Achim Breiling wrote:

>BIS released a CD with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lan
>Shui some time ago, featuring Jan Jrvlepps Garbage Concerto (1996) and
>Imants Kalnins "Rock" Symphony (Symphony No.4; 1972).  Anybody know
>something about these composers and/or these works?

While I don't know the Garbage Concerto...its title alone makes it a must
purchase for me, I feel I know the Kalnins Symphony No.4 quite well.
While there are those who hold it, and other works he has written in high
regard,I cherish my copies of the Melodia LP recording of it as one of the
high points in my the portion of my collection that I call "Music of the
Absurd." It is right up there with a ballet I have by Piero Piccioni which
has an extended passage which reminds me of the music of Jimmy Webb,
without the melody.  I have two other Kalnins works in my collection, the
Symphony No.5 and an oratorio, Time of Daybreak, which are decent enough
works.

By the way, we are talking about Imants Kalnins...not to be confused with
Janis Kalnins or Alfred Kalnins, who were also composers.

Perhaps you are familiar with the Eshpai Symphony No.4.  Towards the end
of that work there is an extended passage which reminds me a bit of a good
imitation of the music of Les Baxter.  That passage of Eshpai is to Baxter,
what Kalnins is to rock and roll.  I should add that I find many Eshpai
works to be quite fine, especially the Concerto Grosso which owes a great
deal to jazz.

There are those who will love the Kalnins 4th.  I know of one collector
that I find reasonably sane who thinks it is a masterpiece.  Somehow, if
there is any genius in it, it is lost on me.  As a curious aside, about
three weeks ago I found another copy of the Melodia issue in a second hand
bookstore in Houston...cost $1.98.  Of course I picked it up, as my first
copy was pretty worn by now...

Karl