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GlazunovArensky
TchaikovskyBorodin
Rachmaninov
C A M E R A T A T C H A I K O V S K Y
Russian Colours
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Camerata Tchaikovsky
Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936) ConcertoforaltosaxophoneandstringorchestrainEflat,Op.109(1934) Transcription for viola and string orchestra by Yuri Zhislin 1 Allegromoderato 4.16 2 Andante 3.34 3 Moderato-Cadenza 1.38 4 Allegro 5.02 Yuri Zhislin, viola
Anton Arensky (1861–1906) StringQuartetNo.2inAminor,Op.35a(1894) First and third movements arranged for string orchestra by Yuri Zhislin 5 Moderato 11.28 6 VariationsonathemebyTchaikovsky-Moderato 13.20 7 Finale-Andantesostenuto 4.26
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) 8 AndantecantabilefromStringQuartetNo.1,Op.11(1871) 6.12 Arranged for string orchestra by Yuri Zhislin
Alexander Borodin (1833–1887) 9 NocturnefromStringQuartetNo.2(1881) 7.29 Arranged for string orchestra by Yuri Zhislin
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)10 Vocalise,Op.34(1912) 6.00 Arranged for string orchestra by Yuri Zhislin
Total Time 63.27
YuriZhislin,violin / director
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WearedelightedtopresentthisalbumwithsomeofthemostromanticRussianworksforstrings.
EversinceIheardandplayedtheArenskyQuartet,Op.35inAminorforthefirsttimemanyyearsago,Ihavewantedtoknowwhatitwouldsoundlikearrangedforastringorchestra.
Theversiononthisrecordingisbasedonthecomposer’sownarrangementofthework,whichwasoriginallywrittenforanunusuallineup:violin,violaandtwocellos.Thefirstandlastmovementsaremyownarrangements,whilethesecondmovement–VariationsonaThemebyTchaikovsky–isthepre-existingversionbythecomposer(Op.35a).
TheGlazunovConcertoforAltoSaxophoneandStringsisanotherbeautiful,romanticwork,whichislessknowntowideraudiencesthanhismuchlovedViolinConcerto.Ihopethatthisversion,whichismyarrangementforviolaandstrings,willmakeaniceadditiontotheviolarepertoire.
ThewonderfulNocturnefromBorodin’sStringQuartetNo.2andAndantecantabilefromTchaikovsky’sStringQuartet,Op.11No.1,havebothhadadoublebasslineaddedtotheirscores,whilethedivineVocalisebyRachmaninovhashadaminorvoicingmakeover,toallowdifferentinstrumentsintheensembletoshinethrough.
Ihopeyouwillenjoytherecording.
YuriZhislin,2020
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AlexanderBorodin(1833-1887)wasoneoffiveRussiancomposerswhocametobeknowncollectivelyastheMoguchaya kuchka or‘MightyHandful’,sometimesalsocalledthe‘RussianFive’,consistingofBalakirev,Rimsky-Korsakov,Cui,MussorgskyandBorodin.Ofthese,Balakirevwastheonlyonewhoseprincipaltraininghadbeenmusical.BorodinwasthesonofaGeorgianprinceandhismistress,andassuchhadbeengivenagoodeducation;hebecameaDoctorofMedicine,servingasanarmymedic(encounteringthesoldierMussorgskyintheprocess),beforeembarkingonacareerasaresearchchemistspecialisinginaldehydes.Musicwasessentiallyahobby,andalthoughBorodin’soutputreflectsthepreoccupationsoftheMightyHandfulintheadoptionoffolkstyles,italsoshowsaninterestinclassicalforms,suchaschambermusic,thatweregenerallyoflessinteresttohiscolleagues.Borodinusuallycomposedslowly,buthewrotetheStringQuartetNo.2inarapidflurryofactivityduringasummerholidayinJulyandAugust1881.Dedicatedtohiswife,Ekaterina,tomarkthe20thanniversaryoftheirengagement,thiswastobeBorodin’slastmajorwork;afewyearslaterhediedsuddenlywhiledressedasaRussianpeasantforacarnivalpartyattheStPetersburgMedical-SurgicalAcademy.
BorodindidnotascribeadefiniteprogrammetohisStringQuartetNo.2,buthedidacknowledgethateachmovementwasintendedtoevokeaspecificsceneoratmosphere.Heconceivedthefamousthirdmovement,theNotturno orNocturne,asaloveduet,anditscharmhasprovensoirresistiblethatithasbeenrearrangedinnumerousguises,fromaviolinandpianoversionmadebyRimsky-Korsakov,tothesong,And This is My Beloved,adaptedbyRobertWrightandGeorgeForrestfortheirBroadwaymusicalKismetin1953.ThisstringensembleversionwasarrangedbyYuriZhislin.Themovementopenswithafragrantmelodyoveragentlypulsingaccompaniment,withasecondarythemeintroducedataslightlyquickerpace.Thisthemeisornamentedwithdecorativetrills;anallusiontowhatBorodinandhispeerswouldhaverecognisedasthe‘Oriental’style.Themelodiesoverlapintheirloveduet,withcanonicdevices
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used to sustain momentum over an accompaniment of delicate effects includingtremolandoandpizzicatostrings.
