# Anthology of Russian Symphony Music (Melodiya)



## JAS

Yes, strictly speaking the title should be the Anthology of Russian Symphonic Music, but this was a series originally issued on the Russian Melodiya label, and the translator was apparently not quite that proficient in English. This series was first issued on CD back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (It was also on LP, although I am not sure how much ended up in each format.) It was not widely available here in the US, and the only CD store that carried them locally ran into financial problems about the time that these came out, and they could not obtain all of the releases. Thus, I was only able to purchase a selection of the titles when they were originally issued. Ever since, I have tried to obtain the missing volumes, and to establish the full list of items, at least as intended. (I have come to understand that several volumes were never issued, and a couple were perhaps planned but never recorded. Svetlanov apparently ran into problems with the Russian government about this time and became somewhat ostracized. I am also not sure that the set sold very well. Many of the better known items were available in other recordings, and the unique material may not have had such broad appeal.)

The series has been released by the Svetlanov Foundation over the last few years, which fills in many of my gaps, and helps me to fill in some of the details. (The new releases are completely reorganized, although individual CDs sometimes follow the order of the original releases. In several cases, individual items have been brought together from isolated issues in the original series.) I have also been able to pick up or locate copies of some of the volumes from the original series. 

I don't know if anyone else might be able to provide some missing details, or would be interested in seeing the list as I have constructed it thus far.


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## Kivimees

Hello JAS,

I looked at my university library's online catalogue and it lists 20 Melodiya CDs from 1989 to 1991, most conducted by Svetlanov. The catalogue provides no cover images, but the catalogue listing of an example reads:

Balakirev, Mili, 1837-1910, helilooja 
Sümfooniad, ork., nr1, C-duur 
Symphony No. 1 [Helisalvestis] ; Overture ; Russia / M. Balakirev ; USSR Symphony Orchestra, Evgeni Svetlanov, conductor 
[Moskva] : Melodyia, p1991 
1 CD (62:06)

Does this sound like what you're looking for?


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## Kivimees

Answering my own question: this is indeed what you're looking for.

Here's the catalogue's detailed listing for the same CD:

SUCD 10-00151 Melodyia 
Anthology of Russian symphony music 4 
Антология русской симфонической музыки 4 
1. Symphony No. 1 in C major ; 2. Overture on three Russian songs ; 3. Russia: symphonic poem 
1974 (1.) ja 1978 (2., 3.) 
Märksõnad vene 
19. saj. 2. pool 
orkestrimuusika 
sümfooniad 
avamängud 
sümfoonilised poeemid 
Täiendkirjed Svetlanov, Jevgeni, 1928-2002, dirigent 
Balakirev, Mili, 1837-1910, helilooja. Увертюра на темы трех русских песен 
Balakirev, Mili, 1837-1910, helilooja. Русь 
Государственный академический симфонический оркестр СССР, esitaja


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## JAS

Yes, that appears to be volume 4. Perhaps I should just go ahead and post the list as I currently have it. The last numbered volume that I know of is 79, which is orchestral opera excerpts from Tchaikovsky. (It is possible that more were planned, but never completed or issued. Alphabetically, as the series is generally arranged, there wouldn't be much after Tchaikovsky.) Here are the details for vols. 1-10:

Vol. 1 (SUCD 10-00148) - Anton Arensky:

# Suite No. 1 in G minor (Op. 7) (32.52)
# Suite No. 3 (Variations) in C major (Op. 33) (29.51)
# Introduction to the opera "Nal and Damajanti" (6.44)

Vol. 2 (SUCD 10-00149) - Anton Arensky:

# Symphony No. 1 in B minor (Op. 4) (11.25/10.21/6.49/6.49)
# Symphony No. 2 in A major (Op. 22) (13.27/4.37/4.12)
# Overture from the opera "Dream on the Volga" (Op. 16) (7.37)
# Intermezzo in G minor for Strings (Op. 13) (3.14)

Vol. 3 (SUCD 10-00150) - Anton Arensky:

# Silhouettes, Suite No. 2 for Symphony Orchestra (Op. 23) (3.11/3.10/3.14/5.22/3.00)
# Suite from the ballet "Egyptian Nights" (Op. 50a) (6.17/2.26/2.11/2.20/1.08/3.12/4.25)
# Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky (Op. 35) (14.37)
# Fantasia on Themes of Ryabinin, for Piano and Orchestra (Op. 48) (9.06)

Vol. 4 (SUCD 10-00151) - Mily Balakirev:

# Symphony No. 1 in C major (11.38/6.49/21.30)
# Overture on Three Russian Songs (8.22)
# Russia, symphonic poem (13.47)

Vol. 5 (SUCD 10-00152) - Mily Balakirev:

# Symphony No. 2 in D minor(9.33/7.44/9.45/8.22)
# Tamara, symphonic poem (after M. Lermontov) (21.05)
# In Bohemia, symphonic poem (12.03)

Vol. 6 (SUCD 10-00153) - Mily Balakirev:

# King Lear, Music for W. Shakespeare's tragedy (Overture, Procession, 4 Entre'acte) (11.30/6.29/2.54/5.11/7.24/2.10)
# Suite in B minor (2.14/8.15/5.42)
# Overture on the theme of [a] Spanish March (13.23)

Vol. 7 (SUCD 10-00138) - Mily Balakirev, Alexander Borodin, and Modest Mussorgsky:

# (M. Balakirev) Suite in D minor of four pieces by F. Chopin (5.09/3.51/6.45/6.46)
# (A. Borodin) Polovetsian dances and chorus from Prince Igor (Act II, Act III) (11.00/5.37)
# (M. Mussorgsky) Night on Bald mountain: fantasia for symphony orchestra (edited and orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov) (11.01)
# (M. Mussorgsky) Two choirs with orchestra (The Destruction of Sennacherib, after G. G. Byron; Joshua) (5.55/5.34)

Vol. 8 (SUCD 10-00154) - Alexander Borodin:

# Symphony No. 1 in E flat major (13.23/6.37/8.14/6.38)
# Symphony No. 2 in B minor "Heroic" (9.05/5.28/16.50)

Vol. 9 (SUCD 10-00155) - Alexander Borodin:

# Symphony No. 3 in A major (unfinished) (9.13/10.21)
# Petite Suite (orchestrated by A. Glazunov) (6.01/3.55/2.51/3.01/4.25/2.18/6.49)
# In the Steppes of Central Asia, Musical Picture (9.15)
# Overture to the opera Prince Igor (10.18)

Vol. 10 (SUCD 10-00179) - Waltzes and Polonaises (by Russian Composers)

# A. Glazunov - Waltz from ballet "Raymonda" (5.15)
# A. Glazunov - Waltz from ballet "Lady Soubrette" (6.11)
# A. Glazunov - Waltz from "Ballet Suite", Op. 52 (5.44)
# A. Rubenstein - Waltz Capriccio (6.11)
# P. Tchaikovsky - Waltz from the Opera "Eugene Onegin" (6.33)
# N. Rimsky-Korsakov - Polonaise from the Opera "Christmas Eve" (4.39)
# N. Rimsky-Korsakov - Polonaise from the Opera "Pan Voyevoda" (6.52)
# M. Mussorgsky - Introduction and Polonaise from the Opera "Boris Godunov" (6.35)
# A. Glazunov - Polonaise from "Ballet Suite", Op. 52 (5.33)
# P. Tchaikovsky - Polonaise from the Opera "Cherevichki" (6.10)
# P. Tchaikovsky - Polonaise from the Opera "Sleeping Beauty" (4.04)


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## JAS

Here is the information for vols. 11-28. These cover music by Alexander Glazunov, and are certainly the largest block by a single composer in the series. 


Vol. 11 (SUCD 10-00020) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov:

# Lady Soubrette, Ballet in one act (Watteau's Pastorale, on plot of Marius Petipa) (Op. 61) (56.30)


Vol. 12 (SUCD 10-00022) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Symphony No. 1 in E major (Op. 5) (10.49/4.53/11.18/9.00)
# Kremlin, symphonic poem (Op. 30) (9.08/10.54/9.18)


Vol. 13 (SUCD 10-00023) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Symphony No. 2 in F sharp minor (Op. 16) (14.29/13.16/7.20/12.36)
# Song of Fate, Dramatic Overture (14.32)


Vol. 14 (SUCD 10-00024) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Symphony No. 3 in D major (Op. 33) (13.14/8.19/16.04/13.59)


Vol. 15 (SUCD 10-00025) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Symphony No. 4 in E flat major (Op. 48) (15.55/5.12/13.08)
# Symphony No. 5 in B flat major (Op. 55) (11.22/5.19/10.07/6.22)


Vol. 16 (SUCD 10-00026) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

#Symphony No. 6 in C minor (Op. 58) (11.02/11.39/5.05/10.19)
# Volga Boatman's Song (1905) (2.44)
# Serenade No. 1 (Op. 7) (4.04)
# Characteristic Dance (2.34)


Vol. 17 (SUCD 10-00027) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Symphony No. 7 in F major (Op. 77) (10.11/12.25/5.04/10.32)
# Karelian Legend, musical picture (Op. 99) (21.31)


Vol. 18 (SUCD 10-00028) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Symphony No. 8 in E flat major (Op. 83) (10.40/14.13/6.33/13.42)
# Two Pieces for Orchestra (Op. 14) (11.06/9.17)
# Serenade No. 2 in F Minor (Op. 11) (3.37)

Vol. 19 (SUCD 10-00156) - A. Glazunov: 

# Forest, Fantasia for Large Symphony Orchestra (Op. 19) (21.18)
# Sea, Fantasia for Large Symphony Orchestra (Op. 28) (17.26)
# Oriental Rhapsody for Large Symphony Orchestra (Op. 29) (24.14)


