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A tribute to Boris Tchaikovsky Boris TCHAIKOVSKY (1925 – 1996) Sextet (1990) [17:46]
Maxim
Rubtsov (flute) Andrey Rubstov (oboe) Andrey Shuty (clarinet)
Andrey Snegirev (bassoon) Fyodor Yarovoi (horn) Ksenia
Erdeli (harp) Passacaglia and Fugue (1940s) [7:46]
Anton Prischepa (clarinet)Filipp Nodel (oboe); Sergey Kryukovtsev (horn); konstantin
Kaznacheyev (violin); Elizaveta Fadeyeva (viola); Olga Dyomina (cello); Pavel
Alfyorov (double bass); Maria Rubinshtein (flute) Anyuta – Suite (1960)
[5:07]
Anton Prischepa (bass clarinet) Maria Rubinshtein (flute) Petr Klimov (piano)
Alexey Steblev (cello) Tatiana Larina (flute) Igor Fedorov (clarinet) Petr KLIMOV (b.
1970) Little Fantasy (1998) [3:48]
Anton Prischepa (clarinet) Moments Musicaux (2004) [1:55]
Petr Klimov, Olga Solovieva (piano) Stanislav PROKUDIN (b. 1970) Three Nocturnes (2003) [6:44]
Anton Prischepa (clarinet) Stanislav Prokudin (piano) Alexey VERSHININ (b.
1964) Two Pieces (2001) [5:46]
Anton Prischepa (clarinet) Tatiana Larina (flute) Alexander Posikera (bassoon) Ksenia PRASSOLOVA (b.
1970) Five Canons (1997) [6:30]
Sergey Goncharov, Andrey Galitzky (clarinets) Andrey GOLOVIN (b. 1950) The Spring Song (1993) [3:43]
Anton Prischepa (clarinet) Andrey Golovin (piano)Valery Golikov (trombone) Anton PRISCHEPA (b.
1983) The Two (2004) [16:36]
Ekaterina Gubernatorova (cello)
rec. Moscow Theatre and Concert Centre, 2002 (Sextet); Concert Hall of
Gnessin Music College, November 2005 (Passacaglia and Fugue, Golovin)
and November 2003 (Prassolova); Mosfilm Ton-Studios, April 2005 (Anyuta,
Klimov, Prokudin, Prischepa); Studio 5, Russian Radio House, April 2006 (Vershinin,
Klimov) RELIEF
CR991091 [75:41]
Boris
Tchaikovsky, who has the lion’s share of this release,
is the red thread since most composers featured here studied
at the Gnessin Academy where Tchaikovsky and Golovin taught.
On the other hand it does not mean that they all studied
either with Tchaikovsky or Golovin. In fact, Ksenia Prassolova
and Petr Klimov studied with Golovin whereas Stanislav
Prokudin was Tchaikovsky’s first student when the latter
began teaching at the Gnessin Academy. Incidentally, all
but one of these composers also shared another homage disc
of cello music in which the most substantial work was Tchaikovsky’s
large-scale Cello Sonata - once available on Boheme CDBMR
308272. No mere coincidence.
Tchaikovsky’s
works recorded here date from various periods of his composing
career. Passacaglia and Fugue was composed
in the mid-1940s during his early studies at the Moscow
Conservatory. The short suite drawn from the film Anyuta dates
from 1960 and the Sextet from 1990. The most
substantial item is the Sextet for wind quintet
and harp completed in 1990 and thus one of Tchaikovsky’s
last important works. The music is typical of the composer’s
maturity and displays clear lines, often subtle writing
for winds as well as some child-like (but by no means childish)
innocence which is a hallmark of Tchaikovsky’s music-making.
In much of the composer’s output, no matter how serious
the music, conflicts are often resolved by some simple
tunes, although never without gentle irony. You can hear
this in the last movement of the Chamber Symphony or
in the last song of the very attractive and often touching
song-cycle Last Spring (1980). The music
of the Sextet is bright, but not dazzling. “Not the blinding
noonday sun of the Sebastopol Symphony, but
the soft rays of a setting sun in autumn” to quote the
very apt words of Petr Klimov in his insert notes. The
music also often displays light touches that remind one
of, say, Francis Poulenc. This is a very attractive work
that should become popular although the instrumental line-up
is rather unusual. As already mentioned, the Passacaglia
and Fugue (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, violin,
viola, cello and double bass) is an early work in which
Shostakovich’s influence may still be experienced although
much of the writing already points to the composer’s mature
style. The short suite from the film Anyuta (two
flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet, cello and piano) consists
of five very short vignettes of great charm and not without
humour.
As
can be seen from the above details, the other pieces are
all fairly short. The exception is Prischepa’s The
Two for clarinet and cello completed in 2004. It
plays for a quarter of an hour. At the other end of the
scale, Petr Klimov contributes the shortest work here: Moments
Musicaux (oboe, horn and piano) all over in less
than two minutes. Most works are very fine indeed although
none of them really breaks any new ground. On the other
hand none of them outstays its welcome so that the whole
programme may be enjoyed for its variety.
All
in all, this is a very fine release with fine performances
in very good recorded sound. It may be enjoyed from first
to last. It should of course appeal to all admirers of
Boris Tchaikovsky’s music, were it only for his fine Sextet -
the real gem here. Well worth exploring.
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