Friday, September 14, 2018

Stupid Mail - Don't You People Know How To Do An Online Word Search Yet?

For crying out loud, there have been more than one person named "Nabokov" otherwise there would never have been any little "Nabokovs" to do things like write one naughty book so people can endlessly talk about that while totally ignoring his many other, more worthwhile and much more complex novels.  Admit it, "Lolita" is the only reason you even know the writer's name.  I didn't get the first name wrong in mentioning Nicolas Nabokov yesterday. 

Nicolas Nabokov was Vladimir's cousin, he was a composer, commentator on music and a major critic of Soviet Communism.  He's probably most famous for embarrassing Shostakovitch, exposing him as acting as a Stalin puppet on a publicity tour of the United States.  Which, since it was true, he had a right to do though considering the consequences for Shostakovitch if he didn't play along seems somewhat unfair.  He was living under a reign of terror.  

Nabokov wasn't a major composer,  I'm unaware of any widespread or extensive performances of his music.  Like his more famous cousin he is probably more widely known for words he wrote than his compositions.  I've found current listings of his book but can't find any recordings of his music currently available for sale online.  I would imagine that, in the United States at least, I'm only just old enough to remember him and he will be discontinued here, though apparently he's remembered in Russia. 

Youtube has two of his works, one recorded fifty-two years ago, I suspect as part of the great and famous Louisville Orchestra commission-performance-recording project.  

Christian Symbols 


William Pickett, baritone
The Louisville Orchestra, directed by Robert Whitney

Six Poems by A. Akhmatova


Tatiana Gavrilova, soprano 
Yuri Blinov, piano

Concert at Mir Castle during the 2nd Nicolas Nabokov Festival in His Homeland (September 2013, Artistic director - Yuri Blinov). 
European premiere of Six Poems by Anna Akhmatova (1966) - based on famous "Requiem" (1935-40)

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