Vladimir Kobekin / Symphony

Vladimir Kobekin (b.1947), Symphony
The USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Verbitsky (cond.)
Painting by DestinyBlue

[@nicolamarziliano8125]

This composer is a genius and this symphony is a masterpiece.

[@yarunskiy]

Интересная симфония. С момента выхода её на пластинке ещё в СССР очень яркое впечатление произвела.

[@ronaldbwoodall2628]

The opening trumpet solo was encouraging in that it reminded me of Hovhaness, but then the piano entered making it sound like Jolivet on a bad day. Then the climate changed again with the strings calming things down with pleasing melodic balm, and a later passage for strings and trumpet went well - but once again the piano disrupted the mood. I'm listening to diverse elements that don't mesh; could this be a "program symphony" telling some bizarre story? Could there be another good excuse for such seemingly desultory, frenetic disturbances? At 13:30 comes an imposing and impressive antiphonal horn passage, but by 17 minutes in, I was still ready for this frustrating work to be over. Then comes the truly amazing extended passage beginning at 20:48 and erupting into an Ivesian cacophony and culminating in a cataclysmic outburst at 25:05, definitely the heart of the symphony. So, finally, is this work only modernist claptrap, or is it a masterpiece which really does mesh together to form an integral whole? I believe now it is the latter. Even though it can be annoying, it is fascinating.

[@1lekhine]

4th Ives in spirit endeed... with less scandal, without Chore. The Bell answer the question but never a complete one. Dissonance piano died in the distant. I like it danke

[@ozgoodel.9645]

I was enjoying this work, but the entry of the piano around the 18th minute sort of broke its spell.