Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev 17.1.1850 - 7.2.1918 born St Petersburg, Russia, died St.Petersburg, Russia
The son of a court official and minor amateur composer Sergey Alaksandrovitch Taneyev 1 1821-1889. Alexander married Nadezhda Tolstoy and they had three children. 2
Alexander studied firstly under Reichel in Dresden and later in St Petersburg with Rimsky-Korsakov and A.A.Petrov where he came under the influence of the Balakirev circle.
He was a high ranking civil servant and for a time was chamberlain to the dowager empress. He was second cousin to the better known Sergei Taneyev.
Orchestral
Symphony No.1 in A major 1890
Symphony No.2 in B flat minor Op.21 1903
Symphony No.3 in E Op.36 1908 pub. by P Jurgenson
Suite No.1 in A Op.9 1899
Suite No.2 in F major Op.14 1900 pub. by Zimmermann, Leipzig
'Alyosha Popovich' ballade Op.11 1897
Festive March Op.12 1898
Two Mazurkas in A and in F Op.15 (orchestrated from piano solos)
Reverie for violin and orchestra Op.23 1904 pub. by Zimmermann, Leipzig
'Hamlet' overture Op.31 1905
Valse melancolique from second string quartet
Chamber
String quartet No.1 in G major Op.25 pub. by Zimmermann, Leipzig 1898
String quartet No.2 in C major Op.28 pub. by Zimmermann, Leipzig 1899
String quartet No.3 in A major Op.30 pub. by Zimmermann, Leipzig 1900
Bagatelle and Serenade for cello and piano Op.10
Fauillet d'Album for viola and piano in G major Op.33 pub. by P Jurgenson 1906 available from Hawkins Library, Conway Hall.
Petite valse for violin and piano pub. by P Jurgenson
Arabesque for clarinet and piano Op.24
Piano
Mazurkas in A and F Op.15
Mazurka 'Souvenir de Bade' Op.20 1902
Bluette Op.22
Valse de concert Op.32
Valse-caprice in A flat major 1900
Valse-caprice in D flat major 1900
Songs
2 Duets Op.17
3 Songs Op.18
13 songs Op.34
4 songs, Op.35 - O glaub es nicht ; Man liebt dech allgemein; Sei dir selber nicht gram; Die letzen Blatter.
7 songs Op.37
Choir werke - Volksliedbearbeitungen
Opera
'Cupid's Revenge' Op.13 1899
'The Snowstorm' 1916
1.
Sergey Aleksandrovitch Taneyev
Adagio and Fugue for orchestra
String Quartet.
2.
Anna Vyrubova 1884-1964
Sergei Alexandrovitch 1886-1975
Alexandra Alexandrovna 1888-1968
And what of the Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra, probably his most popular piece?
Chamber
10 Bagatelle and Serenade for cello and piano, Op.10
24 Arabesque for clarinet and piano, Op. 24
25 String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 25 1898
28 String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 28 1899
30 String Quartet No. 3 in A major, Op. 30 1900
33 Album Leaf (Листок из альбома) in G major for viola and piano, Op. 33
Petite valse for violin and piano
Opera
13 Mest′ Amura [Cupid's Revenge] (1, T.N. Shchepkina-Kupernik), op.13, concert perf., St Petersburg, 7/19 May 1899;
Metel′ [The Snowstorm] (Svetlov, after D. Tsertelev), Petrograd, 29 Jan/11 Feb 1916 (Moscow, n.d.)
Orchestral
Symphony No. 1 in A major 1890
9 Suite No. 1 in A 1899
11 Alyosha Popovich, ballade after A.K. Tolstoy, op.11 (Moscow, n.d.); 1899
12 Festive March (Торжественный марш), Op. 12 1900
14 Suite No. 2 in F 1900
15 2 Mazurkas, A, F, op.15;
21 Symphony No. 2 in bb minor, Op. 21 (1903)
23 Rêverie for violin and orchestra, Op. 23
31 Hamlet, Overture, Op. 31 (pub. 1906) 1905
36 Symphony No. 3 in E 1908
Valse melancolique (from 2nd quartet)
Piano
15 2 Mazurkas (A, F)
20 Mazurka No. 3 "Souvenir de Bade", Op. 20
22 Bluette, Op. 22
32 Valse de concert, pf, op.32;
Valse-caprice in Ab major 1900
Valse-caprice in Db major 1900
Vocal
17 2 Duets, op.17;
18 3 Songs, op.18;
34 13 Songs, op.34 (Moscow, n.d.);
35 4 songs (O glaub' es nicht; Man liebt dich allgemein; Sei dir selber nicht gram; Die letzten Blatter)
37 7 Songs, op.37 (Moscow, n.d.)
