Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)

[vandermolen]

😲😲😲 I will look for the disc as well as Conan The Barbarian!

Seriously DBK Conan is a fine score (original film, not more recent one). I have seen it compared, not unrealistically I think, with Prokofiev's 'Alexander Nevsky' although to be perfectly honest I prefer Poledouris's Conan score to Alexander Nevsky (I much prefer 'Ivan the Terrible'). There are a number of Conan releases. I shall post my favourite versions shortly 
OK. Here we go (OT):
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[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Seriously DBK Conan is a fine score (original film, not more recent one). I have seen it compared, not unrealistically I think, with Prokofiev's 'Alexander Nevsky' although to be perfectly honest I prefer Poledouris's Conan score to Alexander Nevsky (I much prefer 'Ivan the Terrible'). There are a number of Conan releases. I shall post my favourite versions shortly 
OK. Here we go (OT):
[/img]

What's the name of conductor for the first album please?
Thanks.

[vandermolen]

What's the name of conductor for the first album please?
Thanks.

Basil Poledouris himself is the conductor DBK.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Basil Poledouris himself is the conductor DBK.

Yes some of the songs have similar melodies and rhythms. But they are a little simpler than Khachaturian.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Movie trailer of Sabre Dance.

https://youtu.be/O4XN_xORi8E

[Roasted Swan]

without intending to, I came across in my collection and listened to Stokowski's version of Symphony No.2 "The Bell".  Exciting version but in music as colourful as this I do struggle if the sonics are old/compromised as here.  I do prefer something lusher/more dynamic.  I try to hear the performance beyond the (acoustic) veil ..... and fail.  My loss in so many performances I know.... sigh.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

without intending to, I came across in my collection and listened to Stokowski's version of Symphony No.2 "The Bell".  Exciting version but in music as colourful as this I do struggle if the sonics are old/compromised as here.  I do prefer something lusher/more dynamic.  I try to hear the performance beyond the (acoustic) veil ..... and fail.  My loss in so many performances I know.... sigh.

There are a few free online graphic equalizer. If you can download the music into mp3,  you can change the sound. Often I boost treble range and reduce mid-range. Free version may not accept a big file. Unless you pay, you may have to make several files for each 4-5 minutes. I did this for old Bolshoi recording of Spartacus.
If the Stokowski Bell is available in mp3 version, also you can get equalizer app for your player and play the music with boosted treble and reduced mid-range.

P.s. I posted a Prokofiev record by Royal Liverpool Orch. Do you know anything about the record, or the orchestra in general? Thanks and stay safe, RS.

[vandermolen]

without intending to, I came across in my collection and listened to Stokowski's version of Symphony No.2 "The Bell".  Exciting version but in music as colourful as this I do struggle if the sonics are old/compromised as here.  I do prefer something lusher/more dynamic.  I try to hear the performance beyond the (acoustic) veil ..... and fail.  My loss in so many performances I know.... sigh.

You need to hear the Jarvi, Royal Scottish National Orchestra version on Chandos RS. It has the most magnificently intimidating opening of any version that I know:

[Roasted Swan]

There are a few free online graphic equalizer. If you can download the music into mp3,  you can change the sound. Often I boost treble range and reduce mid-range. Free version may not accept a big file. Unless you pay, you may have to make several files for each 4-5 minutes. I did this for old Bolshoi recording of Spartacus.
If the Stokowski Bell is available in mp3 version, also you can get equalizer app for your player and play the music with boosted treble and reduced mid-range.

P.s. I posted a Prokofiev record by Royal Liverpool Orch. Do you know anything about the record, or the orchestra in general? Thanks and stay safe, RS.

Which Prokofiev recording - the only one I can find is a couple of the Prokofiev Piano Concerti or the cello symphony-concerto.  I don't know either recording but I'm biased about the RLPO - it was the city I grew up in and that was the orchestra whose concerts I most regularly attended.  That was back in Sir Charles Groves' time.  Currently they are playing very well indeed (but so are all the British professional orchestras to be fair) and their international profile under Petrenko has gone up.  But looking back they made excellent discs with Schwartz/Pesek/Janowski/Weller (actually no discs with him but he was great in concert!) etc etc.  The PR "myth" that Petrenko somehow rebuilt the orchestra is no more than that - a myth.  They were good and remain good - just better known.  Try Mackerras' Beethoven cycle or Handley's Vaughan Williams cycle from well before Petrenko to hear that!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Which Prokofiev recording - the only one I can find is a couple of the Prokofiev Piano Concerti or the cello symphony-concerto.  I don't know either recording but I'm biased about the RLPO - it was the city I grew up in and that was the orchestra whose concerts I most regularly attended.  That was back in Sir Charles Groves' time.  Currently they are playing very well indeed (but so are all the British professional orchestras to be fair) and their international profile under Petrenko has gone up.  But looking back they made excellent discs with Schwartz/Pesek/Janowski/Weller (actually no discs with him but he was great in concert!) etc etc.  The PR "myth" that Petrenko somehow rebuilt the orchestra is no more than that - a myth.  They were good and remain good - just better known.  Try Mackerras' Beethoven cycle or Handley's Vaughan Williams cycle from well before Petrenko to hear that!

Sorry talking about Prokofiev here. Yes it is Petrenko RL. It is Piano Concerto 1+3 by Trpceski/R Liverpool. I thought that the performance was hot though the recording sound is not super good. I was wondering if you knew the album.

YT link here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_npoN7GxyFUuBUc19CAzhN2VBE2ifSDF04

[Roasted Swan]

You need to hear the Jarvi, Royal Scottish National Orchestra version on Chandos RS. It has the most magnificently intimidating opening of any version that I know:

Yes that is the version I know best.  Very much from Jarvi's golden period with the SNO (as was) and those Chandos recordings still sound superb.  Curious that the Decca/VPO recording with the composer is relatively disappointing in purely recording terms.  You would have expected them to knock it out of the park - perhaps it needs a remastering.....

