STEVEN ISSERLIS : Steven Isserlis Plays Elgar, Bloch, Kabalevsky, Tchaikovsky, R. Strauss (1998) 2CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CD1
Edward Elgar
1-4 Cello Concerto

Ernest Bloch
5    Schelomo

Dmitry Kabalevsky
6-8    Cello Concerto Nr. 2, Op.77

CD2
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
1-10    Variations on a rococo theme, Op.33
11    Nocturne, Op.19 Nr.4
12    Pezzo capriccioso, Op.62
13     Andante Cantabile, Op.11

Richard Strauss
14-26    Don Quixote, Op.35

Cello - Steven Isserlis
London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Hickox (Elgar-Kabalevsky)
London Philharmonic / Andrew Litton (Kabalevsky)
Chamber Orchestra of Europa / John Elliot Gardiner (Tchaikovsky)
Minnesota Orchestra / Edo de Waart (Strauss)

LIADOV • MEDTNER • SCRIABIN • PROKOFIEV • BORODIN • DEBUSSY • GOLTZ • GLAZUNOV • LISZT • CHOPIN - Recordings : 1937-1953 (Vladimir Sofronitsky) (2007) 2CD / APE (image+.cue), lossless

CD1
Anatoly Liadov
1    Prélude in B Minor Op. 11 No. 1 (14. 6.1949)
2    Music Box Op. 32 (14.6.1949)
3    Waltz in E Major Op. 57 No. 3 (15.7.1949)

Nikolai Medtner
4    Fairy Tale Op. 20 No. 2 (2.7.1947)

Alexander Scriabin
5-6    2 Préludes Op. 27 (28.3.1938)

Fryderyk Chopin
7    Mazurka Op. 41 No. 2 (1937-1941)
8    Waltz Op. 70 No. 1 (5.1941)
9    Etude Op. 10 No. 4 (16.6.1937)

Franz Liszt
10     Concert Etude S145 "Gnomenreigen" (25.6.1937)

Boris Goltz
11    Prélude in E Minor (17.11.1938)
12    Scherzo in E Minor (17.11.1938)

Alexander Borodin
13    Petite Suite (Au couvent, Intermezzo, Mazurka I, Mazurka II Rêverie, Sérénade, Nocturne (12.7.1950)

Dmitri Kabalevsky  
14-16    Sonatina in C Major Op. 13 No. 1 (1953)

Sergei Prokofiev
17-20    Four Taies of a Grandmother Op. 31 (2.12.1946)
21    Vision fugitive Op. 22 No. 7 (1953)
22    Sarcasm Op. 22 No. 7 (1953)

CD2
Prokofiev
1-6    6 Pièces for Piano from Op. 12 (1953)

Anatoly Liadov
7-11    Six Preludes

Alexander Glazunov
12    Prelude In D Flat Major Op 49 No 1
13    Prelude & Fugue In A Minor Op 101 No 1

Claude Debussy
14    Prélude: Livre II "Feuilles Mortes"
15    Prélude: Livre II "Canope"
16    Children's Corner: "Serenade Of The Doll"

Alexander Scriabin
17    Piano Sonata No 3 Op 23

Piano – Vladimir Sofronitsky

MOSSOLOW • KABALEVSKY • SCHNITTKE • KARAJEW : Composers from Russia (1987) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Alexander Mossolow
1    Soldiers Songs: Suite
Conductor – Vitaly Gnutov
Orchestra – Osipov Russian Folk Orchestra

Dmitri Kabalevsky
2-10    Romeo And Julet Op. 55
Conductor – Dimitrij Kitaenko
Orchestra – The Moscow Symphony Orchestra

ALfred Schnittke
11    The Inspectors Tale
Conductor – Gennadi Rozhdestvensky
Orchestra – USSR Ministry Of Culture Symphony Orchestra

Kara Karajew
12    Seven Beauties = Die Sieben Schönen
Conductor – Mark Ermler
Orchestra – Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra

