Alexander Glazunov
(1865 - 1936)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
in A minor, Op. 82
PROGRAM NOTES & COMMENTARY
By the turn of the 20th century, Russian music had become a mature art. The works of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky and Borodin, having been played at home and abroad, established a national character and tradition that those masters wanted to see passed on to succeeding generations. The most important Russian musical torchbearer of the two decades after 1900, the time between the deaths of Tchaikovsky and his contemporaries and the rise of the modern school of Prokofiev and Shostakovich, was Alexander Glazunov.
Quiz yourself on facts about Glazunov
Major Works of Glazunov
SYMPHONIES:
1882 Symphony no. 1
1886 Symphony no. 2
1890 Symphony no. 3
1893 Symphony no. 4
1895 Symphony no. 5
1896 Symphony no. 6
1902 Symphony no. 7
1906 Symphony no. 8
1910 Symphony no. 9 (only 1st movement, incomplete)
OTHER ORCHESTRAL WORKS:
1883 Serenade no. 1 in A
1884 Serenade no. 2 in F
1885 Stenke Razin, symphonic poem
1887 The Forest, fantasy for orchestra
1889 The Sea, fantasy for orchestra
1889 Oriental Rhapsody
1892 Triumphal March
1894 Scenes de ballet
1900 Chant du menestral for cello and orchestra
1902 From the Middle Ages
1909 Finnish Fantasy
CONCERTOS:
1904 Violin Concerto
1911 Piano Concerto no. 1
1917 Piano Concerto no. 2
1931 Concerto balata for cello and orchestra
1934 Saxophone Concerto
BALLETS:
1897 Raymonda
1898 Les ruses d’amour
1899 The Seasons
CHAMBER MUSIC:
7 String Quartets
Saxophone Quartet
Brass Quartet
Glazunov Video Links
Here is Hilary Hahn performing the first movement of the Glazunov Violin Concerto, with Semyon Bychkov conducting. A fine performance.
The Glazunov Concerto was a standard favorite of the great Jascha Heifitz. Here is a performance of the last movement—as you can hear, Heifitz was famous for rapid tempos! Sorry for the sound quality, but the performance is legendary. Most experts agree that Heifitz had the greatest intonation in the history of violin playing.
The last completed work by Glazunov was his Concerto for Saxophone and String Orchestra, finished in 1934. The saxophone was invented in the 1840s, and was still a relatively obscure instrument during Glazunov’s youth. This work was composed for the German saxophonist Sigurd Rascher. Unfortunately, Glazunov never heard this work: the first performance did not occur until after his death.
The Seasons ballet was composed in 1899 and consists of four parts: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Offered here is an excerpt from Winter. According to the composer, “Winter is surrounded by his companions: Hoar-frost, Ice, Hail and Snow, who amuse themselves with a band of snowflakes. Two gnomes enter, and soon light a fire that causes all assembled to vanish.” The Seasons is one of Glazunov’s most popular and often-performed works. His mastery of orchestration and tone-painting is particularly in evidence in this wonderful work.
The Symphony no. 4 was composed in 1893 and was dedicated to Anton Rubenstein, the great Russian pianist and composer. Glazunov departed from his earlier three symphonies, which were all based on nationalistic Russian tunes, and, in his own words, “allowed me to give personal, free, and subjective impressions of myself.” The Scherzo heard here is a tour-de-force of virtuoso writing and features the woodwind section most prominently. The Fourth Symphony was the favorite Glazunov symphony in Europe, while the Fifth Symphony was preferred in America.
Symphony No.5
The 8 Glazunov Symphonies are much more popular in Russia than here in America, and are frequently performed by most of the major Russian orchestras. Here is a performance of the Symphony no. 5 in Bb by a Moscow symphony orchestra.
The Chant du menestrel is a wonderful work for cello and orchestra, composed in 1900. Here we have a very moving performance (with my favorite conductor ant the podium!)
Performance History
2009 - Evie Chen
2022 - Andromeda Kepecs