"Kalinnikov is a novelty to me, a pleasant surprise. His music sounds very much of the late 19th-century Russian Nationalists: folk-like melodies, rich harmonic treatment, brilliant orchestrations, but perhaps with more counterpoint used to develop his thematic material than is typical of his compatriots. There is a lot of the ballet here. None of the brooding introspection and melancholy, though--surprising, especially since the impoverished composer was dying of tuberculosis when both symphonies were composed.The orchestral playing is polished and brilliant, just as is the recording. (I haven't heard the Jarvi recording, but it's hard to imagine that it could be much better, or that his performance could be more idiomatic. Considering that the Jarvi costs nearly 3 times as much, this one's a real bargain!)"
More Than Worth the Money
James Schoonmaker | Centreville, Virginia USA | 06/15/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's entirely possible that the Jarvi performance is better, but for the money, you can't get much better than this. The sound quality is fairly good-- perhaps what you might get if you transferred a high-quality recording onto CD. The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine certainly played well, and was probably the best choice for Kalinnikov's symphonies.
Kalinnikov's symphonies are full of Russian sounds, as much as those of any Russian composer I can think of. The scherzo in the first symphony in particular is reminiscent of a Russian peasant dance. Kalinnikov may not be the best Russian composer, but this is still a darn good CD."
Charming symponies, good performance though the Chandos...
Joseph Barbarie | 12/29/1999
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Two great symphonies that should be a part of the repertoire of every orchestra.The Naxos performance is good but it is no match for the Jarvi performance on Chandos with the RSNO. That disc is worth the extra outlay given that the quality of the performance and the sound are so much superior. Thankfully Chandos has released the two symphonies on one disc in the last year."
Completely Underrated
Joseph Barbarie | new haven, CT | 11/05/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This disc leaves a listener with many different things to marvel at. He could marvel at the symphonic accomplishment of a man who died short of his 36th birthday. Or he could marvel at the continued disregard for, and ignorance of, that same accomplishment, given its melodic accessiblity, and its formal brilliance. He could marvel at his own good fortune in discovering such a rare bird as Kalinnikov.
A quick look at the reviews here suggests that, among the few who have even bothered with such an obscure name as Kalinnikov's, the acceptance is qualified. The reviews, though generally positive, seem to find the music too folksy and light. There are also repeated observations about the disparity in quality between the 1st and the 2nd Symphonies. That disparity is present, but it is so slight, and both works stand so far above the works of similarly obscure 19th century symphonists, that it hardly seems worth the effort to make the observation.
By way of orientation and explication, Kalinnikov's two symphonies do not merit parity with those of Tchaikovsky, Brahms or Dvorak (all of whom are slightly older to be sure, but all of whom were working in the symphonic genre contemporaneously). However, Kalinnikov's symphonies stand above those of Raff, Balakirev, Fibich, Huber, and Bruckner (Bruckner qualifies for the adjective "obscure symphonist" in these uncultured United States). The opinion that Kalinnikov's symphonies are preferable to those of Mahler would be a dangerous one. A more defensible position would be that they are certainly, if not better, more to this reviewer's taste.
To the works themselves; nowhere, in symphonic literature, are there more tuneful creations than Kalinnikov's. To what extent Kalinnikov's themes are his own, or are cribbed from Russian folk music, should be a matter of indifference. He rises above any charge of plagiary or lack of imagination by virtue of his sublime discipline in developing the tunes -- take, for instance, the fugato in the middle of the first symphony's first movement. Or listen to the way in which the last movement of the same work recapitulates -- in a non-artificial, and necessary fashion -- the thematic material of the first. His sense of symphonic architecture is evident at every turn.
In addition, he has a marvelous sense of orchestral color -- witness the very beginning of the first symphony's second movement, with its gently rocking strings and mysterious harp-strummings.
Kalinnikov's achievement as a symphonist cannot really be overpraised. It has been the victim of the opposite treatment, for what reason I cannot say. The works are attractive, and thoroughly worked-out in the high symphonic style."
Excellent First, but there are better Seconds
I. J. J. Nieuwland | Amsterdam | 05/22/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Of Vassily Kalinnikov's two symphonies, the first is the most often played. It is easy to see why: it has the sort of folksy accessibility that pot-boilers are made of, and it skids merrily from one tutti to the next. The second, much like Elgar's, is a more inward-looking affair (although much less than Elgar's) - still the same catchy rhythms but without the First Symphony's explosiveness. While Kuchar and his Ukranians attack the First head-on, they do appear to be less at home in its successor, where Järvi's Chandos recording still sets the standard. The First Symphony, however, is played excellently, and this is probably the most energetic recording of it to date. Excellent work from the orchestra, particularly the brass and woodwinds."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