KABALEVSKY • NIKOLAYEV • ARAPOV • KARAMANOV • TISHCHENKO • SKORIK : Anthology of Piano Music by Russian and Soviet Composers (2012) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitri Kabalevsky
1    Rondo (1958) [5:24]
Piano – N. Mndoyants

Yuri Nikolayev
2    Rondino (1960) [2:50]
Piano – T. Dorokova

Alemdar Karamanov
3    Variations (1962) [9:40]
Piano – I. Bogdanova

Boris Tishchenko
4-6    Sonata No. 4
Piano – A. Korepanova

Miroslav Skorik
7    Burlesque (1963) [6:43]
Piano – A. Korepanova

Boris Arapov
8    Sonata No. 2 (1976) [10:40]
Piano – M. Turpanov

KABALEVSKY : Complete Piano Concertos • Fantasy • Rhapsody (Michael Korstick • Alun Francis) 2CD (2012) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

CD1
1-3    Piano Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 9
4-6    Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 23 (original version)

CD2
1    Piano Concerto No. 3 in D major, Op. 50
4     Fantasy in F minor after Schubert D 940
7    Rhapsody, Op.75
8    Piano Concerto No. 4 in C major for piano & strings, Op. 99     

Piano - Michael Korstick
Orchestra - NDR Radiophilharmonie
Conductor - Alun Francis

KABALEVSKY : 24 Preludes • Sonata Nr. 3 (Vasily Shcherbakov) (2005) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

In its time -- that is, right after the end of the Great Patriotic War -- Dmitry Kabalevsky's Third Piano Sonata was a huge hit. There were recordings by Vladimir Horowitz and Benno Moiseiwitsch, both expatriate Russians living in the West, but, curiously, no known recordings by Emil Gilels or Sviatoslav Richter, the great Russian pianists living in the USSR. While the reasons for this are necessarily purely conjectural, one might guess that it was easier for Russians who left than it was for Russians who stayed to get behind the sonata's facile virtuosity and its simplistic surface. Be that as it may, Kabalevsky's sonata has yet to find a place in the standard repertoire comparable to Prokofiev's Seventh Sonata from the same period. This light and lively recording by Vasily Shcherbakov from 2006 may go some way toward changing that situation. Shcherbakov's virtuosity is beyond question and he clearly believes in the music, making its opening Con moto dance, its central Cantabile sing, and its closing Giocoso laugh. Whether this is enough will depend on the listener but the argument could be made than Shcherbakov's less emotionally fraught approach works better than Horowitz's heaven-storming approach or Moiseiwitsch's death-defying approach. But while Kabalevsky's sonata was a hit, his 24 Preludes were hardly a hit then or now. Infrequently recorded in their time and rarely recorded since, Shcherbakov's brilliantly witty performance here may, indeed, go a long way toward bringing the cunningly wrought work into the standard repertoire. Classical Recording's digital sound is close and dry, but very clean and thus not altogether without merit. by James Leonard

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-24    24 Preludes [47:25]
25-27    Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 46 [15:27]   

