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Monday, June 20, 2016

Aram Khachaturian; Dmitri Kabalevsky - Masquerade Suite; The Comedians (Kirill Kondrashin)


Information

Composer: Aram Khachaturian; Dmitri Kabalevsky; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
  1. Khachaturian - Masquerade suite: Waltz
  2. Khachaturian - Masquerade suite: Nocturne
  3. Khachaturian - Masquerade suite: Mazurka
  4. Khachaturian - Masquerade suite: Romance
  5. Khachaturian - Masquerade suite: Galop
  6. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Prologue
  7. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Comedian's Galop
  8. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: March
  9. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Waltz
  10. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Pantomime
  11. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Intermezzo
  12. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Little Lyrical Scene
  13. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Gavotte
  14. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Scherzo
  15. Kabalevsky - The Comedians, Op. 26: Epilogue
  16. Tchaikovsky - Capriccio italien, Op. 45
  17. Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: Alborada
  18. Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: Variazioni
  19. Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: Alborada
  20. Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: Scena e canto gitano
  21. Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: Fandango asturiano

RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Kirill Kondrashin, conductor

Date: 1958
Label: RCA


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Review

"United in this lively and attractive recording are three big Ks of Soviet music – Kabalevsky, Khachaturian and Kondrashin." So opens the liner notes written for the LP release of half this disc. Kondrashin? Apparently RCA was attempting to capitalize on the conductor's collaboration with Van Cliburn. Whatever. I, for one, am pleased that this disc has finally been issued.

Years ago I heard Kondrashin's "Capriccios" on a Quintessence LP. I loved it and it has remained a paradigm in my mind. Others have come close to his excitement, but none met it. In fact, Kondrashin out Stokowski's Stokowski! The strings have a Russian sound that only Kondrashin could have gotten out of this ad hoc orchestra. My God! The tambourine player at the close of Tchaikovsky's 'italien' should have been credited. Then there's the solo violin in Rimsky's Capriccio! Then, again, there are the castanets. I am happy to report that this CD recaptures the excitement and Slavic essence I remembered. Maybe you can go home sometimes.

I recall that my dad had the LP of the Kabalevsky and Khachaturian pieces, the reproduced cover recalls memories. If Kabalevsky's name doesn't ring any bells, perhaps Khachaturian's does because you have heard the Gayaneh Suite or Spartacus. If you are familiar with Khachaturian's Suites you will know what to expect in these pieces, too. There is a Russian flavor to the music, though this is not Shostakovich by any means. The music is lighter and has references, at times, to Russian folk tunes. Anyway, they are fun. The "Pantomime" in The Comedians is wonderful, memorable even. I may prefer Stokowski's recording of the Masquerade, but that is monaural and not available on CD at the time.

The transfers are excellent, the sound belies its age. This is just plain fun. Buy and enjoy an evening of pleasant listening.

-- Robert Stumpf II © 1999, Classical Net


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Aram Khachaturian (6 June 1903 – 1 May 1978) was a Soviet Armenian composer and conductor. He is considered one of the leading Soviet composers and the most renowned Armenian composer of the 20th century. His music combined Armenian, Caucasian, Eastern Europe and Middle East folk music with established musical traditions of Russia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aram_Khachaturian

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Dmitri Kabalevsky (30 December [O.S. 17 December] 1904 – 14 February 1987) was a Russian composer. He was a prolific composer of piano music and chamber music; many of his piano works have been performed by Vladimir Horowitz. He is probably best known in the West for the "Comedians' Galop" from The Comedians Suite, Op. 26 and his third piano concerto.

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Kirill Kondrashin (6 March [O.S. 21 February] 1914 – 7 March 1981) was a Russian conductor. He was the artistic director of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1960 to 1975 and premiered Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4 and No. 13 during this period. He left the Soviet Union in December 1978 while touring in the Netherlands and sought political asylum there. Kondrashin took the post of Permanent Guest Conductor of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra in the same year and remained in that position until his death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirill_Kondrashin

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