March 2025 - Russian Symphony March Madness!

Started by ChamberNut, February 24, 2025, 09:41:40 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

ChamberNut

Today's selection (well, 3!)

Stravinsky

Symphony in Three Movements

Columbia Symphony Orchestra

Symphony in C
CBC Symphony Orchestra

Symphony of Psalms
Festival Singers of Toronto
CBC Symphony Orchestra

Stravinsky - conducting



Formerly Brahmsian, OrchestralNut and Franco_Manitobain

Karl Henning

Seryozha Prokofiev
Symphony № 4 in C (revised), Op. 112
Phila Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

hopefullytrusting

Was feeling lazy today, so I didn't want to do any thinking, so I went with the goat conductor, with a goat-ish orchestra, with a goat composer, and a goat symphony aka a surefire can't miss.

Rozhdestvensky conducts the Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJwKX_50bcg

This is THE recording of this symphony, and I've heard nearly all of them. None of them come even close to approaching the power, the rawness, the umph of Rozhdestvensky who most have been on one that day. The stars aligned; the heavens opened up, and out emerged a perfect recording. There is only one other symphonic recording I rate higher than this one (Bernstein's "Berlin Wall" Beethoven's Symphony No. 9), but I don't think I need to sell this recording to anyone who posts on a classical music forum.

Highest recommendation! :)

Cato

#123
A second visit to this dramatic, fantastic, orchestral Sherman-Tank-assault on the soul:

Karetnikov
- Symphony #4:




The Drama and Tragedy continue with one of the best performances ever with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Concertgebouw:


Rachmaninov  -  Symphony #1


"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Karl Henning

Quote from: hopefullytrusting on March 18, 2025, 06:57:42 AMWas feeling lazy today, so I didn't want to do any thinking, so I went with the goat conductor, with a goat-ish orchestra, with a goat composer, and a goat symphony aka a surefire can't miss.

Rozhdestvensky conducts the Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJwKX_50bcg

This is THE recording of this symphony, and I've heard nearly all of them. None of them come even close to approaching the power, the rawness, the umph of Rozhdestvensky who most have been on one that day. The stars aligned; the heavens opened up, and out emerged a perfect recording. There is only one other symphonic recording I rate higher than this one (Bernstein's "Berlin Wall" Beethoven's Symphony No. 9), but I don't think I need to sell this recording to anyone who posts on a classical music forum.

Highest recommendation! :)
I'm in!

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Cato

Quote from: Karl Henning on March 18, 2025, 09:13:41 AMI'm in!




Quote from: Cato on March 18, 2025, 09:04:57 AMA second visit to this dramatic, fantastic, orchestral Sherman-Tank-assault on the soul:

Karetnikov
- Symphony #4:




The Drama and Tragedy continue with one of the best performances ever with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Concertgebouw:


Rachmaninov  -  Symphony #1





Quote from: Karl Henning on March 18, 2025, 05:50:17 AMSeryozha Prokofiev
Symphony № 4 in C (revised), Op. 112
Phila Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy



A great day for symphonies by Russian composers!

For the last one above:











"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

ChamberNut

Today's selection!

Taneyev

Symphony No. 2 in B flat major




Formerly Brahmsian, OrchestralNut and Franco_Manitobain

Cato

Quote from: ChamberNut on March 19, 2025, 03:54:56 AMToday's selection!

Taneyev

Symphony No. 2 in B flat major






Excellent!  I first heard this symphony 50+ years ago and was amazed that most of Taneyev's works at that time were unrecorded.

That situation has changed for the better!  The Second Symphony is a wonderful composition.

But that also applies to Symphony #4, which will be my contribution for today!



"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

hopefullytrusting

On a recommendation from @Karl Henning I first listened to a "newer" recording of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 conducted by Rozhdestvensky with the BBC SO in 1997 (the one from yesterday was a bit over a decade before). First things first, it is still Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 (my second favorite symphony ever), and I don't think I've heard a bad or poor recording of it yet - I think once a piece reaches a certain level of greatness it is nearly impossible to muck it up (unless you are doing in on purpose ala Victor Borge).



Secondly, because it is the BBC, it has much higher production values, but, in this symphony, I feel that works against it, as higher production values, more often than not, smooths things out, and the shrillness, especially from the percussion, I feel is a significant design element, as it demonstrates the insanity of war. Additionally, all the instruments sound flat to me, almost as if they were tuned down (but that might be due to the overall conservative nature of the orchestra).