Piano – Vasily Shcherbakov

KABALEVSKY : Piano Sonatas Opp.6, 45, 46 (Christoph Deluze) (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Christoph Deluze's second album devoted to the music on Dmitry Kabalevsky covers the composer's sonatas. The three sonatas together fill just about an hour, but there is enough substance in the music that listeners who can appreciate Kabalevsky's style should feel satisfied. Deluze presents the sonatas in reverse, beginning with the Sonata No. 3, the most popular one. For those who don't know this music, but do know the music of Prokofiev, this may strike them as a lightweight imitation. Kabalevsky's sonata often has some of the same staccato sound, but the character is not as outspoken as Prokofiev's, even though there is clearly sarcasm in the final movement. The second movement is gentler, played with nuanced touch and phrasing by Deluze. Sonata No. 2, written during World War II, is the centerpiece of the recording, literally and figuratively. The succession of changing characters and moods in each movement seem to tell a story of the war, perhaps how it played out in one village or town. It is more substantial in that respect than No. 3, which was written a year later, and even the textures in it seem weightier. At times, particularly in the third movement, the different lines and voices Deluze brings out give it orchestral-like dimension. The much earlier Sonata No. 1 (1929) is a different animal, with an indebtedness to Scriabin. The melodies don't quite seem to settle into anything that's immediately easy to follow or into a single tonality, and there's the impression that the young Kabalevsky was aiming to be modern and shocking, to not follow the more romantic path of Rachmaninov or others. Its finale does pay homage to those ever-present bells that are found in so much Russian music. Deluze understands this music thoroughly and performs with utmost skill, demonstrating that even though Kabalevsky was obviously a more conservative composer than his contemporaries, he was nonetheless a talented one with a unique voice. by Patsy Morita  

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-3    Piano Sonata In F No.3, Op.46 (1946)    (16:22)
4-6    Piano Sonata In E Flat No.2, Op.45 (1945)    (23:32)
7-9    Piano Sonata In F No.1, Op.6 (1927)    (17:33)

Piano – Christoph Deluze

KABALEVSKY • RACHMANINOFF • TCHAIKOVSKY : 100th Anniversary Tribute (Nadia Reisenberg) 2CD (2004) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CD1
Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-24    Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 38

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
25-32    Twelve Pieces for Piano, Op. 40         

CD2
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
1-4    Twelve Pieces for Piano, Op. 40 (continued)
5-10    Op.5; Op.10, Nos. 1 & 2; Op.2

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943),         
11-18    Op.3, Nos. 1, 2, 3 & 5; Polka de V.R.; Op. Nos. 2,3 & 7

Piano – Nadia Reisenberg

KABALEVSKY : Piano Works, Vol. 1 (Murray McLachlan) (1991) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-24    24 Preludes, Op.38
25-27    Sonatina in C major, Op.13 No.1
28-30    Sonata No.3, Op.46

Piano – Murray McLachlan

KABALEVSKY : Piano Works, Vol. 2 (Murray McLachlan) (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1    Rondo in A minor, Op.59
2-5    Four Preludes, Op.5
6-8    Sonata No.1 in F major, Op.6
9-12    Sonatina No.2 in G minor, Op.13 No.2
13-15    Sonata No.2 in E flat major, Op.45

Piano – Murray McLachlan

KABALEVSKY : Preludes (Complete) • 6 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 61 (Alexandre Dossin) (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Drawing on the Chopin model of alternating major and minor keys, as well as on Russian folk melodies, Kabalevsky’s 24 Preludes (1943–4) find the composer’s writing at its most distinctive. They are coupled with the early 4 Preludes (1927), in which the influence of Prokofiev is seldom far away, and the Preludes and Fugues (1958–9), six widely contrasting and expressive preludes yoked to their traditional fugal partners. This is the second recording of Kabalevsky’s piano music by Alexandre Dossin, First Prize and Special Prize winner at the 2003 Martha Argerich International Piano Competition.   www.naxos.com

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-4    4 Preludes, Op. 5    (6:23)
5-28    24 Preludes, Op. 38    (47:29)
29-34    6 Preludes And Fugues, Op. 61    (22:40)

