This Week in Classical Music: August 8, 2022.Seven composers.Yes, that many, all interesting, none of them great, at least in our opinion, and three of them French. Cécile Chaminade, one of the few women composers of the 19th century, and André Jolivet were born on August 8th and both in Paris, Chaminade in 1857, Jolivet in 1905.Reynaldo Hahn, a songwriter and Proust’s friend,was born on August 9th of 1874 in Caracas but spent his adult life in France.You can read about all three here.
The Russian composer Alexander Glazunov was born on August 10th of 1865.He wrote a wonderful Violin concerto and a very popular ballet, Raymonda.He also wrote eight complete symphonies (he never finished his ninth), two piano concertos and much more.Outside of Russia very little of this music is performed or broadcast.But Glazonov was very important as a public cultural figure and a supporter of classical music in Russia and the early Soviet Union.He became the Director of the St-Petersburg’s Conservatory in 1905 and served in that position until 1928, one of the few administrators who wasn’t fired after the revolution of 1917, most likely because Glazunov was friends with Anatoly Lunacharsky, Soviet Union’s first minister of education and culture.In 1928 Glazunov was invited to Vienna to a composer’s competition, organized to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Schubert’s death.He was allowed to go (again thanks to Lunacharsky) and decided not to return to Russia.He eventually settled in Paris and died in 1936.Here’s a typical Glazunov’s piece, a symphonic poem Sten’ka Razin, which extensively uses the theme from the Song of the Volga Boatmen (actually, barge haulers, who pulled barges by a rope).In Russian this song is called Эй, ухнем, usually and inaccurately translated as Yo, heave-ho!.The song was made famously by the great Russian bass Feodor Shalyapin.The American bass Paul Robeson also had it in his repertoire and in 1941 Glenn Miller arranged the song for his orchestra – it became a hit.Here is Chaliapin’s recording with an unnamed orchestra from 1923 – the quality isn’t high, but Chaliapin’s voice comes through.
Heinrich Ignaz Biber, an Austrian-Bohemian composer, was born on August 12th of 1644.Read about him (and more on Jolivet)here.On the same day but 52 years later, in 1696, the English composer Maurice Greene was born in London.He’s the author of some of the most popular pieces of English church music, the anthems Hearken Unto Me, Ye Holy Children (here) and Lord, let me know mine end (here).
We have to admit that sometimes we do not understand the music of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, our seventh composer, especially his longer works.Sorabji, whose father was a Parsi from Bombay, was born on August 14th of 1892.We last wrote an entry about him nine years ago (here) and were reticent to come back to the topic.That said, his Piano Sonata no. 1, from 1919, is quite accessible, lasts only 22 minutes and has a reasonably developed form.Here it is, brilliantly performed by Marc-André Hamelin in a 1990 recording.
Seven composers
This Week in Classical Music: August 8, 2022. Seven composers. Yes, that many, all interesting, none of them great, at least in our opinion, and three of them French. Cécile Chaminade, one of the few women composers of the 19th century, and André Jolivet were born on August 8th and both in Paris, Chaminade in 1857, Jolivet in 1905. Reynaldo Hahn, a songwriter and Proust’s friend,was born on August 9th of 1874 in Caracas but spent his adult life
in France. You can read about all three here.
The Russian composer Alexander Glazunov was born on August 10th of 1865. He wrote a wonderful Violin concerto and a very popular ballet, Raymonda. He also wrote eight complete symphonies (he never finished his ninth), two piano concertos and much more. Outside of Russia very little of this music is performed or broadcast. But Glazonov was very important as a public cultural figure and a supporter of classical music in Russia and the early Soviet Union. He became the Director of the St-Petersburg’s Conservatory in 1905 and served in that position until 1928, one of the few administrators who wasn’t fired after the revolution of 1917, most likely because Glazunov was friends with Anatoly Lunacharsky, Soviet Union’s first minister of education and culture. In 1928 Glazunov was invited to Vienna to a composer’s competition, organized to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Schubert’s death. He was allowed to go (again thanks to Lunacharsky) and decided not to return to Russia. He eventually settled in Paris and died in 1936. Here’s a typical Glazunov’s piece, a symphonic poem Sten’ka Razin, which extensively uses the theme from the Song of the Volga Boatmen (actually, barge haulers, who pulled barges by a rope). In Russian this song is called Эй, ухнем, usually and inaccurately translated as Yo, heave-ho!. The song was made famously by the great Russian bass Feodor Shalyapin. The American bass Paul Robeson also had it in his repertoire and in 1941 Glenn Miller arranged the song for his orchestra – it became a hit. Here is Chaliapin’s recording with an unnamed orchestra from 1923 – the quality isn’t high, but Chaliapin’s voice comes through.
Heinrich Ignaz Biber, an Austrian-Bohemian composer, was born on August 12th of 1644. Read about him (and more on Jolivet) here. On the same day but 52 years later, in 1696, the English composer Maurice Greene was born in London. He’s the author of some of the most popular pieces of English church music, the anthems Hearken Unto Me, Ye Holy Children (here) and Lord, let me know mine end (here).
We have to admit that sometimes we do not understand the music of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, our seventh composer, especially his longer works. Sorabji, whose father was a Parsi from Bombay, was born on August 14th of 1892. We last wrote an entry about him nine years ago (here) and were reticent to come back to the topic. That said, his Piano Sonata no. 1, from 1919, is quite accessible, lasts only 22 minutes and has a reasonably developed form. Here it is, brilliantly performed by Marc-André Hamelin in a 1990 recording.