Symphony No.2, Armenian Suite

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
For those who don't know Richard Yardumian's music, he was a composer of Armenian ancestry, long resident in Philadelphia. Those who like the music of Alan Hovhaness will probably be attracted here, though the music is somewhat more straightforward and less exotic than that of Hovhaness.

"The Armenian Suite", as you might expect, is based heavily on Armenian folk themes. It is great fun to listen to it. The symphony began life as a single-movement setting of Psalm 130. It later grew to include a second movement with this text being written specifically for Lili Chookasian.

Tracks:

Lincolnshire Posy: 'Lisbon' (Sailor's Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'Horkstow Grange' (The Miser and his Man: A local Tragedy)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'Rufford Park Poachers' (Poaching Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'The brisk young Sailor' (returned to wed his true Love)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'Lord Melbourne' (War Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'The Lost Lady found' (Dance Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: Hill Song No. 2
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Adagio-Allegro
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Adagio sostenuto
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Allegretto
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Vivace
Armenian Dances: Allegro moderate
Armenian Dances: Allegro
Concerto for 23 Winds: Andante-Allegro non troppo
Concerto for 23 Winds: Vivace
Concerto for 23 Winds: Lento
Concerto for 23 Winds: Allegro molto
Three Japanese Dances: Dance with Pennons
Three Japanese Dances: Mourning Dance
Three Japanese Dances: Dance with Swords

Customer Reviews:

One of the Greatest Recordings of Wind Band Literature.......2007-01-19

This album is a reference work for anyone interested in wind band music. This was Fennell at his finest. A true pleasure to listen to. No one should perform Lincolnshire Posy without hearing this.

Eastman Wind Ensemble - Even Better on CD.......2002-08-07

If you liked the original recording on 33 1/3 RPM, you'll love the sound of the Eastman Wind Ensemble on CD. The sound is amazing (especially without the scratches), the textures even more alive in the re-mastered recording. This amazing ensemble is the not-so-subtle reminder of how a "band" should sound. Sit back, set the volume control to give your speakers a work-out, and enjoy the experience.

5 stars, if only for "Lincolnshire Posy".......2001-04-26

'Lincolnshire Posy' is one of the greatest compositions written for wind band, and this is likely the definitive recording of the work. Frederick Fennell's (the conductor's) full score has become the definitive edition, since Grainger never published anything but a condensed score. The Eastman Wind Ensemble provides a tremendous performance of the piece, and of all the works on the album.

I must admit that I usually only listen to 'Lincolnshire' and 'Hill Song' because I'm a bit of a Grainger fan, but all the music if great, especially Persichetti's 'Symphony for Band' and Rogers' 'Three Japanese Dances'.

If you're not familiar with Grainger, get this album and get familiar with him. He is one of the most important and best composers of the twentieth century, despite how little attention is paid to him outside the world of wind bands.

Big fat brass.......2001-04-08

Listening to this recording brings back memories of my own college band experience with some of these pieces. This performance is fun to listen to largely because of the good brass sound from the trumpets and bones. For instance, track 6 (last mvt of Lincolnshire Posy) rocks. Brass and chimes come accross very forcefully, leaving you, the listener, with no doubt that this group could easily give you 30% more without over blowing. In the words of Spinal Tap's Nigel Tuffnel, "This one goes to eleven"!

Performance Mistakes.......2001-01-01

Having heard this recording on it's original vinyl release, I have found it to be ok, but I have heard performance mistakes in Lincolnshire Posy(Euphonium 4th mvt) if I remember correctly, and I heard too many tempo variations too my liking. North Texas under Corcoran and Eastman under Hunsburger have done far better interpretations of these works.

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Hovhaness and Spirituality
Hovanhess proves in this CD that what matters most is melody

Hovhaness: Celestial Fantasy

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000AFJQ
Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

The Holy City, Op.128
Alleluia And Fugue, Op.40b: I. Alleluia. Andante
Alleluia And Fugue, Op.40b: II. Fugue. Moderato
Armenian Rhap No.3, Op.189
In Memory Of An Artist, Op.163: I. Fant On A Fourth
In Memory Of An Artist, Op.163: II. Alegro Vivo
In Memory Of An Artist, Op.163: III. Adagio Espressivo
Processional And Fugue, Op.76, No.5: I. Processional
Processional And Fugue, Op.76, No.5: II. Fugue
Celestial Fant, Op.44
Armenian Rhap No.2, Op.51
Psalm And Fugue, Op.40a: I. Andante
Psalm And Fugue, Op.40a: II. Fugue. Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

Hovhaness and Spirituality.......2000-02-21

This is a remarkably appealing program of music showing the most spiritual side of Hovhaness. Of particular interest to me was the Holy City which creates a truly heavenly atmosphere with its use of string glissandos and the typical agitated figures so common to Hovhaness textural language. The combination of strings, harp, trumpet and chime seems so unlikely until you hear this performance. The string tone of the Slovak Radio Orchestra is full and rich in this recording. The overall sound is splendid and the repertoire includes works from several decades of Hovhaness'life.

