Good morning everyone,
This will be one of two posts I will be making in this channel, dedicated to the recordings of music by two Soviet-Russian composers whom I admire very much, and whose music I think is worth sharing. This post will be dedicated to the discussion and sharing of recorded music by Evgeny Svetlanov, better known as one of the most prolific conductors in recent history. Svetlanov was also a wonderful late-romantic composer, and is genuinely one of my favorite composers of the 20th century. Much of his music can be heard online, but I wanted to share a couple recordings which haven't been digitized before. These are the pieces:
String Quartet in D major (played by the Borodin Quartet): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y7achAmBY-FVbIqqM6eaaUKRY1EkFTPR/view?usp=drive_link
Lyric Waltz in F minor for string orchestra (played by the USSR Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Svetlanov): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qt-bH3xWY_OCj5TdADBHmaNqOLIaxz4H/view?usp=drive_link
While the String Quartet in D major is available on YouTube under a different performance (by the
Moscow Regional Philharmonic Quartet, aka the Shostakovich Quartet), this recording by the Borodin Quartet has an extra introduction and coda in the fourth movement not present in the other recording online, so this is a fairly special find (in the full manuscript score of the quartet, these extra sections are written in pen, but are crossed out in pencil). As for the Lyric Waltz, I don't believe it previously existed on the internet.
I'm curious to hear what you all think of these! There are other recordings of Svetlanov's music I would love to discuss, as there seems to be more music that just isn't available to listen (or at least is really hard to find).
Best,
Theodore
file:///Users/ seems to be the link for your own computer...
Thanks, I think I fixed it.
Quote from: Theodore S. on Wednesday 10 January 2024, 15:33(P.S. - for some reason, clinking the hyperlinks of the recordings doesn't seem to work, I don't know why.)
You need to allow others to download it, you can do it by sharing it on the options when clicking right button on the file.
Quote from: Tapiola on Wednesday 10 January 2024, 20:17Quote from: Theodore S. on Wednesday 10 January 2024, 15:33(P.S. - for some reason, clinking the hyperlinks of the recordings doesn't seem to work, I don't know why.)
You need to allow others to download it, you can do it by sharing it on the options when clicking right button on the file.
I spoke to the administrator, Mark Thomas, about the recordings before posting them, and we agreed it would be better (at least for this channel) that these would be non-downloadable files, for potential copyright reasons. However, if the administrator/moderators think it would be alright to do so, I might post the downloadable versions in the "Downloads" channel.
Commercial recordings aren't to be uploaded to any part of this website. Sorry! However, links to sites where they can be auditioned are permissible.
So, why did you say that the hyperlinks of the recordings doesn't seem to work? How can I listen to them then?
Also, I want to hear the Alexandrov's quartet. Thanks.
Sorry, that was from before - I've made new links using Google Drive, and now the hyperlinks work.
Here is the Alexandrov post: https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,9319.0.html.
Now I can access them. Thank you!
Incidentally, would any of you happen to have this LP? https://www.discogs.com/release/8358590-%D0%95%D0%B2%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F-%D0%9C%D1%83%D0%B7%D1%8B%D0%BA%D0%B0. I've been looking for this one for a while now.
May I ask forum members not to pile up quote upon quote of previous posts? A simple reply is usually sufficient. Thank you!
Sorry, but when I clicked both Svetlanov downloads and the alexandrov download the access was denied :'(
Have downloaded all three. Thank you.
ps. I searched this LP on Discog, and the violist of the quartet was Shebalin's son. Interesting.
Theo, you seem to know quite deep about discography of Svetlanov's own composition. Do you know which LP Novosibirsk Wind Quintet's Recording of his Wind Quintet is on? The one Bartje Bartmans just uploaded?
And his official website lists a concert variations for guslis duo and traditional russian instruments orchestra as recorded by "T. Gorodovskaya, N. Chekanova, Ossipov Academic Russian Folk Orchestra, V. Dubrovsky", and a violin sonata (not one of the two sonatinas, is that a mistake?) recorded by himself and Eduard Grach. Do you know what LP are they referring to?
