Glazunov's glass of vodka

Started by vandermolen, June 01, 2008, 02:00:51 AM

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Mirror Image

#120
I thought I'd revive this thread as it's been a number months since the last post. Let me first say that for the longest time I wasn't a fan of Glazunov's music. One reason was that I felt he wasn't distinctive enough of a composer to warrant subsequent hearings. I'd hear a work and it just didn't do anything for me. One thing that was quite noticeable and rather noteworthy from the beginning, though, was how amazing his orchestration was. One work that turned me around to Glazunov was his From the Middle Ages, which is a suite for orchestra. I finally heard what I wasn't hearing before: a yearning lyricism that reminds me of Tchaikovsky but filtered through Rimsky-Korsakov's lens peppered with some Lyadov and even the musical flow of Rachmaninov where things are transformed with what seems to be a minimal amount of effort. Today's listening helped paint even broader picture as I sat down and listened to Symphony No. 5. I absolutely loved it. Is this music that's ground-breaking? No nor need it be. This is music that takes the listener on a journey through forests, rivers, mountains, and even the ocean (he did write his own evocation of the ocean titled The Sea). I think of Glazunov as someone who stuck to his own vices and never flinched. There's a lot to admire in someone who has done this whether you like the musical style or not.

cilgwyn

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2016, 09:37:04 PM
I thought I'd revive this thread as it's been a number months since the last post. Let me first say that for the longest time I wasn't a fan of Glazunov's music. One reason was that I felt he wasn't distinctive enough of a composer to warrant subsequent hearings. I'd hear a work and it just didn't do anything for me. One thing that was quite noticeable and rather noteworthy from the beginning, though, was how amazing his orchestration was. One work that turned me around to Glazunov was his From the Middle Ages, which is a suite for orchestra. I finally heard what I wasn't hearing before: a yearning lyricism that reminds me of Tchaikovsky but filtered through Rimsky-Korsakov's lens peppered with some Lyadov and even the musical flow of Rachmaninov where things are transformed with what seems to be a minimal amount of effort. Today's listening helped paint even broader picture as I sat down and listened to Symphony No. 5. I absolutely loved it. Is this music that's ground-breaking? No nor need it be. This is music that takes the listener on a journey through forests, rivers, mountains, and even the ocean (he did write his own evocation of the ocean titled The Sea). I think of Glazunov as someone who stuck to his own vices and never flinched. There's a lot to admire in someone who has done this whether you like the musical style or not.
Interesting! Forests,rivers,mountains............I like the imagery. Which recording of the Fifth did you listen to?

Mirror Image

#122
Quote from: cilgwyn on December 26, 2016, 03:45:30 AM
Interesting! Forests,rivers,mountains............I like the imagery. Which recording of the Fifth did you listen to?

I listened to Rozhdestvensky's via YouTube. 8)

Here's what I have coming (cross-posted from the 'Purchases') thread:

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2016, 02:02:43 PM
I've finally clicked with Glazunov and here's the result of this newfound appreciation:









vandermolen

Always liked this one:
[asin]B00000149Z[/asin]
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2016, 09:37:04 PM
I thought I'd revive this thread as it's been a number months since the last post. Let me first say that for the longest time I wasn't a fan of Glazunov's music. One reason was that I felt he wasn't distinctive enough of a composer to warrant subsequent hearings. I'd hear a work and it just didn't do anything for me. One thing that was quite noticeable and rather noteworthy from the beginning, though, was how amazing his orchestration was. One work that turned me around to Glazunov was his From the Middle Ages, which is a suite for orchestra. I finally heard what I wasn't hearing before: a yearning lyricism that reminds me of Tchaikovsky but filtered through Rimsky-Korsakov's lens peppered with some Lyadov and even the musical flow of Rachmaninov where things are transformed with what seems to be a minimal amount of effort. Today's listening helped paint even broader picture as I sat down and listened to Symphony No. 5. I absolutely loved it. Is this music that's ground-breaking? No nor need it be. This is music that takes the listener on a journey through forests, rivers, mountains, and even the ocean (he did write his own evocation of the ocean titled The Sea). I think of Glazunov as someone who stuck to his own vices and never flinched. There's a lot to admire in someone who has done this whether you like the musical style or not.
'From the Middle Ages' is indeed a very fine piece with a wonderfully brooding and atmospheric opening - I'm listening to the Jarvi recording now. I also like the fragment of Symphony 9, a characteristically melancholy piece which reminds me of Miaskovsky.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

cilgwyn

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 26, 2016, 05:34:43 AM
I listened to Rozhdestvensky's via YouTube. 8)