Piano – Alexandre Dossin

KABALEVSKY : Cello Concertos Nr. 1 and 2 • Symphonic Poem : Spring (Rudin • Golovschin) (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The son of a mathematician, Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky was born in St Petersburg in 1904 and was intended by his father for some similar vocation to his own. Kabalevsky, however, showed considerable artistic promise, whether as pianist, poet or painter. After the Bolshevik Revolution he moved with his family to Moscow, where he continued his general education, while studying painting and, at the Scriabin Musical Institute, the piano. It was his interest in the latter and his obvious proficiency that led him to reject the course that his father had proposed at the Engels Socio-Economic Science Institute in 1922, and to turn instead to the piano, teaching, playing, like Shostakovich, in cinemas, and now beginning to compose. In 1925 he entered the Moscow Conservatory, resolved to further his interest in pedagogical music. Here he studied first with the leading theorist Georgy Catoire and then with Prokofiev's friend and mentor, the composer Myaskovsky. At the same time he became increasingly known for his writing on musical subjects, notably in the Association of Contemporary Music Journal, although he was careful not to distance himself from the much more musically conservative and politically orientated Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians. While the former espoused progressive forms of music that might, nevertheless, suit the principles of Socialist Realism, the latter favoured a simpler and more popular form of music that might be understood by the people.

In 1932 Kabalevsky became involved in the Moscow organisation and activities of the now established Union of Soviet Composers that replaced the earlier groupings, although, over the years, the leadership, like that of the Association of Proletarian Musicians, came to lack musical credibility, whatever its political correctness. He worked for the state music-publishing house and taught composition at the Moscow Conservatory, while continuing to write a large quantity of music. Although, like others of his generation, he supported the general principles of the Revolution, it was not until 1940 that he became a Communist Party member, continuing during the Great Patriotic War to write music likely to instil feelings of patriotism and help the war effort.

 Problems arose for many Soviet composers in 1948. Already in 1936 Shostakovich had suffered the condemnation of his apparently socialist opera A Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, stigmatized by Stalin as chaos instead of music. 1948 brought official condemnation of formalism, a charge levelled against Shostakovich and Prokofiev by name, at the head of a list of those proscribed. Kabalevsky succeeded in having his own name removed from the list and replaced by that of another composer, although he might have seemed to some extent implicated by his earlier association with the organising committee of the Composers' Union, the Orgkomitet, which earned particular criticism. His future compositions, however, proved acceptable and he continued his work as an educator, composer, administrator and writer, retaining favour with the authorities, while treated with obvious suspicion by distinguished composers now in a more precarious position. He died in 1987, and while due respect is given to his music, there are those who have, since then, found an opportunity to speak openly of what they have regarded as a combination of insincerity and self-interest, in the very difficult circumstances of the time.

Kabalevsky wrote his Cello Concerto in G minor, Opus 49, in the years 1948 and 1949, one of a group of such concertos in these years that was designed for young performers. He dedicated the work to the cellist Svyatoslav Knushevitsky. The opening Allegro starts with a brief plucked string introduction, before the entry of the soloist, whose theme is echoed by the clarinet. It is primarily left to the strings, at first, to accompany the singing second subject, which opens in C major. These elements provide material for further development, leading to fiercely energetic cadenza, after which the second theme returns with the full orchestra, followed by the soloist, now with clarinet accompaniment. The movement ends with a reminiscence of the first subject. The B major slow movement starts with the repeated rhythms of muted string chords, over which the soloist emerges to contradict the major mode that the orchestra has proposed. There is a cadenza, before the hushed ending of the movement. After this the clarinet provides a link to the solo entry that follows shortly after in the last movement. The very Russian melodic material is introduced by the soloist and there is a later more lyrical melody, a chance for an element of virtuoso display, a brief cadenza and a triumphantly optimistic conclusion.

