Le Cèdre et le Palmier
Symphony No. 1 in G minor
Serenade for Strings
Intermezzo No. 1
Intermezzo No. 2

Russian composer Vasily Kalinnikov (1866-1901) could very well act as the poster boy for unjustly overlooked and neglected composers. As a matter of fact, he is even featured on this Unknown and Forgotten Composers website. At the age of 34 he succumbed to tuberculosis and therefore didn't leave a substantial body of works behind, which may explain the lack of interest in his music. His output consists mainly of incidental orchestral music, two symphonies, an incomplete opera, a handful of piano pieces, as well as vocal and choral works. Nonetheless I consider his music to be well on par with some of his contemporaries like Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Glazunov, etc ...

For example, his last completed work, the symphonic poem Le Cèdre et le Palmier (Cedar and Palm) from 1898, based on a poem by Heinrich Heine which tells the story of the plight of a "tree from the frozen North cut off from its counterpart in the sultry South" (Booklet Notes) who possibly dreams of trading places. Kalinnikov perfectly works the two divergent themes into a single idea which passionately intensifies only to fade away in the end. As well, his Symphony No. 1 in G minor from 1895, composed while he was seriously ill, his built upon what is in my opinion, one of the most engaging and memorable melodies (audio clip below) from the Russian music canon, and ends with gloriously uplifting energy.

The Niederrheinische Sinfoniker was born from the theatre merger of the cities of Krefeld and Mönchen­gladbach in 1950. Mihkel Kütson has presided over the orchestra since the 2012/13 season. A long-standing cooperation links the orchestra with the music schools of both cities. In addition, music education for children and young people has played an important role in the orchestra's everyday life for many decades. In 1902, the then Krefeld Municipal Orchestra performed the premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 3 under Gustav Mahler's own direction. {Booklet Notes}

The usual high standards of genuine sound reproduction and natural dynamics are to be found in this SACD-Hybrid release from MDG, just as they were in this previous release by the same orchestra and conductor of some of the orchestral works of Alexander Glazunov, another composer with whom Kalinnikov's melodic gift and deep lyricism compare very well.