Classical

Dmitri Kabalevsky – Concertos (1998)

2010-08-20T22:40:13Z

Dmitri Kabalevsky – Concertos (1998)

Concerto for violin and orchestra in C, op. 48 
1. Allegro molto
2. Andante cantabile
3. Vivace giocoso

David Oistrakh – violin
State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR
Dmitry Kabalevsky – conductor

Concerto for cello and orchestra no. 1 in G minor, op. 49
4. Allegro
5. Largo molto espressivo
6. Allegretto

Daniil Shafran – violoncello
Great Symphony Orchestra of the Committee on Radio Information
Dmitry Kabalevsky – conductor

Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 3 in D, op. 50
7. Allegro molto
8. Andante con moto
9. Presto 

Emil Gilels - piano
Great Symphony Orchestra of State Radio
Dmitry Kabalevsky – conductor

Concerto for piano and [string] orchestra no. 4 : "Prague"
10. Allegro molto energico
11. Molto sostenuto improvisator
12. Vivo

Yuri Popov - piano
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Dmitry Kitaenko – conductor

Dmitri Borisovich Kabalevsky [Russian: Дмитрий Борисович Кабалевский] was a great Russian Soviet composer, but also a noted pianist and writer. His father was a mathematician who dealt with the national insurance; he wanted his artistic son to find a career in economics or mathematics. His father had given him a liberal education where young Dimitry had excelled in the arts; he painted and dabbled in poetry as well as excelling as an aspiring pianist. By the time he was 14 years old, Kabalevsky and his family had moved to Moscow where he had received his primary education in music at the Scriabin Musical Institute from 1919 to 1925 (he had also kept painting). In 1922, under his father's will, Kabalevsky took the entrance exam to the Engels Socio-Economic Science Institute, but he never enrolled because he had realized his career was in music, at first as a pianist. In the next three years, Kabalevsky excelled at being a pianist; he began to instruct at the Scriabin Institute as well as compose for his students. To further his interest in composing, Kabalevsky went to the Moscow Conservatory in 1925 where he studied composing under Miaskovsky and piano under Goldenweiser. Miaskovsky's compositional influence can be recognized in Kabalevsky's works such as the Three Poems of Blok (1927), considered his most daring work, and his first internationally known works, the First Piano Concerto (1928) and the C Major Sonatina (1930).

In the late 1920's there was great tension between the main forces of Soviet music: the RAPM (Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians and the ASM (Association of Contemporary Musicians). Dmitri Kabalevsky associated himself with neither one exclusively. He wrote his Poem of Struggle (1930) in line with the proletarian ideal of the RAPM; it used melodies from songs of the revolution. Kabalevsky showed his promise as a writer in 1927 with his contributions to an ASM journal. The tension between the two organizations ended in 1932 with the construction of the Union of Soviet Composers, which was spearheaded by Kabalevsky himself (he helped organize the Moscow branch).

By the 1930's Kabalevsky was appointed as an assistant instructor of composition at the Moscow Conservatory, and by 1939 he was a full professor. This period until 1942 is considered to be Kabalevsky's strongest. During this time he wrote much incidental music for radio and stage. In 1936 he wrote his first opera, Colas Breugnon, which was based on the novel by Romain Rolland; it first appeared in 1938 and it was an immediate success (It is to be noted that Kabalevsky himself became dissatisfied with its dramatic structure, so he revised it in both 1953 and 1969).

Dmitri Kabalevsky joined the Communist Party in 1940; by 1941 he had received the Medal of Honour from the Soviet government for his musical prowess. It was during this period of time that Kabalevsky lent his musical talents to the war effort. During World War II, Kabalevsky had written several inspirational songs and battle hymns. In 1942, Kabalevsky's three huge works: Vast Motherland, Revenger of the People and Into the Fire, were written to inspire heroism and patriotism among the Soviets. His popular The Taras Family (1947) used out-taken music from the opera Into the Fire, and became a huge success. It became a success even in light of the 1948 party decree of music in Russia, probably because Kabalevsky's music had become more lyrical in nature.

