The music of Sulkan Tsintsadze (1925-1992)

[eschiss1]

there was also a fantasia for piano and orchestra by him - a 1954 recording - released in an Aleksandr Gauk edition last year.

[Christopher]

Does anyone know how to get hold of his Fantasia for piano and orchestra without having to buy 10 other CDs as well in the box set?!

[vandermolen]

Recently I discovered by chance the music of one of Georgia's foremost composers -Sulkan Tsintsadze. I had purchased Brilliant's  Russian Historical Archives Alexander Gauk edition. On CD 8 of the 10 CD set, was a piece by this composer entitled "Fantasy for piano and orchestra". I was immediately attracted to the work, very much like Rachmaninov in places (  more joyous though than melancolic), but also reminiscent of Khatchaturian, especially in the orchestral climaxes. I really like this piece. Sadly the music is slightly spoiled by persistant coughing in this, a live recording!!! To my knowledge, this is the only commercial recording presently available. If I found a studio recording, I would buy it immediately. The Fantasy is by the way, a reworking of a Piano concerto after Georgian themes, which I would love to acquire! Other Tsintsadze works freely available are" Miniatures" and also some string quartets. I have since discovered another "Fantasy" but this time for violin and string orchestra, which I have on order. Are any members familiar with this composer and what do they think of his music? I know there are symphonies and other concertos. Your comments would be most welcome, especially if you know of other commercial recordings.

Cheers
Dennis

Dennis - thank you for alerting me to this fine work.  I have the Brilliant Gauk box (Volume 2) and had never played this before - but I have now!  I agree that it has resonances of Rachmaninov and Khachaturian. By the way the notes give his date of death as 1991.  These Brilliant boxes of Russian/Soviet music are sources of interesting discoveries.  In the Brilliant Svetlanov box I came across Arkady Mazaev's (1909-1987) 'The Krasnodonians' which commemorates victims of the Nazi invasion of the Ukraine in 1942 - a deeply moving and powerful work (18 minutes) to which I often return - I can't recommend it strongly enough. Best wishes, Jeffrey

[Balapoel]

Finally got around to checking out Tsintsadze, and from my perspective, a widely mixed bag. His orchestral works (particularly the cello concerti) can be compelling in places, especially the slow movements, but much of his orchestral work is jagged.

That being said, the string quartets are simply amazing, particularly the first three. Think early Bartok, which in turn, reminds me of the late Beethoven quartets. Great, great stuff. Also, the miniatures for string quartet are quite lovely. Almost all of them are available (sound varies from good to poor) on the georgian music website:

http://www.georgian-music.com/free_music/classic.php

[eschiss1]

I seem to recall Sony released a recording with one of the string quartets, but I'm not sure.  I will check the link soon since I've been interested in/intrigued by his music since hearing about it on Netnews from Mr. Tepper...

[Christo]

Thanks to all, and especially Holger, for informing us about this interesting and too little known composer. Tsintsadse (1925-1991 indeed) has been on my radar ever since I heard his Fantasy for Violin and Strings (1989) [8'02], commercially recorded by the Georgian Chamber Orchestra under Liana Issakadze during their collective `exile' and lengthy stay in Germany in the early 1990s and found on a cd of the ORFEO label.

The whole cd (see below) is very recommendable BTW, with  two highly interesting concertos by Ota Taktakishvili (Concerto for Violin and CO No. 2 from 1987) and the Concerto for Violin, Cello and CO (1982) by Sulkhan Nassidze.

Best known are his Miniatures for SQ, based on Georgion Folksongs. Six of them were also recorded in a version for string orchestra (`Six Quartet Miniatures') on an ONDINE cd (ODE 766-2) labelled `Folk into Classic' in a sublime performance by the indomitable Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra under Juha Kangas. Pure delight.

BTW: his name is usually transliterated "Sulkhan Tsintsadze" in English but "Sulchan Zinzadse" in German - and one may find e.g. the Orfeo cd, and perhaps even more, by trying this and other transliterations of his name.

[DennisS]

I too would like to second Christo's comments re- the music of Sulkan Tsintsadze. I bought my copy of Kartuli Musika last summer and it remains one of my favourite CDs. It's a pity that there is not more of his music commercially available. If any members have any other works on LP, it would be great to see them uploaded in the Downloads folder.
Cheers
Dennis

[Christo]

Yes, the Orfeo `Kartuli Musika' cd is one of my favourites too. Not so much for the sake of Tsintsadze's Fantasy, but more for that of the two wonderful concertos by Taktakishvili and Nassidze.  When I bought it, I had no clue about any of these composers, but I found them first class, a delight.

BTW, there's another cd wit the same title (`Kartuli Musika') and by the same Georgian CO `in German exile' under another conductor. I don't have it, but it offers nine String Miniatures by Tsintsadze and a Chamber Symphony No. 2 by Nassidze. Can anyone tell us more about it?
   

[Christo]

In between, found a more recent cd with string orchestra versions of - now - all eleven Miniatures, again by the Germany-resident (in Ingolstadt) Georgian Chamber Orchestra, this time coupled with the substantial Chamber Symphony No. 3 (1969) by Sulkhan Nasidse (Sulchan Nassidze in German transliteration) and the Concerto quasi una Fantasia for piano, strings, celesta and harpsichord by Ioseph Bardanashvili (would make Joseph Bardanaschwili in German).

BTW even the German label is now getting confused over the correct spelling of these Georgian names, offering a curious mixture of German and English transliterations on the cover: