Now that the copyright has expired and the orchestra score is in public domain, I'm looking forward to a recording of the Symphony no 1 published in 1903.
Hopefully, it already has been recorded and we are just waiting for the release??!?
btw it's (http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.1%2C_Op.8_(Zolotarev%2C_Vasily)) only in public domain in the US and Canada actually - not in the EU for another 20 years...
guess then it won't be available in the UK and the EU !
Well, the score isn't. That usually doesn't affect the availability of recordings, I think... copyright law is complicated, else why copyright lawyers...
I wonder if this will be a Naxos project
It's possible. Naxos is one of few companies that can make it available via internet in their "iTunes" store and then limit it by country. I can think of a few recordings in their "archive" series that are unavailable to US listeners.
I know these symphonies are the hidden gems of the Russian/ Soviet music. As you know, Vasili was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, and friend of Glazunov.
I am now in possession of his Symphonies 1, 2 and 3 scores. Symphony No 1 was published by Belaieff, no 2 and 3 in Leningrad.
Can you give us any more details, please?
No.1 (Op.8) in F-sharp minor (published 1903) I know a bit about because it's out of copyright in the US and Canada (though not in the EU) and the full score is available for download (in those areas) @ IMSLP (http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.1%2C_Op.8_(Zolotarev%2C_Vasily)). I know nothing about nos. 2 and 3 though, not their dates of composition or publication, keys, or anything else. (The spiccato scherzo looks neat...)
Symphony 2 "The Year 1905" (1929) and Symphony no 3 ("The Flowers of Chelioskine") (1934). Soviet Compositor - Leningrad.
Symphony no 1 ("In memory of Tchaikovsky") 1903 M.P Belaieff Moscow and Leipzig. These are full orchestra scores.
That's not so much an unusual title as the dedication (of no.1) :) (p.2: "A la mémoire de P. Tschaïkowsky. Première symphonie pour orchestre ...")
Symphony no 3 was in memory of : (wiki)
SS Chelyuskin[3] (Russian: «Челю́скин»; IPA: [tɕɪˈlʲuskʲɪn]) was a Soviet steamship reinforced to navigate through polar ice that became ice-bound in Arctic waters during navigation along the Northern Maritime Route from Murmansk to Vladivostok. The expedition's task was to determine the possibility to travel by non-icebreaker through the Northern Maritime Route in a single navigation season.
It was built in Denmark in 1933 by Burmeister and Wain (B&W, Copenhagen) and named after the 18th century Russian polar explorer Semion Ivanovich Chelyuskin. The head of the expedition was Otto Yuliyevich Shmidt and the ship's captain was V. I. Voronin. There were 111 people on board the steamship. The crew members were known as Chelyuskintsy, "Chelyuskinites".
After leaving Murmansk on August 2, 1933, the steamship managed to get through most of the Northern Route before it was caught in the ice fields in September. After that it drifted in the ice pack before sinking on February 13, 1934, crushed by the icepacks near Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea. The crew managed to escape onto the ice and built a makeshift airstrip using only a few spades, ice shovels and two crowbars. They had to rebuild the airstrip thirteen times, until they were rescued in April of the same year and flown to the village of Vankarem on the coast of the sea. From there, some of the Chelyuskinites were flown further to the village of Uelen, while fifty-three men walked over 300 miles to get there.
The aircraft pilots who took part in search and rescue operations were the first people to receive the newly established highest title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Those pilots were Anatoly Liapidevsky, Sigizmund Levanevsky (who crashed en route to the camp, but survived), Vasily Molokov, Mavriky Slepnyov, Mikhail Vodopianov, Nikolai Kamanin and Ivan Doronin. Liapidevsky flew an ANT-4, the civilian version of the TB-1 heavy bomber, while Slepnev and Levanevsky flew a Consolidated Fleetster specially brought in from the US for the mission, and the other pilots flew the Polikarpov R-5. Two American air mechanics, Clyde Goodwin Armitstead, and William Latimer Lavery,[4] also helped in the search and rescue of the Chelyuskintsy, on September 10, 1934, and were awarded the Order of Lenin.
As the steamship became trapped at the entrance to the Bering Strait, the USSR considered the expedition mainly successful, as it had proven that a regular steamship had a chance to navigate the whole Northern Maritime Route in a single season. After a few additional trial runs in 1933 and 1934, the Northern Sea Route was officially opened and commercial exploitation began in 1935. Next year, part of the Soviet Baltic Fleet made the passage to the Pacific where an armed conflict with Japan was looming.Legacy
In the wake of the catastrophe, a central square in Yaroslavl was renamed after the Chelyuskintsy, as was Chelyuskinites Park in Minsk. Marina Tsvetayeva wrote a poem applauding the rescue team. In 1970, East German television produced Tscheljuskin, a film about the ship's voyage, directed by Rainer Hausdorf and featuring Eberhard Mellies as Prof. Schmidt, Dieter Mann as the surveyor Vasiliev and Fritz Diez as Valerian Kuybyshev.[5]
Efforts to find the wreck of the ship were made by at least four different expeditions, and it was finally discovered in September 2006, at a depth of about 50 metres in the Chukchi Sea.[6] The polar explorer Artur Chilingarov argued that the ship should be raised and converted into a museum.
Michael Roberts, an English poet, wrote a poem "Chelyuskin", which was included in his collection Poems, published by Jonathan Cape in 1936.
*nod* If anyone ever programs Myaskovsky's 16th symphony again in a live concert, the 2 could go together thematically at least.
Thanks for the info.
Quote from: eschiss1 on Friday 04 August 2017, 04:07
That's not so much an unusual title as the dedication (of no.1) :) (p.2: "A la mémoire de P. Tschaïkowsky. Première symphonie pour orchestre ...")
I believe the title of the symphony (as opposed to the dedication) is Symphony of Rage.
Quote from: dhibbard on Wednesday 02 August 2017, 21:43
I know these symphonies are the hidden gems of the Russian/ Soviet music. As you know, Vasili was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, and friend of Glazunov.
I believe Rimsky-Korsakov didn't think too much of Zolotarev's music: apparently he said something like "his name is golden but his music isn't" ('zoloto' means gold in Russian).
There is a recording of his 6th Symphony ("My Homeland") and some of his ballet music in the archives of Belarus TV-Radio Company - they said they can make it available to me....for Euro1920..!! I mean really, what planet?!
Quotethey said they can make it available to me....for Euro1920
Must be a masterpiece!
Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Library has all the scores.
also the Symphony no 4 written in 1935 called "Belarus" was a favorite of the people when written. It's still performed in Minsk during the month of July. When Alexander Lukashenko was last elected, they played the last movement of the symphony at his inauguration. Perhaps its on youtube!!!
The Symphony no 5 written in 1942 was called ("The Year 1941")
Symphony no 6 written in 1944 was called "My Country" and No 7 ("In memory of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov") contained some fragments that both composers used in their symphonies. Wish we had a modern recording of these......
Could someone now provide a complete detailed listing of his symphonies, please (with dates, key signatures and titles)? Thanks!
Here is a listing of his works (Oeuvres) in French:
Pour la scène
Décembristes (Декабристы), Opera (1925), nouvelle édition Kondrati Ryleev, 1957
Ak-Gul, opéra sur des thèmes ouzbeks, fragments (1933)
Le Prince du Lac (Князь-озеро), Ballet (1949); remporte le Prix Staline en 1950
Orchestre
Ouverture-fantaisie (1898)
Fête villageoise (Деревенский праздник), Overture, Op.. 4 (1901)
Rhapsodie hébraïque (Еврейская рапсодия), op. 7 (1903)
Symphonie n° 1 en fa dièse mineur, à la mémoire de Tchaikovski, op. 8 (1903)
Ouverture-fantaisie, op. 22 (1907)
Sinfonietta, pour double orchestre à cordes (1910)
Esquisses symphoniques sur des thème ukrainiens (1911)
Elégie, op 34 (1914)
Suite moldave (1928)
Symphonie n° 2 en ré majeur "Année 1905" (1929) "The Year 1905"
Rhapsodie, et Suite ouzbeke (1931)
Ferganskii, marche (1931)
Le Tadjikistan rouge (1933)
Symphonie n° 3 en ut majeur "les fleurs de Cheliouskine" (the flowers of Chelioskine)
Symphonie n° 4 en si bémol majeur "Belarus" (1935)
Danses bélarussiennes, suite (1936)
Capriccio sur des thèmes juifs (1936)
Conceto-marche pour orchestre (1941)
Concerto pour piano à quatre mains et orchestre en fa majeur (1942)
Symphonie n° 5 en ut mineur "Année 1941" (1942) (The Year 1941)
Ouverture de fête (1943)
Ouverture fantaisie sur des thèmes biélorusses (1943)
Symphonie n° 6 "Ma Patrie" (1944) (My Country)
Concerto pour emiriton et orchestre n° 1 (1955)
Meditations pour emiriton et orchestre (1955)
Concerto pour emiriton et orchestre n° 2 (1956) - l'émiriton est un instrument électrique inventé par le petit fils de Rimski Korsakov en 1930.
