Kazhlayev, Six Preludes, No. 2 (1968)

[rachfan]

Murad Kazhlayev, a composer and conductor, was born in Baku, Russia in 1931.  He graduated from the Baku State Conservatory. There he studied composition with Boris Zeidman. Kazhlayev was a teacher at the Tchaikovsky Music School in Makhachkala.  He was the chief conductor of the Dagestan Radio Symphonic Orchestra and later the Artistic Director of the Dagestan Philharmonic Hall Orchestra. And for 10 years he was in charge of the Variety Symphonic Orchestra named after Y. V. Silantyev. Most recently he established the Dagestan Musical School for Gifted Children.  He also founded a museum dedicated to the musical culture of Dagestan affiliated with the school.  Kazhlayev has been recognized and awarded several times including the prestigious People’s Artist of the USSR and the Order for the Merit for Dagestan Republic.  

I hope you'll enjoy hearing this piece.

Comments welcome.

Piano: Baldwin Model L Artist Grand (6’3”) with lid fully raised.
Recorder: Roland R-44
Mics: Matched pair of Earthworks TC-20 small diaphragm, omni-directional condenser mics in A-B configuration

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Interesting ambiguous floating tonality, although as far as I can make out aurally it always remains fairly close to its natural tonal centre. It would be interesting to know if the piece has folk influences. The ending was nicely played!

[rachfan]

Hi ronde,

Thanks for listening and commenting.  As for the dissonant notation, I'm glad that at this stage of my life I don't have to memorize. It would surprise me not at all if he were to collect the songs of Dagestan.  Other composers like Grieg, Prokofiev, and Dohnanyi enjoyed doing so to enrich their compositions. Glad you liked that tapering off in the coda.  I appreciate your taking time to hear this music.

David

[goldentone]

August playing, David.  It seems in every new piece, somehow you
improve an aspect of your playing.

[rachfan]

Hi goldentone,

Thanks for your question about this aspect of playing.  Yes, I too believe that playing new and different music means new learning.  And when I next encounter similar demands in a score, I can always apply that technique.

This also points out an important truism:  The chief duty of any piano teacher is to teach the pupils how to teach themselves.

I've been on my own preparing Late Romantic repertoire for years now. Typically, when I encounter something new, I turn to references in books, or a music terms dictionary, or solve it through analysis and common sense. It's all very useful.

Thanks again for visiting.

David   

[visitor]

David apologies as of late for my absence on this recording. wow. love it, just like last prelude, there's so many great colors and again i feel your baldwin is well suited for this type of music.  it's important to get these types of recordings out there. bravo, nothing i can really say much more than that. super enjoyable 

[chechig]

Beautiful, I love it, thanks for sharing

[rachfan]

Hi chechig,

I'm happy that you found this piece attracting. Oddly enough, it's not "new music".  It's been there for quite awhile, but we're just finding it now.  I'm glad you stopped to hear it.

David

[rachfan]

Hi visitor,

Glad to see you back here at pianostreet! No apology needed. And I'm delighted that you've heard some of the pieces as I posted them.  This current prelude of Kazhlayev is the hardest yet.  This one has even more dissonance than before. The key signatures are often in flux.  And trying to remember new sharps and flats is a challenge.

Thanks for listening and commenting.

David

[emill]

As always, your info about and the quality recording and playing of much less known piano pieces by Russian composers have always a personal enjoyment . Thanks, for once again expanding my music horizon.

[rachfan]

Hi emill,

I always appreciate your comments of a recent recording.  I just wish that there were more members and visitors who would probably enjoy hearing pieces for the first time.  Whenever that happens, the pleasure is all mine.   

David