# César Cui most relevant works



## Vicente (Aug 5, 2015)

Together with a group of friends I am studying Russian music since the middle of the 19th century. We are well advanced with Mikhail Glinka and now we intend to continue with Cesar Cui. From what I have read his most important works are the short piano pieces and his songs.

I would like you to recommend me what you think are the most relevant works of this author. We will listen to several versions of each one, so it is not important that you include the recording you like the most.

Thanks
Vicente


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)

Kaleidoscope (Op. 50), especially No. 9 Orientale, is the only piece I'm familiar with.

Will follow the thread with interest.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

My favorite Cui work is A Feast in time of plague (essentially a short opera). His piano preludes are also fine pieces.


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## Vicente (Aug 5, 2015)

I have finally planned the works of Cui that I am going to listen to, according to what I have available in my own record library and through Idagio. He doesn't seem to be a composer that record companies are paying much attention to, which is consistent with the information I've gotten from Cui, which indicates that the part of his oeuvre that holds the most interest is the miniatures and songs.
This is my final list, which I will start listening to when we are done with Glinka, who is indeed giving me some great musical moments:

-	Poems by Pushkin. Op. 57
-	Preludes Op. 54
-	Melodies Op. 54 núm. 5
-	Suite No. 3 in G minor op. 43 “In modo populari”
-	Suite No. 2 in E major op. 38

Regards
Vicente


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## Dima (Oct 3, 2016)

Vicente said:


> Together with a group of friends I am studying Russian music since the middle of the 19th century. We are well advanced with Mikhail Glinka and now we intend to continue with Cesar Cui. From what I have read his most important works are the short piano pieces and his songs.
> 
> I would like you to recommend me what you think are the most relevant works of this author. We will listen to several versions of each one, so it is not important that you include the recording you like the most.
> 
> ...


His main works is of course operas, but the main of them are not recorded in audio. As a good examle you can listen this fragment from his opera music: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h0uFkNyegeUNtDM1fgil_2ZxG-2RxWgL

It is from opera-ballet Mlada every act of which was written by different composer. The composition of the score was divided between César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and Aleksandr Borodin, including interpolated ballet music by Ludwig Minkus. The whole 1 act was written and orchestrated by Cesar Cui - and the fragment I gave here is the end of this 1st act and written by Cui. I decided to give this beautiful fragment as an example of what Cui could compose. In soviet times music of Cui was claimed as bad, that is why you don't need to hear it (but the truth was that he had not russian nationality) and practicaly was not recorded. This fragment show what his opera music is lool like (he wrote about 15 operas). And we can hear Cui on this recording only because this work was labeled on CD and attributed to Rimskiy-Korsakov without any coauthors. Сui was the first composer from the Mighty Handful whose operas were performed on stage and between Mighty Handful he had a reputation of specialist in opera.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Sorry, a slight digression, but Lyadov is more interesting as a miniaturist, IMHO.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Now there's one obscure composer; there's hardly been anything of his recorded. His best work is literary: his reviews of new music at his time are really insightful and interesting. I have what little is on record, from the Marco Polo label years ago. Nothing too exciting. But I have performed one of his works: a military march for band, "Slava". I got hold of the score when I was in college and rescored it for modern American-style wind band and it was on a concert of marches we did back in '77 (?). Interesting, but he was no Sousa. I wish I had a recording, but that old open reel tape is long gone.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I was under the impression that Cui's real musical gifts lay elsewhere - namely criticism rather than composition?


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I think so too, but he always succeeds in getting mentioned, being a part The Mighty Five gang ...


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

joen_cph said:


> I think so too, but he always succeeds in getting mentioned, being a part The Mighty Five gang ...


Perhaps he was to the _kuchka_ what Peter Lawford was to the Rat Pack. :lol:


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