The Russian composer Boris
Tishchenko (1939-2010) was born in Leningrad and studied at the Leningrad
Musical College where he learnt composition under Galina Ustvolskaya. He later
studied composition with Vadim Salmanov, Victor Voloshinov and Orest Evlakhov
at the Leningrad Conservatory. After a postgraduate course with Dmitri
Shostakovich he subsequently joined the faculty of the Leningrad Conservatory
going on to become a professor there in 1986.
His compositions, very much influenced by music of his
teachers Dmitri Shostakovich and Galina Ustvolskaya, include eight symphonies
some of which have appeared on the Olympia and Northern Flowers labels.
Naxos www.naxos.com recorded
Tishchenko’s Seventh Symphony with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted
by Dmitri Yablonsky in 2002. Now from Naxos is the world premiere recording of Symphony No.8 coupled with Tishchenko’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and String
Orchestra and Three Songs, Op. 48
played by the St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra http://spb-orchestra.ru under Yuri Serov www.naxos.com/person/Yuri_Serov/67691.htm
with
violinist Chingiz Osmanov www.facebook.com/osmanov.chingiz
, pianist Nikolai Mazhara www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/orchestra/piano/mazhara
and
mezzo-soprano Mila Shkirtil.
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Tishchenko’s Concerto
for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra, Op. 144 (2006) is in four movements
and was dedicated to the composer’s friend Jacques Ioffe.
In the opening Fantasia
the violin brings a plaintive theme which is responded to by the piano and
slowly developed through some fine textures and harmonies, growing slowly more
intense. The orchestra joins, adding a depth and intensity in the basses. As
the movement progresses violin and piano become increasingly angry, developing
some intensely complex textures and harmonies until reaching a rather manic
pitch where violin and piano hurtle over slurred phrases and huge scales. They
fall away to find a melancholic, quiet coda so very reminiscent of Shostakovich
with the violin and piano adding little phrases to conclude.
The piano brings a rapid rhythmic motif in the Rondo to which the strings add a fast
moving theme. The violin joins as the music moves quickly ahead before the
piano duets with a double bass. The piano and violin take the theme, shared with
the string orchestra. There is a moment for pizzicato violin over scurrying
strings before the music moves ahead, with rich string textures, through a
variety of ideas before the opening theme returns on violin and piano to bring
about a decisive coda.
The orchestra alone brings a slow, heart rending Interlude with the basses adding a
darkness and depth. The music has a tragic quality of stark beauty. There are downward
drooping string phrases that add to the air of melancholy, moving freely
through rising and falling passages, regaining the opening quietness.
Romance opens with
arpeggios on the piano to which the violin adds a fine flowing melody. The
orchestra gently joins the piano before alone taking the melody. The violin re-joins as this lovely melody
develops through passages of varying dynamics, finding much variety. When the piano
re-joins it brings some rather dissonant phrases. There are passages of greater
dynamics and passion before a section where the solo violin takes pizzicato
phrases over low strings before rising again in passion. There is a terrific
outpouring of invention before the music falls quieter as the violin and hushed
orchestra lead ahead. The piano joins with little arpeggios before the violin and
piano taking us alone again to a hushed coda.
This is a work of tremendous substance and depth, given an
excellent performance by both orchestra and soloists.
The Symphony No. 8,
Op. 146 (2008) is one of the composer’s last completed works, written when
he was seriously ill. It was written to be performed after Schubert’s Symphony
No.8 ‘Unfinished’, following without a break.
In three movements the strings open the Andantino - Allegro pizzicato, soon joined by a clarinet in a
plodding theme. The strings soon flow over pizzicato low strings. Other
woodwind join before the melody expands across the orchestra rising in dynamics.
Soon there is a jaunty little theme pointed up by a flute, then other woodwind
alternate before taken by the orchestra as the music grows louder. There is a
more flowing passage before the music finds greater drama, rising to a climax before
dropping suddenly to flow more gently ahead to a sudden end.
Brass open the Andante
soon alternating with the strings, slowly varying the theme that is spread
across the orchestra as the melody develops. There is some very distinctive
orchestration as well as some particularly lovely passages for oboe over
pulsating strings. Later the lower strings and woodwind lead gently forward to
the coda.
In the Allegro the
strings bring a fast moving theme over which woodwind add little staccato
phrases. Brass enter to add a more sinister touch before woodwind and strings
take up the opening fast moving idea, growing in dynamics. Later basses bring a
lumbering version of the theme, to which horns join, then other brass, rising
to a climax with timpani and percussion in insistent phrases that are hammered
out. The woodwind return with staccato phrases before weaving arabesques, the
whole orchestra arriving to rush to a dramatic coda.
Composer, Leonid Rezetdinov (b. 1961), a pupil of Tishchenko,
made an arrangement in 2014 for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra of the Three Songs, Op. 48 to poems by Marina Tsvetayeva
(1970), originally written with piano accompaniment. The texts chosen take
the themes of love, loneliness and separation.
Percussion taps open rhythmically in No. 1. The Window before the orchestra joins in the spiky little
theme. Mezzo- soprano, Mila Shkirtil joins bringing a quite lovely feel and tone.
A chime brings about a change to a
slower, more flowing moment but almost immediately the percussion bring back
the rhythmic theme that takes us to the conclusion.
A clarinet and shimmering strings open No. 2. The Leaves Have Fallen, soon joined by the mezzo in this
anxious song that quickly gains in passion and drama with some particularly
effective orchestration. There are some impressive, passionate outbursts from this
very fine mezzo.
No. 3. The Mirror opens
gently with a harp before the mezzo joins in this lovely little song. Soon the orchestra
enters as the song develops lovely, deeply emotional phrases, so well captured
by Shkirtil before a quite magical, hushed coda.
The St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra under Yuri Serov
deliver first rate performances and are vividly recorded at the St. Petersburg
Radio House Studio, Russia. There are excellent booklet notes from conductor
Yuri Serov.
See also:
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