Chorwerke
Volksliedbearbeitungen
unknown opp: 1-8, 16, 19, 26-27, 29
Quote from: TerraEpon on Thursday 17 May 2012, 18:46
And what of the Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra, probably his most popular piece?
You have the wrong Taneyev, I'm afraid. The Concert Suite was written by Sergei (1856-1915).
They were related, though... :)
Also, symphony no.3 is @IMSLP here (http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.3,_Op.36_(Taneyev,_Aleksandr)) and is in E, not E-flat. Published by 1907 (HMB 1908, page 2 = 1907, as something that shows up in January 1908's HMB is, unless I am much mistaken about the dating of the issues of HMB - and I may be !! - something published in 1907 or before :) ).
You're right - even Groves (my main source) has it listed as E major - I wonder why I had it as Eb?
Thanks. By the way, of the works I have heard from Alexander Taneyev (the 3 string quartets and Symphony No. 2), they are well-crafted, if not as rigorous in development as works by Sergei Taneyev.
You are right, Alexander and Sergei were second cousins, though there was only six years difference in age. Alexander 1850-1918 Sergei 1856-1915. I leave it to others to do Sergei's list of works.
Are there any recordings of this elusive Taneyev?
I have an elderly Marco Polo CD containing Symphony n.2 and Suite for orch.n2 by Alexander Taneyev.
Quote from: alberto on Saturday 29 June 2013, 09:21
I have an elderly Marco Polo CD containing Symphony n.2 and Suite for orch.n2 by Alexander Taneyev.
Which can still be heard online by Naxos subscribers.
Actually, it's still available to buy at Amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No-Albert-Philharmonia-Hungarica/dp/B0000277B0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1372495549&sr=8-4&keywords=taneyev+symphony+2
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No-Albert-Philharmonia-Hungarica/dp/B0000277B0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1372495549&sr=8-4&keywords=taneyev+symphony+2)
I like his string quartets very much. They are in a lighter vein than Sergey's but done with good craftsmanship and very tuneful.
As far as I know they are currently available as downloads only - or used:
http://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Taneyev-String-Quartets-Quartet/dp/B0036I9JXM/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1372504694&sr=8-16&keywords=alexander+taneyev (http://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Taneyev-String-Quartets-Quartet/dp/B0036I9JXM/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1372504694&sr=8-16&keywords=alexander+taneyev)
I possess that "elderly Marco Polo" recording referred to above. Actually it isn't all that 'elderly' - the disc states that both works were recorded in "the Recklinghausen, Festspielhaus" (wherever that might be) in December 1986. The recording is well above what counts as 'acceptable', though not obviously 'Chandos-ish' (if I may coin a new adjective). The orchestra is robust but maybe a little rough. The always reliable Mr Peacock provides a detailed and well balanced Amazon review (see Alan's link).
Ha, never too late for an old dog such as me to learn. I was unaware of the CD of the three String Quartets. Many thanks, britishcomposer, for the information which I shall now follow up.
Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 29 June 2013, 09:47
Actually, it's still available to buy at Amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No-Albert-Philharmonia-Hungarica/dp/B0000277B0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1372495549&sr=8-4&keywords=taneyev+symphony+2
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No-Albert-Philharmonia-Hungarica/dp/B0000277B0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1372495549&sr=8-4&keywords=taneyev+symphony+2)
... though it is listed as "unavailable" on the Naxos website.
...which is why Amazon is always worth searching for out-of-print recordings.
