Kalinnikov 1 & Glazunov 5 from Exton/Octavia

[Mark Thomas]

No, it isn't, but then I don't recognise the performances of the symphonies from the reviewer's characterisation of them, or his comparisons with Järvi and others. That's fine, though, it would be a boring world where we all agreed.

[Alan Howe]

Maybe I've been seduced by the superlative sound and playing, but I still find that these performances pack an enormous emotional punch.

[Mark Thomas]

Absolutely.

[hyperdanny]

I had read that review too (after buying the cd) and I too could not reconcile the tone of the review with the actual performances.
Yes, maybe the gorgeousness of the orchestral playing plays a role (I don't think that these symphonies have ever been performed like this, at least on recordings) but this would not be to maintain appeal enough over repeated listenings.
In Yamada's intepretation not only there's nothing wrong, they're better than most. 

[raffite33]

The Kalinnikov symphonies are some of my very favorite music, and I own several recordings (and have given away some duds, too).  I'm still waiting for a recording that checks all the boxes.  These are the ones I've kept and what I see as their shortcomings:

Jarvi 1& 2 (Chandos)  great performance, but way too much reverb
Kuchar 1 & 2 (Naxos)  gets the phrasing right, but some pretty scruffy playing in places
Bakels 1 & 2 (Bis)   the phrasing is not right, but very good playing & sound
Ashkenazy 1 & 2 (Exton)  The Iceland SO have a very dark sound here that doesn't really fit the music very well.  (Totally bizarre cover photo;  looks like a Martian landscape.)
Yamada 1 (Exton)  Better played than the Bakels, better sound than all the others, but still not quite up to Jarvi's tempos and phrasing.

Oh well, I guess it is like with Raff's 5th.  Somebody's bound to get it spot on eventually. 

[Alan Howe]

The Iceland SO have a very dark sound

I hadn't really noticed this, but I think it may partly a question of recording balance, with the strings set too far back. On the other hand it may simply be that the ISO doesn't have a particularly strong string section. Certainly one can hear the difference straight away when listening to Yamada. The ISO are a good band, but the CPO are a great one...

Once again, this shows what a great orchestra can do for less familiar repertoire.

[Alan Howe]

...and I'd add that Järvi is very good, but that one simply can't hear a lot of what's meant to be going on - a lot is lost in the reverb.

I'd certainly put Yamada top on this evidence. And I've not yet listened back to Svetlanov...

[Alan Howe]

Now Svetlanov's a real powerhouse of a performance given by a great Russian orchestra, the USSRSO. But, of course, the recording is now 44 years old and is pretty fierce at times, but I guess one gets used to it. I'm inclined to say that Svetlanov really knows how the music goes, but Yamada's different way with the music seems to me equally valid - and oh, that orchestra and recording, they're so seductive...

[hyperdanny]

jarvi's shares the burden with so many Chandos releases of older vintage: pleasantly warm sound, that's so muddy and reverberant that many details are lost.
Among the worst offenders I know: pretty much all the Bryden Thomson releases  (discarded all) and a Schmidt 2 (again Jarvi) that's so smudged it's almost unintelligible, really a deadly sin with music that's already luxuriant to begin with. I kept this only because jarvi's direction and the Chicago Symphony are pretty peerless, but it drives me crazy.
I could never understand how Chandos could get away with the slogan they boasted in their early days, it was even printed on the discs:  "worlds ahead for clarity".. ehm..

[Alan Howe]

Much of the time I rather like Chandos' reverberant sound quality; it was only in the context of the Kalinnikov 1 comparisons that the downside became obvious - and distracting.

[ken]

There is also a very good performance of Kalinnikov Symphony #1 with Kirill Kondrashin on Melodiya

KALINNIKOV - Symphony No. 1 / BALAKIREV – Symphony No. 1 – Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra – Kirill Kondrashin (Melodiya)

[Alan Howe]

Far from ideal sound, though.

[mbhaub]

I still like the Dudarova coupling. May not be perfect, but the spirit she brings is wonderful. While Gergiev was with the LSO I kept hoping that he would give us the Kalinnikov symphonies (and a Gliere 3rd) but it never happened. There's always hoping that Jurowski and the LPO will rise to the occasion. That Manfred from several years ago was a real winner. It would be nice, just once, to hear what a great orchestra and great conductor could do for (or to!) Kalinnikov's reputation.