In Dmitri Kabalevsky's later life, his music had become more entwined in choral music; the Requiem (1962), dedicated to those who died fighting fascism, is a great example. He had become quite a force in musical education. He was elected the head of the Commission of Musical Esthetic Education of Children in 1962 as well as being elected president of the Scientific Council of Educational Esthetics in the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the USSR in 1969. He also received the honorary degree of president of the International Society of Musical Education.

Dmitry Kabalevsky wrote for all musical genres; his pieces were all faithful to the ideals of Soviet realism as well. In Russia, he is most noted for his vocal songs, cantatas, and operas while overseas he is known for his orchestral music. Kabalevsky frequently travelled overseas; he was a member of the Soviet Committee for the Defense of Peace as well as a representative for the Promotion of Friendship between the Soviet Union and foreign countries. Kabalevsky will be long remembered as an icon of Soviet Russian nationalism. --- bach-cantatas.com

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Dmitry Kabalevsky - Preludes and Fugues (Dossin) [2009]

2016-04-15T16:14:10Z

Dmitry Kabalevsky - Preludes and Fugues (Dossin) [2009]

4 Preludes, Op. 5
1.   		No. 1. Semplice 00:01:33
2.   		No. 2. Vivo e leggiero 00:00:43
3.   		No. 3. Moderato quasi andante 00:02:47
4.   		No. 4. Allegro molto 00:01:17
24 Preludes, Op. 38
5.   		No. 1. Andantino 00:01:36
6.   		No. 2. Scherzando 00:00:40
7.   		No. 3. Vivace 00:01:34
8.   		No. 4. Andantino 00:01:51
9.   		No. 5. Andante sostenuto 00:02:08
10.   		No. 6. Allegro molto 00:01:14
11.   		No. 7. Moderato e tranquillo 00:02:05
12.   		No. 8. Andante non troppo - Semplice e cantando 00:02:14
13.   		No. 9. Allegretto scherzando 00:01:21
14.   		No. 10. Non troppo allegro, ma agitato - Recitando, rubato 00:03:30
15.   		No. 11. Vivace scherzando 00:00:57
16.   		No. 12. Adagio 00:03:36
17.   		No. 13. Allegro non troppo 00:02:51
18.   		No. 14. Prestissimo possibile 00:02:13
19.   		No. 15. Allegro marcato 00:00:47
20.   		No. 16. Allegro tenebroso 00:01:44
21.   		No. 17. Andantino tranquillo 00:02:02
22.   		No. 18. Largamente con gravita 00:01:10
23.   		No. 19. Allegretto 00:00:59
24.   		No. 20. Andantino semplice 00:02:28
25.   		No. 21. Festivamente (non troppo allegro) 00:01:55
26.   		No. 22. Scherzando. Non troppo allegro 00:01:58
27.   		No. 23. Andante sostenuto 00:02:14
28.   		No. 24. Allegro feroce 00:03:52
6 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 61
29.   		Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G Major, "A Summer Morning On The Lawn" 00:03:36
30.   		Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C Major, "Becoming A Young Pioneer" 00:02:36
31.   		Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in E Minor, "An Evening Song Beyond The River" 00:03:31
32.   		Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in A Major, "At The Young Pioneer Summer Camp" 00:02:39
33.   		Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in C Minor, "The Story Of A Hero" 00:05:43
34.   		Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in F Major, "A Feast Of Labour" 00:04:28

Alexandre Dossin, piano

Drawing on the Chopin model of alternating major and minor keys, as well as on Russian folk melodies, Kabalevsky’s 24 Preludes (1943–4) find the composer’s writing at its most distinctive. They are coupled with the early 4 Preludes (1927), in which the influence of Prokofiev is seldom far away, and the Preludes and Fugues (1958–9), six widely contrasting and expressive preludes yoked to their traditional fugal partners. --- naxos.com

Barry Brenesal, in 31:4, found Christoph Deluze's playing of these pieces on a Pavane recording "lethargic." I'm in no position to agree or disagree, since, in truth, this new Naxos release is my first exposure to Kabalevsky's works for solo piano. So, I shall give this my best shot.

The four Preludes, op. 5, with which Dossin opens his program were written in 1927, and are among the composer's earliest published works. The clearest influences would seem to be Scriabin and Debussy, though elements of jazz and a pithy, almost pointillistic minimalism are also in play. In 1943, Kabalevsky set out to compose a set of 24 preludes following Chopin's model of alternating major and relative minor keys--C-Major/A-Minor--as opposed to Bach's model of alternating major and parallel minor keys--C-Major/C-Minor. By this time, Kabalevsky would surely have had an opportunity to familiarize himself with Shostakovich's 24 Preludes, op. 34, written 10 years earlier. And indeed, a few of the darker preludes in Kabalevsky's opus do call Shostakovich to mind. But in large measure, Kabalevsky's writing strikes me as closer in style to that of Prokofiev. There's an almost singable tunefulness to many of the preludes, peppered of course with sharp dissonances and brief bitonal excursions to jazz and juice things up. The Prelude No. 14, marked Prestissimo possible, is a dead ringer for the concluding "wind on the grave" movement of Chopin's "Funeral March" Sonata. I found myself really enjoying these pieces. They're quite varied in rhythm, melody, and keyboard technique, so that monotony never sets in; and they run the gamut from jaunty and jokey, to minatory, to ingenuously touching.

Fifteen years later, this time likely inspired by Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues, op. 87 (1950-51), Kabalevsky embarked on a similar project in 1958. Whether or not he actually intended to write a prelude and corresponding fugue in each of the major and minor keys, in the event, he left off after composing only six, which were published as op. 61. Of greater seriousness and gravitas than the op. 38 Preludes, Kabalevsky's Six Preludes and Fugues are nonetheless also quite beautiful and affecting.

Having no other recordings of this music at hand for comparison purposes, I can only report my reactions to this recording and to Alexandre Dossin's playing. Both, I'm happy to say, are positive. The Brazilian-born pianist won both first prize and the special prize at the Martha Argerich International Piano Competition in 2003, and has appeared in concert with a number of leading orchestras and conductors. Dossin succeeds in imbuing each of these pieces with its own distinct character and, in so doing, captures their unique essence. I detected no technical fumbles or stumbles; and the recording--made in December 2007 at Beall Concert Hall, University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, where Dossin is on the faculty--is excellent by an order of magnitude over a couple of recent Naxos discs I've heard that were recorded in Russian venues.

Strongly recommended; but you may have to do some fast talking to reassure your patriotic friends of where your loyalties lie if they happen to notice the photo of the Sign of Leninist Young Communist League of the Soviet Union on the cover. --- Fanfare, Jerry Dubins, amazon.com

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Dmitry Kabalevsky – Sisters (1973)

2015-11-17T16:55:29Z

Dmitry Kabalevsky – Sisters (1973)


1. Lp1
2. Lp2

Asya - I.Lapteva
Slava - E.Ushkova
Father - G.Lavrentyev
Leva Chemizov - V.Tuchinsky
Anatoly - G.Grigoryev
Dorofeev - E.Gulyaev
Kosmach - G.Piskunov
Gruzintsev - A.Bodrov
Paley - S.Kalganov
Maximovna - V.Dracheva
Official - V.Bogachenko

Moscow Children Musical Theatre Choir and Symphony Orchestra
Victor Yakovlev - conductor

