Nikolai Myaskovsky - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 19 (Gennady Rozhdestvensky; Nikolai Sergeyev)

Information

Composer: Nikolai Myaskovsky

1. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3: I. Lento ma non troppo. Allegro
2. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3: II. Larghetto (quasi andante)
3. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3: III. Allegro assai e molto risoluto
4. Symphony No. 19 in E flat major, Op. 46: I. Maestoso. Allegro giocoso
5. Symphony No. 19 in E flat major, Op. 46: II. Moderato
6. Symphony No. 19 in E flat major, Op. 46: III. Andante serioso
7. Symphony No. 19 in E flat major, Op. 46: IV. Poco maestoso. Vivo

USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor (1-3)
Russian State Brass Orchestra
Nikolai Sergeyev, conductor(4-7)

Date: 1993
Label: Russian Disc

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Review

There are 12 out of 27 now on CD—at this rate collectors of Miaskovsky symphonies on record will soon be able to start agitating for the remaining gaps to be plugged. Symphony No. 1 is a student piece dating from 1908. But Miaskovsky was a mature student in both senses, having previously graduated from Military Academy and served as an engineer in Moscow at the same time as pursuing his musical studies. His style may not yet have developed the personal wistful touches which distinguish his finest work, but his harmonic and formal technique was already established, along with such characteristic moods as the sense of being unwillingly dragged forward, as when the first movement's portentous introduction gives way to the activity of the main themes. At 42 minutes the three movements are surely a little over-long, but Miaskovsky's craftsmanship is always solid and the performance is better than par for recordings of his symphonies.

The Nineteenth Symphony dates from 1939. Classical, positive and tuneful, it is a very different proposition from No. 1, fulfilling as it does virtually all the criteria for Socialist Realist symphonism. It is also thoroughly utilitarian, for this is the first Soviet symphony for 'big band'. This might seem an unfortunate choice for duplication in the CD catalogue. But in fact the new recording is welcome since it returns to Miaskovsky's original scoring—the rival Olympia version adds all sorts of percussion and harp fillings, which do little to enhance the overall impression and which I suspect do not originate with the composer. The Russian State Brass Orchestra is as well drilled as one would expect, and if some of the tempo variations in the third movement seem excessive, Nikolai Sergeyev certainly coaxes a warm and attractive performance from his players. Recording quality and balance are fine, though the four second gap between the two works is surely inadequate.

-- Gramophone

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Nikolai Myaskovsky (20 April [O.S. 8 April] 1881 – 8 August 1950) was a Russian and Soviet composer. He is sometimes referred to as the "Father of the Soviet Symphony". Myaskovsky wrote a total of 27 symphonies (plus three sinfoniettas, three concertos and works in other orchestral genres), 13 string quartets, 9 piano sonatas as well as many miniatures and vocal works. He is professor of composition at Moscow Conservatory from 1921 until his death, and há an important influence on his pupils. His students include big names such as  Aram Khachaturian, Dmitri Kabalevsky, Rodion Shchedrin and Boris Tchaikovsky.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Myaskovsky

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Gennady Rozhdestvensky (born 4 May 1931 in Moscow) is a Russian conductor. He studied conducting with his father, noted conductor and pedagogue Nikolai Anosov, at the Moscow Conservatory and piano with Lev Oborin. Rozhdestvensky is considered a versatile conductor and a highly cultured musician with a supple stick technique. With the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra he recorded all the symphonies of Dmitri Shostakovich, Alexander Glazunov, Anton Bruckner, Alfred Schnittke, and Arthur Honegger for the label Melodiya. He also premiered many works of other Soviet composers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gennady_Rozhdestvensky

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