Vol. 20 (SUCD 10-00157) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# From the Middle Ages, symphonic suite (Op. 79) (7.05/3.53/5.22/9.46)
# To the Memory of a Hero, elegie (Op. 8) (15.51)
# Slavonic Festival (Op. 26, No. 4) (13.20)
# Wedding Procession (Op. 21) (7.28)


Vol. 21 (SUCD 10-00158) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Ballade for Large Symphonic Orchestra (Op. 78) (11.29)
# Solmen Overture for Large Symphonic Orchestra (Op. 73) (10.50)
# Spring, musical picture (Op. 34) (11.08)
# Introduction and Salome's Dance to O. Wilde's drama "Salome" (Op. 90) (8.04/7.59)
# Romantic Intermezzo for Large Symphonic Orchestra (Op. 69) (10.27)


No. 22 (SUCD 10-00159) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Seasons, ballet (Op. 67) (10.37/5.28/12.30/12.33) 
# Solemn Procession in B flat (Op. 91) (3.18)
# Solemn Procession in D Major (Op. 73) (10.56)
# March on a Russian Theme for orchestra in E flat (Op. 76) (11.35)


Vol. 23 (SUCD 10-00160) - A. Glazunov: 

# Ballet Suite For Large Orchestra (Op. 52) (3.06/2.22/3.51/1.18/4.02/2.46/5.25/5.37)
# Characteristic Suite for Large Orchestra (Op. 9) (5.02/5.59/3.54/5.09/4.10/8.47)


Vol. 24 (SUCD 10-00161) - A. Glazunov: 

# Stenka Razin, Symphonic poem (Op. 13) (16.12) 
# Lyrical Poem in D flat major (Op. 12) (12.03)
# Finnish Fantasia in C major (Op. 88) (12.20)
# Mazurka in G major (Op. 18) (7.40)
# Theme with Variations in G minor (Op. 97) (11.25)


Vol. 25 (SUCD 10-00162) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Concert Waltzes No. 1 in D major (Op. 47) (9.38)
# Concert Waltzes No. 2 in F major (Op. 51) (9.18)
# Chopiana, suite from F. Chopin's works (Op. 51) (5.58/5.47/5.30/3.11)
# From Darkness to Light, fantasia in C major (Op. 53) (13.17)
# Triumphal March (Op. 40) (9.62)


Vol. 26 (SUCD 10-00163) - Alexander Glazunov: 

# Prelude to the Memory of V. Stasov (Op. 85a) (5.57)
# Prelude to the Memory of N. Rimsky-Korsakov (Op. 85b) (11.08)
# To the Memory of N. Gogel, symphonic prologue (Op. 87) (10.25)
# Carnival (Op. 45) (9.27)
# Fortune-Telling and Dance, ballet scene (Op. 81) (9.30)
# Finish Sketches, No. 1 (From "Kaleval") and No. 2 (Procession) (Op. 89) (5.16/4.33)


Vol. 27 (SUCD 10-00164) - Alexander Glazunov and Anton Arensky: 

# (A. Glazunov) Overture No. 1 on three Greek themes in G minor (Op. 3) (15.00) 
# (A. Glazunov) Overture No. 2 on Greek themes in D major (Op. 6) (16.29) 
# (A. Arensky) Marguerite Gautier, fantasia for orchestra (Op. 9) (12.21)
# (A. Arensky) Introduction to the musical scenes from Renaissance "Raphael" (6.43) 
# (A. Arensky) March "to the Memory of Suvorow".

Vol. 28 - ??? (SUCD 10-00???) Probably Alexander Glazunov: Raymonda (the ballet Raymonda would have taken 2 cds. Only one waltz from the ballet is included in vol. 10, and an Entrance to Scene 2, Act I on the Pearls of Russian Symphony Miniatures CD, which may be vol. 32. Melodiya did issue a 2 cd set of Raymonda, conducted by Svetlanov, October 9, 2012. The skipped SUCD number suggests that it was not issued as part of the series. SUCD 10-00165 is vol. 29. Everything in the later collected Glazunov/Svetlanov set is accounted for above, other than Raymonda.)


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## JAS

Here is the information for vols. 29-39:

Vol. 29 (SUCD 10-00165) - Mikhail Glinka:

# Symphony on Two Russian Themes (edited by V. Shebalin) (15.20)
# Jota Aragonesa, Spanish Overture No. 1 (9.10)
# Fantasia on Spanish Themes "Summer Night in Madrid," Spanish Overture No. 2 (9.01)
# Waltz-Fantasia (8.45)
# Incidental music to N. Kukolnik's tragedy Prince Kholmsky (6:42/3:32/3:26/3:40/3:32)
# Premiere polka in B flat major (8.24)

Vol. 30 (SUCD 10-00166) - Mikhail Glinka:

# Overture to the opera "Ivan Susanin" (A Life for the Tsar) (9.30)
# Dances from the opera "Ivan Susanin" (A Life for the Tsar) (Cracovienne; Mazurka; Waltz) (5.28/4.31/5.32)
# Overture to the opera "Ruslan and Ludmila" (5.02)
# Dances from the opera "Ruslan and Ludmila" (15.05/7.21)
# Chernomor's March from the opera "Ruslan and Ludmila" (4.21)
# Andante cantabile and rondo in D minor (17.05)

Vol. 31 (SUCD 10-00167) - Mikhail Glinka and A. Dargomyzhsky:

# (M. Glinka) Patriotic Song (Instrumentation by A. Gauk) (1.32)
# (M. Glinka) Prayer (M. Lermntov) (15.00)
# (M. Glinka) Memory of Friendship (arrangement for symphony orchestra of Nocturne, by J. N. Hummel) (14.55)
# (M. Glinka) Overture in G Minor (6.45)
# (M. Glinka) Overture in D Major (5.48)
# (A. Dargomyzhsky) Kazachok, Fantasia on a theme of malorossiisky kazachok (6.01)
# (A. Dargomyzhsky) Baba Yaga, of From the Volga nach Riga Joke, fantasia (8.21)
# (A. Dargomyzhsky) Bolero (6.29)
# (A. Dargomyzhsky) Chukhon Fantasia (7.07)

Vol. 32 - ??? (SUCD 10-00168 ???) Probably Pearls of Russian Symphony Miniatures (The only Glinka item in the collected set not accounted for in the single volumes is Kamarinskaya, which is only 7.25. A good secondary composer here would be Gliere. Svetlanov did record Gliere's Solemn Overture in 1981, and it was issued on the Olympia label. It runs only 7.47.) (According to a list of Melodiya releases, SUCH 10-00168 was Pearls of Russian Symphony Miniatures, and that includes Kamarinskaya.) [[Contents: 1. Kamarinskaya fantasy (Glinka)~~~2. In the Steppes of Central Asia (Borodin)~~~3. Introduction and Cracovienne from 'Boris Godunov' (Mussorgsky, arr. Rimsky-Korsakov)~~~4. 'Kikimora', folk legend, op. 63 and 'The Enchanted Lake' tone poem op. 62 (Lyadov)~~~5. Islamey, oriental fantasy (Balakirev, arr. Lyapunov)~~~6. Introduction, Melodrama and Dance of the Buffoons from the 'Snow-Maiden' op. 12 (Tchaikovsky)~~~7. 'The Dancer' from Suite No. 2 op. 23 (Arensky)~~~8. Scherzo for Orchestra (Rachmaninov, Ed. P Lamm)~~~9. Dreams, Prelude for Orchestra in E minor, op. 24 (Scriabin)~~~10. Entrance to Scene 2, Act I of 'Raymonda' (Glazunov).]]

Vol. 33 (SUCD 10-00169) - V. Kalinnikov:

# Suite (10.30/4.13/18.42/5.41)
# Cedar and Palm, symphonic picture (12.16)
# Bylina, overture (12.02)

Vol. 34 (SUCD 10-00170) - V. Kalinikov:

# Symphony No. 2 in A major (9.38/8.55/7.54/11.23) 
# Intermezzo No. 1 in A major (4.57)
# Intermezzo No. 2 in G major (4.36)
# Serenade for String Orchestra (9.43)
# Nymphs, symphonic picture (10.10)

Vol. 35 (SUCD 10-00171) - V. Kalinnikov and N. Rimsky-Korsakov:

# (V. Kalinnikov) Symphony No. 1 in G minor (14.03/7.27/7.34/5.11)
# (N. Rimsky-Korsakov) Overture to the opera Boyarynia Bera Sheloga (5.11)
# (N. Rimsky-Korsakov) Overture to the opera Maid of Pskov (6.15)
# (N. Rimsky-Korsakov) Two Intermezzi from the opera Maid of Pskov (2.00/3.00)
# (N. Rimsky-Korsakov) In the Woods, Tsar's Hunting, Storm, musical picture (from the opera Maid of Pskov) (8.01)

Vol. 36 (SUCD 10-00140) - A. Liadov and E. Napravnik:

# (A. Liadov) From Apocalypse, Symphonic Picture (Op. 66) ( 8.45) 
# (A. Liadov) From Days Of Old, Ballade for Orchestra (Op. 21b) (5.27) 
# (A. Liadov) Baba Yaga, Illustration to a Russian Fairy Tale, Op. 56 (5.27) 
# (A. Liadov) The Enchanted Lake, Fairy Scene (Op. 62) (7.08) 
# (A. Liadov) Kikimora, Folk Tale, Op. 63 (7.55) 
# (A. Liadov) Eight Russian Songs for Orchestra (Religious Chant; Carol; Plaintive Song; Comic Song: "I Danced with a Gnat"; Lay of the Birds; Lullaby; Dance; Round Dance) (Op. 58) (14.18)
# (A. Liadov) Musical Snuff-Box (Op. 32) (2.18) 
# (E. Napravnik) Night Intermezzo from opera "Dubrovsky" (Act IV) (5.39)
# (E. Napravnik) Melancholy (Op. 48, No. 3) (9.40)

Vol. 37 (SUCD 10-0017) - Sergei Lyapunov and Mily Balakirev:

# (S. Lyapunov) Symphony No. 1 in B minor (Op. 12) (12.14/11.45/8.04/7.30) 
# (S. Lyapunov) Solemn Overture on Russian Themes (Op. 7) (15.38)
# (M. Balakirev) Islamey, oriental fantasia (Instrumentation by S. Lyapunov) (8.03)

Vol. 38 (SUCD 10-00173) - S. Lyapunov:

# Symphony No. 2 in B flat minor (Op. 66) (19.00/7.00/12.35/11.05)
# Zelazowa Wola, Symphonic Poem (Op. 37) (14.45)

Vol. 39 - ??? (SUCD 10-00174 ???) (Probably S. Lyapunov. Hashish / Ballad which is listed as SUCD 10-00174. Both pieces are included on the later collected set.)


