Melvyn Madigan

TCHAIKOVSKY & PROKOFIEV are justly the most performed Russians. Also love Myaskovsky and others. (But, not Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov). GIF free 🙂

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Prokofiev letter to Myaskovsky, 6 March 1910: "Come over on Sunday night to bang on the pianoforte."

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Five Fantastic Dances https://t.co/AOvAEBOnQE via @YouTube Belorussian, Yevgeni Glebov (10 Sept 1929-2000) is an 'unknown' composer of immediate appeal..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

10 Sept 1923, London: Premiere of ballet 'Ajanta's Frescoes', inspired by Anna Pavlova's visit to the Ajanta caves in India. Music was by Alexander Tcherepnin conducted by his father, Nikolai. Being his twenty-fifth anniversary as a conductor, a presentation was made on stage.

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

10 Sept 1913, Buenos Aires: Vaslav Nijinsky and Romola de Pulsky marry..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

@RusHeritageUK @frolovawalker Stalin supposedly gave Yudina a gift of 20,000 roubles for her performance of a Mozart piano concerto. However, as this story emanates from Volkov's notorious Shostakovich 'Testimony', we must be very sceptical. According to @frolovawalker, Yudina's Stalin Prize was pure myth.

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Maria Yudina (9 Sept 1899-1970) was an outstanding pianist of the Soviet era. However, she remained largely on the outer due to her opposition to the regime and her deeply held religious convictions. Hence, it is inconceivable that she won a Stalin Prize, as some sources claim..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

...Leonard and Felicia Bernstein were in the USSR on their wedding anniversary in 1959, on tour with the New York Philharmonic..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre were married on 9 Sept 1951.
(His suit had belonged to Koussevitzky)..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Pavlova at Covent Garden, from 8 Sept 1924..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Prokofiev letter to a Japanese friend, 8 Sept 1923:
"I was deeply moved by the horrible disaster which has befallen Japan. I trust that you and your family succeeded in safely escaping it...Please accept my profound sympathy and my hope that your country will soon recover."

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Nadezhda von Meck letter to Tchaikovsky, 8 Sept 1882:
"Yesterday, to my great joy, Achille [Debussy] arrived. Now I shall gorge myself listening to music, and he'll bring the whole house to life. He's a Parisian to his fingertips, as witty as they come and a brilliant mimic."

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

#ENGvAUS #Ashes2019 🏏Why do the players have their names and numbers on their shirts but not on their jumpers?😕

[Candida Thompson @candidathompson]

27 Sept release ⬆️ #amsterdamsinfonietta#tchaikovsky#Arensky#cd#channelclassics https://t.co/fjrd4V1YsO

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

@BanhathaiYako No. An 800th birthday is obviously a special occasion.

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

7 Sept 1947: Stalin throws a party to celebrate Moscow's 800th birthday.
Bands, choirs, dance troupes popped up everywhere. Regular Muscovites danced in the streets. At night there was a massive fireworks display. At the Bolshoi, works played included 'The Kremlin' by Glazunov..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Concert by the New York Philharmonic in Kiev, 7 September 1959..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

From Prom of 7 Sept 1916.
This was the first ever orchestral version of 'Pictures'. But, it was 'not' the World premiere. Tushmalov (1861-96) was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, who in 1891 conducted it in concert. Moreover, Rimsky, at the very least, had a hand in the preparation.

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Evgeny Svetlanov conducts Svetlanov Festive Poem, op. 9 - video 1990 https://t.co/JVb1KNOPE7 via @YouTube Renowned conductor Svetlanov (6 Sept 1928-2002) also took his composing very seriously..

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Second half of Prom of 6 September 1917.
What makes Wood's orchestration of 'Pictures' interesting is that it predates Ravels.

[Melvyn Madigan @myaskofiev]

Varvara Napravnik (1873-1942) was the youngest daughter of the conductor, Eduard Napravnik. Tchaikovsky was friendly with the whole family.