Here's what I have coming (cross-posted from the 'Purchases') thread:
Good,I can listen (to the Fifth) now! :) The first time I ever heard Glazunov symphonies was via my grandparents ancient old Lp collection (My father still has them) They had some Glazunov symphonies and other other titles on the MK label!! They were quite thickish vinyl,I seem to remember,and the sound was a bit off putting. Thin and scrawny,usually. Although,it didn't stop me playing them!! The front sleeve often had a close up of a plant or apple (?!) or something,imaginative! ;D  Although one of the Glazunov Lps had a bird on the front (a falcon?). I also had this one,which I bought s/h later. I know it's not Glazunov;but I can't find a photo of one of their Glazunov Lps. Can anyone here remember this label? They seemed to be fairly ubiquitous s/h for a while. Allot of,or most,of their stuff seemed to be of soviet origin. I wonder who owned this label? I know emi had some kind agreement. They'd have the Melodiya insignia thingummy on their Lp's. I have no idea how that worked? Did they have an office there? But who was behind this MK label,I wonder?!!



MK mystery!!

Turner

#126
MK was the "Mezhdunarodnya Kniga" ("International Books") label & book publisher, that went bankrupt in 2012-13.

According to Wikipedia and other sources, it was established in 1923 and became a big publishing company in 1930, later becoming also an export label of Melodiya.

The discogs website has a list of some of the LPs: https://www.discogs.com/label/146934-Mezhdunarodnaya-Kniga

Personally I have a good deal more of original "Melodiya" LPs than other labels featuring Melodiya recordings, such as "MK"s, "Melodiya-Angel-HMV"s, "Monitor"s, "Eurodisc"s, "Akkord"s etc.

Indeed, MK´s design was often rather Spartan, like Melodiya itself ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melodiya
http://www.mkniga.ru/

There´s a Russian Wiki entry too, https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B0

vandermolen

Quote from: cilgwyn on January 04, 2017, 02:28:17 AM
Good,I can listen (to the Fifth) now! :) The first time I ever heard Glazunov symphonies was via my grandparents ancient old Lp collection (My father still has them) They had some Glazunov symphonies and other other titles on the MK label!! They were quite thickish vinyl,I seem to remember,and the sound was a bit off putting. Thin and scrawny,usually. Although,it didn't stop me playing them!! The front sleeve often had a close up of a plant or apple (?!) or something,imaginative! ;D  Although one of the Glazunov Lps had a bird on the front (a falcon?). I also had this one,which I bought s/h later. I know it's not Glazunov;but I can't find a photo of one of their Glazunov Lps. Can anyone here remember this label? They seemed to be fairly ubiquitous s/h for a while. Allot of,or most,of their stuff seemed to be of soviet origin. I wonder who owned this label? I know emi had some kind agreement. They'd have the Melodiya insignia thingummy on their Lp's. I have no idea how that worked? Did they have an office there? But who was behind this MK label,I wonder?!!



MK mystery!!
I love that underrated Kabalevsky symphony and have both recordings. Yes, those soviet-era vinyl were very thick. The double LP set of Miaskovsky's 6th Symphony comes to mind. I originally bought that Kabalevsky LP in a white cardboard sleeve - sadly with no proper sleeve - it should, presumably, have the one you show above.  >:(
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

cilgwyn

Thanks for the information about those MK lp's,Turner. Very interesting. They seemed to crop all over the place on s/h stalls,for example;or someone would be "throwing them out"!

