I'm looking for (film music) composers from the USSR, the Soviet satellites or the Eastern European successor states who write/wrote music in a style similiar to the famous Western European film music composers of the sixties, seventies or eighties. I especially like the Italian and French music of that era, so I would prefer music sounding alike.
I'm currently aware of Mikael Tariverdiev, Alexey Rybnikov and Aleksandr Zatsepin.
Earth Records from the UK is publishing two very, very lovely fully remastered releases of music by Mikael Tariverdiev available as download, CD and LP (https://tariverdiev.bandcamp.com).
I managed to get a very nice 5-CD compilation of film music by Alexey Rybnikov manufactured by the Russian label Bomba Music.
I know Aleksandr Zatsepin as the composer of the Russian version of the Soviet-Italian production "The Red Tent". Unfortunately I missed the Russian CD presenting both Morricone's and Zatsepin's music for the film.
All recommendations, also for obscure and hard to get Russian releases, are highly appreciated.
Alfred Schnittke- genius. His score for Larisa Shepitko's The Ascent is magnificent. Thank you for bringing this topic up. I'm interested very much in the scores of many Soviet films that I adore. Particularly, Letter Never Sent.
I'm looking for (film music) composers from the USSR, the Soviet satellites or the Eastern European successor states who write/wrote music in a style similiar to the famous Western European film music composers of the sixties, seventies or eighties. I especially like the Italian and French music of that era, so I would prefer music sounding alike.
I'm currently aware of Mikael Tariverdiev, Alexey Rybnikov and Aleksandr Zatsepin.
Earth Records from the UK is publishing two very, very lovely fully remastered releases of music by Mikael Tariverdiev available as download, CD and LP (https://tariverdiev.bandcamp.com).
I managed to get a very nice 5-CD compilation of film music by Alexey Rybnikov manufactured by the Russian label Bomba Music.
I know Aleksandr Zatsepin as the composer of the Russian version of the Soviet-Italian production "The Red Tent". Unfortunately I missed the Russian CD presenting both Morricone's and Zatsepin's music for the film.
All recommendations, also for obscure and hard to get Russian releases, are highly appreciated.
.....and The Irony Of Fate – Original Score, CD and 3CD Film Music From Tariverdiev both ORDERED with glee! Thank you JC.
I've been getting hooked on films and film music from Kazakhstan since my spouse is Kazakh, and had worked for their national symphony orchestra in Almaty. I would do a search on their recent films, mostly historical spectacles which allow composers to really write music in the romantic idiom favored by western orchestras.
I have a book by Kevin Bartig on COMPOSING FOR THE RED SCREEN Prokofiev and Soviet Film. Oxford University Press. 2013, in case you are interested in learning about his work during the Stalin years.
Thank you for informing us on a neglected number of talented, classically trained composers for the Russian cinema.
Was there ever a CD release of the music from the Russian WAR AND PEACE, the massive version directed by Sergei Bondarchuk?
I have the Melodiya/Angel lp of excerpts from the score, though, upon seeing an, albeit cut, DVD of the film, I wonder if the U.S. version didn't actually have more music.
There is great composer from soviet era Nikolai Budashkin (??????? ???????? ????´???? (1910—1988))
There is CD with his classical music performed by Ossipov Balalaika Orchestra which is close to his film scores, mostly to his music from 1964 movie ??????? (Jack Frost, Frosty) - snowy winter charming music.
Was there ever a CD release of the music from the Russian WAR AND PEACE, the massive version directed by Sergei Bondarchuk?
I have the Melodiya/Angel lp of excerpts from the score, though, upon seeing an, albeit cut, DVD of the film, I wonder if the U.S. version didn't actually have more music.
As far as I know, that’s the only release of the score so far, and not a very good representation of the score (it doesn’t even include the complete version of Natasha’s Waltz). However, there’s a recording of a concert suite floating around on YouTube which is a much better representation of the score.
Another good score from Ovchinnikov to look into is Andrei Rublev.
A couple of months ago I finally saw Akira Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala -- which was produced in the Soviet Union by Mosfilm, and the only film Kurosawa ever made outside of Japan. The score, by Isaak Shvarts, was exceptionally good...
A couple of months ago I finally saw Akira Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala -- which was produced in the Soviet Union by Mosfilm, and the only film Kurosawa ever made outside of Japan. The score, by Isaak Shvarts, was exceptionally good...
Would love to see that. Hope the subtitles are better than they appear to be from the pic!
A couple of months ago I finally saw Akira Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala -- which was produced in the Soviet Union by Mosfilm, and the only film Kurosawa ever made outside of Japan. The score, by Isaak Shvarts, was exceptionally good...
Would love to see that. Hope the subtitles are better than they appear to be from the pic!
Yes, that is not a good transfer! I watched it on the soon-to-be-defunct Filmstruck, where it looked much better. I believe there is a Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection as well.
A couple of months ago I finally saw Akira Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala -- which was produced in the Soviet Union by Mosfilm, and the only film Kurosawa ever made outside of Japan. The score, by Isaak Shvarts, was exceptionally good...
Would love to see that. Hope the subtitles are better than they appear to be from the pic!
Yes, that is not a good transfer! I watched it on the soon-to-be-defunct Filmstruck, where it looked much better. I believe there is a Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection as well.
Criterion hasn’t released Dersu Uzala on Blu-ray yet, but I’m sure they’ll get around to it eventually since they have a deal with Mosfilm.
Alfred Schnittke- genius. His score for Larisa Shepitko's The Ascent is magnificent.
I came to this film last evening on the recommendation of a Zoom enthusiast. Stunning dead-of-winter location photography thrust me into the "Great Patriotic War" era. I was in Belarus a handful of years prior to collapse of the Iron Curtain and memories of that excursion added to the viewing.
Life and death decisions to be made among searing conflicts permeated the picture, especially in the biblical allegory-laden scenes of the last act or two. Lots of haunting and haunted close-ups. The brief pieces of music were saved for moments of anguish and added effective psychological underscoring a la Alex North.
