- PB - Requiem ALEXANDER BORODIN (1833-1887) ALEXANDER BORODIN (St Petersburg 1833–1887) 1 Requiem for Tenor, Men’s Chorus and Orchestra (arr. Stokowski) [5.34] Alexander Borodin’s life was a never-ending attempt to 1 Requiem for Solo Tenor, Men’s Chorus reconcile the conflicting demands of a dual career as a and Orchestra Polovtsian Dances and Suite from Prince Igor for Soprano, Chorus and Orchestra [34.21] creative artist and a highly respected research chemist. Orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski 2 I. Overture [10.05] It seemed as though the only time he could ever find 3 II. Chorus of the Polovtsian Maidens [5.49] to write music was when kept away from chemistry The genesis of Borodin’s Requiem was in 1877. The 4 III. Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens [2.18] through illness; his artistic friends took to asking composer had written a little Polka, into which he had 5 IV. Polovtsian March [4.52] solicitously after his ill-health in the hope that he might incorporated a children’s theme known in Russia as 6 V. Polovtsian Dances [11.31] be composing something. With characteristic modesty Tati-tati but universally beloved as Chopsticks. In the he regarded himself merely as a musical amateur—an manner of Dargomyzhsky’s Slavonic Tarantella for 7 Nocturne from String Quartet No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov) [8.15] attitude which caused considerable frustration amongst Performing with Those Who Cannot Play, the famous tune his colleague composers and others who appreciated the becomes a simple ostinato part for the second pianist. 8 In the Steppes of Central Asia [6.19] magnitude of his talent. Upon returning to St Petersburg in the autumn of 1862 after a period of study in Germany “Mighty Handful” members Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui Petite Suite [23.27] and Italy, Borodin was introduced to Mily Balakirev, the and Liadov were so enchanted with this clever Polka 9 I. Au couvent [5.20] self-appointed head of the “Russian Nationalist School” that they elected to write pieces themselves, using of composition, the membership of which included the same, incessantly repeated underlying Chopsticks 0 II. Mazurka rustique [2.50] Mussorgsky, Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov. Balakirev lost no theme. In turn, Borodin, intrigued by the emerging q III. Mazurka [4.03] w time in telling Borodin that he was squandering his gifts composite set, added two more short vignettes of his IV. Rêverie [2.47] writing intimate chamber music in the German style. own: the Requiem heard here and a March. Borodin had e V. Sérénade [2.10] Balakirev demanded a full-scale Russian symphony from a great reputation within his circle for his humorous r VI. Finale: Scherzo–Nocturne–Scherzo [6.17] him, as he had done from Rimsky-Korsakov a year earlier, improvisations at the piano, and Stasov conjectures and from then on Borodin’s musical activities and that these two pieces are probably transcriptions Total timings: [78.11] development were inextricably linked to Balakirev’s group capturing Borodin’s spontaneous flights of fancy. of five, or, as it came to be known, “The Mighty Handful.” No public performance has ever been traced of Leopold PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA / BBC SYMPHONY CHORUS Stokowski’s orchestral arrangement of the Requiem. Geoffrey Simon conductor The score and parts, however, which reside in the

