Today, I'm going to talk about Russian composers (and try not to mention the biggies Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky.)
For me, Shostakovich means his violin duets. They are remarkably different from his atonal pieces like his first violin concerto and violin sonata op.134. All the Shostakovich I've managed to hear live in the past were from second-half concerts (you know, when the first half is a famous piece like Brahms' first symphony, and the second half is a less well know one.) I don't know why programmers always put Shostakovich as the end tag piece, or why they always put in the less interesting jazzy pieces of his where those trippy tone rows just play with your mind and you lose track of any melodies present. Hence so far all the pieces I've heard by him are those gloomy, restrained, dissonant ones, as if they all have potential to be great works but his editor majored censored it or something.
It wasn't until I looked through the 2nd hand music books sale at my music school when I discovered Shostakovich's real talent. Actually at that time my knowledge for duet pieces was so limited that when I wanted to duet with someone and they asked me 'what do you want to play' I would always reply with 'err.. Bach double violin?' So I was on a hunt and thank god I found Shostakovich. Here's the Three Violin Duets performed by Perlman and Zukerman:
They just sound so beautiful and sophisticated. The melodies and simple and harmonies and clean. The mastery of the players' techniques just make it all the better.
Stravinsky. When anyone says that name, images of Russian dolls and Polish dancers/yodellers in their dresses come to my mind. This man works MAGIC with wind instruments. His pieces are very psychedelic too, but it sounds more like a frustrated classical era musician improvising and trying out new things. The classic structures and forms of the classical era are definitely still present. Hence the hidden tonal and harmonic quality that comes out in bursts. When I say bursts, I mean that word in every way. Stravinsky's identity is the use of pushing notes beyond the bar lines; he tries to fit in notes so that they are bursting out from the set rhythmic frame. To me, he seems less concerned with phrasing, and sometimes is quite abusive when it comes to rhythms (he always uses a staccato rhythm for bars and bars on end).
Two of my favourite pieces by him are his Violin Concerto (especially the 4th movement), and a piano piece called Petroushka.
Played perfectly by Gil Shaham (there's an ongoing debate between me and my friend on whether Perlman or Shaham plays better, haha). Listen to the opening wind instruments. I don't think any other writes so well for winds in orchestral piece. (Okay maybe Rachmaninov does.)
See the abusive rhythms? It's like a more tonal version of piano bashing. But Kissin bashes it very well :)
Just a little bit on Glinka. Honestly I haven't heard enough of his pieces to gush about technical things, but I have heard his Ruslan and Ludmila Overture, which I love very much. I'm going to see this piece next month together with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in one concert, and I can barely contain my excitement! It's lightning fast, and just makes me feel so.. jubliant (lol). Can't believe that people at the time hated it when it just came out.
That's it folks! I'll be back with a French composers post (most likely to be talking about Debussy, Ysaye and Satie!)
xxx
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