Symphonie n° 7, à la mémoire de Balakirev et Rimski Korsakov (1962)
Concerto pour violoncelle et orchestre (1943/63)
the Esquisses symphoniques sur des thème ukrainiens (1911) or Symphonic sketches on Ukrainian Themes score was just made available.
Are those composition or publication dates? Sym.1 was published in 1903, Op.4 in 1901 and Op.7 in 1903 so on the information given I can't tell. FLP has Op.22 published in 1907, Ferganskii marsch of 1931 was published in 1935 acc FLP (know.freelibrary.org) - ok, that's an exception... - FLP also has composed 1901 for op.4 i see (ded. Rimsky), 1907 for op.22 (ded. Balakirev)- ok, sorry, had to ask I guess ;) FLP gives 1902 for composition date for the 1st symphony, however. (Unless it's 1902-3 composition, 1903 publication. Is there a really good biography of Vasily Zolotarev in any language , I wonder...)
The cello concerto is available in reduction (by Stogorskiĭ) (in 1963) at some libraries- unfortunately none I think that I can easily interloan from (Tompkins Co Pub Library doesn't presently, I think, have interloan agreements with U Oklahoma Library or Arizona State U Library- it might...
Note that concertos for baian and orchestra (in baian/piano reductions by F. Lips) are in some library catalogs sometimes attributed to "Vasilij Zolotarev" that were probably published, I'm guessing, as being by "V. Zolotarev", with "Vasilij" being the librarians' interpolation - the publisher not guessing that a librarian might have heard of Vasily Zolotarev but not Vladislav Zolotarev, figuring the other way around more likely.
So, in English, the symphonies by Zolotarev (1872-1964) are:
Symphony No.1 in F sharp minor 'To the memory of Tchaikovsky', Op.8 (1903)
Symphony No.2 in D major 'The Year 1905' (1929)
Symphony No.3 in C major 'The Flowers of Chelyuskin'* (year?)
Symphony No.4 in B flat major 'Belarus' (1935)
Symphony No.5 in C minor 'The Year 1941' (1942)
Symphony No.6 (key?) 'My Homeland' (1944)
Symphony No.7 (key?) 'To the memory of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov' (1962)
*Do the flowers relate to the SS Chelyuskin (ship) or to the area of Cape Chelyuskin in the far north of Russia?>>>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Chelyuskin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Chelyuskin)
Now, my immediate reaction is to want to hear No.1 in particular, as it falls squarely within UC's time-frame. The remainder, however, don't, so we do need some sort of assurance as to their idiom, please.
Secondly, I wonder to what extent the symphonies from No.2 onwards are Soviet-era nationalist pot-boilers without much real musical substance (judging purely by their clearly patriotic-sounding titles). If his rough contemporary Steinberg is anything to go by, there was probably a lot of music of this type churned out in that era. So I remain to be convinced. We need evidence, please, that this discussion is of real relevance here...
The score and parts for No. 1 are in Fleisher, as Eric has pointed out. It is 134pp long and scored as follows: 2-fl, 1-pc, 2-ob, 2-cl, 2-bn, 4-hn, 2-tpt, 3-trb, 1-tb, tmp, prc, str.