Kerry Stratton and the Slovak Radio Orchestra make a great case for Hovhaness as America's musical spiritualist.

Hovanhess proves in this CD that what matters most is melody.......1999-08-27

All of the pieces heard had beautiful melodies and wonderful textures. The orchestra sounds great.

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Khachaturian: Symphony No. 2 "The Bell"

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Khachaturian: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Aram Khachaturian: Ode to Joy and other works
Violin Concerto / Cello Concerto
Khachaturian:Valencian Window/Gayaneh/Tjeknavorian:Danses Fantastiques
Khachaturian: Film Music

ASIN: B0000030TX
Release Date: 1993-12-07

Tracks:

Sym No. 2 in e, 'The Bell': First Movt: Andante Maestoso
Sym No. 2 in e, 'The Bell': Second Movt: Allegro Risoluto
Sym No. 2 in e, 'The Bell': Third Movt: Andante Sostenuto
Sym No. 2 in e, 'The Bell': Fourth Movt: Andante Mosso-Allegro Sostenuto. Maestoso
The Battle Of Stalinggrad: City On The Volga: Andante Maestoso
The Battle Of Stalinggrad: Invasion: Allegro Alla Marcia
The Battle Of Stalinggrad: Stalingrad On Fire: Lento Sostenuto
The Battle Of Stalinggrad: Battle Of The Motherland: Moderato Assai
The Battle Of Stalinggrad: Forward Into Victory: Tempo Di Marcia
The Battle Of Stalinggrad: 'There Is A Crag On The Volga': Andante Maestoso

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Yaardumian The Composer

Symphony No.2, Armenian Suite

Manufacturer: Phoenix USA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000E2FH
Release Date: 1990-01-01

Tracks:

Armenian Suite
Symphony No.2

Album Description

For those who don't know Richard Yardumian's music, he was a composer of Armenian ancestry, long resident in Philadelphia. Those who like the music of Alan Hovhaness will probably be attracted here, though the music is somewhat more straightforward and less exotic than that of Hovhaness.

Customer Reviews:

Yaardumian The Composer.......2000-06-14

I am biased since he is my Great Uncle. You have to appreciate this music to enjoy it. It is worth a listen too.

Symphony 2 / Violin Concerto / Armenian Suite

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The Religious Vision of Richard Yardumian

Symphony 2 / Violin Concerto / Armenian Suite
Yardumian , Bulov , Maultsby , Shui , and Singapore So
Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00007139M
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Customer Reviews:

The Religious Vision of Richard Yardumian.......2003-02-19

Richard Yardumian (1917 - 1985) maintained a long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy; almost all of his works had their premiere under Ormandy's baton. Yet Yardumian - of Armenian extraction but a follower of Swedenborg's theosophical church rather than of Armenian Orthodoxy - was little recorded and never really extended his audience beyond his native city. There were one or two exceptions: his Piano Concerto ("Passacaglia, Recitatives, and Fugue") appeared on RCA as an LP in the late 1960s, paired with Peter Mennin's keyboard concerto; and his First Symphony, with two smaller works, appeared on EMI in the mid-1970s. The music of Yardumian sounds nothing at all like that of Alan Hovhaness, nor again like that of Aram Katchaturian, being more closely related to that of Ernest Bloch. This is a kinship emphasized by the three works recorded on the new BIS CD, which one hopes is the harbinger of a Yardumian series. The Violin Concerto (1949 - revised in 1960 and again in 1985), while not quite on the same scale as Bloch's, shares its precursor's impassioned, religious character, as though the soloist gave voice to a Biblical prophecy. Like Bloch in his final phase of the 1950s, Yardumian would assimilate his own version of "serialism." The notes to the old LP of his First Symphony included a lengthy explanation, by the composer, of how his melodies derived from certain basic chords on which a given work would be founded. What one hears, quite apart from the "theory," are modally inflected melodies unfolded over harmonic progressions that would not have disturbed Cesar Franck. (Bloch, too, was rooted in an essentially Franckian idea of harmony.) I do not suggest that this is a deficit: on the contrary - I heartily approve. There is, as in the Franckian symphonic plan, a motto-theme, played initially in the opening "Maestoso" not by the violin soloist but by the first horn. The "second subject" takes the form of a cadenza-like passage (with gymnastic double stops) for the solo violin. Later in the movement, the flute has an important part. The middle panel, designated "Slow," is prayerful, in the manner both of Bloch and of Bartók (think of the middle panel of the latter's Viola Concerto): there is a heart-on-the-sleeve sweetness to this movement that makes it endearing - provided that one is neither wood nor stone; there are also moments of Bloch-like ceremonial splendor in the trumpets and trombones. A variant of the motto-theme returns, again on the horn, near the end of the movement. In the concluding "Allegro," a sprightly, dance-like character prevails, with some challenging fugato passages to live up the affair. Violinist Alexandr Bulov has a rich tone and is entirely convincing in his part. Yardumian's Symphony No. 2 (1947 - revised 1964) is a setting for "medium voice and orchestra" of texts from the Psalms. There are two movements, the second twice as long as the first. While I do not argue for "influence," I do observe a strong family resemblance to Bloch's Psalm settings for voice and orchestra. This is especially apparent in Yardumian's First Movement, which sets the famous "De Profundis" (Psalm 130), translating the text into English. The Second Movement anthologizes from Psalms 24, 27, 95, and 121, mixing the verses. There is an orchestral "Prologue" and, halfway through, an orchestral "Fugue." The verses from Psalm 121 constitute what the composer describes as a "Vocal Cadenza." Mezzo Nancy Maultsby's enunciation is perfect. The listener can follow without recourse to the printed texts. While called "Symphony," the score has the character of a ceremonial vocal concerto. The pairing with the Violin Concerto is thus quite logical. The last item on the program is Yardumian's best known work, his "Armenian Suite," written in 1937 and arranged for orchestra in the 1950s. This is pleasant "rush hour" music - and I have indeed heard it being broadcast by the Syracuse classical music radio station during the heavy-traffic period late in the day. The Singapore Orchestra under Lan Shui sounds as good as any Western orchestra. Let us hope that BIS gives us the First Symphony and the Piano Concerto. Recommended.