PyotrIl’yichTchaikovsky(1840-1893)feltagreaterkinshipwiththeGermanictraditionthanwiththeMightyHandful,andhismusicwasfrequentlysubjectedtothestringentjudgementsofBalakirev.Tchaikovskybecameusedtorejectionandcriticism,withmanyofhisscoresvastlyunderestimatedduringhislifetime,buthisstringquartetswereanotableexception,bringinghimconsiderableacclaimwhentheywerefirstwritten.Muchofthequartetmusichassincebeenneglected,buttheAndante cantabile fromTchaikovsky’sStringQuartetNo.1hasendured.WhenTolstoyfirstheardthismovementin1876hewasdeeplymoved:“…Tolstoy,sittingnexttomeandlisteningtotheAndante of my First Quartet,burstintotears...”
ThefullquartetwasfirstperformedinMarch1871byfourmembersoftheRussianMusicalSociety,andTchaikovskysubsequentlyarrangedtheAndante cantabile forcelloandstringorchestra.ThemelodywasinspiredbyafolksongheardbyTchaikovskywhenhewasvisitinghissister’shouseinKamenka.Atthestartofthemovement,Tchaikovskyslowlyunfurlsanelegiacmelody.Sunbreaksthroughtheshadowwithcontrastingpassagesinagentlyanimatedstyle,thesupportingstringsaddingrhythmicimpetus,butthemainthemesoonreturnswithrenewedintensity,developingintopassionaterhetoricalgestures.Asthemusicfades,wehearaseriesofbriefstatementsbeforeanascendinglineleadstothefinalheldnote,andtheworkendswithexquisiteserenity.
SergeiRachmaninov(1873-1943)admiredTchaikovskyenormously.In1889,attheageof16,hewasaskedtoprepareapianoduettranscriptionofTchaikovsky’sballet,The Sleeping Beauty.Theoldercomposerwasdissatisfiedwiththeresult,butlaterbecameadevoteeofRachmaninov’smusic.WhenTchaikovskydiedin1893,Rachmaninovwasdevastatedandhisproductivitysuffered.TheVocalise,Op.34,No.14,isthelastofRachmaninov’s14Songsof
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1912andisdedicatedtothesopranoAntoninaNezhdanova.Unusually,theoriginalsonghasnotext;Rachmaninovwastreatingthevoicelikeaninstrument,withthevocalistallowedtochooseavowelsoundthroughwhichtoarticulatethesong’sbeautiful,imploringmelody.Inevitably,thishasledtoanumberofinstrumentalversionsforvariouscombinations,includingthisarrangementby YuriZhislin.
Russianmusicinthesecondhalfofthe19thcenturygenerallyfellintotwooverlappingbutdistinctgroups:theNationalists,representedbytheMightyHandful,andthosewho,likeTchaikovsky,feltgreaterkinshipwiththeGermanictradition.ThispresentedthenextgenerationofRussiancomposerswithaninterestingsetofchoiceswhenitcametotheirownsenseoflineageanddirection.LikeRachmaninov,AntonArensky(1861-1906)wasanadmirer ofTchaikovsky,eventhoughhisownteacherhadbeenRimsky-Korsakov, withwhomhestudiedinStPetersburg.Rimsky-Korsakovdidnotapproveof hisstudent:
“Accordingtoalltestimony,hislifehadrunadissipatedcoursebetweenwineandcard-playing,yethisactivityasacomposerwasmostfertile…Hedidworkmuchatcompositionbutthatisjustwherehebegantoburnthecandleatbothends.Revels,card-playing,healthunderminedbythismodeofliving,gallopingconsumptionasthefinalresult,dyingatNice,anddeathatlastinFinland…InhisyouthArenskyhadnotescapedentirelymyowninfluence;laterhefellunderthatofTchaikovsky.Hewillsoonbeforgotten.”
AnothermemberoftheMightyHandful,Balakirev,waslessdismissive.BalakirevsawenoughpromiseinArenskytorecommendthathebecomehissuccessorasDirectoroftheImperialChapelinStPetersburg.Arenskytookupthepositionin1894,thesameyearinwhichheproducedhisStringQuartetNo.2,Op.35,scoredforviolin,violaandtwocellos,anddedicatedtoTchaikovsky,whohaddiedin
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theprecedingyear.Theslowmovementwasgreetedwithgreatwarmthfollowingthequartet’spremiere,promptingArenskytotranscribeitforstringorchestraasapiece entitled Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky,Op.35a.Thepiece,whichhasbecomeArensky’smostpopularwork,isbasedonthesong‘Legend’,thefifthofTchaikovsky’s16Children’sSongs,Op.54.Afterthegracefulthemeisstated,Arenskytreatsittoaseriesofelegantvariations,andalthoughthepaceshiftsbetweenquickandslow,theessentiallyricismofthethemeprevails.