Kabalevsky's Cello Concerto No.2 in G major, Opus 77, was completed in 1964 and dedicated to the cellist Daniil Shafran. Scored for a larger orchestra than the earlier work and now including an alto saxophone, double bassoon and harp, the concerto is in three linked movements, with cadenzas between the first and second and the second and third. The first movement opens in a sombre and mysterious mood, the principal theme appearing in the plucked notes of the solo cello, before the material is allowed to emerge in the sustained bowed notes of the instrument. This is followed by the vigorous impetus of the Allegro molto e energico, which itself eventually relaxes into the returning Molto sostenuto, in music of heartfelt intensity, subsiding into the cadenza, with its first plucked notes, a reflection of what has passed. There is a fiercely energetic opening to the second movement, although here there are moments when it seems the solo!st might briefly draw breath, as the music continues its headlong course. A second cadenza, preceded by strident wind chords, provides a bridge to the last movement, with the help of the orchestra. It is the unaccompanied instrument, slowing now to Molto sostenuto, that leads more gently to a lyrical Andante con moto, in a movement that has at its centre a section of excited intensity. Serenity returns, before a further outburst and a deeply felt conclusion that establishes the nominal mode of the concerto.

The symphonic poem Spring (Vesna) was completed in 1960, moving, as the ice melts, into a lyrical waltz. The work is in marked contrast to the second of the cello concertos, exploring a much lighter and more purely romantic vein, although the season brings moments of occasional poignancy, as nature gradually wakens. naxos

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-3    Cello Concerto No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 49*
4-6    Cello Concerto No. 2 In G Major, Op. 77*
7    Symphonic Poem: Spring, Op. 65 (Vesna)    8:09

Cello – Alexander Rudin*
Conductor – Igor Golovschin
Orchestra – Moscow Symphony Orchestra

DMITRI KABALEVSKY : Cello Concertos Nr. 1 & 2 (Marina Tarasova) (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-3    Cello Concerto No. 1, in G minor, Op. 49* [18:56]
4    Cello Concerto No. 2, in C minor, Op. 77* [30:59]
5    Scherzo, Op. 27 No. 14    [1:28]
6    Novelette, Op. 27, No. 25 [2:28]
7    Round-Dance, Op. 60 No 2 (From Four Rondos) [128]
8    Etude, Op. 27, No. 3    [0:38]
9-13    Major-Minor Studies for Solo Cello, Op.68 [6:59]
14    In Memory os Sergey Prokofiev for Cello & Piano Op.79** [10:50]

Cello – Marina Tarasova
Conductor – Veronica Dudarova*
Orchestra – The Symphony Orchestra Of Russia*
Piano – Alexander Polezhaev**

DMITRI KABALEVSKY : Concertos (Oistrakh • Shafran • Kabalevsky • Gilels • Popov • Kitaenko) (1981) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-3    Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in C Major, Op.48
Violin - David Oistrakh
Orchestra - The USSR Symphony Orchestra
Conductor - Dmitri Kabalevsky
Recorded 1949

4-6    Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No.1 G Minor, Op.49
Cello - Daniil Shafran
Orchestra - The USSR RTV Large Symphony Orchestra
Conductor - Dmitri Kabalevsky
Recorded 1952

7-9    Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.3 in D Major, Op. 50
Piano – Emil Gilels
Orchestra - The USSR RTV Large Symphony Orchestra
Conductor - Dmitri Kabalevsky
Recorded 1954

10    Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.4 "Prague"
Piano – Yuri Popov
Orchestra - The Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Conductor - Dmitri Kitaenko
Recorded 1981

LYDIA MORDKOVITCH - Lydia Mordkovitch plays Kabalevsky • Prokofiev • Volkonsky • Khandoshkin • Stravinsky (2009) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