Kabalevsky's opera is all about Soviet youth. The sisters Asya and Slava dream of becoming navigators. The sisters' journey to the sea is a voyage from their sky-blue, childish impressions of reality to an understanding of its genuine values and real difficulties. There is no conflict in the normal sense of the word in this opera. The negative characters are sketchily drawn, the dramatic situations are resolved comparatively quickly, many events are described rather than depicted — we learn of them through the words of the characters. It is possible that we must look in the defects of the libretto for the reasons for a certain over-simplification of character-drawing. But in the production, prepared with the active participation of Kabalevsky himself, we find an emotional tone that glides over these unevenesses. The Sisters, as staged by the Perm company, is a lyrical tale dedicated not so much to the conflict of young dreams with the harsh realities of life as to the process of the formation of the sisters' characters.

The music is distinguished by great freedom and naturalness. The development of the action is achieved by means of interpersing short scenes with orchestral interludes. The vocal lines are distinguished by a truth such as only a great master can achieve. The characteristic feature of the dramatic construction of The Sisters is that the representations of reality are often foreshortened either as to time or place or in the characters' minds. Reality and fantasy, dreams, everyday scenes and fairy-tales — the mobility of the poetic conception of space and time gives the work a special alive and contemporary quality. --- opera.archive.netcopy.co.uk

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Kabalevsky - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 • Symphony No.2 (2006)

2010-08-23T20:37:50Z

Kabalevsky - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 • Symphony No.2 (2006)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 9
1. I. Moderato quasi andantino		10:57
2. II. Tema: Moderato	0:43	
3. Variation 1: L'istesso tempo 	1:21
4. Variation 2: Allegro assai - Andante	1:08
5. Variation 3: Andante - Poco piu mosso 	 1:28	
6. Variation 4: ( - ) - Vivace - Piu mosso - Tempo I	1:25	
7. Variation 5: Funebre (Tempo di marcia moderato) - Maestoso (ma in tempo)  	3:54	
8. Coda: Tempo di tema 	0:58	
9. III. Vivace marcato		9:24	

Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 19
10. I. Allegro quasi presto		7:06
11. II. Andante non troppo		9:51	
12. III. Prestissimo scherzando		7:22	

Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 99, "Prague"
13. I. Allegro molto e energico - Meno mosso: Improvisato - Tempo I	3:16	 
14. II. Molto sostenuto: Improvisato - Molto espressivo - Molto sostenuto	5:00
15. III. Vivo - Piu mosso: Con brio		3:41

Kathryn Stott - piano
BBC Philharmonic
Neeme Järvi – conductor

I have the earlier records that Kathryn Stott made of Kabalevsky's second and third piano concertos, and here she completes the cycle with the first and fourth concertos. The First Piano Concerto was first performed in 1931 and is a romantic work following in the line of Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky with a dash of Prokifiev's sarcasm thrown in. The music is lyrical and quietly reflective and at just over 30 minutes Kabalevsky's longest concerto. The center movement is a theme with 5 variations and a coda that sounds as if a folk melody might have been the inspiration. Of the variations, my favorite is probably the fourth with its sparkling melody for the piano. The piano has quite a range of expression that Ms. Stott plays beautifully. I have a liking for this concerto and have the recording by In-Ju Bang that also came out in 2006. As attractive as In-Ju Bang's playing is I find myself preferring this recording for its clarity and the sensitivity Kathryn Stott brings to the music.

I have heard the Second Symphony before and considered it not very interesting but this performance by Neeme Jarvi (while not making a believer out of me) has made the music more approachable. The Symphony comes from 1934 when Social Realism was in its heyday. Cast in three movements, the symphony lasts about 25 minutes and expresses the Soviet ideal of folk nationalism. The symphony begins energetically and continues with brief reflective interludes between the driving main theme. The slow movement is elegiac and broodingly lyrical, somewhat reminiscent of the music of Kabalevsky's teacher Nokolai Myaskovsky. The finale is triumphant and heroic bringing the symphony to a rousing conclusion.