calasignum.com - 3 - Stokowski Collection at the University of Pennsylvania, Polovtsian Dances and Suite from Prince Igor Anecdotes abound relating to Borodin’s faltering Like the little flower beneath the dew were provided for the present recording. Stokowski’s Orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov progress: Rimsky-Korsakov once asked him whether our heart will be revived. larger-than-life, highly-coloured orchestral palette and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov he had written anything that day. “Yes,” Borodin manages to combine with the utter simplicity of replied with complete earnestness, referring, as it The short, lively Dance which follows was first Borodin’s theme and accompaniment to produce a 2 I. Overture transpired, to some correspondence he’d completed. performed on December 3, 1888; the orchestration result which is convincing in its power and majesty. 3 II. Chorus of the Polovtsian Maidens When Borodin died, little of the third act had been was by Rimsky-Korsakov. The Polovtsian March was 4 III. Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens composed and the Overture had never been written written in 1874 and also orchestrated by Rimsky- In Borodin’s original piano version, the words 5 IV. Polovtsian March down. It fell to Glazunov to complete the missing act Korsakov after Borodin’s death. It was not heard 6 V. Polovtsian Dances from the composer’s sketches, and it was also he who, until November 5, 1887, at a concert devoted to the Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, thanks to a phenomenal musical memory, was able memory of Borodin. (The programme also included the et lux perpetua luceat eis. Borodin’s largest-scale composition during the 1860s to reconstruct the Overture from his recollections of première of the Overture in Glazunov’s reconstruction.) and 70s was the opera Prince Igor. He worked on it Borodin’s improvised performances at the piano. The March opens the third act and signals the arrival (God grant them, Lord, eternal rest intermittently for more than 18 years but never finished of the Polovtsian Khan Gzak, whose victorious troops and may perpetual light shine upon them.) it. His initial interest had almost certainly been sparked The Chorus of the Polovtsian Maidens and the ensuing are returning with Russian captives. This recording, by Mussorgsky’s work on his own opera, Boris Godunov. Dance open the second act of Prince Igor and reflect unusually, includes the sizeable off-stage brass are indicated for a solo tenor voice and a male chorus. The flame was further kindled by Vladimir Stasov, who Borodin’s researches into Hungarian folk music, band and men’s chorus called for in the full score. In this first recording, they have been incorporated as hit upon the idea of a libretto based upon the mediaeval deemed necessary by the fact that the Polovtsians, an addition to Stokowski’s purely orchestral setting. Russian nationalistic epic The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, when later driven north by the Mongols, integrated Our army is coming home. Glory to our army! which addressed itself to the struggle of Russian princes with the Magyar tribes and exerted a significant Gzak comes from his victory! Glory to Khan Gzak! against hostile Polovtsian tribes. Borodin was excited by influence on the culture that became Hungary’s. The the subject and the jubilant Stasov began inundating music given to the soprano soloist and women’s The famous Polovtsian Dances, which conclude the him with an endless supply of source materials. Stasov chorus is as poignant as the words they sing: second act of the opera, were drafted in the summer of felt that the project exactly matched Borodin’s musical 1875 but, as we might expect, were left un-orchestrated. make-up—essentially lyrical and marked by a strong Starved of water, in the heat of the mid-day Late in 1878, Rimsky-Korsakov announced them for leaning towards Russian orientalism—and thought sun, the flower withers and dries. inclusion in a “Free Music School Concert” planned for that Borodin would, through this vehicle, create a early 1879. He had already rehearsed them with the successor to Glinka’s opera, Russlan and Ludmilla. The sun will set, night will come, the heat of the day will chorus and a rehearsal pianist, and a full orchestral pass. Dew will fall, nourish the earth with its moisture. score was now needed urgently so that the orchestral Unfortunately, within a year Borodin’s enthusiasm had Our hapless heart is like the flower starved of water. parts could be generated in time for the performance. waned, and it was only due to the constant cavilling of his friends that the opera gradually took shape.

- 4 - - 5 - “In despair, I took Borodin to task,” Rimsky-Korsakov 7 Nocturne from String Quartet No.2 ​ 8 In the Steppes of Central Asia the Russians and the native people blend into one relates. “He wasn’t pleased about it either. Finally, losing for violin and orchestra overall harmony, echoes of which linger over the all hope, I offered to help him with the orchestration. Orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov Rimsky-Korsakov tells us that in the spring of 1879, two steppes before finally fading away in the distance. So he came to my place one evening, bringing the little-known entrepreneurs appeared in St Petersburg barely started full score of the Dances with him, and The familiar Nocturne derives from the third movement, and approached Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky A sense of wide, open space is created by the violins, the three of us—for Liadov was there too—sorted it Andante, of Borodin’s Second String Quartet, a and others regarding a grandiose project they had playing soft, sustained harmonics in a high register. into sections and hastily began to orchestrate it to the work sometimes considered to be autobiographical devised to mark the Silver Jubilee of Tsar Alexander II. Against this backdrop the two melodies hover, voiced in end. For the sake of speed, we used pencil, not ink. We in content. It was composed exactly 20 years after They wanted a series of tableaux vivants called “The the horn, clarinet and most distinctively, the cor anglais worked on into the small hours, and when at last we were Borodin first met his wife in Heidelberg, and in its Genius of Russia and History,” with the music for (English horn). Rhythmic pizzicati in the lower strings finished, Borodin covered the sheets of the score with a original form it is not difficult to hear a moving each being written by a leading Russian composer. cleverly conjure the rolling motion of the caravan. thin layer of gelatine so that the pencil marks wouldn’t “love duet” in the interplay of cello and violin. rub off. To make the sheets dry in time, we hung them Most of the composers duly obliged, and Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia was first performed on up like washing on a string line, stretched across my Sir Malcolm Sargent’s well-known arrangement for response was the symphonic poem In the Steppes August 27, 1882 under the baton of Rimsky-Korsakov. study. In this ignominious way the piece was coaxed string orchestra preserves this wistful and rather of Central Asia. Predictably, the Jubilee project into readiness and, finally, sent off to the copyist.” sentimental quality, but Rimsky-Korsakov’s seldom came to nothing and of course no-one was paid, Petite Suite played version for solo violin and orchestra is more but some fine music saw the light and Borodin’s Orchestrated by Glazunov In the opera, the Polovtsian Khan Konchak commands discursive in style: the soloist not only engages in delightful orchestral miniature subsequently his slaves and retainers to entertain Prince lgor, lyrical dialogues with the orchestral strings, woodwinds became one of his most popular works. 9 I. Au couvent who is now his captive. The maidens sing: and horn, but also gracefully embellishes the famous 0 II. Mazurka rustique melody with delicate filigrees of considerable beauty. It is prefaced with Borodin’s own description of the q III. Mazurka Fly away, our native song, on the wings of scenario: w IV. Rêverie the wind to our homeland. There, beneath the It was first performed on 17th December, 1887, e V. Sérénade burning sky, the air is full of sweetness. In the and although it was intended merely as a pièce In the sandy steppes of Central Asia, the melody r VI. Finale: Scherzo–Nocturne–Scherzo valleys the roses bloom resplendently, and the d’occasion, Rimsky-Korsakov was nevertheless of a peaceful Russian song first resounds. The nightingales sing in the green forests. disappointed that this gentle and beautifully crafted approaching clatter of horses and camels and the Borodin was happiest when writing in small-scale work did not command more attention. Its omission plaintive tones of an oriental song are then heard. forms. Just as his earliest compositions were chamber This gives way to a full chorus, allegro vivo, one of the from the repertoire for violin and orchestra is A native caravan passes across the endless desert, works and piano miniatures, so he enjoyed returning most exciting moments in the entire choral repertoire: rectified here with this world première recording. guarded by Russian troops. Confident and unafraid, to these genres during the last years of his life. Among it follows its distant journey protected by Russian the works of this final period are thePetite Suite and Sing songs of glory to the Khan! Praise him! military might. The caravan moves further and the Scherzo in A flat, both dating from 1885. In its Glorious is our Khan! Khan Konchak! further into the distance. The peaceful melodies of original form, the Petite Suite comprises seven numbers