Finally, do you have his Romantic Ballad for Orchestra?
Hello again,
I couldn't tell you where the performance of the Wind Quintet came from, beside an upload of the same recording on "classic-online.ru", and it's possible that this is the only recording this group ever made (considering I can't find any other performance by this group online). It seems more likely to me that recording wasn't from an LP, but a live concert - I think the description on that video refers to this LP: https://www.discogs.com/release/12187273-%D0%95-%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%AE-%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA-%D0%A4-%D0%A8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%82-%D0%9A%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%94%D1%83%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%85-%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82
You're in luck regarding that recording of the Russian Variations for gusli-duo and folk orchestra, it's available here: https://poiskm.me/show/%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B5-%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80-%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B9; other performances of that arrangement exist on YouTube (as well as the original harp-and-orchestra arrangement).
I've also been looking for that Violin Sonata recording with Eduard Grach and Svetlanov for a long time, but for now I have absolutely no idea where to find it - I've even checked the Russian State Library's online catalogue, and it isn't listed there. The only things I can suggest are:
1.) - write to the Svetlanov Foundation about it;
2.) - check other Russian/Ex-Soviet libraries' online catalogues;
3.) - ask Eduard Grach, as he's still living (if you're in a position to contact him);
4.) - try the Melodiya Label. If it does actually exist somewhere as an LP, my guess is that it probably was recorded by Melodiya - maybe they have some information about it (though I imagine it would have to be one of their most obscure recordings, if they did in fact record it).
Otherwise, regarding the Violin Sonata, there is a video from a school performance of the 1st movement posted not long ago. Sometimes I wonder if the Grach/Svetlanov LP even exists considering there is almost no public information about it, but then again Svetlanov's music in general is quite rare to find.
Here is the Romantic Ballade: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DOi7a49AfA1huQkNz9T1asS7UavneARG/view?usp=drive_link
Wow, thank again for your detailed answer!
I didn't realize the the gusli duo concertante is really an arrangement of Russian variations for harp
I didn't find the student recording of the sonata on youtube，including typing in russian (светланов соната Для скрипки is all the keyword I can come up with). Only a video of students playing 1st sonatina exists. Maybe it's on a Russian video website?
This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHF57NqhuZU
Oh, this indeed is a much bigger work than the sonatinas
Are you the pianist-composer Theodore Servin I remembered seeing on YouTube?
That's me, yes.
I have the score and part for the violin sonata. I was talking to the violinst Hideko Udegawa a few years ago as she was enquiring about obscure Russian repertoire that I had performance material for. I introduced her to the Svetlanov scores that I have, and she was very interested to make a complete Svetlanov CD, as all the pieces would fit nicely onto one disc it would seem! I haven't spoken to here recently, but she was hoping to get some sponsorship in place. This post has now prompted me to find out if this potential recording is still likely to happen - I hope so as Svetlanov's music for violin and piano is really attractive and well worth recording, especially the sonata!
How interesting, Martin. Let's hope you manage to get this project off the ground. You've sold it to me!
Martin, that would be absolutely wonderful! I really hope the project can take off, especially with the sonata. I actually found a PDF online of the violin sonata, in case anyone wants it (full score and violin part): https://thecellist.ru/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/svetlanov-e.-sonata-for-violin-and-piano.pdf
Also, since you were thinking of doing all the violin pieces, these's one other piece that's also similarly obscure in terms of recordings, the Waltz in D major: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14qZicgZ4n6zYNXlggza2gDiBJ-31lMw3/view?usp=drive_link. Supposedly this piece was also recorded by Grach and Svetlanov, but that recording also seems out of reach.
Considering her recent releases were on Northern Flower, an all Svetlanov disc would be most apt.
There is one other piece by Svetlanov for which I don't know if it has been recorded - "Родние Поля" ("Rodniye Polya"), or "Native Fields", a 5-movement cantata for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra written in 1949. So far, the only part of the cantata which has definitely been recorded is the orchestral prelude called "Рассвет в Поле" ("Rassvet v Polye"), or "Dawn in the Field", which has a score video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOZx1XCKRcA. It's a gorgeous prelude, one of my favorite pieces by Svetlanov, so I think it can be safely assumed the rest of the piece is probably also very beautiful; a couple Russian articles suggest it had a successful premiere.