Quote from: giles.enders on Thursday 17 May 2012, 10:37
Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev 1850-1918 born St Petersburg, Russia, died St.Petersburg, Russia
Studied firstly under Reichel in Dresden and later in St Petersburg with Rimsky-Korsakov and A.A.Petrov
He was a high ranking civil servant and second cousin to the better known Sergei Taneyev.
Giles - do you know anything more about the A.A. Petrov you mention? He could be the mysterious "A.Petrov" mentioned in this string - http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,4228.msg45305.html#msg45305 (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,4228.msg45305.html#msg45305) - who orchestrated Schumann's "Carnaval - Scènes mignonnes sur quatre notes" together with other Russian unsungs like Kalafati and Klenovsky, but about whom nothing is known....
According to Laurel Fay, A. A. Petrov is Aleksei Alekseevich Petrov, 1859-1919. (So a contemporary, not an elder, of Taneyev's, which isn't necessarily a strike against his having taught him, though...) (At least, if this is the same Petrov as is mentioned in her Shostakovich and his World, note 9, page 40; of course, perhaps not, again. Not Andrei Petrov the film composer born 1930 died a few years ago, that's sure.)
Great detective work, Eric. ;)
Quote from: eschiss1 on Wednesday 03 July 2013, 17:21
According to Laurel Fay, A. A. Petrov is Aleksei Alekseevich Petrov, 1859-1919. (So a contemporary, not an elder, of Taneyev's, which isn't necessarily a strike against his having taught him, though...) (At least, if this is the same Petrov as is mentioned in her Shostakovich and his World, note 9, page 40; of course, perhaps not, again. Not Andrei Petrov the film composer born 1930 died a few years ago, that's sure.)
Very interesting thanks Eric!
I did a quick search on the Russian-language internet, and found this on a page discussing the Russian writer Sergei Nikolaevich Syromyatnikov (1864-1933), under a section describing his new play "Res" (with apologies for using google translate):
The overture, choruses and musical interludes were written specifically for the performance by the composer, later professor of the St. Petersburg Conservatory Alexei Petrov (1859 - 1919), the originator of the "Elementary Guide To Instrumentation" (St. Petersburg: Publishing House. Zimmerman, 1900), "Short Course Encyclopedia [musical knowledge] "(St. Petersburg: type. Kinda SL, 1910), musical and pedagogical writings "Instrumentation: Description of the Volume of Tools Used in the Modern Symphony Orchestras and Military "(St. Petersburg: type. SL Kinda, 1910), author of the arrangements of folk songs (see, eg, 20 Folk Songs of Siberia. for one voice with piano accompaniment from collected in 1890 in the Irkutsk region and the Trans-Baikal region NP Protasov. Transcribed by Alexei Petrov. St. Petersburg. : Publication Singing Commission of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, 1902). See about him: Vitols Jazeps Years of teaching: (From "Memories of My Life") / / Leningrad Conservatory in his memoirs: In 2 books. / [Ed. Ed. GG Tigranova]. 2nd ed., Ext. LA: Music, 1987. Prince. 1. S. 26. It was he who was in charge of teaching music in the 8th St. Petersburg High School (see: IA "Res" in the high school scene / / Hermes. 1909. T. IV. № 10 (36). May 15. S. 368 ; LM p. 252).
In the Annensky archive is a letter from Petrov dedicated to the musical component production of the play "Res" and sheds light on the chronological framework of the preparatory work on the show (RGALI. F. 6. Op. 1. № 355. L. 1):
August 7, 1895 Locarno
Dear Innokent Feodorovich.
The music for the tragedy of "Res",, with a few small items and excluding monologue muses finish. I do not know how well it came out, but I wrote with great enthusiasm. The Muse's Monologue will also be finished very soon, but upon arrival in Russia, where I set my feet tomorrow. I will be in St. Petersburg on 23 or 24 August. In any case, all I have prepared so that upon arriving immediately possible to prepare for production of the play. The play shifted in my four hands, and when it will bring, you can play it with Karl Vasilyevich *, to whom please deign to send my regards.
Esteemed you
Petrov
* KV Focht, a mathematics teacher and school inspector.
http://annensky.lib.ru/names/syromyat/syromyatnikov.htm (http://annensky.lib.ru/names/syromyat/syromyatnikov.htm)