This transaction got me thinking about the composer, and records of his music in my collection. And in truth, my favorite Khachaturian concerto is not his rumbustious effort for the piano, but his gorgeous, atmospheric violin concerto.
My first choice for soloist was blog favorite Louis Kaufman. So I dutifully transferred his version, coming to the reluctant conclusion that this isn't his best recording. He sounds over-stretched, and the sound, too, is wuzzy (a word I just invented that combines fuzzy and woozy). The good news is that the accompaniment from the Santa Monica Symphony and Jacques Rachmilovich is sturdy, what you can hear of it.
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| Cover of the Kogan version |
A later Kogan recording had been my introduction to this work many years ago, in his early stereo version with the Boston Symphony and Pierre Monteux. I still find that reading entirely magical, but this earlier effort is not far behind and has reasonably good sound to boot.
I believe the Kogan-Khachaturian is either the third or fourth commercial recording of the work. My pressing is on the "International Recorded Music Society" label, which appears to be a Concert Hall Society spin-off dating from the late 1950s.
Kaufman's effort is purportedly from 1945, which would likely make it the concerto's second recording. I am a little dubious of the date because it would come before the founding of the record company itself (i.e., Concert Hall Society), but I suppose it is possible.
The initial recording of the concerto was by dedicatee David Oistrakh with Alexander Gauk, made the year after the work's 1940 premiere.
Please enjoy these contrasting views of this delightful composition and feel free to provide your reactions in the comments.
ADDENDUM - Reader Hiram from Venezuela recommended a version of the concerto with the short-lived Julian Sitkovetsky and the USSR State Radio Symphony under the composer's direction. This comes from 1956, the same year the 30-year-old violinist was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in 1958. I found a low bit-rate version on YouTube, listened, and was very impressed. I highly recommend it to all. I have remastered the sound and provided a link in the comments to this post.
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| Khachaturian and Kogan with Soviet notables circa 1960. From left in the front row are the composer, Tikhon Khrennikov, Premier Nikita Khrushchev, and Dmitri Shostakovich. Kogan is third from the left behind this group, with Mstislav Rostropovich over his left shoulder. |
23 comments:
Links (Apple lossless):
Kogan version
http://www.mediafire.com/file/s507aip8bvabm2z/Khachaturian_-_Violin_Concerto_%28Kogan%2C_Khachaturian%29.zip
Kaufman version
http://www.mediafire.com/file/28hg8y2csv13e6y/Khachaturian_-_Violin_Concerto_%28Kaufman%29.zip
Thanks Buster for these rare LPs. I much prefer his VC than his PC too....the colors of the USSR SO are unique. I never heard of the Santa Monica: is that formation still existing?
Thanks, Buster! I'm with you, I consider the VC one of Khatchaturian's best works. I first got to know it through this very Kaufman recording, on 78s (four of them, in Set AN, which was released in December 1947). Never heard Kogan's version and am looking forward to doing so. And as always, thanks for the plug!
centuri - The Santa Monica Symphony, still in existence, was founded by a group of Hollywood studio musicians in 1945, shortly before this record was made. Rachmilovich was the first music director.
Bryan - Thanks for the info on the 78 set. It must have been one of the first Concert Hall releases.
Thanks for info !!
thank you for these. -a.v.
Hi my dear Buster. In this sense I would like you to recommend a not so well knwon version from the bulgarian soloist Julian Sitkovetsky(1956). Take your time and then let me know your opinion.
Greetings from Venezuela Yours Hiram
Hiram - Thanks for the tip. I will seek it out on YouTube. I see it is conducted by the composer.
Hi Buster. In connection with this subject , my favourite version of the Khachaturian piano concerto has for long been that of Antonin Jemelik with Czech Philharmonic originally on Supraphon (currently coupled with some Scriabin on an import Parliament CD. Jemelik does a quicksilver, exhilarating job, although the orchestra is not as rich as it ought to be.
Hi Richard - Thanks for the recommendation. That's one I have not heard, from a pianist who is new to me.
Richard and all -
I listened to the Julian Sitkovetsky recording and was very impressed. The finale is exhilarating. I have taken the YouTube file and remastered it. The sound is reasonably good for a low bit-rate original. Here is a link:
https://www.mediafire.com/?cdqlt3dm747jp7m
Sorry, the Sitkovetsky was the version recommended by Hiram. I have not caught up with Richard's recommendation yet!
If I may enter the Khachaturian-Sitkovetsky sweepstakes, I'd like to recommend an incredible version with the Romanian Radio Orchestra (scrappy but inspired), conducted by Niyazi in 1954. It appeared on a Russian Disc CD in 1994.
gpdlt2000 - Thanks, I will be sure to check that one out!
gldlt200 - I listened and you are right, it is truly incredible. If anyone is interested in my cleaned up version, let me know.
