News Tikhon Khrennikov

[…] Sonata No. 22 Piano Sonata No. 23 Recorded 1960 ProkofievPiano Sonata No. 3Piano Sonata No. 8Sonatina PastoralePaysageRecorded 1960Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 50 Chopin: Ballade No. 3 - Scherzo No. 4 Rachmaninov: Preludes Ravel: Jeux d´Eau Le Vallée des Cloches ProkofievSonata No. 6Visions FugitivesRecorded 1960Mstislav Rostropovich Works by Elgar - Brahms - Tchaikovsky Prokofiev - Shostakovich - Piston Vivaldi - Strauss - Respighi Foss - Tchaikovsky B. - Tartini Hindemith - Lalo - Bloch Khrennikov - Levitin - Honegger - Britten Itzhak Perlman violin London Symphony Orchestra Lukas Foss Gennadi Rozhdestvensky Recorded 1967 Digital download, covers

Six of the best… lesser-known pieces by Soviet composers 

[…] in Memory of Lenin Khachaturian always toed a fine line between acceptance and denunciation in the Soviet Union. After Lenin’s death in 1948, Khachaturian composed this orchestral piece as an effigy to the deceased leader. Rather fittingly this recording is of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Khachaturian’s native Armenia.  Six of the best... pieces to celebrate winter Six of the best... classical works about Scotland Six of the best... 20th-century British choral works Khrennikov – Adagio from 'A Hussar Ballad' Aside from composing, Khrennikov was known for his political activities as one of the leaders of the Union of Soviet Composers which gave prescribed communist content to the composers in the Soviet Union. In 1961, he composed the score to the infamous Russian film A Hussar Ballad, which he then transformed into a ballet of the same name in 1978.   Sviridov – Suite from Time, forward! Georgy Sviridov […]

Watch: A Neuhaus student, still playing at 93 

Genrikh Neuhaus was the outstanding piano teacher in Soviet Russia. His pupils included Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Yakov Zak, Tikhon Khrennikov, Alexei Lubimov, Radu Lupu and… Lidia Fikhtengoltz. Still going strong. Her last reported concert was in Moscow, three years ago.

How Eri Klas brought Schnittke back to life 

Martin Anderson contributes a splendid story about the Estonian conductor, who died last week . Eri used to tell a wonderful Schnittke story. He was with Alfred and Irina Schnittke at the Kiev Festival when Schnittke had a stroke (perhaps the first one, in 1985 — I’m not sure) — so severe that, although they got him to hospital and he was lying on a stretcher, they couldn’t get any sign of life from him: he was completely paralysed. Eri leant over him and said: “Khrennikov” — and Schnittke gave a defiant laugh: “Ha!”