In1879,theyoungAlexanderGlazunov(1865-1936)metBalakirev,whorecommendedhereceivetuitionfromRimsky-Korsakov.Glazunovwasprodigiouslytalentedand,accordingRimsky-Korsakov,progressed“notfromdaytodaybutfromhourtohour”.HesetnumerousmusicalprecedentsinRussianmusic,buthadreservationsaboutmodernity;hewassuspiciousofStravinsky’suseofdissonance,andofDebussy,heasked:“CoulditbethatRimskyandIinfluencedtheorchestrationofallthesecontemporarydegenerates?”
YetGlazunovwascharmedbytheunusualandrelativelymoderntimbreofthesaxophone.In1932,hishealthdeteriorating,hesettledinParis,composingverylittle.Thenin1934anirresistiblecommissioncamehisway:GermansaxophonistSigurdRaschèrpesteredGlazunovforaconcerto,andeventuallythecomposeracquiesced,“undertheinfluencesofattacksratherthanrequests”.Glazunov’sSaxophoneConcertoinE-flatmajor,Op.109wasfinishedinJune1934,andwaspublishedposthumouslywithanadditionalcredittothecomposerPetiot.Heardherewiththeviolatakingthesaxophonepart,theworkisinasinglemovement,beginningwithagentleintroductionfromtheensemblebeforetheviolaenterswithalong-breathed,mellowmelody.Themusicbecomesincreasinglyanimatedandvirtuosic,precedingacontemplativeinstrumentalinterlude.Theviolasingsasustainedtune,leadingintoitscadenza,andtheworkendswithfugalwritingandafinalflourishfromthesoloist.
© Joanna Wyld, 2020
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Camerata Tchaikovsky Yuri Zhislin, Founder and Music DirectorTheCamerataTchaikovsky(formerlytheRussianVirtuosiofEurope)chamberorchestrabringstogethersomeofthefineststringplayersfromacrossEurope.
SincetheircriticallyacclaimedWigmoreHalldebutin2004,theyhaveenjoyedperformancesacrosstheUK(London’sCadoganHall,KingsPlaceandStJohn’sSmithSquare),aswellasRussia,WesternEuropeandSouthAmerica,appearinginthelegendaryMoscowConservatoire,SalleGaveauinParis,StadtscasinoinBasel,TeatroColiseoinBuenosAiresandTeatroSolisinMontevideo.
TheensemblehasbeenaregularvisitortotheLondonChamberMusicSocietySeriesatLondon’sKingsPlacesince2011.TheyhavecollaboratedwiththerenownedtrumpeterSergeiNakariakov,theBritishsaxophonestarJessGillam,theSwedishsopranoKarinDahlbergandthe“father”ofRussianRockBorisGrebenshikovamongmanyothers.
Theorchestra’sdebutalbumontheOrchidClassicslabelwaschosen“orchestralCDofthemonth”bytheBBCMusicMagazineinApril2016.
FutureplansincludeareturntourtoRussia,WesternEuropeandSouthAmerica.
Yuri Zhislin DescribedbytheStradMagazineasa“virtuosowithromantictemperament”,theLondonbasedRussianviolinistandviolistYuriZhislinisthe1993BBCRadioTwoYoungMusicianoftheYear.HeappearedasasoloistwiththeBBCConcertOrchestra,theLondonMozartPlayers,theOxfordPhilharmonic,theMoscowStateChamberorchestra,theBelgradePhilharmonicandtheSantiagodeChileSymphonyamongothers.Yuri’sperformancesandmasterclasseshavetakenhimtonearly60countriesaroundtheglobe.HehasrecordedforNaxos,OrchidClassicsandSOMMRecordings.
YuriZhislinisprofessorofviolinandviolaattheRoyalCollegeofMusic.
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Violas
GarethLubbe
Gregory Aronovich
Arianna Smith
MariyaSotirova
Cellos
Jan-ErikGustafsson(PrincipalcelloinBorodin,GlazunovandTchaikovsky)
AlexeiSarkissov(PrincipalcelloinArenskyandRachmaninov)
Adi Tal
Double bass
SiretLust
Camerata Tchaikovsky
First violins
Yuri Zhislin
NataliaLomeiko
Anna-LiisaBezrodny
ShlomyDobrinsky
LasmaTaimina
KatarinaKutnar
Second violins
Eva Bindere
Evgenia Epshtein
DjumashPoulsen
Dominika Rosiek
JagaKlimaszewska
For more information on Camerata Tchaikovsky please contact [email protected]
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Producers:IvanMartin/IkerOlabe/Yuri ZhislinAssistant:SamuelSiglRecordedatStMark’sChurch,StJohn’sWood,Londonon28-29October2019Photography:ChristopherHurleyFrontcoverimage:RussianwinterlandscapepaintingbyVasilyKemayev
FormoreinformationonOrchidClassicspleasevisit www.orchidclassics.comYoucanalsofindusonFacebook,Twitter, InstagramandourYouTubechannel
MadeintheEU℗and©2020OrchidMusicLimited
Special thanks KenichiOhmaeTheLinburyTrustNatalia and Andrey YakuninSallyandHedleyRamshawElisabethandBobBoasCorinne and Arturo Cuellar
ORC100136
