wimpel69
12-11-2014, 12:30 PM
FLAC link below. This is my own rip.
Cover & booklet included. Do not share. Buy the original!
Please leave a "Like" or "Thank you" if you enjoyed this!
Mili Balakirev (1837-1910) occupies a key position in Russian musical history. Chiefly known as
the leader of the �Mighty Handful�, he was largely self-taught and disliked traditional musical methods.
He proved immensely influential in creating a strong national identity for Russian music in the nineteenth
century, an identity which it had not enjoyed before.
Admittedly of variable quality, the compositional output of Mily Balakirev includes symphonic poems,
two symphonies, concertante works for piano and orchestra, and numerous solo piano pieces and
songs. His importance as an influence on the development of a Russian national style in music has
long been recognised, but much of his music awaits wider discovery and performance. Originating
as early as 1864, the First Symphony was only finished in 1897, and when Balakirev conducted
its first performance in 1898 it was to prove his last public appearance as conductor. The musical
material is extremely simple but developed with remarkable resourcefulness. At the age of twenty-
two Balakirev wrote incidental music for Shakespeare�s King Lear, and the Overture, which manages
to combine strict sonata form, including introduction and epilogue, with a neat musical synopsis
of the play, reveals a talent that has been said to equal that of the mature Beethoven in his music
to Goethe�s Egmont. In Bohemia, which began life as an �Overture on Czech Themes� in 1866 � 67,
but whose revised and reorchestrated version dates from 1906, draws on popular songs that are slow
and reflective, lively and merry, and rhythmically complex at a moderate tempo.
The orchestra is among the largest Balakirev ever required.
The Second Symphony occupied Balakirev from 1900 to 1908. It offers another taut sonata form,
rich in chromatic effects, in the first movement, while the Scherzo alla cosacca is one of his finest
creations. The Piano Concerto in F sharp minor is the single movement that Balakirev completed
of an intended larger work; dating from 1855 � 56, it is a long, virtuosic movement, classical in scope,
which Balakirev performed for the first time at a university concert in 1856, his St Petersburg debut.
Tamara, the first ideas for which came to Balakirev as early as 1867 but which was completed
in 1882, is inspired by Lermontov�s poem of the same title. Balakirev�s masterpiece, it is one of the
finest products of a cult of the oriental and exotic which was popular in the music of nineteenth-
century Russia.
Music Composed by
Mili Balakirev
Played by the
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by
Vasily Sinaisky
"If you are in the market for a superbly recorded 2CD collection of the symphonies of
Balakirev topped up with some shorter pieces the contest is on between this Chandos
set and one from Hyperion (Philharmonia/Svetlanov). Both sets sport British orchestras
and Russian conductors. On recording quality the Chandos has it by a nose but there's
really not that much in it. Couplings may make the difference. In both cases you get
Tamara which is essential listening for any Russian music buff. Sinaisky has the
advantage of Studio 7 in Manchester and an orchestra which has a long tradition of
radio performances of Balakirev going back to the 1940s as the BBC Northern
Orchestra. In addition Sinaisky can offer the early Piano Concerto - pleasant
but hardly a deal-clincher.
Sinaisky coaxes authentic Russian sounds from this Northern British radio orchestra.
Listen to the scorching abrasive trumpets in the first movement of the First Symphony
at 9:55. He inculcates mystery into the dark-ochre Mendelssohnian Scherzo. His
clarinettist sings the beguilement of the Andante with artful gentleness pointing
towards Tchaikovsky. The finale has some dancing work for the woodwind looking
to Rimsky and Borodin.
The Lear Overture is dark as befits its tragic subject with stark brass and a stern
and grave manner recalling, with a Russian accent, Mendelssohn's Ruy Blas and
Schumann's Julius Caesar. While In Bohemia which started out as Overture on
Czech Themes (companion to his delightful Overture on Russian Themes - not
on this set but on the Hyperion) uses three Czech songs. With a pipe and tabor
grace and a similar harmonic world the work occasionally recalls Tamara without
that work's sinister and enthralling miasma.
The second CD has the Second Symphony as its principal focus. This was
written between 1900 and 1908. It was premiered under the baton of Lyapunov
who was to provide a psychedelic orchestration of Balakirev's piano fantasy
Islamey - then again Lyapunov did write a tone poem called Hashish. Lyapunov
also completed Balakirev�s intriguing Second Piano Concerto. The Second
Symphony is excellent with an identical layout to the First. The gestures are
recognisable Balakirev but the second movement scherzo has more of the
grandeur of the Russian courts about it. The andante makes a pass at the
magic of his First Symphony andante but can't quite reach. The Tamara is
excellent - in fact it�s probably the best reading in the set. The First Piano
Concerto is certainly pleasant extra and is very nicely done but hardly the
be-all and end-all of this set.
This set is at two-for-one price and the recordings are just over five years old.
It is irresistible if you like these couplings for the two symphonies and want very
good modern recording technology. Beecham's Tamara and Symphony No. 1
are superb of course but the EMI sound, while golden in its own terms, cannot
match this. Also good and in contemporary sound is the slow-to-impress
Loughran single CD on Danacord. Truth to tell though the BBC Phil sound much
better in the string department than their brethren in Aarhus. "
Musicweb
Download Link - https://mega.co.nz/#!mU4iwQQA!R--tu1id23J-ng8wwbLoUi1OGPaZtmA0tmoVQ3s1gzY
Source: Chandos Records CDs, 1997/2002 (my rip!)
Format: FLAC(RAR), DDD Stereo, Level: -5
File Size: 553 MB (incl. cover & booklet)
Enjoy! Don't share! Buy the origina! Please leave a "Like" or "Thank you" if you enjoyed this! :)
Cover & booklet included. Do not share. Buy the original!