Eric also mentioned that Fleisher has scores and parts for the Op. 4 & Op. 22 Overtures, the Rhapsodie Hebraique, Op. 7, and the Ferganskii March; FLP has the String Quartets Opp. 5, 6, 13 & 33 and the Op. 19 String Quintet as well. So obtaining enough performance material for a couple of CDs would be relatively easy.
That information can also be had at the IMSLP link above btw (though only the score- non-PD-EU until 2035? - is available there.)
Symphony no 7 was written and published in Moscow in 1962.
I wonder if there are recordings of his symphonies in the Latvian Music Academy of the student orchestra made pre 1990 ?? It does seem that the titles have that Stalinist theme ... "the year 1905"...etc. or in Tallinn?
Atm all conjecture I imagine...
I'll be in Riga next month... I'll see what I can find out.
As I have said, we need to bear in mind UC's clear guidelines, i.e:
Please do not post about composers or compositions which clearly fall outside our definition of "romantic". Your post will not be approved. If you are in any doubt, and in any event if the music was written after 1918, please email or PM a moderator before posting.
So, with the exception of No.1, we now need clear evidence as to the idiom of Zolotarev's symphonies. Until then, discussion should be restricted to that early work.
Just to add to what Alan says, if you come across something which is outside the 1918 guideline he's quite rightly quoted, but which you think falls within our stylistic criteria (in other words, it's romantic in style), simply email or PM a link to a recording to one or all of the moderators and we'll give it a listen, and get back to you very quickly. If no recording is available, however, it'll be near impossible to give that confirmation that the music falls within UC's remit, although a recording of anything by the composer from the same era would certainly be better than nothing.
OK I'll see what I can find about the Symphony no 1 since it was written before 1918...
It'd be of genuine interest to hear No.1 - and certainly to hear more about it - but it's information about Nos.2 to 7 that is most urgently needed for this thread to continue...
I have heard one of Zolotarev's somewhat-later works, I think - not a symphony though (one of his string quartets, No.4 Op.33). Will listen to it again...
A 12 minute excerpt from a ballet whose title apparently translates as "Flaming Hearts" can be seen starting around 16:30 in this Youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCmrittBws). I know two Mediafire links that contain additional music by Zolotarev including a track identified as the first movement of his first symphony. One of the links comes from the Art Music forum and contains recordings from the archives of the Belarusian National Library. The other link contains one short commercial recording and the first movement of his first symphony from an unknown source with unknown performers. I'm not sure what the moderator's stance on posting such links would be.
The link claiming to be from his first symphony- I think- I've heard and compared to the op.8 of 1902; none of thr movenents match. Conferring with someone else we found it was by someone else entirely.
The YouTube link...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdZl7WNAChA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdZl7WNAChA)
...features a Concert Symphony No.1 by one Vladislav Zolotarev (1942-1975)!
Sorry, we need proper evidence regarding Symphonies 2 to 7.
Ah, that's something else entirely; he was known as a baian composer (as noted in an earlier thread on this composer and the confusion sometines encountered.)
Gah misspellings...
that's the wrong Zolotarev...
Quite. So now for some tangible evidence of the right one, please...
QuoteA 12 minute excerpt from a ballet whose title apparently translates as "Flaming Hearts"
Very nice; could have been written in the 1880s. Perhaps the symphonies are like that too?
Quote from: cypressdome on Saturday 05 August 2017, 21:59
A 12 minute excerpt from a ballet whose title apparently translates as "Flaming Hearts" can be seen starting around 16:30 in this Youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCmrittBws). I know two Mediafire links that contain additional music by Zolotarev including a track identified as the first movement of his first symphony. One of the links comes from the Art Music forum and contains recordings from the archives of the Belarusian National Library. The other link contains one short commercial recording and the first movement of his first symphony from an unknown source with unknown performers. I'm not sure what the moderator's stance on posting such links would be.
Quote from: eschiss1 on Saturday 05 August 2017, 22:07
The link claiming to be from his first symphony- I think- I've heard and compared to the op.8 of 1902; none of thr movenents match. Conferring with someone else we found it was by someone else entirely.
Yes it turned out to be the first movement of the 4th symphony by Belarusian composer Tsikotski (Tikotsky).
