What a time to be alive, when we can simply click and listen to this at-will. In all other generations you might hear this two or three times in a lifetime.
The story behind Repin's painting is hilarious. From Wikipedia" Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks depicts a supposedly historical tableau, set in 1676, and based on the legend of Cossacks sending a reply to an ultimatum of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed IV. The original reply, if it ever existed, has not survived; however, in the 1870s an amateur ethnographer from Yekaterinoslav (today Dnipro), Ya. Novitsky, found a copy made in the 18th century. He gave it to historian Dmytro Yavornytsky (1855-1940), who by chance read it to his guests, among whom was the painter Ilya Repin. Repin became curious about the story and in 1880 started the first of his studies.[citation needed] According to the story, the Zaporozhian Cossacks (from "beyond the rapids", Ukrainian: za porohamy), inhabiting the lands around the lower Dnieper River in Ukraine, had defeated Ottoman Empire forces in battle. However, Mehmed demanded that the Cossacks submit to Ottoman rule. The Cossacks, led by Ivan Sirko, replied in an uncharacteristic manner: they wrote a letter, replete with insults and profanities. The painting exhibits the Cossacks' pleasure at striving to come up with ever more base vulgarities. During Repin's time, the Cossacks enjoyed great popular sympathy. Repin also admired them: "All that Gogol wrote about them is true! A holy people! No one in the world held so deeply freedom, equality, and fraternity." Mehmed IV, Ottoman Sultan 1648-1687 Sultan Mehmed IV to the Zaporozhian Cossacks: As the Sultan; son of Muhammad; brother of the sun and moon; grandson and viceroy of God; ruler of the kingdoms of Macedonia, Babylon, Jerusalem, Upper and Lower Egypt; emperor of emperors; sovereign of sovereigns; extraordinary knight, never defeated; steadfast guardian of the tomb of Jesus Christ; trustee chosen by God Himself; the hope and comfort of Muslims; confounder and great defender of Christians - I command you, the Zaporogian Cossacks, to submit to me voluntarily and without any resistance, and to desist from troubling me with your attacks. - Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV The Cossacks' reply came as a stream of invective and vulgar rhymes: Zaporozhian Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan! O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil's kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight are thou, that canst not slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil shits, and your army eats. Thou shalt not, thou son of a whore, make subjects of Christian sons; we have no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck thy mother. Thou Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, pig of Armenia, Podolian thief, catamite of Tartary, hangman of Kamyanets, and fool of all the world and underworld, an idiot before God, grandson of the Serpent, and the crick in our dick. Pig's snout, mare's arse, slaughterhouse cur, unchristened brow, screw thine own mother! So the Zaporozhians declare, you lowlife. You won't even be herding pigs for the Christians. Now we'll conclude, for we don't know the date and don't own a calendar; the moon's in the sky, the year with the Lord, the day's the same over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse! - Koshovyi otaman Ivan Sirko, with the whole Zaporozhian Host
Yes, and there are some musical compositions using this story as their basis. One is a movement from Shostakovich's Fourteenth Symphony (poetry by Guillaume Apollinaire). Another is a piece, Op. 64 by Reinhold Glière, that I played (cello) with my orchestra not too long ago. Fun stuff.
I love Russian composers. Their music embodies the Russian spirit and love that Russians have for their country. First time I hear this wonderful symphony. Thanks for posting and wish for many more people to discover this beautiful music.
This symphony which took 31 years to finish (not until 1897) has been my favourite "hidden gem" for years - and I was very lucky to actually play it as a violinist in a UK amateur orchestra in the late 1990s. A lovely recording here. The first movement Allegro vivo after 2:25 is just... bonkers but brilliantly original, and Golovschin takes it at a nice tempo of quarter-note [crotchet] = 112, too (I find the rival performance on YT by Svetlanov too fast). Golovschin's tempo for the Rimsky-like Finale at 34:15 is also really good so that you hear all the different folk-melodies; the episode from about 39:46 onwards has some stunning harmonies in fifths, very 'Oriental folky', very original to Western ears. I always used to say to my orchestra colleagues when rehearsing the 1st movement "now you'll see where the inspiration for some 20th-century Russian music comes from". There's been lots of debate as to whether Rachmaninov knew when planning his 2nd symphony's slow movement and was inspired by Balakirev's exquisite Andante 3rd movement here, 20:27 on. I'm sure he did know it (the prominent solo melody for the clarinet is a bit of a give-away), but anyway - I'd like both Balakirev's and Rachmaninov's melodies in my Desert Island Discs please!
I agree with "bonkers" regarding the first movement, but I think things don't really go awry before 6:18, when a deceptive cadence occurs instead of the well-prepared "double return", i.e. recapitulation of the main theme in the tonic. Rimsky-Korsakov aptly characterized the music that follows as a "sequence of concluding phrases [or "codettas"] without a conclusion." (I think that's from the diary of his friend Vasiliy Yastrebtsev.)
