COMPOSERS: Miaskovsky
LABELS: ASV
WORKS: Sinfonietta for Strings, Op. 32/2; Theme and Variations; Two Pieces, Op. 46/1; Napeve
PERFORMER: St Petersburg Chamber Ensemble/Roland Melia
CATALOGUE NO: CD DCA 928 DDD
Nikolai Miaskovsky (1881-1950) was a prolific composer who wrote 27 symphonies and 13 string quartets. His work, Melia suggests, ‘developed from complexity to clarity, from extreme chromaticism to simpler diatonicism, from polyphony to homophony’. This collection, not so much Russian as Anglo-Saxon/Scandinavian in mood, confirms his craftsmanship but lacks real personality. Bland, careful playing, more soft-centred than tensioned. Ates Orga
Miaskovsky: Sinfonietta for Strings, Op. 32/2; Theme and Variations; Two Pieces, Op. 46/1; Napeve
Nikolai Miaskovsky (1881-1950) was a prolific composer who wrote 27 symphonies and 13 string quartets. His work, Melia suggests, ‘developed from complexity to clarity, from extreme chromaticism to simpler diatonicism, from polyphony to homophony’. This collection, not so much Russian as Anglo-Saxon/Scandinavian in mood, confirms his craftsmanship but lacks real personality. Bland, careful playing, more soft-centred than tensioned. Ates Orga
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:16 pm