GENERAL

Miaskovsky is a fascinating composer with a strongly lyrical talent naturally nostalgic and perhaps a little old-fashioned in his language. Unlike his close friend Prokofiev he did not go in much for experiments or obviously new directions. Miaskovsky’s music is definitely worth exploring. There is a big, brilliant Violin Concerto offering a well judged mix of poetry and drama. The twenty-seven symphonies are full of interest and fascination. We know too little of this mountain range of works.

There are currently two Miaskovsky symphony CDs in the Revelation catalogue. The other one (Symphonies 2 and 22 both conducted by Svetlanov) is also reviewed this month. In the present CD we have one large-scale epic early symphony and another from later in his career although in the case of RV10069 the other symphony dates from only 11 years later and with its roots in the Great war rather than the Great Patriotic War of the 1940s.

Symphony No. 1 dates from Miaskovsky’s third year at the St Petersburg Conservatoire when the composer was 26. It was revised in 1921 and presumably it is that version which is recorded here. Some years ago a Russian Disc recording of the symphony with similar timings came out coupled with Miaskovsky’s Symphony No 19. That version was again conducted by Rozhdestvensky with an orchestra with only a slightly different name. I suspect that it is the same performance. The only other recording I know about is the BBC radio tape by the Ulster Orchestra conducted by the late Bryden Thomson. There were rumours (it was announced in small print in Gramophone) of an Olympia disc coupling symphonies 1, 15 and 21 but when I checked some years ago with Olympia there were technical problems with the digital mastertape and this has never been issued.

Symphony No. 1 has a striving and striding first movement with much ‘sturm und drang’. If I had to call in any parallels it would be Tchaikovsky of the fifth symphony and of Manfred. There is that feeling of a pilgrimage of the spirit through an oppressive clouded but dramatic landscape. It is also intriguing to hear music in this movement which reminds me very forcefully of the angst-ridden music of Prokofiev’s Eugene Onegin (does anyone out there have the Russian Melodiya version of that play with Prokofiev’s music?). The second movement is an expansive larghetto dominated by a meandering long-breathed theme for the strings with violins crying to the heights. It is projected with passion in this recording.

The last movement already displays all the usual hallmarks of Miaskovsky symphonies. The jerky, noble, aspiring march-like figure has brethren themes in the later symphonies. Glazunov is evoked from time to time and the confidence of this music won Glazunov’s praise at its premiere when the elder composer praised it for its ‘maturity of thought’ and even went out of his way to secure for the young composer a small stipend.

The symphony does not feel like an immature work although there seems to be a higher charge of electricity in the second symphony. I have always liked Rozhdestvensky’s music making. His years in the late 70s and early 80s as Principal Conductor of the BBC SO marked some of the best repertoire days of the orchestra’s history. I recall so many performances. His Prokofiev Chout (full score) performance at the 1979 Edinburgh Festival had narration by Andrew Cruickshank (the original Dr Finlay of ‘Dr Finlay Case Book’ fame - at least in the UK). It was televised and I recall Rozhdestvensky’s almost childlike joy in the music - such a communicative and imaginative musician! Then there was a rare performance of Lokshin’s Symphony No 3 setting with bitter violence and lyricism poems by Kipling including a Danny Deever which left the Grainger version well behind. He also directed RVW’s Fifth Symphony and possibly the sixth. His Proms performances of Delius Song of the High Hills and Violin Concerto (Ida Haendel) were also notably enjoyable. I don’t recall him offering any Miaskovsky symphonies with the BBCSO although if he did perhaps someone will remind me.

The Rozhdestvensky performance of the Fifth is new to CD. It was recorded on 12 February 1982. The sound is very acceptable without being startlingly clear. The fifth is a four movement work unlike the three movement First. The first movement opens grazioso - the marking is allegretto amabile but it is not long before Miaskovsky’s darker side draws in one of his most striking upward-thrusting themes. The second movement is heavy with mystery and at 3:40 there is a passage startlingly pre-echoing Tapiola. At 6:24 an elusive but haunting theme returns. The third movement is dance-like (though the dance is heavy-footed - giants in gum-boots) emulating Borodin. Later the dance becomes more charming and elfin - a Slavonic Warlock’s Capriol - well almost! This stamping Russian folk-dance motif is rather Glazunov-like. The last movement is dashing and confident and for me is deeply coloured by Glazunov’s symphonies, the eighth of which had been completed in 1905. The thematic material here, with recollections of material from the first movement, is of the highest distinction. At 1:55 of this movement we can hear a little of what may have influenced Shostakovich in years to come. There is a joyous Easter Fair heartiness (alternating with nobility) about this movement and even at 4:20 a momentary premonition of Bax. At 6:20 the liturgical upward thrusting theme from the first movement returns in tragic crumbling splendour.

When it comes to comparing couplings for the first symphony the Russian Disc offers Symphony No. 19 for military band which is entertaining but does not have the taut concentration of Symphony No. 5. I also have been able to compare the Marco Polo CD of Miaskovsky 5 (BBCPO/Edward Downes) and the Olympia CD with the old (1960s) recording by the USSRSO and Konstantin Ivanov. No. 5 is a fine work and enjoyable in any of these recordings however for me the Ivanov performance with its single-minded dedication and vibrant (though dated) sound and performance is still marginally the front-runner.

To summarise: buy this CD. Any recording of No. 1 is rare. The Revelation disc should be in easier supply than the Russian Disc version and in any event the Symphony No. 5 is a more attractive coupling. If you are going for a number 5 then you cannot really go wrong with any of the versions though my preference is for Ivanov on Olympia - if you can find it. Miaskovsky symphonic completists are destined to get every version as a means of filling gaps in the symphony sequence. The respectable, intense and well-recorded Marco Polo version has Symphonies 5 and 9 in committed performances conducted by Edward Downes.

Opportunists please note that while we dream of a boxed set of the Miaskovsky symphonies by one inspired orchestra, conductor and recording engineer, a street-wise move would plug every gap in the Miaskovsky symphonic canon: Numbers 4, 13, 14, 18, 20, 24 and 26. Please don’t couple these with previously recorded symphonies. Couple them together!

For someone looking for an easier way into Miaskovsky’s world do try the Violin Concerto. There is an Olympia CD of this work played by Grigori Feigin with the USSRSO conducted by Alexander Dimitriev. This is Miaskovsky’s most approachable work barring none.

Reviewer

Robert Barnett

Reviewer

Robert Barnett