- 6 - - 7 - for piano solo, to which Borodin attached a programme Au couvent Glazunov’s orchestration was completed in 1889. In His music directorships have included the Albany entitled Petit Poème d’Amour d’une Jeune Fille: The sound of cathedral bells and a this recording, the Intermezzo is omitted but Glazunov’s Symphony Orchestra (New York), the Australian Sinfonia Russian Orthodox Church chant. interpolation of Borodin’s Scherzo in A flat, which (London), the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Sous la voûte de la cathédrale creates two outer flanks to frame theNocturne , is (Indiana), the Orquestra Simfònica de Balears “Ciutat On rêve à la société Intermezzo preserved. Whilst it may disrupt the idea of Borodin’s de Palma” (Majorca) and the Sacramento Symphony On ne pense qu’à la danse One starts dreaming of society life. original programme, it does meet a clear and, one (California). With the Palma Orchestra he conducted On pense à la danse et le danseur might argue, deeper need of an orchestral piece: a Paul Patterson’s Te Deum for the King and Queen On ne pense qu’au danseur Mazurka rustique Finale which is fast, lively and thoroughly engaging. of Spain, and with the Sacramento Symphony he On rêve au chant d’amour The young lady begins to think of the dance. created the World View series of concerts, attracting On est bercée par le bonheur d’être aimée © 2020 Philip Taylor audiences from twenty non-European cultures. La cathédrale Mazurka Doux rêve. One dreams of the dance... and the dancer. (The Geoffrey Simon is Music Director Emeritus of the dancer of the young lady’s fantasy was undoubtedly GEOFFREY SIMON Northwest Mahler Orchestra in Seattle, with which he has Beneath the vault of the cathedral the composer himself. Not only was Borodin a good conducted the Mahler symphonic cycle and Messiaen’s One dreams of high society dancer, Glazunov recalls, but he excelled in the Mazurka. Australian conductor Geoffrey Simon is resident in Turangalîla Symphony. He is Consultant for Classical One thinks of nothing but the dance Furthermore, the suggestion of the cello that is evoked London and has appeared there with the London Special Projects for Arts Global (a foundation for emerging One thinks of the dance and the dancer through the piano’s tenor line is a clear reminder that Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, artists, London, Montreux and New York) and has served One thinks only of the dancer Borodin was an able cellist.) Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic as a jury member for Young Concert Artists, PianoTexas, One dreams of the song of love Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, London Australian Cello Awards and Royal Over-Seas League. One is rocked by the happiness of being loved Rêverie Mozart Players and English Chamber Orchestra. The cathedral One no longer dreams of anything Geoffrey Simon was a student of Herbert von Karajan, Sweet dream. but the dancer; new feelings. Internationally, he has appeared with the Adelaide, Rudolf Kempe, Hans Swarowsky and Igor Markevich, Atlanta, Bournemouth, Canberra, City of Birmingham, and a major prize-winner at the first John Player That this programme alludes to an amorous Sérénade Fort Worth, Melbourne, Milwaukee, Queensland, International Conductors’ Award. He has made forty six episode in Borodin’s life, even his wife was forced (Though no remarks appear on the proof Sapporo, Shanghai, St Louis, Sydney, Tasmanian, recordings for a number of labels, combining discoveries to acknowledge in her memoirs. The composer’s sheets, this is evidently intended to represent Vermont and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, with familiar works by Tchaikovsky, Respighi, Borodin, remarks on the proof sheets of the various movements the young lady’s “song of love”. The principal the Israel, Moscow, Munich and New Japan Mussorgsky, Smetana, Bloch, Grainger, Debussy, Ravel, can easily be linked to the text of the poem: theme is marked amoroso ed espressivo.) Philharmonic Orchestras, the American Symphony, Saint-Saëns and Les Six. Amongst the contemporary the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague, the Tokyo composers he has recorded are Barry Conyngham, Nocturne (designated Berceuse in Metropolitan Symphony and the Australian Opera. John Downey, Paul Patterson and Zhou Long. the original manuscript) One is rocked by the happiness of being loved.

