Herman Galynin: Complete Works for Strings
The intensity with which the Russian composer Herman Galynin (1922–66) lived his short life is reflected in the extraordinarily high voltage of his music. In spite of a difficult start in life – he was an orphan – his instinctive musicality combined with the impulsiveness of his personality to make him one of the best known of Soviet composers while he was a student. Although mental illness put an early end to his meteoric career, the wild, freewheeling energy of his compositions – as witness these five works for strings – leave little doubt that Galynin would have been one of the major musical voices of the second half of the twentieth century; as it is, what he did achieve is remarkable.
Anastasia Latysheva, violin (Tracks 1,2, 7-10, 11-14)
Academy of Russian Music (Tracks 1-6)
Ivan Nikiforchin, conductor (Tracks 1-6)
Arina Minaeva, violin (Tracks 7-10, 11-14)
Anastasia Bencic, viola (Tracks 7-10)
Kseniia Kharitonova, viola (Tracks 11-14)
Anna Scherbakova, cello (Tracks 7-14)
Includes first recordings
Listen To This Recording:
-
Scherzo for Violin and String Orchestra (1966)
- Scherzo for Violin and String Orchestra
- Aria for Violin and String Orchestra
- I Adagio
- II Scherzo
- III Intermezzo
- IV Finale
- I Andante maestoso
- II Vivace
- III Andante
- IV Presto
- I Adagio
- II Allegretto
- III Andante
- IV Moderato
Aria for Violin and String Orchestra (1959)
Suite for String Orchestra (1949)
String Quartet No. 1 (1947)
String Quartet No. 2 (1956)
MusicWeb International :
‘Much of the success of this disc rests with the excellent performers, with Anastasia Latysheva taking solo violin honours as well as alternating first and second violin in the Quartets. Her colleagues are equally praiseworthy. Yuri Abdokov’s booklet essay is memorably good – why can’t other labels emulate Toccata’s level of scholarship and care? […] [Galynin’s music] is, to me, both humbling and elevating to hear how much he gave to his music, notwithstanding the circumstances of his life. Many other composers have written far less of value in far greater a period of time than Galynin, who died at forty-four.’
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
MusicWeb International :
‘Recording of the year 2020
His life was bravely lived and his music blazed with vivid variety and superbly complex expression. Some of these string works might be over-reverberantly recorded but that’s no impediment to me, nor should it be to you. Start with the Second String Quartet – deeply touching.’
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
American Record Guide :
‘Quartet 1 (21 minutes) has four clear voices, whose tuning and ensemble are flawless. […]
Both quartets are well written, and the players take no note for granted. The engineering is warm and balanced. […]
While this album is an all-Russian production, you could never tell that by the liner notes. Every word is in superb English, and the notes give a thorough history of the composer, sensible analysis of each work, background on all the artists, and recording details. Bravo, Toccata!’
—French, American Record Guide
Critic’s Circle :
‘Anastasia Latysheva makes a fine case for both pieces in gripping accounts accompanied by Ivan Nikiforchin’s Academy of Russian Music (which he founded in 2016). Their ensemble and intonation are spot-on, and they communicate a tangible belief in the quality of these works and what is arguably Galynin’s masterpiece, the Suite for string orchestra of 1949.’
—Guy Rickards, Critic’s Circle