Composer/Music: Kalinnikov (Russian, 1866-1901) may not have lived very long - he died at 35 years of age of ill health - but the small number of works he produced were of good quality. Tchaikovsky valued his musicianship in general. Much of the music here would not be out of place alongside an early Rachmaninov Tone Poem, a Mussorgsky or early Tchaikovsky operatic (instrumental) interlude/entr'acte. The music is never dull. There is a good supply of melody present throughout and, with the present selection, plenty of variation in colour. Kalinnikov considered 'Cedar and Palm' "to be his best and most sincere inspiration". 'Bylina' was composed before his 1st Symphony (a lovely work available elsewhere on this site). The subject is taken from ancient Russian folklore. Very fleetingly, first heard at 5:39 in the music, there appears a motif that some claim inspired the Russian National Anthem, composed the following century by Alexander Alexandrov, conductor of the USSR State Band. Performance: excellent playing from the State Symphony Orchestra under the great Evgeni Svetlanov. Recording: not sumptuous, but clear with good bass extension in places. An excellent transfer by HDTT. Potential purchasers may have other priorities, but the music here will not disappoint; there is much here to commend. I loved it.
