Search - Dmitry Kabalevsky, Eiji Oue, NDR Philharmonic Orchestra (Hannover) :: Kabalevsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-4

For Enthusiasts of the Russian/Soviet Symphony--Yet Again, C

Dace Gisclard | Houston, TX | 07/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kabalevsky is not the greatest of the Soviet symphonists--no Shostakovich, Prokofiev or Miaskovsky--but neither is he the worst--for that, one has to endure the vapidity of figures like Khrennikov. His oeuvre takes its place somewhere between these extremes, and rather closer to the top than the bottom. CPO has previously put collectors in its debt with comprehensive packages devoted to interesting but little-known symphonists, and here, they do so yet again. The present set is useful for bringing all of Kabalevsky's symphonies together in an affordable package, as well as presenting the world-premiere recording of No.3, and what appears to be the first modern recording of No.4. More good news is that the performances are highly recommendable.



Some of us are familiar with Nos.1 and 2 through Tjeknavorian's CD with the Armenian Philharmonic. No.2 is lighter in tone than No.1, but both are entertaining short works, in a self-consciously melodramatic vein. (How is it that Kabalevsky so often dipped into the styles of Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and even the "futurism" of his teacher, Miaskovsky, and yet never had to endure the same official attacks?) Perhaps there's something to be said for the "wild-eyed revolutionary" feeling projected by the Armenian orchestra's edgy brasses and somewhat scrappy playing. However, I suspect that Oue's more accomplished NDR Radiophilharmonie will wear better with repeated listenings. The strings are fuller and in better tune with each other, the brasses, bright yet not coarse, and the orchestra's technique is more dependable. With conductor Eiji Oue, they deliver vivid performances of these showily theatrical scores--not surprising, considering Oue is a Bernstein protegee.



Christoph Schluren, the annotator, points out that No.3 (actually the second in order of composition) is not a symphony. It's really a 12-minute choral cantata--a funeral march--with a rather hysterically dramatic 7-minute orchestral introduction. Subtitled "Requiem for Lenin," it is not to be confused with Kabalevsky's much longer "Requiem" of 1962. As such propaganda pieces go, the music is much better than one might expect, although it goes bombastic near the end, and doesn't so much conclude as merely stop. The text (by Nikolai Asseyev--the booklet offers an English translation, but no Russian) makes no overtly political references (except, perhaps, to "factories and villages"). Thus, Western listeners may find the piece easier to swallow by imagining it is a requiem for any great figure of their choice!



No.4, in four movements, is almost twice the length of any of the other three symphonies. For this composer, this is an unusually deep and self-revealing work, tragic in tone, yet with an optimistic ending (what else?). Much of it is based on material from his opera, "The Family of Taras," a depiction of the struggle against the Nazis. For me, it alone is worth the price of the album. My only previous contact with it was a monophonic MONITOR LP with the composer conducting the Leningrad Philharmonic (1956). Whatever the virtues of that performance, CPO's modern sound is a quantum improvement, and Oue successfully challenges Kabalevsky on his own turf. (I don't know if Kabalevsky's is the same performance issued in 1992 on OLYMPIA CD 290.) Oue and his forces play No.4 (as they do everything else in the set) for all it's worth, as if they believe every note, yet without descending to barnstorming vulgarity, building convincingly to the triumphant conclusion.



Kabalevsky's music is heavily influenced by Prokofiev, with large additions of Tchaikovsky and other Russian traditionalists (including his teacher, Miaskovsky). Christoph Schluren, in his admirable musically and historically informative notes (over NINE pages of small type in German, English and French), quotes Nicolas Slonimsky's dead-on description of Kabalevsky's style from "Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians." There's no better thumbnail portrait of the composer: "Kabalevsky's music represents a paradigm of the Russian school of composition in its Soviet period; his melodic writing is marked by broad diatonic lines invigorated by an energetic rhythmic pulse; while adhering to basic tonality, his harmony is apt to be rich in euphonious dissonances."



FYI, the fill on these discs is rather scant, 45:15 and 60:23, respectively! It's a pity some fillers aren't included, but on the other hand, hiring a chorus for one 12-minute movement is rather profligate, CPO's price is attractive, the performances are first-rate, and at present, there is NO other recording of No.3, and no modern recording No.4. One will have to decide for oneself whether the advantages of this set outweigh its disadvantages--for this collector, they definitely DO. Originally, I considered giving this set four stars, but the dedication and high quality of the performances made me think again--a valuable release, highly recommended to those interested in the Russian/Soviet school of symphonists."