My father still has all my grandparent's old lps in some record cases upstairs,at his house. My mother was the one who was was into classical music. I should think it's in there,along with allot of Decca Ace of Clubs lp's. Remember those?!  You can buy record players again now,of course. Perhaps I'll be able to play it again,one day?!! ;D It might be useful to own one;but I generally prefer cds and musicassettes,now and again! I miss the album sleeves a bit,but not the pops and clicks. Happy memories,though,and I did love lp's then. I think I got given some of those MK lp's in just the sleeves? And some others! They could be there too.....along with the first Lp I ever actually owned. The Holst's The Planets with the BBCSO conducted by Sargent;with the Apollo spacecraft (I think?) on the front! Allot of my own lp collection went with the arrival of the cd,sadly;but I still have a few. A couple of those Bax Chandos cds amongst them,for those wonderful cover photos. They did look better when they were big. I think I might buy No1 separately,one day,for that snowy scene.

I'll listen to that Glazunov Fifth on Youtube,later.

vandermolen

Quote from: cilgwyn on January 04, 2017, 07:43:39 AM
Thanks for the information about those MK lp's,Turner. Very interesting. They seemed to crop all over the place on s/h stalls,for example;or someone would be "throwing them out"!

My father still has all my grandparent's old lps in some record cases upstairs,at his house. My mother was the one who was was into classical music. I should think it's in there,along with allot of Decca Ace of Clubs lp's. Remember those?!  You can buy record players again now,of course. Perhaps I'll be able to play it again,one day?!! ;D It might be useful to own one;but I generally prefer cds and musicassettes,now and again! I miss the album sleeves a bit,but not the pops and clicks. Happy memories,though,and I did love lp's then. I think I got given some of those MK lp's in just the sleeves? And some others! They could be there too.....along with the first Lp I ever actually owned. The Holst's The Planets with the BBCSO conducted by Sargent;with the Apollo spacecraft (I think?) on the front! Allot of my own lp collection went with the arrival of the cd,sadly;but I still have a few. A couple of those Bax Chandos cds amongst them,for those wonderful cover photos. They did look better when they were big. I think I might buy No1 separately,one day,for that snowy scene.

I'll listen to that Glazunov Fifth on Youtube,later.
Yes, Sargent's CFP Holst The Planets had the Apollo Command Module on the front.  :)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

cilgwyn

I'm listening to the  Rozhdestvensky's performance  of the Fifth Symphony on Youtube now. Actually,my second listen. This is glorious music. What a beautiful slow movement. The last time I listened to Glazunov symphonies was via those Naxos recordings. I remember reading Mirror Image saying how dire they were (at least I think it was MI?) They soon got taken to a charity shop. This performance is in a totally different league. What lovely music. I'm going to have to listen to another Glazunov symphony after this finishes?!! Rivers....mountains....forests,yes!!! :)

vandermolen

#131
I hadn't realised how fine Symphony 3 is until I heard this performance:
[asin]B002JIN1VQ[/asin]
That double CD set is excellent.

I have the box sets by Svetlanov, Fedoseyev and Polyansky.
Svetlanov's is especially good for the interesting fill-ups like the 'Finnish Fantasy' in a much better performance to the one on Naxos and 'Kremlin' - an atmospheric work that I like very much. The set, however, doesn't include the rather moving single movement from Symphony 9 which is given a fine performance in the Serebrier set above.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Turner

#132
Quote from: cilgwyn on January 04, 2017, 07:43:39 AM
Thanks for the information about those MK lp's,Turner. Very interesting. They seemed to crop all over the place on s/h stalls,for example;or someone would be "throwing them out"!

My father still has all my grandparent's old lps in some record cases upstairs,at his house. My mother was the one who was was into classical music. I should think it's in there,along with allot of Decca Ace of Clubs lp's. Remember those?!  You can buy record players again now,of course. Perhaps I'll be able to play it again,one day?!! ;D It might be useful to own one;but I generally prefer cds and musicassettes,now and again! I miss the album sleeves a bit,but not the pops and clicks. Happy memories,though,and I did love lp's then. I think I got given some of those MK lp's in just the sleeves? And some others! They could be there too.....along with the first Lp I ever actually owned. The Holst's The Planets with the BBCSO conducted by Sargent;with the Apollo spacecraft (I think?) on the front! Allot of my own lp collection went with the arrival of the cd,sadly;but I still have a few. A couple of those Bax Chandos cds amongst them,for those wonderful cover photos. They did look better when they were big. I think I might buy No1 separately,one day,for that snowy scene.