The complete orchestral (https://glinka-iss.kamiscloud.ru/entity/OBJECT/58623?index=1&paginator=album&albumId=4720554) and vocal (https://glinka-iss.kamiscloud.ru/entity/OBJECT/59183?index=18&paginator=album&albumId=4720554) manuscripts for the cantata can be found on the online archive of the Glinka Museum of Music.
Hello everyone, a little update. I've been talking with a friend about Svetlanov's music (and I've also come across several interesting recordings never previously digitized, which I'll soon share here), and he sent me a PDF of a book with the complete discography of Svetlanov as of 1987, including his own works. What's interesting is that in this book, the catalogue numbers of these recordings are also included. As there has been discussion regarding the recording of Svetlanov's Violin Sonata in G minor by Eduard Grach and the composer, this is the information given about that recording:
Соната для скр. и ф-п. Э. Грач и Е. Светланов.
Д.з.29.10; зап. 1967: Д-78914
(the last "4" may or may not have a space before the previous number, it's a bit hard to tell.)
This recording is part of a section titled "Фонограммы Всесоюзного радио" ("Phonograms of All-Union Radio"); after this is a section called "Грамзаписи Всесоюзной студии «Мелодия» и фирмы EMI (Великобритания)" ("Recordings of the studio 'Melodiya' and the firm 'EMI' (Great Britain)"). The Violin Sonata is only mentioned in the former section and not the latter, suggesting it may not have been released as a vinyl on "Melodiya". However, this does not necessarily mean the recording is lost, because another recording from the former section, Svetlanov's Cello Sonata, has been rereleased as a track on a CD in 2014 ("Evgeni Svetlanov - Piano Works, Vol. 7" from Russian Disc).
I'll share the pages with Svetlanov's compositional discography, as well as the section containing a list of compositions up to the publication of the book:
Фонограммы Всесоюзного радио (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jic44uq69tyws9a7tphvz/.pdf?rlkey=g0v8elgvw2kbpmw5aa3oipljc&dl=0)
Грамзаписи Всесоюзной студии «Мелодия» и фирмы EMI (Великобритания) (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1kvx3bwkxscn2ufw2ctgp/EMI.pdf?rlkey=u89lwnln7lhbgms193cd5g5cx&dl=0)
Каталог Сочинений Е, Ф, Светланова (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/az8swfwpllzqlullhyiss/.pdf?rlkey=bvhsqg0io5hwhe6d587joc58o&dl=0)
thank you for your new information Theodore. We are closer to the truth!
Worldcat also lists a recording by Svetlanov and Grach of two sonatinas for violin and piano (by Svetlanov? composed apparently 1948-9, and available also on YouTube. Grach btw was born 1930 and is apparently still alive?...)
The sonatinas are available for streaming on Piano Works, Vol. 6
Theodore, are you cooperating with Bartje Bartmans recently? What are your newly discovered recordings aside from what he has uploaded?
Hello again,
It's true, I have sent Bartje Bartmans a number of these Svetlanov pieces. However, almos everything he's posted was already on the internet, except for the Aria for viola, which is from a vinyl in my collection.
A friend of mine has been digitizing from a vinyl with several piano pieces, which he's been posting on his channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE6dHsIqDJs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8w5jJxq494
In other news, I now believe the Svetlanov Violin Sonata recording with Eduard Grach may be held in the studios of GOSTELRADIOFOND in Russia (they have a few channels on YouTube, with digitized TV broadcasts and reel-to-reel phonogram tapes, among other things). My friend actually wrote about digitizing a couple other broadcasts in their collection, but found out that the price for a digitization can be anywhere from 5-100 euros per minute. We'll probably just have to wait for either a new recording of the Sonata (and other pieces recorded reel-to-reel), or wait for GOSTELRADIOFOND to release the recordings of their own volition.