I definitely recommend.

Auerbach

Symphony No. 1 "Chimera" (2006)

David Hattner
Portland Youth Philharmonic

[Cato]

Today's selection, via Idagio streaming

First listen! I definitely recommend.

Auerbach

Symphony No. 1 "Chimera" (2006)

David Hattner
Portland Youth Philharmonic

Oh yes!  Quite a work!


Her Second Symphony uses Russian poets, but is not available on YouTube or a CD (as far as I can find).


Here is a performance of her Symphony #3, which also uses poems...of a very different kind! 

[Karl Henning]

[hopefullytrusting]

Beggars cannot be choosers: Alexander Goedicke's Symphony No. 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymsxsix7hOE

[Cato]

Beggars cannot be choosers: Alexander Goedicke's Symphony No. 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymsxsix7hOE

Several other works are available (e.g. a Horn Concerto), but no other symphonies.

The above recording, according to the YouTube information, is a 1950's Melodiya LP, so not the best sound quality.

I will need to listen to it later today!

[hopefullytrusting]

Several other works are available (e.g. a Horn Concerto), but no other symphonies.

The above recording, according to the YouTube information, is a 1950's Melodiya LP, so not the best sound quality.

I will need to listen to it later today!

Yeah, it suffers from sound, hence, beggars cannot be choosers. For me, I am just happy (amazed actually) that I even have a chance to listen to the symphony at all. I mean it wasn't that long ago (1990s) that this essentially would have been impossible. I think that sometimes we forget how wonderous the Internet actually is. I am amazed daily.

[Cato]

Yeah, it suffers from sound, hence, beggars cannot be choosers. For me, I am just happy (amazed actually) that I even have a chance to listen to the symphony at all. I mean it wasn't that long ago (1990s) that this essentially would have been impossible.

I think that sometimes we forget how wondrous the Internet actually is. I am amazed daily.

Yes!  And especially the videos with obscure musical scores!  Where does the channel owner find those?  Maybe at a local university's Music Library?