Alexander Ilyinsky (1859-1920), Russian composer

Started by Christopher, Friday 04 June 2010, 10:05

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Christopher

I am trying to find out more about the Russian composer Alexander Ilyinksy (1859-1920). A very few recordings of his works exist - mostly in the form of his Berceuse (Cradle Song), part of his Noure and Anitra suite, Op.13 (No.7). I have this piece in its version for solo piano, and also in a version for voice and orchestra (by the Canadian soprano Florence Easton, recorded c.1924).  I also have a recording of another piece called Butterfly, for clarinet and piano (on Classical Records: Evgeni Petrov on clarinet, Tatiana Tarasevich on piano).  It is a wonderful piece, rapid and urgent and highly reminiscent of Ilyinsky's near-contemporary Rimsky-Korsakov and his Flight of the Bumblebee. 

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Ilyinsky) "His major work, the 4-act opera The Fountain of Bakhchisaray, to a libretto based on Alexander Pushkin's poem, was produced in Moscow in 1911.[3] He also wrote a symphony, a Concert Overture[1], a string quartet, three orchestral suites, a set of orchestral Croatian Dances, a symphonic movement called Psyche[1], two cantatas for female chorus and orchestra (Strekoza (The Dragonfly) and Rusalka), incidental music to Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Philoctetes, and to Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy's Tsar Fiodor Ioannovich, piano pieces, church music, songs...".

Another website (http://grandemusica.net/musical-biographies-i/iljinsky-alexander) says the following:  "Iljinsky's principal works are a Concert Overture; Overture to Count Tolstoi's tragedy, Tsar Feodor; Music to Socrates' tragedies, CEdipus Rex, and Philocetes; the opera, The Fountain of Bachtchisaraj, in four acts, libretto by Pushkin; the one-act ballet, Noor and Anitra; the cantatas, Strecoza, and Rusalka, for female chorus and orchestra; a symphony; symphonic scherzo, Red Dances; symphonic movement, Psyche; three suites; also a string quartet; and other music for violin, cello and piano. He has also written the church works, Pray to the Father; Pater Noster; Te Deum; Laudamus; Imitation prelude; and a fugue. In 1904 there appeared a very extensive work, Biographies of all Composers from the Fourth to the Twentieth Century, edited by Iljinsky."

There is known to be another recording of one of Ilyinsky's works: "Orgy of the Spirits" (which is another part of the Noure et Anitra Suite) was recorded by Universal Studios for use in some of their 1930s films, as I found on the following 2 websites:

http://flashgordon.homestead.com/files/fgnarratives.html  -

"One music selection used eight times in Mars was tracked directly from East of Java (1935). It is a rapid, turbulent and exciting bacchanal entitled Orgy of the Spirits. It was composed by the little-known Russian composer, Alexandre Iljinsky (1859-1920). He wrote it for his fourteen-part Oriental suite entitled, Noure et Anitra (Op. 13). Charles J. Roberts of Carl Fischer Music in New York published this arrangement that was recorded by a theater orchestra at Universal for the 1935 film. In East of Java, this brief bacchanal underscores a typhoon, but was rendered inaudible by the sound effects. This classical piece was later tracked in the Universal serial, Tim Tyler's Luck (1937). It bears a striking resemblance to the classic, A Night on Bald Mountain, that was written by Russian composer, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839-1881)."

http://www.dilettantemusic.com/artist/3022 -

None of Ilyinsky's compositions retained popularity after his death -- not even enough to be recorded by the Soviet government-run Melodiya label) -- and none was extant in the repertory at the midpoint of the twentieth century. Through pure happenstance, however, a fragment of his Orgy of the Spirits became part of the Universal Studios music library during the mid-'30s; a minute-long musical excerpt from it was heard dozens of times throughout the background score of the 1937 jungle adventure serial Tim Tyler's Luck, and also two minutes before the end of Chapter 7 of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938).
...In chapter two of the Mars, one section of it can be heard at the 8:57 mark as Flash gets into a fight with the Martian soldiers, and another section is used at the 9:16 mark in the serial. In chapter three at the 19:27 mark, another section is heard as the support beams that hold up the landing tower are being destroyed by Tarnak and Ming. This foils Flash and Zarkov from escaping with Azura. It is heard later at the 19:34 mark in chapter seven, as Flash engages in a savage fight with one of the tree-men, while trying to get into the Temple of Kalu.


From this description, it sounds like he could be a composer worthy of further exploration, especially as someone who is reportedly similar in style to Mussorgsky (one of my favourites).

One more titbit - apparently this "Orgy of the Spirits" was used as the theme tune for a WOR radio play in the USA called "The Witch's Tale" which ran from 1931 to 1938.

Would anyone have any suggestions as to how I might be able to get this recording from Universal Studios, or the producers of the radio play?

Does anyone have any recordings of his other works?

Life is not helped by the fact that Ilyinsky (Ильинский) can also be transliterated from the Cyrillic as Ilinsky, Ilinski, Ilynsky, Iljinsky, Iljinskiy, Iljinskij, Ilinskiy, Ilynskiy, Ilyinsky, Ilyinskiy, etc etc....making internet searches quite complex!