The Fourth Piano Concerto was composed in 1979 for a piano competition and was first performed by Yuri Popov who recorded it. The concerto acquired the name "Prague" from three folk songs (Czech, Moravian and Slovakian) used in the work. The concerto lasts about 12 minutes and is scored for piano and string orchestra with a snare drum. The piano part is technically challenging, in keeping with its origin for a competition and is recalls Ravel and Poulenc in the fast and brilliant playing of the soloist in the first movement. The middle movement is quiet and reflective (reminding me a little of the slow movement from Bartok's Second Piano Concerto) and closes with a fast third movement with brilliant runs by the soloist, also recalling Pouilenc. ---David A. Wend, amazon.com

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Kabalevsky - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 • Colas Breugnon Overture • The Comedians (2003)

2010-08-24T13:09:08Z

Kabalevsky - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 • Colas Breugnon Overture • The Comedians (2003)


1. Colas Breugnon, Op. 24: Overture		4:44

Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 23
2. I. Allegro moderato - L'istesso tempo - Piu mosso - Adagio molto sostenuto - Cadenza - Tempo I	9:12	
3. II. Andantino semplice - Andantino con moto - Meno mosso - Tempo I	7:59	
4. III. Allegro molto - L'istesso tempo - Poco meno mosso - Doppio meno mosso - Tempo I [Doppio piu mosso] - Poco piu mosso	6:40	

Komedianti (The Comedians), Op. 26
5. I. Prologue: Allegro vivace		1:00
6. II. Galop: Presto		1:37
7. III. March: Moderato		1:19
8. IV. Waltz: Moderato		1:19	
9. V. Pantomime: Sostenuto e pesante		2:04	
10. VI. Intermezzo: Allegro scherzando		0:52	
11. VII. Little lyrical scene: Andantino semplice		1:09
12. VIII. Gavotte: Allegretto		1:43
13. IX. Scherzo: Presto assai e molto leggiero		1:43	
14. X. Epilogue: Allegro molto e con brio - Senza ritardando	2:14

Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Major, Op. 50
15. I. Allegro molto - Poco piu mosso - Cadenza - Tempo I - Poco piu mosso		6:18
16. II. Andante con moto - Pochissimo piu mosso - Ancora pochissimo piu mosso - Tempo I	6:08
17. III. Presto - [ - ] - Tempo I [Prestissimo]		5:43

Kathryn Stott - piano
BBC Philharmonic
Vassily Sinaiysky – conductor

Dmitri Kabalevsky has been considered a Soviet composer whose music was written with one eye over his shoulder to stay in the good graces of the Communist party; hence his music was a compromise to the taste of party officials and devoid of the irony that is typical of Shostakovish's music. However, this assessment is not atypical of his music. The second movement of Kabelevsky's Second Piano Concerto, for example, is a finely wrought funeral march and his music exhibits the influence of Rachmaninov, Ravel and Prokofiev. Kabalevsky was also among the composers named in the 1948 decree that denounced Western influence in Soviet music.

This CD includes some of Kabalevsky's most popular music. It begins with the Overture to Colas Breugnon, an opera based on a novel by Romain Rolland. The story of the opera revolves around Breugnon, a Breton peasant, who thwarts a villainous Duke, thereby drawing parallels to the workers of the Soviet Union. Also on this disc is the Comedians suite, taken from the incidental music Kabalevsky wrote for a children's play called "The Inventor and the Comedians." The suite is an outstanding example of Kabalevsky's wonderful facility with melody and traditional music. The music of the Gallop is familiar from its use of the xylophone and its appearance as background music on television variety programs when someone is performing a feat of skill or coordination. The fame of the Gallop is certainly equal to Khataturian's Sabre Dance. The works of interest on this disc are the Second and Third Piano Concertos brilliantly played by Kathryn Stott. Seventeen years separate the concertos. The Second is a virtuoso work of about 24 minutes. The concerto beings with the piano stating the opening theme with the orchestra gradually joining in. --- David A. Wend, amazon.com

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