Glazunov, Alexander

Alexander Glazunov – Paraphrase on the Hymns of the Allies, Op. 96

(b. 10 St Petersburg, August 1865 – d. Neuilly-sur-Seine, 21 March 1936)

Preface
Hailing from St. Petersburg, Alexander Glazunov began his musical career at the hands of his mother: a gifted pianist who quickly recognized her son’s affinity for composition. His mother studied under Mily Balakirev, head of the famous Russian Moguchaya Kuchka (“The Mighty Little Heap”), more affectionately known as “The Five.” Balakirev would soon become a mentor to Glazunov alongside his colleague Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He was initially made famous by his world premiere of his Symphony No.1 in E Major, op. 5 at the age of 16 in 1881, much to the scrutiny of his elderly contemporaries. The work was conducted by Balakirev 1882 in St. Petersburg. Composed a year prior to its premiere, the then withdrawn teenager was met with immediate suspicion upon taking the stage. Press ruthlessly accused him of taking his mentors’ ideas as his own, stating he merely wrote what they dictated. Despite the scrutiny, Glazunov continued composing under the mentorship of Rimsky-Korsakov. Who would soon admit he was less of a teacher and more of an advisor, claiming Glazunov had grown into a “full fledged musician.” Glazunov’s early works clearly reflect the influence of his masters; he possesses a similar melodic elegance and harmonic grandiosity in many of his orchestral works. Their influence is also reflected in his nationalism, though he does somewhat grow out of this tradition. His embrace of more formal structural features within Western music blends seamlessly into the sound of his early twentieth century works while honoring his preference for nineteenth century styles. At the height of his career, he became Professor of Instrumentation at his alma mater, St. Petersburg Conservatory, in 1899, consequentially becoming director six years later in 1905. Some of his most famous works include compositions for ballet, such as The Seasons and Raymonda. He’s also credited for the completion of Borodin’s opera Prince Igor alongside his mentor Rimsky-Korsakov. …

Read full preface / Das ganze Vorwort lesen > HERE