- 8 - - 9 - For Cala Signum, Geoffrey Simon has brought together large ensembles of single instruments—violins, violas, cellos, double basses, horns, trumpets, trombones and harps—drawn from London’s leading solo, orchestral and chamber musicians. Known as The London Sound Series, the recordings have attracted interest amongst instrumentalists worldwide. Geoffrey Simon’s virtuoso 20-cello ensemble, The London Cello Orchestra, has performed for H.M. The Queen and H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, and appeared in New York, Switzerland and South Korea.

Recorded in All Hallows Church, Gospel Oak, London: 21-24 February, 8-10 April 1992.

Producer: Tim Handley Engineer: Nicholas Parker Editing: Adrian Hunter, AudioEdit Ltd, London Remastering: Phil Rowlands (philrowlands.com) Repertoire Consultant: Edward Johnson Programme Notes: © 2020 Philip Taylor Chorus Director, BBC Symphony Chorus: Stephen Jackson

P 1992 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Cala Records, under exclusive license to Signum Records © 2020 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Cala Signum.

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Cala Signum, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex, UB6 7LQ, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected] calasignum.com

- 10 - - 11 - ALSO AVAILABLE on CALA Signum

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition – Piano Concerto Version Saint-Saëns: Requiem, Organ Symphony Philharmonia Orchestra London Philharmonic Orchestra Geoffrey Simon conductor Geoffrey Simon conductor SIGCD2095 SIGCD2163

“The last item here is Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestration of Night “The works all get very good performances and recordings...the on the Bald Mountain quite brilliantly played, as is the rest of this Choruses are splendid, as is the LPO on top form. This is a very collection, by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Geoffrey Simon.” worthwhile CD.” Musicweb International International Record Review

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- 12 - - 12 - CTP Template: CD_INL1 COLOURS Compact Disc Back Inlay CYAN Customer SignumClassics-Cala MAGENTA YELLOW Catalogue No. SIGCD2094 BLACK Job Title: Borodin

Cala Signum SIGCD2094 REQUIEM ALEXANDER BORODIN (1833-1887)

1 Requiem for Solo Tenor, Men’s Chorus and Orchestra (arr. Stokowski) * [5.26]

Polovtsian Dances and Suite from Prince Igor [34.21] SIMON / PHILHARMONIA REQUIEM BORODIN: 2 I. Overture [10.00] 3 II. Chorus of the Polovtsian Maidens [5.44] 4 III. Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens [2.16] 5 IV. Polovtsian March [4.49] 6 V. Polovtsian Dances [11.26]

7 Nocturne from String Quartet No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra (Rimsky-Korsakov) * [8.11] 8 In the Steppes of Central Asia [6.12] Petite Suite [23.27] 9 I. Au couvent [5.18] 0 II. Mazurka rustique [2.48] q III. Mazurka [4.02] w IV. Rêverie [2.44] e V. Sérénade [2.08] r VI. Finale: Scherzo–Nocturne–Scherzo [6.16] BORODIN: REQUIEM PHILHARMONIA / SIMON Total timings: [78.11] * World Première Recording PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA / BBC SYMPHONY CHORUS GEOFFREY SIMON CONDUCTOR LC15723

Cala Signum, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road SIGCD2094 Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7LQ, UK. P 1992 Cala Records Ltd. DDD SIGCD2094 © 2020 Cala Signum Ltd. calasignum.com 24 bit digital recording 6 35212 20942 4 Cala Signum