Any composers similar in style to Kalinnikov?

[J Nguyen]

Hello, I'm new here. I'm also new to classical music; I have only started listening to classical music for a little less than two months as of this moment.
Anyhow, I probably should just get to the point.

I just listened to Kalinnikov's Symphony No.1 today and I enjoyed it very much. So, I want to learn of others composers who create music similar to Kalinnikov's because I would probably enjoy their music. I've heard that early Tchaikovsky music sounds like that of Kalinnikov, but what about the music of other composers? Thank you for your help.

[david johnson]

gliere reminds of kalinnikov, but he doesn't sound like him. go ahead and listen to some tchaikovsky, he's fun.

kalinnikov # 2 is also nice.

dj

[Corlyss_D]

Welcome to the boards, J. Kick your shoes off and set a spell.

Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov are the only Russian composers that sound remotely like Kalinnikov, unforturnately, and even that is not a close match and not always predictably similar. Try Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia, Rimsky-Korsakov's 1st & 2nd Symphonies, and Liadov's Enchanted Lake (orchestral version). Kalinnikov's sound was virtually unique. Unfortunately he drank himself to death at 31 and there's not a lot of him either. There's a very fine Naxos disc of his 1st and 2nd Symphonies that is well worth your investment of time and money. You can't count on much Russian music to sound like Kalinnikov because there's way too much navel-gazing and noisy bombast in Russian orchestral music.

[J Nguyen]

gliere reminds of kalinnikov, but he doesn't sound like him. go ahead and listen to some tchaikovsky, he's fun.

Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov are the only Russian composers that sound remotely like Kalinnikov, unforturnately, and even that is not a close match and not always predictably similar. Try Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia, Rimsky-Korsakov's 1st & 2nd Symphonies, and Liadov's Enchanted Lake (orchestral version). Kalinnikov's sound was virtually unique. Unfortunately he drank himself to death at 31 and there's not a lot of him either. There's a very fine Naxos disc of his 1st and 2nd Symphonies that is well worth your investment of time and money. You can't count on much Russian music to sound like Kalinnikov because there's way too much navel-gazing and noisy bombast in Russian orchestral music.

Thank you both for taking the time to answer my questions. I do have the Naxos disc of his 1st and 2nd so I'm good there, but I still haven't listened to the 2nd yet because I enjoyed the first so much that I listened to it multiple times.

It's a shame that so many composers die young. Who knows what Kalinnikov would have created had he lived longer.

[Corlyss_D]

David's mention of Gliere reminds me of Katchadurian. Try the 2fer Naxos discs of Gliere's Red Poppy and Katchadurian's Spartacus. Both are ballets and may not be as accessible as a symphony without the visuals, but they are somewhere between the sober dreariness of Tchaikovsky and the completely non-Russian sound of Glazunov.

[Alberich]

In the Kalinnikov First you've come upon
one of the greatest Russian symphonies. Who knows, indeed,
what this composer would have done had he
lived longer. As it is, a miraculous work like this one
emerged from a life of dire poverty and ill-health.

Try Sergei Taneyev - Symphony No.2, especially.

[paulb]

, but what about the music of other composers? Thank you for your help.

Try Shostakovich syms the Kondrashin or new Rozhdestvensky set , both offered on Ebay.

[Fugu]

Glazunov in every way.

[Steven]

Poor old Kalinnikov, he actually died of TB in absolute poverty, if Rachmaninov hadn`t helped him he would probably died earlier. Try Prokofiev`s Classical symphony, the conductor Campannini said it was pure Kalinnikov.
Steve

[Heck148]

I just listened to Kalinnikov's Symphony No.1 today and I enjoyed it very much. So, I want to learn of others composers who create music similar to Kalinnikov's because I would probably enjoy their music.

Kalinnikov often sounds very much like Borodin.

[johnQpublic]

For a rarely heard Russian in the exact mold as Kalinnikov try the Symphony in c minor by Aleksandr Kopylov (1854-1911).

[Jack Kelso]

For a real treat, try getting Sergei Taneiev's Fourth Symphony (in c minor, opus 12). He was Rachmaninoff and Scriabin's teacher and a contemporary of Kalinnikov.

He was called "the Russian Brahms", probably because he kept up good forms---and if you're like so many folks on this site, that recommendation should get you to buy it.

Jack

[J Nguyen]

Thanks for all of your replies.

[Lance]

It's great to see Vasily Kalinnikov's name show up here. I have been entranced with his Symphony No. 1 since I first heard it years ago. Even his Symphony No. 2 doesn't compare in its tragic/typically identifying Russian sound.

A composer I thought might be comparable is Tikhon Khrennikov (b. 1913) vs. Kalinnikov (1866-1901) are styles and styles a part. No real comparison. I've been listening to Khrennikov's piano concertos lately; they leave no lasting impression. Last I knew he was still alive, but I don't know how well he is. If he has departed, hopefully someone might furnish me with his date of passing.

[jimmosk]

A composer I thought might be comparable is Tikhon Khrennikov (b. 1913) vs. Kalinnikov (1866-1901) are styles and styles a part. No real comparison. I've been listening to Khrennikov's piano concertos lately; they leave no lasting impression. Last I knew he was still alive, but I don't know how well he is. If he has departed, hopefully someone might furnish me with his date of passing.

TK is still alive, and if you don't know the sordid story of his political control over Soviet music it's worth a look: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikhon_Khrennikov

I'm not sure why you would think their music might be comparable, given that they were born half a century apart.... I'd second the recommendations of Kopylov and Rimsky-Korsakov. Glazunov and Taneyev much less so; they were more 'heavy' Beethovean composers to Kalinnikov's Mozart.

[Ken]

I'm late to this thread, but I thought I'd nonetheless agree that Borodin's style is somewhat similar to Kalinnikov's. His Second Symphony is particularly rousing, and his whole catalogue is only 21 pieces strong, so his whole musical range is very accessible!

After all that praise, can you tell that Mr. Borodin is one of my favourite composers?

[johnQpublic]

Well, right this second, I'm listening to Estonian Romantic composer, Artur Lemba's (1885-1963) first movement of his Symphony in C# minor (1908)and there are many a Borodin-like moment!