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## JAS

Here is the information for vols 40-51:

Vol. 40 (SUCD 10-00175) - N. Medtner:

# Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra in C minor (Op. 33) (36.47)
# From Stimmungsbilder (Op. 1) (1.27/3.01/3.25)
# Funeral March in B minor (Op. 31, no. 2) (3.14)
# Canzona fluviaia in E minor (Op. 38, no. 4) (3.54)
# Russian Fairy Tale in F minor (Op. 42, no. 1) (6.23)

Vol. 41 (SUCD 10-00176) - N. Medtner:

# Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra in C minor (Op. 50) (20.00/10.45/12.00)
# Sonata -- Reminiscence in A Minor (Op. 38, no. 1) (15.00)
# Sonata -- Elegy in D Minor (Op. 11, no. 2) (7.42) 
# Graceful Dance in A Major (Op. 38, no. 2) (3.19)

Vol. 42 - ??? (SUCD 10-00177 ???) Probably N. Medtner: Concert no. 3 for Piano and Orchestra, which is SUCD 10-00177 (Although only concerti 1 and 2 are included on the later collected set, it was issued on LP, conducted by Svetlanov and with Tatiana Nikolaeva on piano. A recent Melodiya release, dated 2013, also contains only concerti 1 and. Perhaps the masters were lost?)

Vol. 43 (SUCD 10-00139) - Modest Mussorgsky:

# Pictures at an Exhibition (Instrumentation by M. Ravel) (35.00)
# Songs and Dances of Death, vocal cycle on words by A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov (orchestration by D. Shostovokich) (19.41)
# Golitsyn Train ("Khovanshchina," Act IV) (3.55)
# Solemn March (Capture of Kara) (4.58)

Vol. 44 (SUCH 10-00178) - Modest Mussorgsky:

# Dawn over the Moscow River, Introduction to the opera "Khovanshchina" (Instrumentation by D. Shostakovich) (6.28)
# Dawn over the Moscow River, Introduction to the opera "Khovanshchina" (Instrumentation by N. Rimsky-Korskov) (6.11)
# Dance of Percian [Persian] Girls (from the opera "Khovanshchina," Act IV) (7.13)
# Introduction to the opera "Sorochintsy Fair" (4.42)
# Merry Boys Gopak ("Sorochintsy Fair") (1.42)
# Scherzo in B flat major (4.00)
# Intermezzo in B minor (7.58)
# Sunless, vocal cycle to the words by A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov (Instrumentation by E. Svetlanov) (19.32)

Vol. 45 - ??? possibly Mussorgsky ??? (There is no other large Mussorgsky piece on the later collected set. Perhaps he intended to record the opera Boris Godunov) (SUCD 10-00179 is Waltzes and Polonaises, vol. 10, and SUCD 10-00180 begins the Rimsky-Korsakov vols.)

Vol. 46 (SUCD 10-00141) - S. Rachmaninov: (I have seen an image of the cover, and it is numbered)

# Symphony No. 1 in D Minor (Op. 13) (14.12/8.14/12.10/12.30)
# Vocalise (Op. 34 No. 14) (8.52)

Vol. 47 (SUCD 10-00142) - S. Rachmaninov: (I have seen an image of the cover, and it is numbered)

# Symphony No. 2 in E minor (Op. 27) (18.12/9.11/15.43/11.02)
# The Rock, Fantasia for Large Symphony Orchestra (Op. 7) (15.10)

Vol. 48 (SUCD 10-00143) - S. Rachmaninov:

# Symphony No. 3 in A minor (Op. 44) (13.36/12.30/12.08)
# Isle of the Dead, Symphonic poem after A. Bocklin's painting (Op. 29) (20.45)
# Scherzo for Orchestra (edition by P. Lamm) (5.47)

Vol. 49 (SUCD 10-00144) - S. Rachmaninov:

# Symphonic Dances (Op. 45) (11.36/9.55/13.38)
# Six Choirs for Female Voices and Piano (Op. 15) (19.45)
# Excerpts From the Opera Aleko (Introduction; Women's Dance; Intermezzo; Men's Dance) (3.27/4.00/3.17/4.18)

Vol. 50 (SUCD 10-00145) - S. Rachmaninov:

# Bells, Poem for Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and Soloists (verses by E. Poe, translation by K. Balmont) (Op. 35) (6.48/13.19/8.51/12.41)
# Spring, Cantata for Baritone, Chorus and Orchestra (verses by N. Nekrosov) (Op. 20) (17.54)

Vol. 51 (SUCD 10-00146) - S. Rachmaninov:

# Prince Rostislav, Symphonic poem on plot of A. Tolstoi's ballad (1891) (edition by P. Lamm) (17.10)
# Capriccio on Gypsy Themes (Op. 12) (17.02)
# Moments Musicaux (Op. 16), no. 3 in B minor and no. 5 in D flat major (8.36/4.19)
# Vocalise (Op. 34, no. 14) (transcription for piano by E. Svetlanov) (7.56)
# Prelude in D major (Op. 23, no. 4) (9.41)
# Elegie (Op. 3, no. 1) (6.52)


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## JAS

Preparing vols. 52-62


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## JAS

Preparing vols. 63-79


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## Kivimees

Goodness, an anthology of 70+ CDs. Quite a project. It's also interesting to look at, because it reveals something of Soviet "logic". 

We have here a very large set of CDs numbered (for the most part) alphabetically by composer. This means the complete set must have been planned before the first CD was released. For instance, our library has two CDs issued in 1989. The library listing for one has no number. At first, I attributed this to an error by our library staff, but it turns out to be 

Vol. 14 (SUCD 10-00024) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov: 

from the list. So it was not an error by our staff, rather some strange inconsistancy by Melodiya Records: some volumes are numbered, some are not (thus, our library staff are vindicated and I hang my head in shame). The second CD from 1989 is

Anthology of Russian Symphony Music 51 (Rahmaninov)

yet the CD I posted earlier (and issued in two years later in 1991) is 

Anthology of Russian symphony music 4.

Strange way of doing things.

Of course, purchasing a CD or LP in the USSR was an interesting experience by itself: line up to order, line up again to pay, line up again to take possession...


----------



## sharik

Kivimees said:


> purchasing a CD or LP in the USSR was an interesting experience by itself: line up to order, line up again to pay, line up again to take possession


that concerned only pop-music and other exotic goods, so let us not generalise and create myths here.


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## Kivimees

Unless I was halucinating until August 1991, it's no myth.


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## SiegendesLicht

Kivimees said:


> Unless I was halucinating until August 1991, it's no myth.


Some folks will create all sorts of myths though, to prove that their country/political regime has never had any faults.


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## ptr

Kivimees said:


> Unless I was halucinating until August 1991, it's no myth.


When I visited Russia the first time after 1991 (St Petersburg and Novgorod in 1994) there were still quite a lot of cueing to be done in some of the businesses I frequented, so we might both have been hallucinating! 

BTW, to keep on track, I have some of the issues in this series, but nothing near something complete!

/ptr


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## SiegendesLicht

I must have been hallucinating during the first 6-7 years of my life too. Of course I don't remember the life back then in all details, but huge long lines are one of the things I remember the best


----------



## sharik

Kivimees said:


> Unless I was halucinating until August 1991, it's no myth.


you are halucinating if you attribute the late 1980s and the early 1990s to the USSR the heyday of which is from the late 1950s through the early 1980s because what you saw was in fact the aftermath of Gorbie's _perestroika_ that made everything collapse, already not the USSR itself.


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## sharik

ptr said:


> When I visited Russia the first time after 1991 (St Petersburg and Novgorod in 1994) there were still quite a lot of cueing to be done in some of the businesses


the USSR has been destroyed in 1991, and everything you saw was the result of its destruction... gosh, i wonder how you guys are so easily led you take it all at face value without even checking the facts... but life is not what you are shown on TV or other media where they give you a biased doctored distorted picture of world events including the USSR's.


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## sharik

SiegendesLicht said:


> huge long lines are one of the things I remember the best


you remember it because that is what West media always show whenever it comes to mention Communism and so on, as if they don't know that those lines were caused by the constant embargo policy the West imposed on Soviet trade.


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## SiegendesLicht

Sharik, for your information, I was born in the Soviet Union and spent the first years of my life there, before it, fortunately, fell apart. I wonder how old you are and whether you have ever seen it with your own eyes or whether it was you who has been brainwashed by the media who, like I have earlier said, would say anything to deny the fact that there has ever been anything wrong with their country.


