Soviet composers
Wed, May 19 2010, 5:32PM
#2
RE: Soviet composers
I think the Downes 5 & 9 on Marco Polo is exceptional. Halasz and Stankovsky less so, but often Myaskovsky collectors don't have many options for certain works.
For those interested, Alto has reissued several of Svetlanov's. Also, watch for the out-of-print Melodiya or Olympia various genre offerings.
Cheapo tip--Cello Concerto Op. 66 and Cello Sonatas 1 & 2 on Arte Nova.
I have recordings of several of Myaskovsky's 27 symphonies and would definitely like to hear the Svetlanov set of all of them.
In addition, I have the Rostropovich and Mischa Maisky recordings of the beautiful cello concerto, a work which more of today's leading cellists should play, and a CD of three of his string quartets with the St.Petersburg quartet. I'm glad I purchased these. Myaskovsky is a composer who deserves to be better-known.
His music may lack the immediate melodic and coloristic appleal of other Russian composers and is somewhat elusive on first hearing, but repeated hearings reveal a composer of genuine substance.
I particularly recommend the symphony no 8, which has a melancholy, brooding and haunting slow movement featuring the English horn playing a Tatar folk melody.
The Marco Polo label has several Myaskovsky symphonies played by the Czecho-Slovak radio orchestra conducted by Michael Halasz and Robert Stankovsky which I have, but I don't know if these are still available.