# Opinion of and Favorite Recordings of Ippolitov-Ivanov's Symphony No. 1?



## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

What is your opinion of Ippolitov-Ivanov's Symphony No. 1?

What is your favorite recording of this symphony? 

Feel free to elaborate on why a particular recording appeals or does not.

Thanks.


----------



## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

This is pretty thin gruel. It has nothing distinguished about it. It's bland and academic. The symphony goes through the right motions but at the end, it's "so what"? As much as I like some of his other music this has never been a must-listen. I still remember the thrill when the first recording came out on Marco Polo (or what it Records International then?) and the anticipation of a great, forgotten Russian Nationalist symphony. And then the disappointment hit. The Conifer recording with Gary Brain is much better in all respects: the sound, the orchestral playing, the conducting. But it's still not enough to make it a great symphony. For Russian music fanatics only, I'm afraid. 

Ippolitov-Ivanov was certainly an important musician and did a lot for Russian music. There's a great story about him showing up at a performance of the Borodin 2nd in MInneapolis when Mitropoulos was conducting.


----------