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## Kivimees

SiegendesLicht said:


> Sharik, for your information, I was born in the Soviet Union and spent the first years of my life there. I wonder how old you are and whether you have ever seen it with your own eyes or whether it was you who has been brainwashed by the media who, like I have earlier said, would say anything to deny the fact that there has ever been anything wrong with their country.


My observations - not what I am shown on TV or other media - lead me to believe that sharik is a troll and will be treated accordingly.


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## sharik

SiegendesLicht said:


> I was born in the Soviet Union and spent the first years of my life there, before it, fortunately, fell apart. I wonder how old you are


i'm 42 by the way, but if you seen the Soviet Union only as it was in the mid-1980s, then you didn't really see it at all.


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## sharik

Kivimees said:


> sharik is a troll


before you call someone a troll, it would be welcome if you try to support your opinion with facts.


----------



## ptr

I've travelled quite a lot in Russia/USSR both before and after 1991 and quite a lot of people You meet in "Russia" have the kind of revisionist views Sharik puts forward, nothing surprising there! I'm fine with people believing in fairytale's, but I'll always contest anyone who think it is the truth just like I contest all of the WWII revisionists that loiter Europe or the Zionist's that believe that Israel is God given! (Sorry for the OT!)

/ptr


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## sharik

ptr said:


> quite a lot of people You meet in "Russia" have the kind of revisionist views Sharik puts forward


but it in fact is not a revisionism, it is an opinion that people have formed after comparing the experiences they had with Communism and then with Capitalism.


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## JAS

Kivimees said:


> Goodness, an anthology of 70+ CDs. Quite a project. It's also interesting to look at, because it reveals something of Soviet "logic".
> 
> We have here a very large set of CDs numbered (for the most part) alphabetically by composer. This means the complete set must have been planned before the first CD was released. For instance, our library has two CDs issued in 1989. The library listing for one has no number. At first, I attributed this to an error by our library staff, but it turns out to be
> 
> Vol. 14 (SUCD 10-00024) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - Alexander Glazunov:
> 
> from the list. So it was not an error by our staff, rather some strange inconsistancy by Melodiya Records: some volumes are numbered, some are not (thus, our library staff are vindicated and I hang my head in shame). The second CD from 1989 is
> 
> Anthology of Russian Symphony Music 51 (Rahmaninov)
> 
> yet the CD I posted earlier (and issued in two years later in 1991) is
> 
> Anthology of Russian symphony music 4.
> 
> Strange way of doing things.
> 
> Of course, purchasing a CD or LP in the USSR was an interesting experience by itself: line up to order, line up again to pay, line up again to take possession...


The recordings range from 1963 to 1994 or so. There does not seem to be any logic to the order of release, although, as you suggest, it must have been planned up front or it could not be arranged alphabetically by composer. Some of the same recordings were made available through other labels, especially Le Chant du Monde. Later, some of the better known items were available through Warner Classics (France) and Boheme.


----------



## JAS

Apparently I cannot edit a post from yesterday, so I hope that this reply still comes up in order.

Here is the information for vols. 52-64:


Vol. 52 (SUCD 10-00182) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov: (There is a 2004 rerelease, still with the Anthology label, but now says RUSSIA rather than USSR.)

# Symphony No. 1 in E minor (Op. 1) (second version) (8.53/10.36/4.52/6.46)
# Antar: Symphonic Suite (Symphony No. 2) (Op. 9) (12.18/5.15/7.07/10.52)


Vol. 53 (SUCD 10-00183) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov: (I am not certain that this was issued)

# Symphony No. 3 (Op. 32) (15.30/6.49/16.21)


Vol. 54 (SUCD 10-00184) N. Rimsky-Korsakov:

# Musical Pictures to the opera Tale of the Tsar Saltan (5.00/7.17/7.53)
# Procession of the Nobles from the opera-ballet Mlada, Act III (5.10)
# Introduction to the opera Le Coq d'or, Act. I (4.49)
# Procession from the opera Le Coq d'or, Act. III (3.45)
# Praise to Wilderness (4.23)
# Battle at Kershenets, Introduction and Symphonic Picture to the opera Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh and Maiden Fevronia, Act. III (3.40)
# The Blue Sea, Introduction to the opera Sadko (2.27)
# Overture to the opera May Night (8.25)
# Overture to the opera Tsar's Bride (6.10)



Vol. 55 (SUCD 10-00185) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov: (recorded in 1971 and 1985)

# Pan Voyevoda, Suite from the opera (Op. 59) (3.25/3.21/4.30/4.47/5.05)
# Suite from the opera The Snow Maiden (12.45)
# Suite from the opera Coq d'Or (four musical pictures) (Compiled by A. Glazunov, and M. Steinberg according to the authors intent) (11.06/12.33/6.06)
# Dubinushka (Op. 62) (second version) (4.44)


Vol. 56 ?? (SUCD 10-00180 ???) - Rimsky-Korsakov: (Not sure about this one, it may be one of the other releases, but another list placed it here, although using a different cover, not part of the official series) 

# Scheherazade (Op. 35) (10.39/11.37/10.44/12.15)
# Sadko, musical picture, tone poem for orchestra (Op. 5) (10.49)
# Fantasia on Serbian Themes (Op. 6) (6.56)
# At the tomb, prelude to the memory of M. Belyaev (Op. 61) (4.18)


Vol. 57 (SUCD 10-00181) - N. Rimski-Korsakov:

# Sinfonietta on Russian Themes (7.44/10.22/6.26)
# Overture on Russian Themes (11.53)
# Russian Easter Festival Overture (14.18)
# Prelude-Cantata from Homer (12.26)

(Note: Although the new collection includes a full Snow Maiden recording, and that would certainly fill a whole CD, it does not appear to have been released in the original series.)


Vol. 58 (SUCD 10-00188) - A. Scriabin: (recorded in 1963)

# Symphony No. 1 in E major (Op. 26) (7.51/8.14/9.39/3.15/6.55/12.46)


Vol. 59 (SUCD 10-00189) - A. Scriabin: (recorded in 1963 and 1966)

# Symphony No. 2 in C minor (Op. 29) (18.20/13.20/14.05)
# Poem of Ecstasy (Op. 54) (22.06)


Vol. 60 (SUCD 10-00190) - A. Scriabin: (recorded 1968 and 1988)

# Symphony No. 3 in C minor "Divine Poem" (Op. 43) (24.02/9.50/12.47)
# Prometheus, Poem of Fire (Op. 60) (1911) (24.07)


Vol. 61 (SUCD 10-00191) - A. Scriabin and V. Kalinnikov: (recorded in 1989 and 1990)

# (A. Scriabin) Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F sharp minor (Op. 20) (7.18/8.34/10.47)
# (V. Kalinnikov) Tsar Boris (incidental music to A. Tolstoi's tragedy) (11.16/1.10/5.54/4.02/7.49/7.15)


Vol. 62 - (SUCD 10-00192) Igor Stravinsky: (I have seen an image of this release, and it does show the number) (Svetlanov did record I. Stravinsky - Fairy's Kiss, Symphony of Psalms, but not sure about this one, was part of a later release, and it would not fit into the numbering, as far as I can tell) (recorded 1966 and 1970)

# Sacre du Printemps, ballet: Scenes of Pagan Russia (15.40/18.20)
# Jeu de Cartes (Card Game), Ballet in three deals (23.45)


Vol. 63 (SUCD 10-00021) (vol. assumed unnumbered) - Sergei Taneyev: (recorded 1984 and 1988)

# Symphony No. 4 in C minor (Op. 12) (11.40/13.43/5.52/9.45)
# Apollo's Temple in Delphi, Entr'acte to Scene 2 of Movement 3 of the musical trilogy Orestia (after Aeschylus) (5.54)


Vol. 64 (SUCD 10-00147) - Sergei Taneyev: (recorded in 1990)

# Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra in G. Minor (Op 28) (8.26/5.25/9.15/14.49/6.28)


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## JAS

I am interested in discussing the music, and these recordings, but I will have to leave the political debate up to people who have actually been in the old USSR or the modern Russia.


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## JAS

ptr said:


> When I visited Russia the first time after 1991 (St Petersburg and Novgorod in 1994) there were still quite a lot of cueing to be done in some of the businesses I frequented, so we might both have been hallucinating!
> 
> BTW, to keep on track, I have some of the issues in this series, but nothing near something complete!
> 
> /ptr


I have about 2/3 of the series in the original issues, and everything that has been released so far in the newer sets. I am still trying to fill in the ones I am missing from the original series, but they are getting harder and harder to find (or these may be the remaining ones to find because they weren't as widely distributed in the first place).


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## JAS

The last section, 65-79, is the most troublesome, and I am still piecing together some information to list what I can.


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## Kivimees

Collecting the missing 1/3 seems a daunting challenge, but we all wish you luck, JAS. For your information, our library holds in its collection (SUCD ID ending): 021, 024-028, 139, 141, 142, 144-146, 148-153, 161, 162.