I'll listen to that Glazunov Fifth on Youtube,later.

About 2/3 of my Glazunov material - around 35 items focusing on the composer - consists of LPs. The CDs include Serebrier´s box set, and 3 of Naxos´ releases of the orchestral works. The LPs include most of Rozhdestvensky´s recordings of the symphonies & I agree that they are extremely good.

In the nostalghia corner, albeit admittedly of quite limited musical interest, the LPs comprise

- Albert Wolff conducting "The Seasons"
- Elena Glazunov, the composer´s daughter, as a soloist in the Piano Concertos;
- Alexander Gauk conducting the Scenes de Ballet and 2 Concert Waltzes
- Sviatoslav Richter as an unusually dramatic soloist in the 1st Piano Concerto, conducted by Kondrashin, but the sound is somewhat off-putting, and needs to be better in that work, IMO.

This website
http://www.underwatersoundset.com/sets/an/glazounov&continuous_availability!inventory.aspx
has a good deal of rare Glazunov LPs & material for sale, albeit at very expensive prices.

Fancy the score of Symphony no.7 from Belaieff, with Glazunov´s writings to Max von Schillings? Yours for $1200. Or a ' 78 with only a part of The Seasons, conducted by Glazunov himself? Yours for $18 (the same, complete recording has been re-issued, however).

Turner

Continuing the LP-subject, the good ones include

- The Saxophone Concerto & Saxophone Quartet with Korneev (originally a Melodiya recording)
- The Piano Sonatas 1-2 with Leslie Howard (Pearl)
- The songs, with Cable, Keyte & Cox. Actually Glazunov wrote enough of them to fill out one LP (Pearl)
- The Oriental Rhapsody conducted by Duderova, and the Violin Concerto, soloist Andrei Korsakov (Melodiya)

mjmosca

Quote from: vandermolen on June 01, 2008, 02:00:51 AM
Any other admirers of Glazunov (1865-1936) other than me and David Mellor?

I am an admirer of Glazunov's music and for many years (late 1980's-1990's) was a member of the Glazunov Society of America, that really made an impact, leading to interest in making recordings of his works available in the US. This was under the leadership of Donald Venturini, an amateur musician, who did a great deal of research. Donald passed away before the age of the internet, and the Society did not continue. But the work had been done- there are now completing recordings of the Glazunov symphonies readily available. And virtually everything else that he wrote has been recorded. It is still difficult to hear Glazunov's works in the concert hall, however. 

vandermolen

My favourite recording of Glazunov's most heart-warming score. The Scenes de Ballet are a wonderful bonus:
[asin]B000003CZM[/asin]
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Scion7

Arrgh!  What an awful Amazon image - shame on them.   >:D



^ click and reach nirvana .....
I have the Jarvi with the RSNO - mainly because it was coupled with an Oscar Shumsky rendition of the violin concerto.
I have several discs with the Minnesota Orchestra and consider them all well done so I'll have to give your suggestion a go.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Scion7

I've never run across any of these pieces.
Glazunov's collaborative compositions -

String Quartet 'B–La–F', finale, 1886, other movts by Borodin, Lyadov, Rimsky-Korsakov
Imeninï [Nameday], 3 essays, string quartet, 1887–8, collab. Lyadov, Rimsky-Korsakov
Fanfarï, winds, percussion, 1889, collab. Cui
Shutka [Joke], quadrille, piano 4 hands, 1890, collab. Lyadov and others
Slavleniye (Les fanfares), 1890, collab. Lyadov
Slavleniye, piano 4 hands, 1893, collab. Blumenfeld, Lyadov
Variations on a Russian Theme, string quartet, 1898, collab. Skryabin and others
Pyatnitsï [Fridays], string quartet, set 1 1898, set 2 1898–9, collab. Borodin and others
Variations on a Russian Theme, piano, 1899, collab. Lyadov and others
Variations on a Russian Theme, orch, 1901, collab. Lyadov and others
Cantata in Memory of M. Antokol'sky (S. Marshak), 1903, collab. Lyadov
Minuet, piano, collab. Arensky and others

