Christopher, thank you for uploading this little bon-bon! I've yet to hear a piece by Napravnik that I didn't enjoy, and suspect I never will! ;)
Glad you enjoyed Semloh!
Has there been any recording of any of his four symphonies, by any chance? I've been looking for them for a while, but no trace sofar.
Nope. None is listed in Mike Herman's discography over at MusicWeb.
Symphony 3 -is- available freely in full score and parts (and sold, as miniature score, by MP(Höflich), besides, and rented by Boosey, and...) but I know of no recordings- thought I'd heard of a radio one but...
No idea where the score, parts, etc for symphonies 1, 2 or 4 are... not in (published) print, according to MPH, but that doesn't answer the question otherwise.
OTOH his opera Dubrovsky is @ YouTube.
There was mention on here 4 or 5 years ago (unless it was on AMF) of a plan to record the 4 symphonies. But nothing further was mentioned.
There's actually several recordings of Dubrovsky knocking about.
There are (or were) some performances of chamber music on Youtube too, not from CD recordings but from a music festival, IIRC.
I can only find one recording of Dubrovsky - Nebolsin's from 1955.
Worldcat also lists a reading of the first two acts of the opera on cassette from a festival, which aside from many recordings of individual arias may be all there is besides the Nebolsin , don't know...
Re his chamber music: well, some of it, anyway, HAS been recorded...
MDG: Nápravník complete piano trios (Spyros trio), 2017.
Quote from: eschiss1 on Sunday 17 February 2019, 02:05
Re his chamber music: well, some of it, anyway, HAS been recorded...
MDG: Nápravník complete piano trios (Spyros trio), 2017.
Yes, indeed. I read the Musicweb review. I merely intended to indicate that the performances/pieces on YouTube were not those easily available on the MDG disc. From a quick check (I wasn't able to yesterday) today, there is still a violin sonata from the festival. I thought there were some other pieces too but...
As far as I know there has only ever been one complete
Dubrovsky, the one which Alan refers to. I listened to it on Youtube some time ago and wasn't very impressed. There seems to be a version with subtitles now so perhaps I should give it another go.
There are also recordings of individual arias from his operas "Harold" (about the Anglo-Saxon king of 1066 fame) and "The Nizhny-Novgorodians". They are on CD's dedicated to individual Russian soloists. I would have to go through my CD collection to check which, if anyone is interested.
I wish I could remember the other recordings of Dubrovsky which I have seen. They were in Moscow, and I remember noting that they WEREN'T Nebolsin, as that's the one I have also.
I just found this album - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077Y5JPGT/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077Y5JPGT/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp) which has Napravnik's "Mélancolie", No.3 from his 4 Piano Pieces, Op. 48 - arranged for orchestra. I can't find if the arrangement was by Napravnik himself or someone else.
Eric/Eschiss - in this thread - http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,2789.msg52182.html#msg52182 (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,2789.msg52182.html#msg52182) - you said "I seem to recall that Napravnik's 3rd symphony and some of his chamber music may have been recorded by Cesky Rozhlas, but commercial release is another matter" (21 Feb 2014) - did you ever hear anything more about this?
I searched the Czech radio archive and couldn't seem to find more than some miniatures, arias from operas... nothing substantial iirc.
Apparently there's a Napravnik festival - http://www.napravnikfestival.cz/aktuality_en.html (http://www.napravnikfestival.cz/aktuality_en.html)
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
the aim of the festival is to acquaint the general public with music of Czech composer and conductor, whose influence on Russian and Czech music culture is crucial. About Nápravník is known that, he was an excellent conductor of world-class, but of his compositions we know very little ... Nápravník rightly occupies an important place of honor in the history of Russian musical culture. The Czech Republic native came in his twenty-three years to Russia, which for him - like many of his countrymen at the time - became his second home. Fully dedicated and selfless service for Russian music, especially the Russian Opera House where he spent more than fifty years of his life. Without broke ties with his native Czech culture led deeply understand the interests of Russian musical art and became one of its leading representatives. It builds cordial, friendly relations with Tchaikovsky, Glinka excellent sister - his successor of - Shestakova, with Melnikov, with Stravinsky, with Dejsha - Sionicka, F. Shaliapin and other outstanding Russian artists and musicians. As a talented, energetic and fully devoted to his mission artists Nápravník was highly valued by Balakirev, Rimsky - Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rubinstein, Glazunov. The works of these and other artists Nápravník as conductor interpreted with great mastery and fine artistic tact. Sincere admirers of perfect conductor art Nápravník were also many outstanding representatives of Russian literature, painting and theater and a wide circle of listeners from different social classes.
MgA. Vjačeslav Grochovskij jr., Ph.D.
Director general of the festival
MgA. Felix Slováček jr.
Artistic Director and Producer of the Festival
I'm afraid that, so far, I'm inclined to agree with David Barker over at MusicWeb, who in reviewing the piano trios on MDG says:
<<Sometimes one finds an unsung composer whose obscurity is undeserved; sadly, that isn't so here.>>
That surprises me... I must try and have a listen. My expectation of never hearing a piece by him that I didn't enjoy might be under threat! ::)
Well, I've just listened to the two piano trios, Opp.24 & 62 on YT, and although somewhat curate's eggs, enjoyed them both. They certainly aren't masterpieces, but once I got accustomed to his rather blunt and forceful style, I felt they would bear more careful listening. A bit rough and ready maybe, but best left to gather dust? Not for me.
I must have another listen, but my hopes aren't high...
I found the music attractive enough, but not at all memorable. The same goes for the opera, Dubrovsky.
I -would- like to hear his string quartets. Have you considered them, matesic? :) :)
I, for one, find his piano concerto a very memorable and joyous romp, and would like to hear his concertante suite for violin.
Jim, do you mean his Concerto Symphonique in A minor, Op.27?
The same.
Semloh, the 1st of those trios beat out Rimsky-Korsakov's piano and wind quintet in competition (although the blame may belong more to Gustav Kross than the credit does to Napravnik. Napravnik had the advantage of Theodor Leschetizky.)
Hmm.. does sound like a dubious decision, Jim.
The performers weren't able to get through the quintet, so bad was Kross as a sight-reader. To be fair, the Napravnik trio is an agreeable piece.
dubrovsky is available as a russian live from 1960 on Aquarius AQVR 366-2 (found at Norbert,Peters & Ford,online shop devoted to opera and archive recordings)
at least the piano version of 2 mazuirkas have been recorded by J.Plowright for Hyperion cd "hommage à Chopin"