Nice to hear that,Buster!
I am much more enthusiastic about AK's music than a fellow collector, who cannot resist referring to the composer, with derision, as "A. Ram Scratchaturian".
Here is an eloquent performance by one of the greatest Russian conductors of all time, Alexander Gauk (with the USSR Symphony) of the AK Sym 1 in e, recorded (I would guess) in the early fifties in pretty vivid sound.
...and a much older historic item, the same artists in the Melodiya 78s, from c.1944, of AK's Second Symphony: an upload I got in the 1990s on the incipient RMCR newsgroup, from an anonymous contributor, as I recall. If I recall, I believe I did have to do a bit of NR on this item. As one might expect of a 78 from Russia, during WW2, the recording sounds a bit gritty, but isn't nearly as bad as I would have expected. Hell-for-leather, life-and-death-matters performance!
BONUS FOR TRUE BELIEVERS in the Soviet Struggle for World Hegemony (um, not *I*) ...Degeyter's "The Internationale" in the official Soviet recording, plus Toscanini's OWN arrangement, which he conducted for a live 1943 broadcast. If your family were to spread rumors that you might have voted for Trump, send them these two mp3's to get off the hook!
https://www52.zippyshare.com/v/NMpyfdiE/file.html
92 MB File expires by 8/24/18.
Looking thru my library, I don't seem to have an equally old, obscure record of AK's Sym 3, other than, of course, the reasonably well-distributed Mravinsky plus of course the VERY famous hi fi Victor stereo album by Stoky. I think most enthusiasts of the composer's symphonic works are likely to have that latter CSO performance, which is still in print and even available in a new high resolution transfer from RCA Victor's master tapes.
BTW, Buster: your picture above of Krushchev with the beaming cream of Soviet composers and musicians is a bit troubling, isn't it? I imagine that "mixed feelings" is the operative phrase in analyzing the inner thoughts of most of those luminaries!
On the other hand: perhaps at least DS was somewhat sympathetic to Nikita, because of the latter's "secret" Politburo address, denouncing DS's old nemesis, Comrade Stalin.
Of course, the biggest grin is on the smarmy face of Khrennikov, an unrepentent mainstream comsymp to the bitter end.
8H Haggis (who, as a HS student in the early sixties, used to listen to Radio Moscow transmissions and their propaganda about "boot production in Khazachstan" and laff his assoff.)
Thanks much for the two K symphonies. I know I do have the Stoky you cite. Never liked that work, actually. Confession: I adore K's ballet music.
I remember my college newspaper had a subscription to Fidel Castro's official newspaper, Granma. (I'm sure the Cubans sent it gratis.) What a strange document it was, mainly comprising transcripts of Fidel's speeches.
Unfortunately Zippyshare is acting worse in terms of extraneous crap it tries to force you to take to get the real files to download. doesnt seem to matter what sort of filters you apply to your browser. Sigh.
Hi Buster,
Still going through your old posts:
"If anyone is interested in my cleaned up version, let me know."
YES PLEASE - if you can find it.
Just attended (very unusually) a performance of the Khachaturian Violin Concerto in a concert by RLPO (my old band) under Petrenko with Radulović - superb concert, plus Prokofiev - R&J Suite and Schedrin - Naughty Limericks!!!
RLPO now 'considered one of best Russian orchestras'(bachtrack review).
My 'free' birthday ticket!
Do not go to concerts anymore because of poor audience etiquette (such as mobile phones - must see texts!!!) - now only to recording sessions.
Khachaturian Violin Concerto - very much under-appreciated.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Cheers,
Douglas (UK)
As recommended by gpdlt2000, the version with the Romanian Radio Orchestra, conducted by Niyazi in 1954:
https://www98.zippyshare.com/v/hjcbf3F0/file.html
Many many thanks Buster for responding so quickly.
It amazes me how you detect any new communication with you? The magic of the internet!
Perhaps the communications from your Blogspot goes to your email, text, Twitter, Facebook or whatever?
So can I be assured that if I leave a request/question in any of your messages/comments whatever the date/age you will get the message almost immediately?
Presumably you do not have to trawl through all your messages in your Blogspot to determine if anything is new?
Is there anyway that I can use a similar new message notification system? Does Twitter do this?
Many thanks for your excellent service.
Cheers,
Douglas (UK)
I get all new comments on the blog automatically via e-mail. You can do the same by using the "Notify me" function at the bottom of the comment entry box, but you would need to do this post by post. You can subscribe to posts here via RSS (you need an RSS reader; I use Feedly), but Blogger does not allow you to subscribe to comments via RSS, as far as I know.
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