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## JAS

Yes, I suspect that I will never be able to complete my original set. Fortunately, Boheme/Svetlanov Foundation have been re-releasing a new set of the Anthology of Russian Symphony Music. (I don't know why the label is noted as Boheme as I cannot find a reference to that name anywhere on the CDs, packaging or booklets.) Although a website is listed as www.svetlanov.ru, no such website appears to exist, and the e-mail noted as [email protected] also appears not to be real. The booklet states that the Svetlanov Foundation was created in 2001 "in order to carry out charitable and educational activity. The primary goal of the Foundation is to preserve the spirit, the aesthetics, the style, characteristic of maestro Svetlanov's creative work." Svetlanov himself died in 2002. The booklets are more substantial than in the Melodiya releases, but the brief text about the composer and the works presented hardly competes against the many pages about Svetlanov and the Svetlanov Foundation. (This imbalance seems to work itself out in later issues.) It is a strange arrangement, with some of the CDs issued individually, and other as collections. (I suppose this makes sense for the Tchaikovsky symphonies, which might have broader appeal as individual purchases, but why not collect the Arensky as they did for Glinka?) The design and presentations are not even slightly unified, although they are all clearly designated as The Anthology of Russian Symphony Music. Volume numbers for the set are not used. (Volume numbers are given for issues within a given composer, such as Glazunov, but not for the Tchaikovsky CDs.) As I am listing these, I see that in spite of some irregularities, the SVET number essentially conveys the volume number, with each CD counted as 1, and sets running multiple CDs.

SVET 01 03-1 - Arensky (1 CD): Symphony No. 1 in B minor (Op. 4); Symphony No. 2 in A major (Op. 22); Variations on a theme of Tchaikovsky (Op. 35a) (1894) (released 2005?)

SVET 02 03-2 - Arensky (1 CD): Suite No. 1 in G minor (1885); Suite No. 2 "Silhouettes" for symphony orchestra (Op. 23) (1892); Suite from the ballet Egyptian Nights (Op. 50a) (1900-06) (released 2005?)

SVET 03 03-3 - Arensky (1 CD): Suite No. 3 (Variations) in C major; Fantasia "Marguerite Gautier" (Op. 9); Overture to Dream on the Volga (1891); Introduction to Raphael (1894); Introduction to the opera Nal and Damajanti (1903); Intermezzo in G minor for strings (Op.13); March "To the Memory of Suvorov" in C minor (released 2005?)

SVET 04-006-1/6 - Balakirev/Lyapunov (6 CDs) (this should probably have been labeled SVET 04-09/6 or something of that sort) (released 2007)

SVET 10-14 5 - Borodin/Mussorgsky/Liadov (5 Cds) (released 2009)

SVET 15-20/6 - Kalinnikov/Scriabin (released 2009) (This positioning, of course, throws off the alphabetical sequence)

SVET 21-26/18 - Glazunov (6 CDs): Symphonies 1-8 (released 2008)

SVET 27-32/18 - Glazunov (6 CDs): Lady Soubrette, etc. (released 2008)

SVET 33-41/18 - Glazunov (6 CDs): Raymonda, etc. (released 2008) (This should probably have been labeled SVET 33-38, although that poses a slightly different problem.)

SVET 38-003-1/3 - Glinka (3 CDs) (released 2008) (I think this should have been labeled SVET 39-003-1/3, which works between the previous and subsequent releases, or SVET 39-41/3 to use the other format)

SVET 42-47/6 - Medtner (6 CDs) (Curiously, this does not include the concert No. 3, although Svetlanov did record and release that, and there was a spot for it in the original series even though I think it was not released there)

SVET 48 is not accounted for, and might be an error in skipping a number for a single CD. It could be reserved for that missing concerto, but that seems unlikely.

SVET 04981-6 - Rachmaninov (6 CDs) (This numbering pretty much throws the whole scheme out the window, but individually, the CDs are marked SVET 049 8-1 through 054 8-6. Technically, therefore, the set should probably have been labeled SVET 49-54/6, although that does not account for SVET 48) (released 2007)

SVET 55-56 are not accounted for. I have no idea what would fit in this gap. (Perhaps a set of the Rachmaninov piano concerti? These were not part of the original set.)

SVET 57-009-1/6 - Rimsky-Korsakov (6 CDs) (released in 2007)

SVET 69 22-1 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): The Seasons, 12 Characteristic Pieces (Op. 37); The Tempest, symphonic fantasy after Shakespeare's drama (Op. 18) (released in 2005)

SVET 70 22-2-3 - Tchaikovsky (2 CDs): Opera Excerpts (released in 2005)

SVET 71 22-4 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): Symphony No. 1 in G minor, "Winter Daydreams" (Op. 13); Overture in C minor (released in 2006)

SVET 72 22-5 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): Symphony No. 2 in C minor, "Little Russian" (Op. 18); Solemn Overture on Danish Anthem (Op. 15); Fatum, symphonic poem (Op. 77) (released in 2006)

SVET 73 22-5 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): Symphony No. 3 in D major, "Polish" (Op. 29); Romeo and Juliet, fantasy overture (released in 2006)

SVET 74 22-5 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): Symphony No. 4 in F minor (Op. 36); Francesca da Rimini, symphonic fantasy (Op. 31) (released in 2006)

SVET 75 22-5 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): Symphony No. 5 in E minor (Op. 64); Hamlet, fantasy overture (Op. 67) (released in 2006)

SVET 76 22-5 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): Symphony No. 6 in B minor "Pathetique" (Op. 74); 1812, Overture (Op. 49) (released in 2006)

SVET 77 22-5 - Tchaikovsky (1 CD): Manfred Symphony (Op. 58); Festival Coronation March in D major (released in 2006)

SVET 78-82/22 - Tchaikovsky (5 CDs): The Swan Lake; The Nutcracker (released 2010)

SVET 83-88/22 - Tchaikovsky/Rimsky-Korsakov (6 CDs): The Sleeping Beauty; Snow Maiden (A Vernal Fairy Tale) (released in 2010)

SVET 89-92 are not accounted for. (This could be left for the Suites, No. 1-4, and/or the Tchaikovsky piano concerti)

SVET 93-96/4 - Taneyev/Kastalsky (4 CDs) (again, this jumps out of the ordering by composer's name. Interestingly, Kastalsky appears to be the first composer in the new series that was not in the old one.) (released in 2008)

Not really part of the Anthology, but also released by the Svetlanov Foundation, but oddly numbered SVCO 001/4-004/4 is a 4 CD set of music composed by Svetlanov himself (released in 2007). Of these, I think I like the symphonic poem The Red Guelder-rose best.


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## JAS

Most of the performances in the series are sincere, generally energetic, often very "Russian" (if I can use that term for a somewhat vague sense), but not always very polished. The recordings are often not very well engineered, which is understandable for the selections from the 1960s, but is often true even of ones from the 1980s. That is not to say that the sound is bad, and I find that my ears adjust to it fairly easily, except perhaps for the general harshness of the brass. 

The most interesting releases for me, outside of some of the great rarities of obscure or unusual pieces, is Svetlanov's take on the Tchaikovsky ballets. He plays them as, essentially, extended symphonies. I suspect that this would make them more difficult to dance to, but it makes a very compelling case for the music as music, especially for Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. These recordings are available in various forms, including some not packaged as part of the collections.


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## joen_cph

Thanks for the comprehensive lists which I haven´t seen anywhere else on the web. Interesting material indeed. 

Concerning Medtner, do you happen to have the 3rd Concerto with Nikolayeva/Svetlanov, and if yes, do you know the tempi ? There seem to be two very different readings of this work - a fast of about 31 mins (Ponti/Cao) and a much slower 35-38 mins (everybody else I know; I suppose Nikolayeva would be among them).

It seems that Svetlanov´s complete Myaskovsky symphonies (apparently issued twice on other CD labels) weren´t included in this series. I read somewhere that he produced around 3000 preserved recordings totally, but I guess this includes recorded live performances.


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## JAS

joen_cph said:


> Concerning Medtner, do you happen to have the 3rd Concerto with Nikolayeva/Svetlanov, and if yes, do you know the tempi ? There seem to be two very different readings of this work - a fast of about 31 mins (Ponti/Cao) and a much slower 35-38 mins (everybody else I know; I suppose Nikolayeva would be among them).


I do not believe that Svetlanov's recording of Medtner's 3rd concerto ever made it to CD. I have no idea why. As far as I can tell, that recording was not issued in the original series, and it does not appear in the newer reissue by the Svetlanov Foundation. My guess here is that while those recordings are noted as being from Svetlanov's archives, that archive is probably just copies of the CDs (and/or LPs). I doubt he had copies of any masters. Melodiya has also been reissuing some of the recordings from the series, or licensing the titles to other labels, with no particular logic or order. (And Melodiya has essentially ignored the over-arching Anthology format, although some of the reissues do collect together works by one composer on multiple CDs.) (So far, they seem only to have released material that was already remastered for CD, although perhaps they will dip into older masters as they go along.) I have no idea how the copyrights work in Russia, or in this particular instance, but I presume that Melodiya is not exactly happy with the Svetlanov Foundation. But those CDs are noted as being manufactured in Russia, so I suppose Melodiya would stop them if they could.

For the Medtner concerto 3, I have only the recording in the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series, with Jerzy Maksymiuk conducting the Glasgow BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and Nikolai Demidenko on piano.



joen_cph said:


> It seems that Svetlanov´s complete Myaskovsky symphonies (apparently issued twice on other CD labels) weren´t included in this series. I read somewhere that he produced around 3000 preserved recordings totally, but I guess this includes recorded live performances.


His complete recordings of Miaskovsky (that is how they spell it) were released on CD on the French Warner Classics label. It is a small box holding 16 CDs in sleeves. I have the set, and although many of them make pleasant background music, only a few really stood out for me, although I would have to dig back through them to find those again. (I think one of them was, or was around symphony #25.) My recollection is that they were all well played, and the sound was generally better than the old Melodiya Anthology series, of which they were never a part.