I would imagine recordings run between the few and the non-existant?
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Turner

#138
Quote from: Scion7 on March 05, 2017, 07:15:00 PM
I've never run across any of these pieces.
Glazunov's collaborative compositions -

String Quartet 'B–La–F', finale, 1886, other movts by Borodin, Lyadov, Rimsky-Korsakov
Imeninï [Nameday], 3 essays, string quartet, 1887–8, collab. Lyadov, Rimsky-Korsakov
Fanfarï, winds, percussion, 1889, collab. Cui
Shutka [Joke], quadrille, piano 4 hands, 1890, collab. Lyadov and others
Slavleniye (Les fanfares), 1890, collab. Lyadov
Slavleniye, piano 4 hands, 1893, collab. Blumenfeld, Lyadov
Variations on a Russian Theme, string quartet, 1898, collab. Skryabin and others
Pyatnitsï [Fridays], string quartet, set 1 1898, set 2 1898–9, collab. Borodin and others
Variations on a Russian Theme, piano, 1899, collab. Lyadov and others
Variations on a Russian Theme, orch, 1901, collab. Lyadov and others
Cantata in Memory of M. Antokol'sky (S. Marshak), 1903, collab. Lyadov
Minuet, piano, collab. Arensky and others

I would imagine recordings run between the few and the non-existant?



As for the Fridays / Les Vendredis set, based on gatherings by the composers, there are several recordings of the related string quartet collection, including the collective piece "Les Vendredis Polka" by Glazunov+Sokolov-Lyadov. For example, an old Turnabout 2LP set, with the Reger Quartet playing, well played, with comprehensive liner notes.
Borodin´s Scherzo,  Rimsky´s Allegro and Sokolov´s Scherzo are the most ambitious pieces in the collection.

Also CD recordings.


Scion7

#139
While mostly noted for his larger pieces and a few of the more important piano works, Glazunov was a fine chamber composer.

String quartets: Nr.1 in D, Op.1, 1882
Nr.2 in F, Op.10, 1884
Nr.3 in G 'Slavyanskiy' [The Slavonic], Op.26, 1888
Nr.4 in a, Op.64, 1894
Nr.5 in d, Op.70, 1898
Nr.6 in B, Op.106, 1921
Nr.7 in C [Hommage au passé], Op.107, 1930

5 novelettes, Op.15, string quartet, 1886

Elégie in D, Op.17, cello, piano, 1887
Rêverie in D, Op.24, horn, piano, 1890
Meditation in D, Op.32, violin, piano, 1891
Suite in C, Op.35, string quartet, 1887–91
Brass Quartet 'In modo religioso', op.38, trumpet, horn, 2 trombones, 1892
String Quintet in A, Op.39, string quartet, cello, 1891–2
Elégie in g, Op.44, viola, piano, 1893
Albumblatt in D, trumpet, piano, 1899
Mazurka-oberek in D, violin, piano, 1917, orchestrated 1917
Elegiya pamyati M.P. Belyayeva [Elegy in Memory of Belyayev], Op.105, string quintet, 1928
Saxophone Quartet, Op.109, 1932
various works w/o Opus numbers

The string quartet works are well known, but several of the other works are very noteworthy.
The Sax quartet is a large composition with variations in the style of Schumann and Chopin.
I'd like to find the Mazurka in the original duo format, but everyone wants to record the orchestrated version, it appears.

The Elegie in g minor Op. 44 is a very nice way to spend five minutes.
Both of these collections are good with the tip going to the Profil release:


https://www.amazon.com/White-Nights-Viola-Music-Petersburg/dp/B004DIPLAO/ref=sr_1_1_twi_aud_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1488858383&sr=1-1&keywords=White+Nights%2C+viola+music


https://www.amazon.com/Glinka-Rubenstein-Glazunov-Works-Viola/dp/B00JU5DGUW/ref=sr_1_1_twi_aud_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1488858450&sr=1-1&keywords=Glinka%2C+Glazunov-kugel%2C+berezovsky

Heifetz recorded the Meditation in 1917 - scratchy sound, but beautifully played.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."