3.0 out of 5 stars
Not very sophisticated, but generally colorful and enjoyable, June 10, 2009
This review is from: Khachaturian: Ode in Memory of Lenin (Audio CD)
ASV's commitment to Khachaturian yields further dividends here; not all of it is equally memorable - and this release too turns up some rather strange pieces - but overall this one can be recommended to anyone interested in colorful, Soviet realist music not quite on the level of sophistication of Shostakovich or even Kabalevsky. The four-movemented Lermontov Suite is overall a poignant - in fact downright gloomy - work, rather Tchaikovskian at times (especially the Valse), but drawing overall more on Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov. Colorful and dark it is, but nothing quite stays in the memory when it's over. The Russian Fantasy is written in a similar vein (that is relying on those past models), and is a rather attractively colorful work, if not very profound.
The Ode in Memory of Lenin is mournful and dark for the most part, but painted in somewhat garish colors and relying on appropriately unsophisticated national hollering and braying. Not exactly a work to grow fond of in any way, it is still worth a listen, though. The same cannot really be said for the banal and mostly loud Greeting Overture; lots of noisy effects and clamor, but the thematic material is ridiculously thin. On the other hand, the main work here, the 20 minute Festive Poem is a very worthwhile one. It's certainly an exuberant score, again loud and clangorous and merrily noisy, but there are some fine tunes and themes here as well and if you aren't expecting anything profound, it'll be easy to enjoy yourself.
The performances are generally good enough, but somewhat rough. This isn't music that requires much interpretative subtlety, however, and the Armenian PO manages, for the most part, to convey the energy and brashness of the scores. Sound quality is fair but a little boomy. All in all, this is a worthwhile disc, perhaps mostly recommended to enthusiasts, but at least the Russian Fantasy and the Festive Poem will provide some not very demanding enjoyment.
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