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## JAS

I was listening today to the Pearls of Russian Symphony Miniatures CD. (It duplicates some content from CDs that were officially part of the original set, so it may or may not have actually been issued as a volume although I think its place was preserved.) The orchestral version of Islamey must be the fastest performance on record. In parts, it was so fast that it sounded as if someone had set the wrong speed on an old record player. Really, I cannot even be certain that they actually hit all of the notes. It came off as more of a stunt than as a serious interpretation.


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## ptr

I think that some were on my shelfs there are (at least) three twoofer sets with Svetlanov that BMG released when they licensed stuff from Melodiya in the early 90's, one with *Miniatures *as You say, one with *Waltzes *and one with *marches *, all very delightful! (Stuff that might have been fillers in the anthology?)

/ptr


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## joen_cph

JAS said:


> I was listening today to the Pearls of Russian Symphony Miniatures CD. (It duplicates some content from CDs that were officially part of the original set, so it may or may not have actually been issued as a volume although I think its place was preserved.) The orchestral version of Islamey must be the fastest performance on record. In parts, it was so fast that it sounded as if someone had set the wrong speed on an old record player. Really, I cannot even be certain that they actually hit all of the notes. It came off as more of a stunt than as a serious interpretation.


I have that (the Casella orchestration with Svetlanov) & your post will make me listen to it !


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## doik

I see no posts since 2013
If it's any help I have all the discs ever issued in the series apart fron Tchaikovsky 3 and romeo and juliet which I have in other forms.
Also I have recreated the whole series as I think it was intended, if you are still interested
Doik


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## doik

vol 65 Tchaikovsky symphony 1 francesca possibly never issued
66 Tchaikovsky symphony 2 serenade for strings sucd10 00194
67 Tchaikovsky symphony 3 romeo and juliet sucd10 00195
68 Tchaikovsky 4 Fatum, capriccio Italien sucd 196
69 Tchaikovsky 5 the tempest 197
70 Tchaikovsky 6 Voyevode andante cantabile possibly never issued 198
71 Tchaikovsky manfred Solemn overture on danish national anthem 199
72 Tchaikovsky suite no 1 overture in c minor definitely never issued 200
73 Tchaikovsky suite 2 Hamlet, overture in f major SUCD 1000019
74 Tchaikovsky suites 3 4 Sucd 1000104
75 reconstruction Tchaikovsky 1812, marche slave (corrupt versions) other marches never issued
76 Tchaikovsky swan lake the seasons sucd 1000403-5
77 Tchaikovsky sleeping beauty sucd 1000406-8
78 Tchaikovsky The nutcracker, piano concerto no 2 abridged Gilels sucd 1000409-10
79 Tchaikovsky excerpts from the operas orchestral only sucd 1000411-2

hope this helps anyone!


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## doik

Medtner with Nilolaeva and svelanov 3rd concerto is just over 35 1/2 minutes long.

Superb russian orchestral playing, it's a crime it has not been issued on CD

Doik


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## kanishknishar

Mr. JAS, if it's anything of a consolation to you, you can access these albums off Apple Music. Not all are released. But quite a few are available.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Man, what was I doing in March 2013? I must have been too busy with school to see this thread. Yes...

Ouch... the adrenaline shot I got from finding this thread is killing my insides... ouch...

I guess back then YouTube hadn't started putting up the Anthology yet, so it wouldn't have mattered to me because I'm poor and don't buy stuff. So now it's more relevant to resurrect this thread.

Enjoy enjoy enjoy!!!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=anthology+of+russian+symphony+music

YouTube is adding more to the Anthology collection every month. All the Glazunov ones are accounted for as far as I know, but more composers are appearing now, notably Balakirev, Medtner, Arensky and Liadov.


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## JAS

doik said:


> Medtner with Nilolaeva and svelanov 3rd concerto is just over 35 1/2 minutes long.
> 
> Superb russian orchestral playing, it's a crime it has not been issued on CD
> 
> Doik


The only CD in the set I am still missing is Swan Lake, although I have it in other formats. I too have filled in some of the omitted volumes with what I think would have been the material had there been a release.

It is strange that I just happened to see this old thread again today, as it turned up in a more general search.


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## kanishknishar

JAS said:


> The only CD in the set I am still missing is Swan Lake, although I have it in other formats. I too have filled in some of the omitted volumes with what I think would have been the material had there been a release.
> 
> It is strange that I just happened to see this old thread again today, as it turned up in a more general search.


Mr. JAS, did you get around to finishing your collection?


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## JAS

Herrenvolk said:


> Mr. JAS, did you get around to finishing your collection?


As just noted above, only the swan seem to be eluding me. I have recently ordered the Svetlanov performance of Tchiakovsky's Hamlet and Suite No. 2. I always thought that Swan Lake (in the original CD version of the anthology) was going to be the hardest one to get. I have seen several copies for sale over the years, but always after the fact. I do have the performance in other releases, just not in the original anthology format. The quest continues . . .


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## JAS

And I suppose I might as well finish my posted list. First I can confirm one:

Vol. 57 (SUCD 10-00181) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov: (My copy has a paper booklet and a Green color to the CD, although it does say USSR, so it is presumably old.)

# Sinfonietta on Russian Themes (7.44/10.22/6.26)
# Overture on Russian Themes (11.53)
# Russian Easter Festival Overture (14.18)
# Prelude-Cantata from Homer (12.26)

and 

Omitted? - Vol. 65 (SUCD 10-00193) - P. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 ???????	(speculative entry based in part on the SUCD number, from another list)	

Vol. 66 (SUCD 10-00194) - P. Tchaikovsky: 

# Symphony No. 2 (second version)
# Serenade for Strings and Orchestra 

Vol. 67 (SUCD 10-00195) - P. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 3; Romeo and Juliet (I saw this cover on eBay in 2011, with the number shown) (but my copy says RUSSIA)

Vol. 68 (SUCD 10-00196) - P. Tchaikovsky: 

# Symphony No. 4
# Fatum
# Capriccio Italian


Vol. 69 - (SUCD 10-00197) - P. Tchaikovsky:
# Symphony No. 5
# The Tempest


Omitted? - Vol. 70 (SUCD 10-00198) - P. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 ??? (Possibly with Voyevoda and Andante Cantabile)


Vol. 71 - P. Tchaikovsky: (SUCD 10-00199) (There are covers both with USSR and RUSSIA.)
# "Manfred" Symphony
# Solemn Overture on Danish Anthem


Vol. 72 ?? - Suite for Orchestra No. 1 ??? (Possibly with Piano Concerto No. 1???? Not sure that Svetlanov ever recorded the Concert No. 1, although he did the Concert No. 2. The CD release of No. 1 is also with Gilels, but another conductor.)


Vol. 73 (SUCD 10-00019) (vol. assumed, unnumbered) - P. Tchaikovsky: (Recorded 1970 and 1987)

# Suite for Orchestra No. 2 in C major (Op. 53)
# Hamlet (overture fantasy after Shakespeare) (Op. 67)
# Overture in F major 

Omitted? - Vol. 74 - Suites for Orchestra Nos. 3 and 4 (this is from another list, not seen) (All 4 suites were released on LP as a set, with the Anthology name on the cover) (Suites 1 and 4 were issued together on a single CD on Olympia, and 3 and 4 were eventually released on a CD by Melodiya. It was also issued as 3 and 4 by Melodiay/BMG, as were 1 and 2.)

Omitted? - Vol. 75 - The Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake Suite (SUCD 10-00001) (this was issued in the series on LP, but not sure about CD, or placement. Melodiya did issue a separate CD with both suites, but not with the Anthology title.) Another LP in the series had the Suite from Swan Lake, with Overture in C Minor. (The only images I have seen of the cover for this CD do not show the Anthology title, although they seem to have the SUCD code of 10-00001)

Vol. ?? - P. Tchaikovsky: Romances ???? (SUCD 10-00201) (the only other piece not accounted for is Overture in C Minor, which is part of the collection issued by the Svetlanov Foundation and was on the record version of Swan Lake, but not the CD issue.)

Vol. 76 (SUCD 10-00403, 00404, 00405) - P. Tchaikovsky

# The Swan Lake, ballet in four acts (Op. 20)
# The Seasons, 12 Characteristic Pieces


Vol. 77 (SUCD 10-00406) - P. Tchaikovsky (My copy says RUSSIA and has a paper booklet)

# The Sleeping Beauty, ballet in three acts, with prolog (3CDs) (Op. 66) (71.28/48.08/50.10)


Vol. 78 - (SUCD 10-00409 and 00410):
#The Nutcracker (fairy ballet in two acts)
# Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra (with Emil Gilels) (2CDs) 

Vol. 79 (SUCD 10-00411-412) - P. Tchaikovsky: Symphony Operatic Excerpts:
# Voyevoda
# Oprichnik 
# Cherevichki 
# Eugene Onegin 
# The Maid of Orleans 
# Mazeppa 
# Enchantress 
# Queen of Spades 
# Iolanthe

My speculations are not necessarily correct.


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## JAS

Somewhat unexpectedly, I came across this from what appears to be Melodiya's own website:
ANTHOLOGY OF RUSSIAN symphonic music

Union studio records "Melody" in the Soviet years has implemented the most ambitious project in the history of the world record, having published on vinyl records a series of monumental orchestral works by Russian composers, performed by the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the USSR under Evgeny Svetlanov. Anthology of Russian symphonic music created for 25 years! The series includes a world-recognized masterpieces by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Scriabin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. So, and works that recreate a complete picture of Russian musical art and a half centuries, orchestral works Dargomyzhsky, Balakirev, Glazunov, Taneyev, Liadov, Kalinnikova, Medtner, Arensky and Lyapunov. Anthology in full entered the CD catalog of the company "Melody". Below is a full list of the series of disks, published in the USSR and the United States (from 1989 to 1994).

