Longtime readers will recognize (I hope!) the name of Russian composer Vasily Kalinnikov, who was a deeply gifted composer who seemed destined to rise to towering greatness in late Russian Romanticism had he not sadly died of tuberculosis when he was just 35. His extant works reveal a powerful dramatic voice and a commanding gift of lyricism, and I firmly believe that had he lived, he would form a trio of late Russian greats with Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Alas…but the works he left behind are wonderful and they really should be better known.
An amusing note here: I figured, as I listened to this piece on Sunday morning over coffee, that I’ve almost certainly featured it before, and indeed I have: almost six years ago to the day. Well, here it is again: The Cedar and the Palm, a symphonic picture. This is passionate and evocative music that seems every bit at home with Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and all the other late 19th century Russian greats. Enjoy!
A repeat! The horror!