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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Lyapunov: Violin Concerto in D minor & Symphony No. 1
Sergey Mikhaylovich Lyapunov belonged to the second generation of Russian nationalist composers who were professionally trained and strongly influenced by Balakirev and his associates. His Violin Concerto has “a gorgeous solo part, big tunes, high energy, emotional Russian-romantic sweep, and a simply terrific cadenza … Maxim Fedotov sounds like he is having the time of his life” MusicWeb International. The first of Lyapunov’s two symphonies is a grand essay in the late Russian Romantic mould, a youthful yet masterful work of great charm and power. This release is a follow up to the recent release of Lyapunov’s Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2. “If you have a soft spot for the late-Romantic violin concerto, you'll enjoy Lyapunov's...[Fedotov] produce[s] a rich sound from his instrument, and there's rarely a sense of strain in the more virtuoso writing...Yablonsky rarely allows the music to sag.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2011 *** | | | (also available to download from $5.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Lyapunov: Symphony No. 1
“Sergei Lyapunov has always been a shadowy figure, his derivative yet distinctive voice drowned by his more celebrated compatriots and even by his contemporaries Taneyev, Liadov and Arensky. Yet hearing the First Symphony in a performance of this calibre you're reminded of the way Lyapunov's melodic appeal is complemented by brilliant craftsmanship.
The opening motif is sufficiently brief to invite elaboration and to play a key role in music as coherent as it's heartfelt. The chromatic undertow as the music eases into the poco più tranquillo, its mix of sweetness and unrest looks ahead to Rachmaninov's Second Symphony, and if the themes are less memorable than in that towering Romantic masterpiece they're marshalled and directed with great compositional skill. Vassily Sinaisky and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra allow the long sinuous lines of the Andante sostenuto to unfold with an unfaltering tact and commitment, and in the balletic Scherzo, with its memories of Tchaikovsky, he realises all of the music's captivating grace and charm.
If Borodin is a key influence in the symphony then Liszt is central to the thinking behind the Second Piano Concerto. Lyapunov, after all, paid an eloquent tribute to Liszt in his 12 TranscendentalEtudes for solo piano, a magnificent if uneven creation, and not surprisingly the lavish and intricate pianism in the Second Concerto is a Romantically inclined pianist's dream. Certainly its succulent themes and star-dust decoration could hardly be spun off more beguilingly than by Howard Shelley. His relaxed mastery and enviably elegant style inform every bar of this most seductive work.
The recordings are magnificent; no lover of Russian Romantic by-ways can afford to be without this.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Lyapunov: Symphonic Works
Lyapunov: | Symphony No. 1 in B minor, Op. 12 USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov Symphony No. 2 in B minor, Op. 66 USSR Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Algi Ziuraitis Hashish - symphonic poem for big orchestra, Op. 53 USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov Solemn Overture on Russian Themes USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov Ballad for big orchestra, Op. 2 USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov Polonaise USSR Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Algi Ziuraitis Zelazowa Wola, Op. 37 USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov |
The composer’s entire symphonic legacy is presented in this 3 CD box. His two symphonies are traditional four-movement cycles in the vein of Borodin’s and Balakirev’s epic compositions. Also, there are a few one-movement pieces: an early Ballade, a symphonic, a picturesque oriental symphonic poem Hashish, and Solemn Overture on Russian Themes,one of Lyapunov’s most popular works, which earned an admiring response of his teacher Mily Balakirev. Lyapunov’s works are performed by the USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra and its leader Evgeny Svetlanov. | 
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| |  | Alexander Gauk Edition Volume 2
Cui: | Suite No. 2, Op. 38 Suite No. 3 ‘In modo populari’, Op. 43 | Dargomïzhsky: | Baba Yaga | Debussy: | Danses sacrée et profane | Kryukov: | Czech Rhapsody | Laskovsky: | Mazurka for clarinet and orchestra | Lyapunov: | Symphony No. 1 in B minor, Op. 12 Zelazowa Wola, Op. 37 | Piston: | Symphony No. 6 ‘Gettysburg’ | Ravel: | Introduction & Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet | Roussel: | Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 53 | Schubert: | Symphony No. 3 in D major, D200 Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D417 'Tragic' | Taneyev: | Symphony No. 4 in C minor Op. 12 | Tchaikovsky: | Manfred Symphony, Op. 58 Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 Suite No. 2 in C major, Op. 53 Suite No. 4 in G major, Op.61 'Mozartiana' | Tchaikovsky, B: | Sinfonietta for Strings |
Alexander Gauk (1893-1963) studied with Glazunov and Tcherepnin at Petrograd Conservatory. His early appointments included the Petrograd Music Drama Theatre, the State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet (formerly the Mariinsky, latterly the Kirov), and he went on to become principal conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic, succeeding Nikolai Malko. He was also appointed to the role of first director of the USSR State Symphony. In addition, he taught at the conservatories in Tbilisi, Leningrad and Moscow. Gauk premiered many works, including Shostakovich’s 3rd Symphony, The Golden Age, and The Bolt. He was a champion of Khachaturian, Miaskovsky, Prokofiev and Shaporin, and was also one of the first conductors to resurrect Rachmaninov’s 1st Symphony after its catastrophic premiere under a clearly drunk Glazunov. He rather daringly (for the time and place) tackled Mahler and Richard Strauss. Gauk was a visceral conductor, favouring tight rhythms and driven structures, and the discipline he exerted over orchestral ensemble was breathtaking, and completely free of any blemish. His recorded legacy is extensive, and his is still a formidable name in Russian musical history. One of the great conductors of the 20th century who was closely linked with some of the greatest Russian composers, and who premiered many of their works. Extensive booklet notes. Some unusual Russian repertoire is included in the set. | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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