Jon Gallant <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Rostislav Boiko's music is a completely unoriginal knockoff on 19th century
>Russianisms.  Nonetheless, he is so engaging about it that I too find his
>stuff irresistable--as if Balakirev had been deep-frozen for a century and
>thawed recently.

Not sure I necessarily agree with the 'totally unoriginal' aspect, since
I find some remarkable stuff in the two symphonies I have.  However, given
that much of his music is based on the folk-music idiom of the various
regions and 'oblasts' in which he spent time, I guess some 'familiar'
Russianisms are inevitable - and understandable.  The Balakirev comment I
find quite perspicacious as well as amusing -- I'm going to have to listen
a little more carefully to my collections of both composer's music before
commenting.

>On another wavelength entirely, A Sovcom worth investigating is Edison
>Denisov.  He writes in a 60s-ish sonoristic idiom--God only knows how he
>supported himself in Soviet times --and has a fine ear.

Absolutely.  I was introuduced to the man's music by a couple of obituaries
I spotted in 1996 (I think) and have three or four disks of his, including
a gloriously luminous disk of 'a capella' music and one which includes his
piano concerto.  Well worth digging around for -- think I got them at
Berkshire Record Outlet.

Tim Mahon
Alexandria, VA