The other available pieces are (as mentioned) an extract from his balet Flaming Hearts; and a 6-minute extract from his balet The Prince-Lake. They contain remarkably similar themes.
Dhibbard - on other channels you have stated that you have actually seen vinyl records of Zolotarev's symphonies. But do I understand from this thread that this isn't the case?
As I said, we badly need evidence...
I have to say that this is all getting faintly ridiculous. Although no recording appears to be accessible, Symphony No.1 was written in 1903 and so, whatever anyone might think of it, the work clearly qualifies for discussion here. I imagine that someone whose score-reading skills are better than mine could have a look at the score, which is freely available at IMSLP, and tell the rest of us what it's like. The other symphonies post-date 1918 and so fall outside our remit unless and until we can actually get to hear/read them. The same goes for anything else by Zolotarev which post-dates 1918.The YouTube excerpt from the Flaming Hearts ballet is clearly romantic in style, but we have no idea when it was written (actually I can only find online references to a 1949 ballet called The Prince Lake), so it gets us nowhere as regards anything else by Zolotarev and we speculate with no evidence.
Dhibbard has kindly offered:
QuoteI'll see what I can find about the Symphony no 1 since it was written before 1918...
and I suggest that the rest of us refrain from posting in this thread until we hear back from him, or anyone else who has something concrete to report.
Erm- 1902 or 1902-3 re the symphony, (1902 according to Fleisher but maybe that's year composition was begun? 1903 is pub. date.) But yes.
I'd like to hear some of the (other, besides quartet no.4) chamber music posted there, but that's tangential to this thread.
Anyhow. Right. Agreed. Sorry.
Yes.. I'm starting to put the pieces of this whole Zolotarev matter together... I'm thinking the tape I heard of Symphony no 1 was from an old 1935 -1942 APRELEVSKY ZAVOD 78 recording. I wasn't really paying attention to the significance of the composer Vasili Zolotarev at the time. But if the Symphony no 1 was published in 1903.. then that makes sense... it was recorded in the 1920s or 1930s. The APRELEVSKY ZAVOD label was pre Melodiya, pre "torch" They are shallack records and very fragile. I'll make further inquiry in Riga.
QuoteI'm thinking the tape I heard of Symphony no 1 was from an old 1935 -1942 APRELEVSKY ZAVOD 78 recording. I wasn't really paying attention to the significance of the composer Vasili Zolotarev at the time. But if the Symphony no 1 was published in 1903.. then that makes sense... it was recorded in the 1920s or 1930s. The APRELEVSKY ZAVOD label was pre Melodiya, pre "torch" They are shallack records and very fragile.
This all sounds very vague - not to mention suspicious - to me. Why haven't we heard about this mysterious recording from you before, dhibbard? Does it actually exist, or is this all a very wild goose chase? Verifiable evidence, please...
As I said less bluntly in an earlier post, come up with something we can hear, and then we have something worth writing about.
To add to the previous posts about his orchestral music, I am adding his chamber works which were well thought of by Cobbett.
Up to 1915 Zolotarev was part of Belaieff's circle and was influenced by Liadov and Balakirev.
Chamber works
Piano Quartet in D major Op.13 1904 pub. by M P Belaieff
Piano Trio in E minor Op.28 1905
String Quintet in D minor (2 cellos) Op.19 1904 pub. by M P Belaieff
String Quartet in D major Op.5 1899 pub. by M P Belaieff
String Quartet in A Major Op.6 1902 pub.by M P Belaieff
String Quartet in D Major Op.25 pub. by M P Belaieff
String Quartet in B flat major Op.33 1912 pub. by M P Belaieff
String Quartet in Op. 46 1915
String Quartet 1943
Suite in form of variations for violin & piano Op.2 pub. by M P Belaieff
Two Novelettes; Elegie, Intermezzo for violin and piano Op.11 pub. by Jurgenson
Mazurka for violin and piano 1922
Violin Sonata Op.40
Epilogue for viola & piano
Poem for cello and piano 1962
Piano
Piano sonata in G major Op.10 pub. by M P Belaieff
Piano sonata Op.42 1919 pub. by Muzsektor Gosizolata
Three pieces; Sonatine, Berceuse, Etude. Op.14 pub. by Jurgenson
Three preludes Op.18 pub. by Jurgenson
Two morceaux; Prelude, Etude. Op.39
Four pieces Op.43 pub. by Muzsektor Gosizolata
Three pieces; Moderato, Andante affettuoso, Andante cantabile Op.44
30 short pieces based on Ukranian songs for piano 4 hands Op.15
Songs
Four songs Op.1
Four songs Op.16
Six songs Op.17
Gipsy Dance Op.20
He was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov. Real surname was Kuyumzhi.
