Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
00:05 I. Allegro vivace
07:17 II. Andantino
12:42 III. Finale: Allegro pesante, risoluto
All-Union Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, cond. Dmitry Pertsev
Oleg Konstantinovich Eiges (Олег Константинович Эйгес, 1905-1992) was a Russian composer, pianist, and teacher, the son of composer Konstantin Eiges. A near-exact contemporary of Dmitri Shostakovich, whom he befriended at a young age, and an approximate one of Sergei Prokofiev, Eiges studied with eminent teachers including Vissarion Shebalin and Anatoly Alexandrov.
In addition to his compositions, which include 20 symphonies, several concerti, ten piano sonatas, and various chamber works and songs, Eiges also pursued a career as a pianist (having studied in Berlin with Egon Petri) and taught theory, composition and performance at the Sverdlovsk Conservatory, the Gorky Conservatory in Nizhny Novgorod and the Gnessin Institute in Moscow. Like Prokofiev and his teacher Shebalin, Eiges was accused of formalism in 1948, which led to his dismissal in Sverdlovsk that year.
I had never heard of Eiges until he was introduced to me by an online acquaintance; his work only seems to have been performed in Russia (or at least in the former Soviet Union), and all the information about it is exclusively in Russian. His 12th symphony was written in 1956-57 and received its premiere in 1958 by the Gorky Philharmonic, conducted by E.P. Zablotsky; this performance on the Soviet All-Union Radio dates from 1968. Much like the works of Eiges' better-known contemporaries, I find in this piece a distinctive marriage of astringency, classical forms, and lyricism.
If you enjoyed this, please keep an eye out, as I will also be uploading Eiges' 15th symphony soon :)
00:05 I. Allegro vivace
07:17 II. Andantino
12:42 III. Finale: Allegro pesante, risoluto
All-Union Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, cond. Dmitry Pertsev
Oleg Konstantinovich Eiges (Олег Константинович Эйгес, 1905-1992) was a Russian composer, pianist, and teacher, the son of composer Konstantin Eiges. A near-exact contemporary of Dmitri Shostakovich, whom he befriended at a young age, and an approximate one of Sergei Prokofiev, Eiges studied with eminent teachers including Vissarion Shebalin and Anatoly Alexandrov.
In addition to his compositions, which include 20 symphonies, several concerti, ten piano sonatas, and various chamber works and songs, Eiges also pursued a career as a pianist (having studied in Berlin with Egon Petri) and taught theory, composition and performance at the Sverdlovsk Conservatory, the Gorky Conservatory in Nizhny Novgorod and the Gnessin Institute in Moscow. Like Prokofiev and his teacher Shebalin, Eiges was accused of formalism in 1948, which led to his dismissal in Sverdlovsk that year.
I had never heard of Eiges until he was introduced to me by an online acquaintance; his work only seems to have been performed in Russia (or at least in the former Soviet Union), and all the information about it is exclusively in Russian. His 12th symphony was written in 1956-57 and received its premiere in 1958 by the Gorky Philharmonic, conducted by E.P. Zablotsky; this performance on the Soviet All-Union Radio dates from 1968. Much like the works of Eiges' better-known contemporaries, I find in this piece a distinctive marriage of astringency, classical forms, and lyricism.
If you enjoyed this, please keep an eye out, as I will also be uploading Eiges' 15th symphony soon :)
![VASILY KALINNIKOV - Symphony No. 2 (Score Video) [N. Järvi]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IFu1RxsVUhw/mqdefault.jpg "VASILY KALINNIKOV - Symphony No. 2 (Score Video) [N. Järvi]
Performed by the Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi
00:00 I. Moderato - Allegro non troppo
10:18 II. Andante cantabile
18:25 III. Allegro scherzando
26:32 IV. Andante cantabile - Allegro vivo
Vasily Kalinnikov (1866-1901) was a Russian Romantic composer whose often colorful and energetic music drew from Russian folk melodies. For more on Kalinnikov, see my post about him on my blog: https://unknowncomposers.org/2019/03/25/special-feature-vasily-kalinnikov-the-forgotten-russian-romantic/
Written in 1897 and dedicated to the conductor Aleksandr Vinogradsky, Kalinnikovs second symphony is one of his most important works. Although I personally find the melodies of his first symphony most compelling, the second displays a mastery of form and development while retaining the exuberance and orchestral color so characteristic of his style.
Although they have begun to gain prominence in recent years, Kalinnikovs works remain rarely performed among major orchestras outside the former USSR - I hope this score video will be a small part of changing the status quo. You can find the score on Kalinnikovs IMSLP page (https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Kalinnikov,_Vasily) under Symphony No. 2 in A Major.")