There's certainly no shortage of albums touting a program of "Russian Works for Violin." Indeed, there is an abundance of literature that fits this description. This Chandos album augments the possibilities by including Russian works for viola as well as the violin; this still includes a great deal of well-known repertoire. However, the repertoire chosen by violinist/violist Lydia Mordkovitch takes things in an entirely different direction. Her selections include less frequently performed works by the great composers (Prokofiev's Five Pieces from "Cinderella" and Kabalevsky's Improvisation), as well as pieces by very unfamiliar names (André Volkonsky and Ivan Khandoshkin). The Khandoshkin Violin Sonata in G minor may be the most unexpected work on the disc, offering a very rare glimpse of Russian music from the late-Baroque/early-Classical period. On the violin, Mordkovitch's technique is rather stunning, dashing about the fingerboard of her Stradavari violin with the utmost of ease and precision of intonation. Her viola playing, heard in the premiere recording of Volkonsky's Viola Sonata, is strong but seemingly less secure and effortless as her violin playing. On both instruments, however, Mordkovitch's right arm is extraordinarily harsh and vertical. There are certainly moments in the program when such an approach would be merited, but the abrasive, angular sound that is produced permeates virtually every measure. This consistent level of aggressiveness in Mordkovitch's playing quickly wears on listeners, especially, as in the Khandoshkin sonata, where a lighter more elegant touch is called for. As a tool for exposure to new literature, or as a demonstration of superior left-hand technique, this album is a wise choice; for an example of a fluid right arm and beauty of tone, it is less than ideal. by Mike D. Brownell  

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)
1    Improvisation, Op. 21• [4:54]

André Volkonsky (1933-1987)
2    Sonata for Viola and Piano• [19:47]

Ivan Khandoshkin (1747-1804)
3    Sonata In G Minor• [26:03]

Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891-1953)
4-8    Five Pieces from 'Cinderella'• [18:43]
(Transcription By – Mikhail Fichtenholz)

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
9    Chanson Russe* [3:45]
10     Danse Russe* [2:43]

Piano – Julian Milford*, Nicholas Walker•
Violin, Viola – Lydia Mordkovitch

RAKOV • KABALEVSKY • SHEBALIN : Russian Violin Concertos (Andrew Hardy • Veronica Dudarova) (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Nikolai Rakov
1-3    Violin Concerto No. 1

Dmitri Kabalevsky
4-6     Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 48

Vissarion Shebalin
7-9    Violin Concerto, Op. 21

Violin - Andrew Hardy
Conductor - Veronika Dudarova
Orchestra - Symphony Orchestra of Russia

KABALEVSKY : Violin and Cello Concertos (Mordkovitch, Wallfisch) (2002) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitry Kabalevsky

1-3    Violin Concerto, Op. 48 (1948) [16:08]
Conductor – Neeme Järvi
Leader [SNO] – Edwin Paling
Orchestra – Scottish National Orchestra
Violin – Lydia Mordkovitch

4-6    Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 77 (1964) [29:49]
Cello – Raphael Wallfisch
Conductor – Bryden Thomson
Leader [LPO] – David Nolan
Orchestra – London Philharmonic Orchestra

KABALEVSKY : String Quartets Nr. 1 & 2 (The Glazunov Quartet) (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitry Kabalevsky
1-4    String Quartet No.1 Op.8 (30:07)
5-8    String Quartet No.2 In G Minor Op.44 (36:31)

The Glazunov Quartet :
Cello – Elena Erofeyeva
Viola – Inna Peskova
Violin – Elena Kharitonova, Natalia Likhopoi

MYASKOVSKY : Symphony Nr. 21 • KABALEVSKY : Symphony Nr. 2 • SHOSTAKOVICH : Incidental Music To 'Hamlet' (Measham-Herrmann) (1975) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Nikolay Myaskovsky
1    Symphony No.21, Op.51 [16:09]
Conductor – David Measham
Orchestra – The New Philharmonia Orchestra

Dmitry Kabalevsky
2-4    Symphony No.2, Op.19 [23:51]
Conductor – David Measham
Orchestra – The New Philharmonia Orchestra

Dmitry Shostakovich
5-10    Incidental Music To The Film 'Hamlet', From Op.116a [21:28]
Conductor – Bernard Herrmann
Orchestra – The National Philharmonic Orchestra

KABALEVSKY : Symphonies 1 & 2 (Erwin Acél) (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

1-2    Symphony No. 1 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 18 (1932)    (20:49)
3-5    Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 19 (1934)    (27:21)

Conductor – Erwin Acél
Orchestra – Szeged Philharmonic Orchestra