Christopher

I have also come across a reference to a "Leginsky" as the composer of the Orgy of the Spirits.  However, I am certain that this is a mistaken rendering of one variation of our composer's name "Iljinksy" - one of the many possible ways of spelling Ильинский" in Latin script.  From Iljinsky to Ilginsky to Leginsky...

eschiss1

Belatedly in regards Ilyinsky, there's a nice amount of his stuff on IMSLP (well- not a lot yet admittedly)- you mention Noure et Anitra op.13 (1896); just transferred a 2-piano reduction of the suite from the same over from Sibley there.
Eric

Christopher

Thanks Eric - yes I saw some of his stuff on IMSLP - Croatian Dances etc.  But I am trying to find out what has been recorded, if anything other than the few pieces I mentioned earlier.

sdtom

yet something else to explore and I thought I knew the Russian composers well, yikes

eschiss1

A lullaby on a Music Minus One LP from the 1970s :)
Eric

Alan Howe

Grove has him as Il'yinsky: does this help at all?

Alan Howe


Christopher

This is a great find - thanks.  How did you find that CD? Yes I was aware of Il'yinsky as another Latin-script variation of his name. 

On the internet I found the Universal Studios recording that I mentioned in my first post - however it comes with a 30-minute radio play in the background! http://darkfantasy.podomatic.com/player/web/2007-09-05T09_28_38-07_00 - In adition to the films mentioned, the music was also used for a long-running radio play in the USA called The Witch's Tale.  So it would be great somehow to isolate this music and get it without the radio play attached....

Christopher

Eric - the Lullaby is almost certainly his Berceuse from the Noure et Anitra suite (Op. 13, No. 7) which has been recorded quite a few times - and which first got me interested in this composer!

Christopher

I just found these randomly on youtube (recent uploads) - have been looking out for them for ages:

Croatian Dances by Alexandr Ilyinsky (1859-1920)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LooUIDSwqhU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHi0oFT2gdg

Apparently the composer also arranged them for orchestra...

http://imslp.org/wiki/Croatian_Dances,_Op.3_(Ilyinsky,_Aleksandr)


Christopher

Quote from: dhibbard on Friday 12 June 2020, 00:33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgpyonoTdK4

Orchestral version of VII Berceuse

It's a "midi" computer simulation (you presumably read the description on the youtube page before posting?).

Christopher

"Midi" computer simulation of the orchestral version of the complete Noure et Anitra Suite, 24 mins long:

https://youtu.be/fTmyuvE_Wvw

  " The "Noure and Anitra" orchestral suite has sometimes been described as a "dance scene" or "ballet." It is easy to imagine dance being choreographed to the music.

Three parts of the suite were adapted by publishers to be used as silent film accompaniment: Gnomes, 'L'Orgie, and Berceuse.  The latter is probably the best known, piano transcriptions of which have been included in many piano books.   L'Orgie, issued by two different music publishers as photoplay accompaniment under the title "Orgy of Spirits," was known as the "epitome of the storm scene."

The sections are and start times are:
0:00    -  Le Paladin À Cheval  (The paladin on horseback) 
2:50    -  Le Chateau Mystèrieux (The Mysterious Castle) 
6:07    -  Gnomes 
8:52    -  La Princesse Enchantèe (The enchanted princess);
10:11   - Tentacion (Temptation)
12:31   -  Danse Des Fèes (Dance of the Fairies)
16:10   - Reveries;  Paladin and Princess
18:26    - Berceuse (Lullaby)
20:12    - L'Orgie (Orgy)

In the glorious realm of the Indian king Chour-Assoura, there was an immense enchanted forest; in the midst of this forest there was a mysterious castle, and in this castle lived the beautiful Princess Anitra, famed for her remarkable beauty and her potent sorcery.

     Many paladins tried to reach the ravishing princess, but all fell victim to her powers of enchantment. The paladin Noure, who possessed a wondrous talisman granted to him by a good genie, resolved to try his luck at reaching the beautiful princess.

     On his fiery steed he arrives at the enchanted forest. Suddenly the mysterious castle appears before him in all its fantastical splendor; however, he cannot enter the castle, for it is under the constant guard of watchful gnomes. After a brief battle, they surround the paladin and lead him inside the castle.

     The enchanted princess appears. The paladin is captivated by her beauty. She places him at her side. Fairies appear at her signal and begin to turn about in a mesmerizing dance, to the sound of music played by invisible musicians.

     Fascinated by the charms of the princess, the paladin forgets everything.  She leads him into a magical cave where, holding him in an ardent embrace, she murmurs words of love to him. None could fight against her enchantments, but Noure's talisman saves him.

     In order to take the talisman from him, Anitra seeks to send the paladin to sleep with a lullaby. She takes up a harp and sings; Noure is on the point of falling asleep and his doom is near, but at that moment the good genie appears and saves him by leading him away from the crafty princess.

     They flee, pursued by the furious princess, her faithful gnomes, and all of the frenzied spirits in thrall to her."


sdtom