Glazunov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 And 2

Moscow So:Yablonsky

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Cat No: 8553928

Release Date: 01 June 2000

Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 730099492829

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: GLAZUNOV

Description
AlexanderKonstantinovich Glazunov (1865-1936) Piano Concertos Nos 1& 2; Variations on a Russian ThemeAlexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was born in St Petersburg in 1865,the son of a publisher and bookseller. As a child he showed considerablemusical ability and in 1879 met Balakirev and hence Rimsky-Korsakov, from whomhe took lessons in composition. By the age of sixteen he had finished the firstof his nine symphonies, which was performed under the direction of Balakirev,whose influence is perceptible in the work. The relationship with Balakirev wasnot to continue. The rich timber-merchant Mitrofan Petrovich Belyayev had beenpresent at the first performance of the symphony and travelled to Moscow tohear Rimsky-Korsakov conduct a second performance there. He attended the Moscowrehearsals and his meeting with Rimsky-Korsakov was the beginning of a newinformal association of Russian composers, perceived by Balakirev as a threatto his own position and influence, as self-appointed mentor of the Russiannationalist composers. Glazunov became part of Belyayev's circle, attending hisFriday evenings with Rimsky-Korsakov, rather than Balakirev's Tuesday eveningmeetings. Belyayev took Glazunov, in 1884, to meet Liszt in Weimar, where the FirstSymphony was performed.In 1899 Glazunov joined the staff of the Conservatory in St Petersburg,but by this time his admiration for his teacher seems to have cooled.Rimsky-Korsakov's wife was later to remark on Glazunov's admiration forTchaikovsky and Brahms, suspecting in this the influence of Taneyev and of thecritic Laroche, champion of Tchaikovsky and a strong opponent of thenationalists, a man described by Rimsky-Korsakov as the Russian equivalent ofWagner's opponent, Hanslick, in Vienna, a comparison that, from him, was notentirely complimentary.Glazunov, however, remained a colleague and friend of Rimsky-Korsakov,and demonstrated this after the political disturbance of 1905, when the latterwas dismissed from his post at the Conservatory after showing open sympathywith students who had joined liberal protests against official policies.Rimsky-Korsakov was reinstated by Glazunov, now elected director of aninstitution that, in the aftermath, had won a measure of autonomy. Glazunovremained director of the Conservatory until 1930. In 1928, however, he leftRussia in order to attend the Schubert celebrations in Vienna. Thereafter heremained abroad, with an initially busy round of engagements as a conductor,finally settling near Paris until his death in 1936.The Variations on a Russian Theme is a composite work, written inhonour of the tenth anniversary of Nikolay Vladimirovich Galkin's conductorshipof the concerts at Pavlovsk. It was first performed there on 4th July 1901. Thetheme itself was chosen by Rimsky-Korsakov's youngest daughter, NadezhdaNikolayevna, from Balakirev's collection of traditional Russian folk-songs.According to Vasily Vasilyevich Yastrebsev in his Reminiscences ofRimsky-Korsakov, only Nikolay Sokolov
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