Tansman, Tangos and Taneyev (Random Reviews from the Overflow Room)
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- What a combination! Two lesser-known Eastern European composers separated by a clump of tangos. It's a typically eclectic selection of random titles from the overflow room.
Thanks for putting Tansman on the map!
What a coinky-dink, just yesterday I gave Tansman’s Concerto for Orchestra a spin for the first time! Not sure how I ended up listening to it other than the usual collector madness, but it’s a fun piece. Some spooky moments, some exhilarating moments, and as you said modern without being overly modernist. Tanayev is always good fun for a little conservative Romance.
Because of a video you made several moons ago, I discovered the music of Taneyev!!!!
Because of need to find new/different/non standard music to listen to your video hit a chord with me, and I purchased the Naxos box set. It's fun, easy to listen to, and new to me so THANK YOU!!!
When Gershwin visited Paris, Tansman became very friendly with him. Tansman related how they went around a number of car dealers on the Champs-Elysées for Gershwin to find the exact car horn that Gershwin want to have in his American in Paris. BTW--There are fun piano pieces by Tansman written in 1920's Jazz style
Let's not forget that Taneyev also composed some of the best late romantic string quartets from Russia.
I can recommend Taneyev Sym No.4 . There is a fantantic recording on UA-cam free to listen to with Conductor Svetlanov. Exciting as hell.
About fifty years ago I discovered some of Taneyev’s exquisite a capella choral works. “Serenade,” “Venice at Night” and “Dawn” are real gems and their melodies will remain in one’s memory perhaps for the remainder of existence.
Fair assessment of Taneyev...though he did write some GREAT tunes (eg: the main "Russian" theme from his 4th Symphony). Oresteia is loaded with wonderful melodic ideas, that somehow fail to implant themselves on the listener due to the overall weight and dramatic surge of the music. The big APPOLLO Theme from Oresteia might just be the singular most beautiful melody ever written (how's THAT for hyperbole?)..and it's is fully displayed in the last 6 minutes of the Oresteia Overture, which you mention on the Ondine disc. It is unbelievably beautiful, and rivals anything Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff wrote. (Incidentally, a number of the full recordings of Oresteia on YT ..including Ashkenzay/Helsinki...actually play the ENTIRE, 17-minute Oresteia Overture as a prelude to the full opera; Akshkenzay actually plays BOTH the full Overture PLUS the 3-minute Prelude, which is all that the composer intended to be played. No WONDER the opera seems so lengthy. LR
I highly recommend Tansman's Variations on a Theme by Frescobaldi pour string ensemble.
That Ondine Taneyev CD is great! It blew me away some 20 years ago when I listened to it the first time (it was also my introduction to the music of Taneyev). Those chamber music CDs are good too, but for Taneyev's chamber music for piano I recommend the twofer on CPO of Piano Quintet, Quartet and Trio. Taneyev perhaps didn't have a distinctive style, but does it even matter when the music is so well composed? Does music need to scream the name of its creator? I think the only downside of not having a distinctive own style is that the music is easily overlooked/ignored as in the case of Taneyev. Both his teacher (Tchaikovsky) and pupil (Rachmaninov) are some of the most beloved composers of classical music while Taneyev's music has remained somewhat obscure for many. Luckily his music is far from forgotten.
In short, yes. Music does need to scream the need of its creator. That's why no one especially cares about Taneyev. A pity, but it's true. A distinctive voice is one of the hallmarks of greatness.
I think your description of Taneyev on the money.
Is that the same Taneyev Suite that appears with the Arensky Violin Concerto on one of the Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto discs?
Yes, the same Op. 28.
Yes
@@llxie78 2 yesses. Let's go for best of 7