Volume 1 - 10-00148 - A. Arensky - Suite number 1, 3 (Variations), Introduction to the opera "Nal and Damayanti"
Volume 2 - 10-00149 - A. Arensky - Symphony number 1, 2, Overture to the opera "Dream on the Volga" Intermezzo in G Minor
Volume 3 - 10-00150 - A. Arensky - Suite number 2 "Silhouettes", suite from the ballet "Egyptian Nights"
Volume 4 - 10-00151 - M. Balakirev - Symphony number 1, Overture on Three Russian Themes, Symphonic Poem "Rus"
Volume 5 - 10-00152 - M. Balakirev - Symphony number 2, the symphonic poem "Tamara", "In the Czech Republic"
Volume 6 - 10-00153 - M. Balakirev - "King Lear," Suite in B minor, Overture on a Spanish March
Volume 7 - 10-00138 - Music Balakirev, Borodin, Mussorgsky
Volume 8 - 10-00154 - Borodin - Symphonies number 1, 2 "Warriors"
Volume 9 - 10-00155 - Borodin - Symphony number 3, Little Suite, in Central Asia, Overture to the opera "Prince Igor"
Volume 10 - 10-00179 - waltzes and polonaises Russian composers
Volume 11 - 10-00020 - A. Glazunov - Ballet in one act "Mistress maid" (Lady Soubrette)
Volume 12 - 10-00022 - A. Glazunov - Symphony number 1, Symphonic picture "Kremlin"
Volume 13 - 10-00023 - A. Glazunov - Symphony number 2, Dramatic Overture "Song of Destiny"
Volume 14 - 10-00024 - A. Glazunov - Symphony number 3
Volume 15 - 10-00025 - A. Glazunov - Symphony number 4, 5
Volume 16 - 10-00026 - A. Glazunov - Symphony number 6, Hey !, Uhnem Serenade number 1, Character Dance
Volume 17 - 10-00027 - A. Glazunov - Symphony number 7, Musical Picture "Karelian legend"
Volume 18 - 10-00028 - A. Glazunov - Symphony number 8, Two Pieces for Orchestra, Serenade number 2
Volume 19 - 10-00156 - A. Glazunov - Fantasy for a symphony orchestra, "Forest", "sea", "Oriental Rhapsody"
Volume 20 - 10-00157 - A. Glazunov - Symphonic Suite "From the Middle Ages," Orchestral Music
Volume 21 - 10-00158 - A. Glazunov - Ballad, Festival Overture, Spring, Introduction and Dance of Salome
Volume 22 - 10-00159 - A. Glazunov - The Seasons, The solemn procession, march on a Russian Theme
Volume 23 - 10-00160 - A. Glazunov - Ballet Suite, Characteristic Suite
Volume 24 - 10-00161 - A. Glazunov - Stenka Razin, Lyric Poem, Finnish fantasy, Mazurka, Variations on a Theme
Volume 25 - 10-00162 - A. Glazunov - Concert Waltz number 1, 2, Suite "Les Sylphides"
Volume 26 - 10-00163 - A. Glazunov - Preludes, NV Memory Gogol, Carnival, Divination and dance, Finnish Sketches
Volume 27 - 10-00164 - Music Glazunov, Arensky
Volume 28 - 10-00401 - A. Glazunov - "Raymonda" ballet (2CD)
Volume 29 - 10-00165 - M. Glinka - Symphony on Two Russian Themes, Aragon Jota, music to the tragedy "Prince of Chelm"
Volume 30 - 10-00166 - M. Glinka - Fragments from the opera "Ivan Susanin" Ruslan and Lyudmila "
Volume 31 - 10-00167 - Music by Glinka, Dargomyzhsky
Volume 32 - 10-00168 - Pearls of Russian symphonic miniatures
Volume 33 - 10-00169 - V. Kalinnikov - Suite, Symphonic Picture "Cedar and the Palm" overture "Bylina"
Volume 34 - 10-00170 - V. Kalinnikov - Symphony number 2, Intermezzo number 1, 2, Serenade for String Orchestra, "Nymphs"
Volume 35 - 10-00171 - V. Kalinnikov - Symphony number 1; Rimsky-Korsakov - Orchestral Music
Volume 36 - 10-00140 - Music Liadov, Nápravník
Volume 37 - 10-00172 - Music Lyapunov, Balakirev
Volume 38 - 10-00173 - S. Lyapunov - Symphony number 2, Symphonic Poem "Zelazowa Wola"
Volume 39 - 10-00174 - S. Lyapunov - East symphonic poem "Hashish" Ballad
Volume 40 - 10-00175 - N. Medtner - Piano Concerto number 1 Pieces for Piano
Volume 41 - 10-00176 - N. Medtner - Piano Concerto number 2 Pieces for Piano
Volume 42 - 10-00177 - N. Medtner - Piano Concerto number 3 (Ballade) Pieces for Piano
Volume 43 - 10-00139 - Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition, Songs and Dances of Death, Golitsyn Train
Volume 44 - 10-00178 - Mussorgsky - Fragments from the opera "Khovanshchina," "Sorochintsy Fair"
Volume 45 - 10-00 ... .. -
Volume 46 - 10-00141 - Rachmaninov - Symphony number 1, Vocalise (arr B. Keane)
Volume 47 - 10-00142 - Rachmaninov - Symphony number 2 Fantasy "Utes"
Volume 48 - 10-00143 - Rachmaninov - Symphony number 3, Symphonic Poem "Isle of the Dead," Scherzo for Orchestra
Volume 49 - 10-00144 - Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances, Fragments "Aleko" opera
Volume 50 - 10-00145 - Rachmaninov - Symphonic poem "The Bells", cantata "Spring"
Volume 51 - 10-00146 - Rachmaninov - Symphonic Poem "Prince Rostislav," Gypsy Capriccio
Volume 52 - 10-00182 - Rimsky-Korsakov - Symphony number 1, Symphonic Suite "Antar" (Symphony number 2)
Volume 53 - 10-00183 - Rimsky-Korsakov - Symphony number 3, "Fairy Tale"
Volume 54 - 10-00184 - Rimsky-Korsakov - symphonic fragments of operas
Volume 55 - 10-00185 - Rimsky-Korsakov - Suite from the opera "Pan Voyvod", "The Snow Maiden", "The Golden Cockerel"
Volume 56 - 10-00180 - Rimsky-Korsakov - "Scheherazade", "Sadko" Fantasia on Serbian Themes
Volume 57 - 10-00181 - Rimsky-Korsakov - Sinfonietta and Overture on Russian Themes, Overture "Bright Holiday"
Volume 58 - 10-00188 - A. Scriabin - Symphony number 1
Volume 59 - 10-00189 - A. Scriabin - Symphony number 2, Poem of Ecstasy
Volume 60 - 10-00190 - A. Scriabin - Symphony number 3 ("The Divine Poem", "Prometheus"(The Poem of Fire)
Volume 61 - 10-00191 - A. Scriabin - Piano Concerto; B. Kalinnikov - "Tsar Boris"
Volume 62 - 10-00192 - Stravinsky - Ballets: "Rite of Spring", "Playing Cards"
Volume 63 - 10-00021 - Taneyev - Symphony number 4, "The Temple of Apollo at Delphi" intermission of the trilogy "Oresteia"
Volume 64 - 10-00147 - Taneyev - Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra
Volume 65 - 10-00193 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony number 1, Symphonic Fantasia "Francesca da Rimini"
Volume 66 - 10-00194 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony number 2, Serenade for String Orchestra
Volume 67 - 10-00195 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony number 3, Overture-Fantasia «Romeo and Juliet»
Volume 68 - 10-00196 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony number 4, Symphonic fantasia "Fatum" Italian Capriccio
Volume 69 - 10-00197 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony number 5, Symphonic Fantasia "The Storm"
Volume 70 - 10-00198 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony number 6, "Voyvod"
Volume 71 - 10-00199 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony (Poem) "Manfred," Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem
Volume 72 - 10-00 ... .. - PI Tchaikovsky -
Volume 73 - 10-00019 - PI Tchaikovsky - Suite number 2, Overture-Fantasy "Hamlet" Overture in F Major
Volume 74 - 10-00104 - PI Tchaikovsky - Suite number 3, 4 "Mozartiana"
Volume 75 - 10-00 ... .. - PI Tchaikovsky -
Volume 76 - 10-00403-5 - PI Tchaikovsky - The ballet "Swan Lake" (3CD)
Volume 77 - 10-00406-8 - PI Tchaikovsky - The ballet "The Sleeping Beauty" (3CD)
Volume 78 - 10-00409-10 - PI Tchaikovsky - The ballet "The Nutcracker", Piano Concerto number 2 (2CD)
Volume 79 - 10-00411-12 - PI Tchaikovsky - Symphony excerpts from operas (2CD)
Volume 80 - 10-00029 - Polonaise and waltz Russian composers

(Some of these items will look a bit odd because I had to use google translation. I cleaned up some of it, but not all.)


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## JAS

This list does confirm a couple of my earlier assumptions, although there are still a few mysteries. And a number of the items given do not appear to have been actually released on CD, at least not in the same format as the others. The gaps at 72 and 75 must apparently remain a mystery. One error I now note is that there were 80 volumes in the series, with the last being easily confused with vol. 10 (one being waltzes and polonaises and the other being polonaises and waltzes, although obviously with different selections). 

I am still on the quest for Swan Lake

I also note that all of the releases I have are clearly labelled as USSR except for a number of the Tchaikovsky items, particularly the ballets (and symphony no. 3). These were presumably being first issued right at the old Soviet Union was breaking apart, and that event may also account for the failure to complete the series at that time.