Please leave a "Like" or "Thank you" if you enjoyed this!
Mili Balakirev (1837-1910) occupies a key position in Russian musical history. Chiefly known as
the leader of the �Mighty Handful�, he was largely self-taught and disliked traditional musical methods.
He proved immensely influential in creating a strong national identity for Russian music in the nineteenth
century, an identity which it had not enjoyed before.
Admittedly of variable quality, the compositional output of Mily Balakirev includes symphonic poems,
two symphonies, concertante works for piano and orchestra, and numerous solo piano pieces and
songs. His importance as an influence on the development of a Russian national style in music has
long been recognised, but much of his music awaits wider discovery and performance. Originating
as early as 1864, the First Symphony was only finished in 1897, and when Balakirev conducted
its first performance in 1898 it was to prove his last public appearance as conductor. The musical
material is extremely simple but developed with remarkable resourcefulness. At the age of twenty-
two Balakirev wrote incidental music for Shakespeare�s King Lear, and the Overture, which manages
to combine strict sonata form, including introduction and epilogue, with a neat musical synopsis
of the play, reveals a talent that has been said to equal that of the mature Beethoven in his music
to Goethe�s Egmont. In Bohemia, which began life as an �Overture on Czech Themes� in 1866 � 67,
but whose revised and reorchestrated version dates from 1906, draws on popular songs that are slow
and reflective, lively and merry, and rhythmically complex at a moderate tempo.
The orchestra is among the largest Balakirev ever required.
The Second Symphony occupied Balakirev from 1900 to 1908. It offers another taut sonata form,
rich in chromatic effects, in the first movement, while the Scherzo alla cosacca is one of his finest
creations. The Piano Concerto in F sharp minor is the single movement that Balakirev completed
of an intended larger work; dating from 1855 � 56, it is a long, virtuosic movement, classical in scope,
which Balakirev performed for the first time at a university concert in 1856, his St Petersburg debut.
Tamara, the first ideas for which came to Balakirev as early as 1867 but which was completed
in 1882, is inspired by Lermontov�s poem of the same title. Balakirev�s masterpiece, it is one of the
finest products of a cult of the oriental and exotic which was popular in the music of nineteenth-
century Russia.
Music Composed by
Mili Balakirev
Played by the
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by
Vasily Sinaisky
"If you are in the market for a superbly recorded 2CD collection of the symphonies of
Balakirev topped up with some shorter pieces the contest is on between this Chandos
set and one from Hyperion (Philharmonia/Svetlanov). Both sets sport British orchestras
and Russian conductors. On recording quality the Chandos has it by a nose but there's
really not that much in it. Couplings may make the difference. In both cases you get
Tamara which is essential listening for any Russian music buff. Sinaisky has the
advantage of Studio 7 in Manchester and an orchestra which has a long tradition of
radio performances of Balakirev going back to the 1940s as the BBC Northern
Orchestra. In addition Sinaisky can offer the early Piano Concerto - pleasant
but hardly a deal-clincher.
Sinaisky coaxes authentic Russian sounds from this Northern British radio orchestra.
Listen to the scorching abrasive trumpets in the first movement of the First Symphony
at 9:55. He inculcates mystery into the dark-ochre Mendelssohnian Scherzo. His
clarinettist sings the beguilement of the Andante with artful gentleness pointing
towards Tchaikovsky. The finale has some dancing work for the woodwind looking
to Rimsky and Borodin.
The Lear Overture is dark as befits its tragic subject with stark brass and a stern
and grave manner recalling, with a Russian accent, Mendelssohn's Ruy Blas and
Schumann's Julius Caesar. While In Bohemia which started out as Overture on
Czech Themes (companion to his delightful Overture on Russian Themes - not
on this set but on the Hyperion) uses three Czech songs. With a pipe and tabor
grace and a similar harmonic world the work occasionally recalls Tamara without
that work's sinister and enthralling miasma.
The second CD has the Second Symphony as its principal focus. This was
written between 1900 and 1908. It was premiered under the baton of Lyapunov
who was to provide a psychedelic orchestration of Balakirev's piano fantasy
Islamey - then again Lyapunov did write a tone poem called Hashish. Lyapunov
also completed Balakirev�s intriguing Second Piano Concerto. The Second
Symphony is excellent with an identical layout to the First. The gestures are
recognisable Balakirev but the second movement scherzo has more of the
grandeur of the Russian courts about it. The andante makes a pass at the
magic of his First Symphony andante but can't quite reach. The Tamara is
excellent - in fact it�s probably the best reading in the set. The First Piano
Concerto is certainly pleasant extra and is very nicely done but hardly the
be-all and end-all of this set.
This set is at two-for-one price and the recordings are just over five years old.
It is irresistible if you like these couplings for the two symphonies and want very
good modern recording technology. Beecham's Tamara and Symphony No. 1
are superb of course but the EMI sound, while golden in its own terms, cannot
match this. Also good and in contemporary sound is the slow-to-impress
Loughran single CD on Danacord. Truth to tell though the BBC Phil sound much
better in the string department than their brethren in Aarhus. "
Musicweb
Download Link - https://mega.co.nz/#!mU4iwQQA!R--tu1id23J-ng8wwbLoUi1OGPaZtmA0tmoVQ3s1gzY
Source: Chandos Records CDs, 1997/2002 (my rip!)
Format: FLAC(RAR), DDD Stereo, Level: -5
File Size: 553 MB (incl. cover & booklet)
Enjoy! Don't share! Buy the origina! Please leave a "Like" or "Thank you" if you enjoyed this! :)