Any recordings?
I think I've ranted about this many times!
Yes - in the archives of Belarus Radio & TV. Some of his symphonies, operas, ballets, chamber music. I asked for a copy of one of the symphonies: they demanded I justify my interest so that their committee could consider the "appropriateness" of my request, and payment of Euro 1920 - which wouldn't guarantee that they would actually release the recording. I mean, really. Best not to get me started, and don't mention Ukraine's archives to me either!
What they have is listed here, in Russian, if of interest to those who can read it:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/5np1lbgpc11pgue/Zolotarev_recordings_held_in_BelTV%2526Radio_archive.docx/file
(http://www.mediafire.com/file/5np1lbgpc11pgue/Zolotarev_recordings_held_in_BelTV%2526Radio_archive.docx/file)
I remember your previous rant!
Have there been any other recordings? (I can't find any.)
I'm unaware of any.
I can't remember if I posted this before - there's an approx 8-minute fragment from his ballet "Flaming Hearts" (my translation) on this youtube clip which is called Belarusian Concert 1955 https://youtu.be/DZCmrittBws (https://youtu.be/DZCmrittBws) - it starts at approx 16m35s. Stylistically it fits our genre and isn't unattractive. As it suddenly cuts out, it does hint at a complete (or fuller) recording.
There's also this song - "Human tears" (my translation) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot7j7OL7tlg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot7j7OL7tlg) - sung by Ivan Kozlovsky accompanied by the piano.
I have an 8-minute extract from his ballet "The Prince-Lake" on a CD, part of a 13-CD anthology of Belarusian music which I bought in Minsk. I VERY much doubt there is any copyright on it - it seems to be rips of old Soviet recordings and the company which produced or compiled recordings no longer exists. The performers are not listed. If moderators deem it acceptable, I will post it.
I'm willing to take the risk. Post away.
Done. It's a pleasant piece, nothing more.... and same themes seem to be in this piece as in the Flaming Hearts clip on the youtube link above.
If of interest it's from this anthology -
http://www.mediafire.com/file/6miu1341dzwqnwm/Belarus_anthology_booklet_Part_1.pdf/file (http://www.mediafire.com/file/6miu1341dzwqnwm/Belarus_anthology_booklet_Part_1.pdf/file)
http://www.mediafire.com/file/e2gkuzaraw1y955/Belarus_anthology_booklet_Part_2.pdf/file (http://www.mediafire.com/file/e2gkuzaraw1y955/Belarus_anthology_booklet_Part_2.pdf/file)
- which gives snippets of information on Zolotarev and the works by other Belarusian composers on there, some of which date to "our" era.
Like I said, they all appear be rips of fragments from old Soviet recordings, hinting at complete recordings held somewhere...
About Z's name:
Zolotarev, pronounced Zolotaryov - in Russian.
Zalatarou - in Belarusian (Belarusian typically has a "w" sound where Russian has a "v").
Vasily - in Russian.
Vasil - in Belarusian.
This was posted on youtube recently. Not a wildly exciting piece tbh:
Excerpts from «Uzbek Rhapsody» - composed within 1931 but stylistically just about within limits. 4 mins long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShrFh69rew (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShrFh69rew)
The conductor is Mourad Assouil - the orchestra is not listed but on linkedin he is listed as with the Gomel Symphony Orchestra in Belarus.
My contact at the Athens Phil has sent me a bit of biographical information on Zolotarev showing that he is regarded as Greek in some quarters. I wonder if this is a prelude to a recording of his works by them...