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## JAS

I also stumbled across an article on a website for the Tokyo University of the Arts acknowledging a generous gift from Svetlanov's widow of a complete series. (Apparently, Svetlanov himself was very found of Japan.) They have a picture which includes a section of the releases, and mostly shows the newer format, but includes several items I have never seen, such as Svetlanov's recording of Sadko. Some of the other differences may just be alterations of packaging, but it all certainly adds to the confusion. (The gift was apparently made on May 1, 2015.)


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## JAS

It is also curious to me that most of the CDs themselves, in the original series, have a large label that is varying shades of blue, but a few have red or green. I have no idea what accounts for this change. Perhaps it indicates the year of production.

(Perhaps now I will have to work out what the LP issues were, although I am not really interested in collecting the actual LPs.)


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## gardibolt

Finding this tale of pursuit very interesting. Just letting you know the determination is appreciated, even though I don't have any of the collection.


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## JAS

Two small notes (no pun intended) of correction. First, the LP of Swan Lake, with the Overture in C was just the suite. There was also a 3 LP set of the full ballet, and both the set and the suite were issued under the LP version of The Anthology of Russian Symphony Music. Second, I mentioned a separate set of the Anthology of Russian Symphonies, for which I was only aware of vol. 1, Rimsky Korsakov's Symphony no. 1 and no. 3. It turns out that there was indeed a second volume, with Scriabin's Symphony 1. (At least, it was issued on the Olympia Label, and I am not sure about the Melodiya label, although they tended to come out at the same time. In this case, the Scriabin Symphony was issued by Melodiya in the Anthology of Russian Symphony Music set, with the Rimksy Korsakov no. 3 never made it, although no. 1 did. They also appear to have decided to slightly change the title of the series to The Anthology of the Russian Symphony.)


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## JAS

Although I am not interested in starting to collect the LP set as well (for which people still seem to want very good money), I think it might be interesting to try to document what was issued in that form, particularly since the two series have some disagreements.


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## JAS

It seems odd to me that this thread has only 52 posts (most of which are admittedly by me), but over 7,400 views. I suppose that indicates some kind of substantial (if silent) interest.


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## Glazunov

Interesting item on Presto Classical's site:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Melodiya/MELCD1002480

(Anthology Of Russian Symphonic Music Volume I ... 56 discs ... release data 31st March 2017)

The contents show nothing by Glazunov, Rachmaninov, Scriabin or Stravinsky, so I gather they will be in a later Volume II. The notes suggest that this collection is a chronological approach of some sort. I don't see anything about this on Melodiya's web site.

I've always enjoyed these recordings and have them in several forms, including the Svetlanov releases and an mp3-only release from Melodiya some years back (almost 5 gigabytes of 192k CBR mp3 files). I really need to look at these in more detail to cross-reference the contents to see if this set has anything that wasn't in the others.


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## JAS

Sadly, the Swan Lake volume from the set still eludes me. (I have it as the separate release, and in the Svetlanov Foundation rerelease of the set) . . . but I will keep looking.


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## JAS

Glazunov said:


> The contents show nothing by Glazunov, Rachmaninov, Scriabin or Stravinsky, so I gather they will be in a later Volume II. The notes suggest that this collection is a chronological approach of some sort. I don't see anything about this on Melodiya's web site.


Interesting that it lists one piece by Rubinstein, that was not, as far as I know, part of the original series. (Yes, the Glazunov must be part of volume II.)

And also interesting that it includes Tchaikovsky's suites 3 and 4, but not 1 and 2 (which Svetlanov did record)


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## Glazunov

JAS said:


> Interesting that it lists one piece by Rubinstein, that was not, as far as I know, part of the original series.


The Rubinstein is on an edition issued by Brilliant ...

https://www.amazon.com/Evgeny-Svetlanov/dp/B001ACTND2

... as well as an old Chant du monde title, but I've also never seen it on the Anthology. It wasn't on the mp3 release or the Svetlanov releases.

Maybe it's like those old photos of Stalin, where they doctored them to insert or remove people as the needs arose.


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## Pugg

Glazunov said:


> Interesting item on Presto Classical's site:
> 
> http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Melodiya/MELCD1002480
> 
> (Anthology Of Russian Symphonic Music Volume I ... 56 discs ... release data 31st March 2017)
> 
> The contents show nothing by Glazunov, Rachmaninov, Scriabin or Stravinsky, so I gather they will be in a later Volume II. The notes suggest that this collection is a chronological approach of some sort. I don't see anything about this on Melodiya's web site.
> 
> I've always enjoyed these recordings and have them in several forms, including the Svetlanov releases and an mp3-only release from Melodiya some years back (almost 5 gigabytes of 192k CBR mp3 files). I really need to look at these in more detail to cross-reference the contents to see if this set has anything that wasn't in the others.


Very expensive I see.


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## Glazunov

Pugg said:


> Very expensive I see.


That seems to be the pattern with all Melodiya releases these days.

All of the retailers are now showing a mid-April release for the set. MDT has a blurb up for it that says "Digitally remastered in 2016-17", for what it's worth. Among the performers, they also list:

The Separate Exemplary Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Defence, conductor - Nikolai Nazarov

I hadn't heard of that one. A web search shows an old Melodiya release entitled "Old Waltzes" for them, and there are also suggestions that it's a military band of some sort. I've no idea how they could turn up in the Anthology.

I think Forrest Gump would describe this release as being like a box of chocolates.


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## Glazunov

I took the plunge on the new ARSM set, and it arrived yesterday.

I'm very pleasantly surprised by the packaging. I have several sets from Melodiya in flimsy cardboard boxes, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but they did a nice job on this. The outside of the box is fairly plain, with a solid grey with sketches of the composers on the top. You can see the outside on the retailers' listings of the set.

On the inside, each disc is in a tri-fold, cardboard sleeve with contents in Russian, French, German and English. There's a small white foam disc in the center that holds the CD in place securely, such that it's very easy to remove and replace the CD without smudging it. I haven't encountered this type of sleeve before. Very nice, and much easier to use than those sleeves that you have to dig into to extract the disc.

The year of each recording is listed on the sleeve. There's a hard-bound booklet with a 20-page essay with an overview of the history of Russian music and the composers included in the set. It's well translated into English and a good overview ... although I suspect that if you're spending this much for the set, you probably already know about this subject.

The discs are arranged by composer:

1-3 Glinka
4 Dargomyzhsky, ARubinstein, Nápravnik
5-6 Borodin
7-9 Balakirev
10-11 Mussorgsky
12-35 Tchaikovsky
36-42 Rimsky-Korsakov
43 Liadov
44-45 Taneyev
46-48 Lyapunov
49-51 Arensky
52-54 Kalinnikov
55 Medtner

There's also a bonus disc, slipped into the back of the booklet, of solo piano pieces by Medtner played by Svetlanov.

A few of the sleeves have a "remaster" credit. I haven't listened to much of the set yet, so I don't know if they've made any significant improvements. I'm not expecting anything dramatic.

I've enjoyed the ARSM recordings over the years, so it's nice to see that Melodiya did a good job in this set. There is no better way to explore Russian music, but it's a shame that it's priced so high.


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## JAS

I will be interested in knowing, once you have had a change to listen, if there any detectable remastering of these recordings, or just repackaging. (I suspect remastering is greatly limited by the original engineering.)


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## JAS

A final update to note that I have, after my long search, been able to complete my set. I believe that I now have each of the volumes that were initially issued on CD, as well as several other releases that cover volumes that were intended to be issued on CD (and in many cases were issued on LP under the same general title). I now expect that all of the volumes will become quite common, since I am no longer searching for them. 

As a side note, I had not previously recognized that the last several volumes, which say RUSSIA rather than USSR, are designated on the CD itself as having been made in the U. S. A. That having been the case, I would not have expected them to be so difficult to find here, and yet these are precisely the same volumes that were the most elusive.


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## 13hm13

Yes, that Vol. 1 Melodiya boxset is $$ (Amazon is $490, 56-CDs) ... and (being Vol. 1), _incomplete_.
Discogs does have topical (but incomplete) page on the Anthology series, complete with orig. art. 
https://www.discogs.com/label/605706-Anthology-Of-Russian-Symphony-Music

I don't think the new "Vol. 1" boxset is on Discogs yet.

BTW: I own precisely ONE of these orig. USSR CDs (#62). And it is superb. 
View attachment 119151


If rest of the series is equally well recorded and performed, there's some value in owning the series. I would not, however, pay over $100 for the entire series -- maybe on thumb-drive with JPG and PDF art/linernotes.


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## Barelytenor

*Anthology of Russian Symphony Music on YouTube FREE*

I am very intrigued by this anthology but am also nearly out of room for more CDs! The recent Birgit Nilsson 100th book and multi-CD set (100?) took up the remaining space ... and also I am looking out for my pennies a bit more now that I'm approaching 70. So rather than fish around for all of these and then try to figure out where to put them (don't ask my wife where I should put them :lol I will just mention that tons of these are now uploaded onto YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=anthology+of+russian+symphony+music

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## AleksSt

JAS said:


> It is also curious to me that most of the CDs themselves, in the original series, have a large label that is varying shades of blue, but a few have red or green. I have no idea what accounts for this change. Perhaps it indicates the year of production.


A Blue sticker colour is for the original *First Press* (classical music only), any another colours are for a reissue. But it works for a CD's are manufactured in USSR only, not in the U.S., GBR or Japan!



JAS said:


> but a few have red or green


Can be yellow, light brown, orange or even a purple... Depending of the colour which was available at the "Gramzapis" Plant by the time of a reissue.


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