# Miaskovsky Symphonies



## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

This set was selling for very little last week, so I ordered it...

http://www.amazon.es/Complete-Symphonies-State-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B000XCTD5S/

I don't know anything about this music, but I love the Russians. Can someone fill me in on Miaskovsky and his works?

Thanks!


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

I am also starting to discover Miaskovsky's music. Honestly, thanks to the enthusiasm of a former member who is now banned, he certainly knows a lot about Miaskovsky's music. I just started listening to some of the piano sonatas, which I enjoyed.

Let us know what you think of the symphonies. I might give it a listen.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

The set jumped almost 50 euro in a couple of days. Weird. I wish that Gliere set would come down in price a bit.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I own that box set of Miaskovsky and I have enjoyed working my way through them. I think I like and enjoy Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Prokofiev more but I also know their works better too and for me familiarity helps a lot to further my enjoyment.

Kevin


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

The text at Amazon said these were more related to Tchaikovsky, Rimsky and the older guard Russians than the newer guard. Is that incorrect?


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

bigshot said:


> The text at Amazon said these were more related to Tchaikovsky, Rimsky and the older guard Russians than the newer guard. Is that incorrect?


I suppose overall that could be true but he had some pretty experimental symphonies (number 10 comes to mind) but I suppose the majority of his symphonies do take on more of a late romantic tone. Some of his works do seem to have some influence of Scriabin to them. I have not made it completely through the entire set yet and I have only listened to a few more than once. Now I might have to rectify that. Not that I don't have a ton of other things I have yet to listen to! lol

Kevin


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I am working my way through this set myself. It is interesting music, well worth listening to, if perhaps lacking that last bit of genius. The 6th symphony, in the version with chorus, is a masterpiece though to my taste.


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

The later Myaskovsky output I've heard is interesting but certainly more conventional in both content and agenda than those by other leading Soviet composers - I still can't figure out why Myaskovsky was targeted by Zhdanov in 1947 for anti-formalism as even before then he seemed to know which way the wind was blowing and whatever experimental/modernist tendencies his music had were long in the past - at the age of 66 and in poor health he was hardly likely to rock the boat bearing in mind the officially-sanctioned humiliation of Shostakovich over 10 years previously.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I've been meaninmg to get the complete Myaskovsky symphony set for along time . His music is certainly interesting . It's somewhat elusive music and doesn't reveal its secrets on first hearing .I have several recordings of his symphonies on different labels, with Riozhdestvensky, and some lesser known but good conductors as Robert Stankovsky of Slovakia and Hungarian Michael Halasz , plus one with Svetlanov which I believe was recorded some years before the complete set , plus a few string quartets with the St,Petersburg quartet , and two of the cello concerto with Rostropovich/Sargent and Maisky/Pletnev .
The neglect of the cello concerto is totally undeserved . Why don't Yo Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell and other leading cellists take it up ? Where are you, guys ?
Of the symphonies I have, I particularly like the 8th , which has an absolutely haunting and unearthly slow movement (the third) featuring a Tatar melody played by English horn . It has a curiously American Indian flavor .


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

> I don't know anything about this music, but I love the Russians. Can someone fill me in on Miaskovsky and his works?


The box set never existed until fairly recently. Back in 1997 when the 'Russia Revelation' discovered boxes of archival tapes and made them available before going bust, Rozhdestvensky's recordings of the Symphony No.2 & 22, started to complement the opus magnus achievements of the monumental No.6 - and suddenly Myaskovsky's fortunes in the west started to change.

The Russian Disc label also brought out his complete string quartet cycle (13 quartets) for us, and it was only a matter of time before Myaskovsky finally received the recognition, that his younger and more musically capricious friend Prokofiev received in the west.

Zhdanov recognised the non-formulaic and rather 'folk' inflected aspects of Myaskovsky's more interior orientated, if not introspective music; although its outward form is rather conservative, his music is too complex for state organs. Like his string quartet oeuvre - the Bolsheviks would have had a thing or two to flog if they'd lived to hear it  Although Myaskovsky delayed most of its publication, the problem for Zhdanov was that Myaskovsky championed the works of the younger and more anti-formalist composers. Thus no surprise...Shebalin, amongst others of his pupils didn't get a great reception either.

His cello concerto possesses the turn of the war nostalgia which is heartachingly beautiful along with his rather romantic sounding cello sonatas. The violin concerto has come back into catalogue and is well served now. Some amazing recordings available too - since Rostropovich's early recordings, then Tarasova who championed it on Olympia Records for the western audience; then Ferschtmann; Morki; Maisky and others. I don't think its' neglected - except perhaps in western concert halls, when we get the same boring programming of the Teutonic-Wiener-Schnitzel axis of composers year in year out.

I have a lot of Yo Yo Ma's stuff, but perhaps he's not particularly suited to recording the Myaskovsky imho. Harrell is a fine cellist although his repertoire is rather tame (Schumann/Debussy/Saint-Saen/Lalo is what I'm thinking of).


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## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

I have that set, and have enjoined the little I've heard, fair warning though if you use iTunes or your pc to listen to it you may encounter problems. I want more of his music eventually.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

As Harpsichord Concerto mentioned, we had a former member far more attuned to Miaskovsky than me. Indeed, there was another member here some 3 years ago or so who was equally enamored of the composer. I ended up picking up a few of the discs from this box set individually:










They were nice enough... but I wasn't really sold on the composer's "genius". Of course I should acknowledge that I am not a huge fan of Russian music. I certainly listen to the Germans, French, and Italians more. On the other hand, I later picked up this disc...










... and I was very much impressed and moved by the works. I think if I get around to exploring Misakovsky more, I will look toward his later symphonies.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

wooooooops


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I finally got this set today. The first copy was lost in the mail, but Amazon.es made good.

It's going to take a very long time to process this. There are 16 disks an each one is at least 72 minutes.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

bigshot said:


> I finally got this set today. The first copy was lost in the mail, but Amazon.es made good.
> 
> It's going to take a very long time to process this. There are 16 disks an each one is at least 72 minutes.


Yea...it will take you a while but it will be rewarding. Glad you reminded me. I need to pull my set out again.

Kevin


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Oh my! I like this and I totally get it!

I can understand how Miaskovsky would have been revered in the late 30s/early 40s. This is exactly what the classic film composers were doing. This could be a Waxman, Salter or Steiner score. It's got the same blend of unbridled romanticism and Russian color. I've just listened to the 6th and the 9th so far (my magic numbers for starting any symphony cycle), but I'm eager to hear more. Totally glad I got this.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

I'll have to rip this thread from the grave and echo what big is saying... Most excellent. "Unbridled romanticism and Russian color" is right on. I also enjoy how he incorporates some modernist techniques.


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