Vasily Andreyevich Zoloraryov (Золотарёв) was born in Taganrog with the surname Kuyumzhi (Kougioumtzis, see Arkhip Kuindzhi, the famous Russian painter, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkhip_Kuindzhi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkhip_Kuindzhi) - the surname is originally Turkish.). His mother was Ukrainian and his father Greek. He translated his surname to Zolotaryov (he didn't speak Greek and considered himself Russian, his schoolmates called him Greek-Pindos). Zolotaryov studied together with Kalafati and his surname was double written (Zolotaryov/Kuyumzhi) in documents presenting their grades and stored in St Petersburg's archives. There is a card catalogue in the 3rd floor of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and all their graduated students are written here. Zolotaryov/Kuyumzhi is written with both surnames. He wrote about these facts in his "Reminiscences of My Great Teachers, Friends and Comrades" ("Воспоминания о моих великих учителях, друзьях и товарищах"), Moscow 1957.
Don't know if anyone is interested but you can hear soundbites of the four movements from his String Quartet No.2 played by a group of amateurs sight reading at the link below. It was composed in 1902. A group of pros who purchased the parts of his String Quintet promised to make soundbites for us, but never did. Here is the link for the quartet soundbites
http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/zolotarev-string-qt2.htm
It certainly sounds like something from the Belaiev circle. I am surprised that none of his chamber music has never been commercially recorded.
I have played the quintet. Two cellos. It is quite a good work. Could certainly use a recording...
Christopher wrote:
Yes - in the archives of Belarus Radio & TV. Some of his symphonies, operas, ballets, chamber music. I asked for a copy of one of the symphonies: they demanded I justify my interest so that their committee could consider the "appropriateness" of my request, and payment of Euro 1920..etc.....
it appears all they have in regard to symphonies is the Symphony No 6 from the list?
Quote from: dhibbard on Tuesday 18 February 2020, 04:47
Christopher wrote:
Yes - in the archives of Belarus Radio & TV. Some of his symphonies, operas, ballets, chamber music. I asked for a copy of one of the symphonies: they demanded I justify my interest so that their committee could consider the "appropriateness" of my request, and payment of Euro 1920..etc.....
it appears all they have in regard to symphonies is the Symphony No 6 from the list?
Indeed. And a fair number of his other orchestral works as well. They sent me a list of the works of his (orchestral and other) for which they have recordings - it's in Russian here if interested - http://www.mediafire.com/file/5np1lbgpc11pgue/Zolotarev_recordings_held_in_BelTV%2526Radio_archive.docx/file (http://www.mediafire.com/file/5np1lbgpc11pgue/Zolotarev_recordings_held_in_BelTV%2526Radio_archive.docx/file)
On another forum (AMF) you wrote (8th May 2013):
I pulled the LPs out and looked at notes on them:
Vasily Zoltaryov (1872-1964) Complete Symphonies
Sym #1 "Symphony of Anger" ;
Sym #2 "1905";
Sym #3 "Chelyuskintsy"
Sym #4 "Belarus";
Sym #5 "1941"
Sym #6 "My Motherland"
Sym #7 "In Memory of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov"
Suite from Lake Prince Ballet
Extra. from the Opera "The Decembrists"
State SO of the BSSR, recorded 1971, 1973 copyright 1989 Melodiya
Conductors: Engelbrecht/Afanasyev/ Katayaev /Yefimov - this is confirmation that recordings of these works actually exist and that you have laid eyes on them. Can you supply more information?
the first was not published with that subtitle originally, I am sure...
I reproduce here the list of Z's symphonies that I posted earlier in the thread:
Symphony No.1 in F sharp minor 'To the memory of Tchaikovsky', Op.8 (1903)
Symphony No.2 in D major 'The Year 1905' (1929)
Symphony No.3 in C major 'The Flowers of Chelyuskin' (year?)
Symphony No.4 in B flat major 'Belarus' (1935)
Symphony No.5 in C minor 'The Year 1941' (1942)
Symphony No.6 (key?) 'My Homeland' (1944)
Symphony No.7 (key?) 'To the memory of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov' (1962)
If anyone has any corrections/additions...
Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 22 February 2020, 08:42
If anyone has any corrections/additions...
David dhibbard maybe?