Quick correction on the date... according to the Oxford Dictionary of Music, although Balakirev had begun to compose this work in 1864, he did not finish it until 1897. It was premiered in April of 1898 conducted by Balakirev himself, his final appearance as a conductor.
Me encanta el andante del 3° movimiento, me hace imaginar esas interminables praderas, y ese ambiente tan particular, Muchas gracias , Ricardo desde Argentina
Wow! I haven't heard this symphony in 30 years. Years ago, when I was in love, I wrote words to the tune of the 3rd movement. "Can a rose feel the cold when the wind blows and the leaves have all gone from the trees? Does it long for the season of sunlight when it swayed in the warm summer breeze?" etc
My poem/song also made use of Borodin's Sym 2, 3rd movement. "Once a rose grew tall, encouraged by the sun, blooming bright in the end of summer, life renewed again as the season darkened." "Born too late to fully live its life in sun, all too soon autumn winds were blowing, just like hopes and dreams all the leaves were falling." "Cry for the rose, now dead, abandoned by the sun, frozen fast in the snows of winter. All that bloomed is gone, only thorns still linger."
Hey! That was real nice. Thanks. I liked this a lot. Never heard it before. Don't recognize the name. But it's very good. Someone could do a ballet to this I think.
One ot the greatest symphony of all times. Balakirev is very underrated as orchestrator, but his orchestral scores turn much things in russian symphonic music.
Simplemente una gran sinfonia de un autor con escasa presencia en los conciertos, pero superior al primer Chaikovski, digo, antes de la cuarta de este ultimo autor. Bellisimo andante.
La segunda sinfonia de Chaikovski, en su versión original de 1872 , es una obra imponente, muy influida por el estilo de Balakirev de modulación constante. Esta segunda sinfonia la simplífico mucho Chaikovski en 1879 (sobre todo el primer movimiento).
hello , the painting is called "tarars answering the sultans decree", or something to that effect. painting is by Russian historical painter, I seen a copy of this painting, {there are more than one version{, in the Cincinnati art museum a year ago, it was on loan from another museum. this artists creations can be viewed on line , under Russian historical painter , 19th, 20th century, via many websights. good luck in your research
Listen this it’s abolish the surge of noises and images of everyday life in order to open the space of a place where contingency and representation give way to the immateriality of the sensible. Once the door is closed on the agitation of the world, an underlying silence is established, a slowness grasps, preludes to a dilation of perception and consciousness. In the stream of the notes that pass through us, the expressive power of the sound architecture breaks with any form of transcription of the real to attach itself to the expression of an impalpable universe. Colors, composition, rhythm, constitute a language that truly gives voice to exaltation!
Respuesta al Sultán de los Cosacos de Zaporozhie. El Sultán les había exigido que se proclamaran sus súbditos, a pesar de que los Cosacos lo habían derrotado en el campo de batalla.
Because UKR is the cradle of the russian "civilization "(the Rus of Kiev) . You don't know History? But many Russian composer has recognized this fact, looking more to the West than to the East . (lot of"polonaises", Prokofiev used often Ukrainien melodies , and , before 02/22/2022, they shared"brotherly"....
@@robertlambeaux897 We never shared brotherly. Russia is empire that assimilate all people inside it. Moscow has nothing in common with Rus history. In fact it even wasn't called Russia before Peter the first decided to trade with Europe. Culture appropriation is normall process in any empire that continues in russia today
I dont know if You are Ukrainian or Russian, so, I didn't know if your question was admirative or depreciative ... Of course , my "brotherly" was ironic... Even if many conflicts , in past time, were between brothers, about heritage, for example... But I agree as you say that the imperial mentality of Russia hasn't changed.
***** In English sometimes the title is given as "The Zaporozhye Cossacks write an Insulting Letter to the Sultan." I've seen it rendered like that in art history books.
Balakirev's symphonies are entirely painted with Ukrainian ornament, both the first symphony and the second by the first. and as a confirmation of this, they are illustrated here with pictures from the history of the Ukrainian people .. it's time to learn to distinguish Ukrainians from the conglomerate of ethnic groups of the Russian Empire, good gentlemen.
@@robertlambeaux897 Mais la musique, les valeurs eternels reunissons tous les hommes, ils aident a resoudre tous les antagonismes, scismes, tous les malheures!
@@АлексейВетров-ю9ч J'aimerais vous approuver . Mais certaines personnes veulent"mettre au pas" même la "belle" musique . Tout le monde n'a pas la force de caractère de Chostakovitch . Mais bien d'accord , en Belgique , il n'y a pas un jour (depuis 02/22) que nous n'entendions de très belles musiques russes et/ou ukrainiennes.
@@robertlambeaux897 Merci bien, Robert! Ce vrai, que certains groupes de gens veulent mettre l ' art au pas de temps modernes, mais , je pense, que ces attentes echouons, ces tendances non vont pas se perpetualiser, ils vont s' emousser. L' art vrai va depasser tous cela!