Thirdly, this feels almost like the symphony is being introduced to a new audience; therefore, they have held back of of those elements which might frighten off a new audience (I don't know if that is the case, but the cold war has only recently ended, so that might have played some influence). Also, this feels like the conductor coming down to the level of the orceshtra rather than them elevating to his level (but this could be for a huge variety of reasons, I suspect, many of them cultural).

Finally, I, myself, would not recommend this recording, although, it is a fine recording - I've just heard better (or what I think is better - I've not looked at the score, and I doubt could understand the score - even when I had more music training - 2 to 4 staffs was my limit of comprehension). This version feels very safe, and I think safe is not a word I've ever want to associate with this symphony.

I did enjoy listening to it though; I mean it is Shostakovich's Symphony 11. :)

Cato

One of my friends during my high-school days was a big fan of Lyapunov: so, I tried his First Symphony.

I think everyone here will enjoy it:








"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

ChamberNut

First listen! Via Presto streaming

Scriabin

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 43 "The Divine Poem"


Ashkenazy
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra

Formerly Brahmsian, OrchestralNut and Franco_Manitobain

Cato

Quote from: ChamberNut on March 20, 2025, 04:54:42 AMFirst listen! Via Presto streaming

Scriabin

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 43 "The Divine Poem"


Ashkenazy
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra




Excellent performances under Vladimir Ashkenazy!
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

hopefullytrusting

Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 conducted by Alondra de la Parra with the Orquesta Sinfonica WDR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8WB6KGNGJA

Another safe choice, from my perspective, as this is my favorite symphony of Prokofiev (and likely in my top-10 symphonies of all time), and this recording of it (live) is also a perfect fit. Parra's youthful exuberance, her pluck and punch, is pitch perfect for to draw out the ironies of Prokofiev's first symphony, and the orchestra matches her at every step. A quote from Seinfeld sums it up nicely - "unbridled enthusiasm," you can not only see but sense the love and passion everyone has for the work, and that love and passion elevates the recording. Production-wise it is top notch (sonically top-notch). If there can be a final version of a symphony, my vote would be for this one.

High recommendation. :)

Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Cato

Quote from: Cato on March 20, 2025, 03:59:37 AMOne of my friends during my high-school days was a big fan of Lyapunov: so, I tried his First Symphony.

I think everyone here will enjoy it:











I had an opportunity to hear the opening movement of Lyapunov's Second Symphony: very impressive!



"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

ChamberNut

Today's selection!!

Miaskovsky

Symphony No. 24 in F minor, Op. 63




Formerly Brahmsian, OrchestralNut and Franco_Manitobain

Cato

Today's offering is the Lyapunov Symphony #2: on one YouTube screen, rather than 4!


I only heard the First Movement yesterday and was very impressed!

"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

hopefullytrusting

Mravinsky with the LPO in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbQLT-Jn9Xg

Tchaikovsky is a composer I have always struggled with - I think it is because I always feel as if he is wearing a mask - that he is always being disingenuous, inauthentic (perhaps, it is because those are also flaws I see in myself that I don't particularly like looking in the mirror or seeing myself reflected back at me). This, of course, did not stop him from making truly lovely music - I doubt I have to sing his praises to anyone, as I imagine every listener of classical music has at least one piece by Tchaikovsky that they treasure (or many, for example, his Nutcracker - the full ballet - is a listening tradition of mine on the 25th of December.

I selected this symphony, in particular, because of how the Wikipedia article trashed its finale decrying it as "hollow rhetoric," and I selected this recording as it was 10-minutes shorter than the others (also, Mravinsky is probably the greatest conductor of Russian-Soviet music, just as I suspect Furtwangler is with the Germans or Bernstein with the Americans).

For me, there is nothing objectionable in this symphony, but, again, nothing that sticks out. It is enjoyable, medium-weight, and thoughtful. You can tell considerable work was put into putting this symphony together, not altogether unique, but if his struggles are similar to mine - that is a mean feat, as constructing something cohesive and massive is a task of a monumental nature, and I don't think of him (or I) as systematic. I found nothing hollow by the finale, unsurprisingly, but I am also finding that I am almost a 100 percent lover - I find it very difficult, almost impossible, to find fault. I mean the ending is fitting given the symphony's overall structure - it led here, so there's no surprise in the ending, but I don't come to a symphony for surprise - that's not what I'm looking or at least, what I am looking for is completion, and this symphony feels complete, and on that basis I can recommend it, but just.

Overall, it is a solid work and can be enjoyed solidly. :)