We're going round in circles here :(
I meant the score of #1 I think has no subtitle at all- unless it's dedicated to Pyotr I, that would explain that. Will check. If the other symphony scores were published I am unaware.
it should be 'To the memory of Tchaikovsky" I am looking at the score.. and that is what is says... there is no further information in the Belaieff printing of the full score.
I have tried in vain to find recordings. All I've found is this short entry from a 1940 text, which refers to a couple of early orchestral pieces so far not mentioned.
ZOLOTAREV, Vasili! Andreyevich, 1873-
Composer. Born in Taganrog, he sang in the Court Chapel from 1883 to 1892 at the same time studying with Krasnokutski and Lyadov. He was forced to give up the violin because of nervousness and instead took up composition under Balakirev and Rimski-Korsakov. He became a teacher of theory in the Moscow Conservatory in 1900, but after the Revolution he settled in Krasnodar in the Caucasus.
Musical Works: The Decembrists, an opera composed after the Revolution; Symphony, Op. 8; Men of the Chelyuskin, a symphony in celebration of the Arctic Expedition (1934) ; Country Festival Overture, Op. 4; Hebraic Rhapsody, Op. 7; Overture-Fantasy, Op. 22; String Quintet in D Minor, Op. 19; 3 String Quartets—D Major Op. 5, A Major Op. 6, D Major Op. 13; Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 28; Piano Sonata in G Major, Op. 10; choral pieces and songs (mostly published by Belyayev).
[Russian Composers and Musicians - A Biographical Dictionary. Compiled by A. Vodarsky-Shiraeff. New York: H W Wilson, 1940]
the 4th quartet op.33 (B-flat minor) eg was already published by then (1913! and no.5 op.46 in G in 1930) but well.. (even the piano sonata no.2 in F minor op.42 was published in 1919.)
Moreover, quartets nos 1&2 are in D and A minor. Argh!! Blast all reference dictionaries- Groves too is riddled with errors which people just assume are the exception - and I am glad one can go to a primary source.
As to symphonies IMSLP's contributors' sources give
1. «Симфония гнева» (Op.8) (1902)
2. «1905-й год» (1929)
3. «Челюскинцы» (1935)
4. «Белорусская» (1936)
5. «1941-й год» (1942)
6. «Моя Родина» (1954)
7. (1962)
Mostly the same list except 1954 rather than 1944.
As far as the symphonies are concerned, nothing of substance has been added. Let's not go back to them until someone has something to say.
However, there's a lot of non-symphonic music...
I'm working on the opening movement of the first symphony. However, it will take some time as, to put it crudely, there are an awful lot of notes!
Oh, that's really good news - thank you. We'll all be looking forward to the results of your labours.
Absolutely - thank you Reverie! Seems you are in a race with David Dhibbard who has mentioned that he is putting it onto Sibelius.
I think it's worth saying that there isn't enough of his work recorded out there to pass a judgment on whether his work has merit or not. And yet he seems to be the subject of a huge number of postings across various fora. Given that there are many many Russian (etc) late romantic composers whose works have never been recorded, why does this one attract so much attention and speculation? Apparently Rimsky-Korsakov, for one, didn't rate his work...
We're going round in circles again. I suggest we wait until we've actually got something to listen to. Then we can (finally) make a judgment.
Quote from: Christopher on Sunday 23 February 2020, 17:13
Absolutely - thank you Reverie! Seems you are in a race with David Dhibbard who has mentioned that he is putting it onto Sibelius.
I think I'll leave this one to Dhibbard ;D
I have other irons in the furnace.
I discovered on another forum that someone has made a MIDI version of Zolotarev's 1st symphony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXpZyqdSV74&t=1s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXpZyqdSV74&t=1s) - maybe we can now start to get a sense of whether his music is any good.
Not a great-sounding rendering, unfortunately.
Would you say it's the rendering rather than the piece? I'm finding it difficult to tell so can't give an opinion.
I note that the creator of that Youtube channel, has "orchestrated" a lot of unsungs from our era - this is his list of works: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMecG2I4vEDzoD0HW4DxylA/videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMecG2I4vEDzoD0HW4DxylA/videos) )
The renderings are universally terrible in sound - such a shame.
Yes. They are all awful I'm afraid.
Back to square one with Zolotarev, I'm afraid.