Alexander Grechaninov - Symphony No. 1; etc. (Valery Polyansky)

Information

Composer: Alexander Grechaninov

• (01) Symphony No. 1 in B minor, Op. 6
• (05) Snowflakes, Op. 47
• (15) Missa Sancti Spiritus, Op. 169

Ludmila Kuznetsova mezzo-soprano (5-14)

Tatiana Jeranje contralto (15-20)

Russian State Symphonic Cappella (15-20)

Russian State Symphony Orchestra

Valéry Polyansky, conductor

Date: 1995

Label: Chandos

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%209397

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Review

In his First Symphony Grechaninov cannot hide his allegiance to the Russian nationalist school. It is part and parcel of this symphony. Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov (Grechaninov was a Rimsky pupil) peer out from every corner. Rimsky conducted the premiere in St Petersburg on 26 January 1895. The stunning melodic flow of Borodin is absent and neither is there the captivating brilliance of Rimsky. In its place the invention is pleasant, varied and smoothly accomplished. The style can be likened to early/mid-period Dvorak or Glazunov. In fact Polyansky and his orchestra are gradually working their way through the Glazunov symphonies. Polyansky's rather broad tempi for Glazunov are less in evidence in Grechaninov. Attractive music and a delightful change but not stunning.

Snowflakes is a charming setting of ten miniature poems of or about childhood. Kuznetsova is stern of tone with the choir sensitively graduating their dynamics to match the words. The choral singing is to a very high standard of unanimity and precision. Thankfully the settings are not childish but weld together the snowy delight of the singing in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker with the fantasy fairytale horrors of Baba Yaga (Liadov) and the icy sunrises of Rachmaninov's Spring Cantata and Three Russian Songs.

Abandoning the orchestra, the Mass (a product of the New York years) is tactfully underpinned by the organ. This is a devotional work among Grechaninov's many such but it has a touch of the Church of England rather than Russian Orthodox. It has some of the same spirit as the a cappella church music of Ropartz (Marco Polo) and Koechlin although its surrender to emotion is more ready than that of the two French masters. This certainly leans more towards Fauré than to Rachmaninov's Vespers or Chrysostum Liturgy. The peaceful Agnus Dei is well worth sampling.

There is much to enjoy here and the plangent singing is of the highest order.

The recording is of very high quality and the music is well supported by full texts and Eric Roseberry's supportive notes.

-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International

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Alexander Grechaninov ( 25 October [O.S. 13 October] 1864, Kaluga – 3 January 1956, New York City) was a Russian Romantic composer. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory where his main teachers were Sergei Taneyev and Anton Arensky. He subsequently moved to St. Petersburg where he studied composition and orchestration with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Grechaninov wrote five symphonies, the first premiered by Rimsky-Korsakov; four string quartets, two piano trios, sonatas for violin, cello, clarinet, piano and balalaika, several operas, song cycle Les Fleurs du Mal and much other music.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Gretchaninov

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Valery Polyansky (born 19 April, 1949 in Moscow) is a Russian orchestral and choral conductor. Polyansky studied at the Moscow Conservatory, where his teachers included Boris Kulikov and Odisei Dimtriadi. Since 1992 he has been a chief  conductor and artistic director of the State Symphony Capella of Russia which consists of a symphonic orchestra and a choir, numbering more than 200 artists. Polyansky is recognized today as a leading interpreter of the works of Sergei Rachmaninov and a number of other neglected Russian composers such as Alfred Schnittke, Sergei Taneyev and Nikolai Miaskovsky.

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/valery-polyansky-mn0000497046/biography

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