[Maestro267]

Listening to the 2nd Symphony, and I'd forgotten just how Rachmaninovian the first movement's first subject sounds like. It wouldn't be out of place at all in Rach's own 2nd Symphony.

[vandermolen]

Yes that is the version I know best.  Very much from Jarvi's golden period with the SNO (as was) and those Chandos recordings still sound superb.  Curious that the Decca/VPO recording with the composer is relatively disappointing in purely recording terms.  You would have expected them to knock it out of the park - perhaps it needs a remastering.....

I'm fond of the VPO version as it was how I discovered the work on LP but you make a good point about the recording:

[Maestro267]

That's the recording I was listening to the other day, and while of course there are better-quality recordings out there, the composer's own is still listenable, and for me the distortion adds to the intensity of the work. Those enormous crashes in the slow movement, with the tam-tam being struck with immense force. And of course the bells that bookmark the work.

[vandermolen]

That's the recording I was listening to the other day, and while of course there are better-quality recordings out there, the composer's own is still listenable, and for me the distortion adds to the intensity of the work. Those enormous crashes in the slow movement, with the tam-tam being struck with immense force. And of course the bells that bookmark the work.

Yes, I still find it to be a very exciting and moving performance.

[Roy Bland]

On him

https://armproart.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/1/0/26101763/muzikanty_arm18.pdf

[Roy Bland]

From May 15 to May 19, 2023, the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic will host the International Festival "Aram Khachaturian. ", dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the composer.

The events of the festival dedicated to the work of the composer Aram Khachaturian will start at the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic. The program of the festival includes concerts, lectures, and the exhibition "Aram Khachaturian. Faces of the era.

"The history of the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic is closely connected with the name of Aram Khachaturian - we were formed in 1936 and literally from the first season, Khachaturian's music sounded on our stage. The festival opens with the performance of the Dance Suite, which was first performed in our hall in 1938, and the idea of the Second Symphony was born in Sverdlovsk, where the composer was evacuated from October 1941 to August 1942," says Rustem Khasanov, First Deputy Director of the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic.

The Ural Philharmonic and Ural Youth Symphony Orchestras conducted by Dmitry Filatov, as well as soloists from Armenia, will become participants of the music festival.

The program of the festival covers the entire creative path of the composer, from his earliest to his latest compositions, including famous hits - the music of the ballets "Spartacus" and "Gayane", a suite from the music for Lermontov's drama "Masquerade". Some of the chamber works will be performed for the first time in Yekaterinburg - the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Society continues to acquaint the public with new music.
The program of the festival days is very rich and it is very joyful that musicians from Armenia take part in it, who, with their characteristic national flavor, will perform music as it is performed by the soul of a real Armenian musician. I wish everyone for a few days to immerse themselves in the musical heritage that Aram Ilyich Khachaturian generously left us," said the Minister of Culture of the Sverdlovsk Region Svetlana Uchaikina.
Unique documents and photographs of the composer are provided for the exhibition by the Aram Khachaturian House-Museum in Yerevan. The museum is headed by Professor of the Yerevan Conservatory, pianist, member of the Khachaturian Trio Armine Grigoryan. She will enter the festival stage not only as a performer, but on May 16 she will give a lecture dedicated to the composer.

The meeting will take place as part of a lecture project implemented by the winner of the competition at the invitation of the charitable program "Effective Philanthropy" of the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation.

"The maestro was one of the most famous figures of the 20th century, and many iconic people of that era considered it an honor to get to know him. The photographs presented at the exhibition tell about these interesting and important meetings. And through qr codes, you can get additional information in the form of exclusive videos, frames from films telling about these significant meetings," says Armine Grigoryan, director of the Aram Khachaturian House-Museum in Yerevan.
One of the concerts of the festival will take place in the regional concert hall of the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic in Krasnoturyinsk, and the audience of the virtual concert halls, who will specially come to the concert, will also be its listeners. The opening of the festival will complete the Days of Armenian Culture in the Sverdlovsk region.

"For us, Aram Khachaturian is not just the greatest composer. This is both a diplomat and a goodwill ambassador, an ambassador of culture and art from the Soviet people. It is no coincidence that he headed the Association of the Soviet Union for Interaction and Friendship with the States of Latin America and was a member of the USSR Committee for the Protection of Peace. It is very important for us that during the most difficult years of the Great Patriotic War, this greatest composer was not just in the Middle Urals and lived in Sverdlovsk, but worked intensively and presented his musical works of the highest level," notes Lyudmila Berg, Deputy Minister of International and Foreign Economic Relations of the Sverdlovsk Region

[W.A. Mozart]

What do you think about the symphony 2?

Performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Conducted by Neeme Järvi

[foxandpeng]

What do you think about the symphony 2?

Performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Conducted by Neeme Järvi

Khachaturian #2 is great. Probably my favourite of his symphonies. I do like all of them, even #3 with its organ, which lots of people seem to dislike. Organs tend to be a bit ecclesiastical for me, or at least reminiscent of such things. I do like the Tournemire organ symphony, mind.

Anyway. Khachaturian #2. Win for me.

[Mountain Goat]

I do like all of them, even #3 with its organ, which lots of people seem to dislike.

The 3rd is one of my guilty pleasures, I remember the first time I heard it (on the radio) thinking "this is complete trash, but I love it!" I still can't help feeling I should hate it for some reason, but I really don't. I would love the opportunity to hear it live!

I don't know the other symphonies at all, so must give the 2nd a listen when I have time.