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Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 75
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16
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Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Oleg Eiges (1905-1992)
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on: July 22, 2021, 09:02:30 pm
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Very true - my first acquaintance with the music of Weinberg was the old Melodiya-HMV issue of his violin concerto and 4th symphony under the name Vainberg, and so I always thought of him as Vainberg for many years thereafter. Even after understanding the truth about Mieczysław Weinberg as a put-upon Polish-born composer of Jewish descent, I was always a little sorry about the absence of Moshei Vainberg!
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17
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Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Oleg Eiges (1905-1992)
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on: July 18, 2021, 09:26:00 pm
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Many thanks for the replies above, especially for the piano concerto, which I much enjoyed. Especially the slow movement, which seems to have stepped out of The Fiery Angel. But I have two principal questions:
1) What was so objectionable about his 10th symphony that aroused the ire of the censors and kiboshed his career? Did it set poems by Jewish poets?
2) Given the general interest in music that got censored in the 1940s, why has he seemingly never been rehabilitated, especially in the west?
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18
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Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Havergal Brian (1876-1972)
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on: July 17, 2021, 05:06:42 pm
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It would be quite interesting to hear again Stokowski's performance of No. 28, which was apparently so butchered as to resemble a different piece altogether!
There are recordings in the British and Irish Music Archive - Symphony No.28 (Sinfonia in C minor) (1967)***[copy 1] +++[copy 2] New Philharmonia O/ Leopold Stokowski (7/6/1973, br. 5/10/1973)PM me for mediafire links if you haven't got them! :) Thanks, I have the link!
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20
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Assorted items / Individual composers / Oleg Eiges (1905-1992)
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on: July 13, 2021, 07:52:33 pm
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I wonder if anyone knows much about Oleg Eiges? I can find out very little. That his father Konstantin Eiges was also a composer, and has a CD of piano music on the Toccata label. Apparently Oleg composed some 15 symphonies, but the 10th fell foul of the authorities, and his career never recovered. I have heard one short piano sonata of his on YT, which seemed a fine piece. Since we have some experts on Soviet music here, I wondered if anything more could be discovered.
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22
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Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: Sergei Slonimsky: RIP
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on: July 19, 2020, 10:06:38 pm
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This didn't make the news at all - sorry to hear it.
Story about him - many years ago, his opera on Mary Queen of Scots was performed in Edinburgh. It included a crowd scene where John Knox is preaching to a large congregation from the steps of his house. At the end of the scene, Knox crosses himself and the crowd follows suit. The entire audience collapsed in laughter, and the poor Russian opera company wondered what on earth was wrong.
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23
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Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: Simpson and Walton's 70th birthday.
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on: July 19, 2020, 10:02:16 pm
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Many thanks! Actually, the version I recall was not in the RFH but a BBC studio, and each piece was introduced by Joseph Cooper. I distinctly remember that before Malcolm Arnold's contribution, Cooper said to Walton, "By the way, Malcolm's lost weight!" To which Walton replied, "Impossible!"
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / The War Sonatas
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on: July 19, 2020, 09:48:08 pm
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This is not exactly "little-known", but however -
A while ago I was driving along, switched the car radio on, and caught an extract from one of the Prokofiev "War Sonatas", and was flabbergasted by the excellence of the playing. So I wasn't entirely surprised when the announcer came on and reported the pianist as Steven Osborne. Since I HAD to order the new Rubbra concerto from Hyperion, it seemed like a good opportunity to order the Osborne disc as well. It really is astonishing how good the playing is, both in virtuosity and insight. (I was also fascinated to discover Osborne's teacher was an old friend of mine).
If you like Prokofiev, you have to hear this.
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28
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Hyperion Romantic Piano Concertos series - next issue Rubbra and Bliss
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on: July 19, 2020, 09:26:15 pm
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Well, I had to get this, despite having "stopped buying CDs". How wonderful it is! The Rubbra concerto has long been a favourite work, despite my acquaintance with it having been solely from the scratchy old LP (with that wonderful glassy cover art). Having a modern stereo recording is great. What an unsung masterpiece it is! Mind you, I have to ration my listening to Rubbra's music - I find it emotionally exhausting.
It is also a very fine recording of the Bliss - I had forgotten what a good piece this is. Would go down so well in the concert hall. Interesting to read that Solomon (who gave the premiere) was quite nervous as to his ability to bring it off.
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Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: Unrecorded British Symphonies: an update
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on: February 19, 2020, 10:26:52 pm
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Apologies for necroposting.
I forgot about John White, who is sadly neglected on disc. According to Wikipedia, he wrote 25 symphonies. I think I have or had a cassette tape with two of them, which were fairly dire electronic works. But given the attractiveness of his piano sonatas, he could certainly write well when he wanted to.
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30
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Assorted items / General musical discussion / Simpson and Walton's 70th birthday.
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on: February 19, 2020, 10:17:46 pm
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In 1972, the BBC aired a programme to celebrate Walton's 70th birthday, in which were played tributes by several British composers. The highlight was a very clever piece by Robert Simpson, which started off as the opening of Walton's first symphony, but in which the statement of the first subject morphed subtly into "Happy Birthday to You". I'd love to hear it again. Does anyone know if it was ever preserved?
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