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Orchestral Works (Box Set)

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Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Orchestral Works (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Boccherini: Clavier Quintets (Complete)
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Boccherini: String Quintets, Vol. 2
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Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies

ASIN: B00007E8M3
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Tracks:

The Sea And Sinbad's Ship (Largo E Maestoso-Lento-Allegro Non Troppo) - Loris Tjeknavorian
The Kalendar Prince (Lento) - Loris Tjeknavorian
The Young Prince And The Young Princess (Andantino Quasi Allegretto) - Loris Tjeknavorian
Festival At Bagdad - The Sea (Allegro Molto-Lento-Allegro Molto E Frenetico - Poco Piu Tranquillo - Loris Tjeknavorian
Sadko, Musical Picture Op.5 - Loris Tjeknavorian
Song Of India, From Sadko - Loris Tjeknavorian

Tracks:

The Tsar's Bride, Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra
Fantasia On Serbian Themes, Op.6 - Philharmonia Orchestra
Largo Assai-Allegro - Philharmonia Orchestra
Andante Tranquillo - Philharmonia Orchestra
Scherzo, Vivace - Philharmonia Orchestra
Allegro Assai - Philharmonia Orchestra
Largo-Allegro Giocoso - Philharmonia Orchestra
Allegro - Philharmonia Orchestra
Allegro Risoluto Alla Marcia - Philharmonia Orchestra
Allegretto Vivace - Philharmonia Orchestra

Tracks:

Overture On Russian Themes, Op.20 - Philharmonia Orchestra
Moderato Assai - London Symphony Orchestra
Scherzo (Vivo) - London Symphony Orchestra
Andante-Animato Assai - London Symphony Orchestra
Allegro Con Spirito-Animato - London Symphony Orchestra
Fairy-Tale (Skazka), Op.29 - London Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

Tsar Dodon In His Palace - Loris Tjeknavorian
Tsar Dodon On The Battlefield - Loris Tjeknavorian
Tsar Dodon As The Guest Of The Queen Of Semakha - Loris Tjeknavorian
The Wedding And Lamentable End Of Dodon - Loris Tjeknavorian
The Tsar's Farewell And Departure - Loris Tjeknavorian
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The Three Wonders - Loris Tjeknavorian
Flight Of The Bumble-Bee - Loris Tjeknavorian
Holy Night - Loris Tjeknavorian
Games And Dances Of The Stars-Mazurka-The Sixth Comet-Csardas And Rain Of The Falling Stars - Loris Tjeknavorian
The Devil's Christmas - Loris Tjeknavorian
Polonaise - Loris Tjeknavorian
Procession To Midnight Mass And Carols - Loris Tjeknavorian

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Adagio

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings, Op. 11
'GRAND PARTITA': Serenade No. 10 For 13 Wind Instruments In B Flat, K 361, 'Gran Partita' (Second Movement: Adagio)
Clarinet Concerto In A, K 622 (Second Movement: Adagio)
Violin Concerto No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 26 (Second Movement: Adagio)
Adagio in D Flat For Clarinet & Strings
Symphony No. 7 In E (Second Movement: Adagio: Symphony No. 7 In E (Second Movement: Adagio) - Anton Bruckner
Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18 (Second Movement: Adagio Sostenuto)
Spartacus - Suite (Adagio Of Spartacus And Phrygia)