Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006)

[snyprrr]

Any Ustvolskaya recommendations? Her reputation for creating such extreme, alien music intrigues me.

Apparently there's issues with her Discography- things not being recorded well or performed well, or something- those MegaDisc CDs I believe have a bad reputation- but read the Reviews- maybe that Philips disc is good- personally, I haven't found anything AFFORDABLE!! $$$

[ibanezmonster]

The 6th piano sonata is the only work of her's that I'm familiar with. Doesn't get much more intense than that, solo piano-wise.

Apparently there's issues with her Discography- things not being recorded well or performed well, or something- those MegaDisc CDs I believe have a bad reputation- but read the Reviews- maybe that Philips disc is good- personally, I haven't found anything AFFORDABLE!! $$$

hmmm for as much as I hear her name, she does seem to be well underrepresented in terms of what there is to listen to...

[EigenUser]

I listened to the first half of the Grand Duet and will have to get back to that one. Will check out Symphony #2...

There's an interesting video about it with interviews of Ustvoltskaya (I guess she didn't break the camera for this one!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ninHa6TqgqM

[ibanezmonster]

There's an interesting video about it with interviews of Ustvoltskaya (I guess she didn't break the camera for this one!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ninHa6TqgqM

ooooh, neat! 

[amw]

While that's how she painted it later, it seems that for a while at least she was very close to Shostakovich. Just not in "that" way. And when she realised his intentions were romantic she not only ended the relationship but tried to erase it.

We'll never know the truth, but I sort of imagine Shostakovich came across as a bit desperate/creepy due to his emotional fragility (his first wife had just died) while Ustvolskaya's personality & musical language were just starting to crystallize, greatly reducing her tolerance for anyone who did not meet her standards; in my mind she rejects his proposal with as little tact as possible and subsequently refuses to see him, and Shostakovich starts a "rebound" relationship with someone else which actually does blossom into a short-lived second marriage.

In complete fairness to Galina Ivanovna, Shostakovich is not going to win any "world's sexiest man" competitions

[Mandryka]

This contains Ustvolskaya's preludes and 6th sonata -- the brutal sonata. And I think it's a wonderful performance. The preludes, by the way, aren't at all brutal.

What astonishes me is that her name does not even appear on the cover of the CD. Why not? It shows what an appalling PR machine she has.

Another one worth hearing is Vedernikov playing her second piano sonata, which used to be on youtube.

I prefer ustvolskaya's piano music to Shostakovich's -- DSCH has an outstanding PR machine.

[ibanezmonster]

In complete fairness to Galina Ivanovna, Shostakovich is not going to win any "world's sexiest man" competitions

Lol true  (and that's actually the most flattering photo of him I've seen)

That's neat, though. I didn't know they were that close (or that they even knew each other).

[Scion7]

In fairness to Shosta' - she's no piece of cheese, either!

http://www.fbbva.es/TLFU/mult/Ustvolskaya_grande.jpg

[ibanezmonster]

In fairness to Shosta' - she's no piece of cheese, either!

http://www.fbbva.es/TLFU/mult/Ustvolskaya_grande.jpg

And her in her younger days:


so, yeah... both were kinda ugly. Maybe they would have been a good match, then. 

[Scion7]

As opposed to Bacewicz in her young days and pre-car accident - she was as pretty as Stefi Geyer, etc.

Ok, sexist rant over.   

[Mirror Image]

I'm only familiar with her Piano Concerto and the best I can remember it's quite good. Can be found on this great disc:

[asin]B000E0VO10[/asin]

[snyprrr]

I loved that video- going back to the same places she wrote some of her music. And then I'm just frustrated by her Discography. Here, I'll List her Works,...



Symphony 1- MegaDisc (their whole series seems to have a bad reputation, but they seem to be 'Complete')

Symphony 2

Symphony 3- Wergo

Symphony 4- Barton Workshop (Etcetera)

Symphony 5- RCA; Leiferkus


Composition 1- Philips

Composition 2- Philips; Wergo?

Composition 3- Philips; RCA? (those two may be mixed up)


Octet- RCA

(Clarinet) Trio- early, short, 3 mvmt. (many recordings; ECM)


Grand Duet for Cello and Piano- I'm familiar with this- sounds like Feldman's piece... eh... (Maya Beiser, Rohan de Saram, Rostropovich)

Duet for Violin and Piano- rare


12 Preludes for Piano


Piano Sonata 1

Piano Sonata 2

Piano Sonata 3 (in one movement)

Piano Sonata 4

Piano Sonata 5

Piano Sonata 6 (in one movement)                                     

     Sokolov
     Hinterhauser
     Denyer
     Lubimov



There, I believe that's actually it! OK,... where do we go from here? Seems the RCA disc should be a First Choice simply by default?

QUESTION: WHY? WHY? WHY? dON'T any of these recordings take play in a huuuge acoustic befitting such austere utterances? It seems all the recordings are in no type of environment at all, which just baffles me. I thought this music lent itself - and that the Composer would DEMAND a huuuge acoustic- but what we get is that dead air silence that surely transports no one. I don't get it.

SHOULDN'T IT BE EASY ENOUGH TO ORCHESTRATE YOUR OWN USTVOLSKAYA CYCLE? I'M SERIOUS.   (that's my serious face)

[not edward]

The Guardian has a very positive review of Patricia Kopatchinskaja's new Ustvolskaya disc:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/01/ustvolskaya-violin-sonata-trio-duet-review-kopatchinskaja

[amw]

Patricia Kopatchinskaja's new Ustvolskaya disc:

This phrase should be enough of a positive recommendation on its own.

[Mirror Image]

Can't say I hardly know any of Ustvolskaya's music, but it's not like the record labels are tripping over themselves to record her music either, which I think is a shame.

[EigenUser]

Can't say I hardly know any of Ustvolskaya's music, but it's not like the record labels are tripping over themselves to record her music either, which I think is a shame.

Well, she was certainly uncompromising in the most extreme way. While I highly respect that in a composer, it usually means that their output goes unknown for some time.

Have you heard the Grand Duet for cello and piano? That piece is awesome!

[snyprrr]

bump

[Maestro267]

In preparation for the Proms performance of Symphony No. 3 a week tomorrow?

[snyprrr]

In preparation for the Proms performance of Symphony No. 3 a week tomorrow?

just random... but, hey, I'm not in charge! Not sure I'm ready for GU yet...http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/akyhne/wink.gif

[Mandryka]

This contains Ustvolskaya's preludes and 6th sonata -- the brutal sonata. And I think it's a wonderful performance. The preludes, by the way, aren't at all brutal.

Back to this for the first time in 9 years, and I agree with everything here.