Svetlanov Ica

Mily Balakirev was the brilliant, dynamic leader of the group of St Petersburg composers known as ‘The Mighty Handful’ or ‘The Five’, which included, besides himself, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and Cui. As well as stimulating these other men, who might never have taken up composition but for him, he was a very fine composer in his own right. Completely lacking in conventional musical training, he had educated himself by studying the works of the Western masters and of his great Russian predecessor, Mikhail Glinka, and he was thus without the preconceived ideas inculcated in conservatoires of music in his day.

An appealing collection of short Russian orchestral works in recordings dating from 1965 to 1990. The performances are idiomatic, with plangent brass and bassoons, while Svetlanov unfolds the structure of each piece with a sure and certain hand. Many rewarding discoveries among the rarer pieces, including Glazunov’s surprisingly powerful Lyrical Poem, two miniatures by the Czech-born Eduard Nápravník, an influential figure in St Petersburg’s musical life for more than fifty years, and Balakirev’s suite of Chopin arrangements.

Couplings of the two Balakirev symphonies are not uncommon. Naxos and Hyperion are examples although no doubt there are others. This set, which in terms of musical playing time is amongst the most generous in the BMG-Melodiya series, includes both symphonies and six other works, three tone poems and three overtures. Balakirev's dedication to folk music and the exotic orient is well known. It puts in an appearance to greater or lesser extents in all these works.

Yevgeny Svetlanov died on 3 May 2002. This outstanding Russian conductor, master of an enormous repertoire, had built up an especially fruitful relationship with the two Radio France orchestras in the last few years of his life. Hence it is only natural that Radio France, with the fourth title of its new series, should wish to pay tribute to this key figure of the Russian school of conducting.

Tchaikovsky - Suite From The Ballet "Swan Lake" & "Nutcracker" - Evgeni Svetlanov (1990)
Melodiya | USSR | SUCD 10-00001 | 1990 | 1 CD | EAC Rip | FLAC (img + cue), LOG | Covers (jpg 300 dpi) | TT 65:27 | RAR 273 MB + 3% Recovery
Classical / Orchestral / Ballet

The USSR Symphony Orchestra owes its success largely to Evgeni Svetlanov, its artistic director, Lenin prize winner, USSR People's Artist, Hero of Socialist Labour — a gifted versatile musician, talented conductor, composer and pianist. For several years Svetlanov had a position with the All-Union Radio Orchestra, later taking over the USSR Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra. Evgeni Svetlanov's name is well known all over the world.

Tchaikovsky - Suite No.2, Hamlet, Overture in F major - Evgeni Svetlanov (1990)
Melodiya | USSR | SUCD 10-00019 | 1990 | 1 CD | EAC Rip | FLAC (img + cue), LOG | Covers (jpg 300 dpi) | TT 68:27 | RAR 278.84 MB MB + 3% Recovery
Classical / Orchestral

The USSR Symphony Orchestra owes its success largely to Evgeni Svetlanov, its artistic director, Lenin prize winner, USSR People's Artist, Hero of Socialist Labour — a gifted versatile musician, talented conductor, composer and pianist. For several years Svetlanov had a position with the All-Union Radio Orchestra, later taking over the USSR Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra. With Russian classics in the focus of his attention (his repertoire includes all of Russian music) Svetlanov constantly tackles works of different styles. Evgeni Svetlanov's name is well known all over the world.

Evgeny Svetlanov - Munchner Philharmoniker - Wagner Abend 1988
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg • Lohengrin • Tannhauser • Tristan und Isolde • Siegfried • Die Walkure
Classical | EAC | FLAC, IMG+CUE, LOG | Covers | 2CD, 412 MB
Label: Weitblick | Catalog Number: SSS0090-2 | TT: 1:34'24''

Svetlanov, Munchner Philharmoniker under the domination of Celibidache and Wagner. How miraculos this combination was! It might be never have been planned from a fixed idea, with the intension and procedure to realize this performance might be not so serious an event. However, as a result, an outstanding performance, containing good balance between the orthodoxy at the maximum level and the open minded power was accomplished. It may be called excellent Wagner with collective powerful sounds without hesitation bu one of the mist symbolic German orchestras. It can be realized paradoxically only by this couple. This Wagner seems to be what we can see from the vivid viewpoint of the orchestra members who greatly enjoyed their own music without any stresses different from the usual performances