Customer Reviews

Glazunov: The Kremlin, From the Middle Ages, etc.

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I adore Glazunov's music, mostly because he combines the Russian nationalist approach of Rimsky, Borodin, etc., with the stereotypically Germanic love of strucutre, argument, and form. Admittedly, he doesn't always succeed in this mixture, and he falls short of his great inheritors--not as "Russian" as Rimsky, perhaps, and not as polished as a Mendelssohn or Tchaikovsky. Yet in his best works he is completely unique, even when he sounds derivative(!), and his music really holds up with repeated listenings. He had an eternal curiosity about music, and was consistently inspired to express his ideas in new forms, often blurring the line between symphonic poem, suite, and symphony.

The works on this excellent disc outline his three major periods, and portray him at his most inspired throughout. The opening work is a relatively early one, full of the overwhelming ambition of a young composer out to write a really big work. The Kremlin is this work, a three movement suite (of symphonic proportions) that captures the pomp, majesty, mystery, and solitude of this ancient landmark. Masterful writing for the orchestra abounds, particularly in the haunting second movement, which creates the rapt atmosphere of a religious ceremony.

The two symphonic poems, The Lyric Poem and the Epic Poem, bookmark his entire career. The former is simply a gentle piece of overflowing Romanticism, and one of his most inspired lyric creations. It reminds us that, for all his faults, he could truly create a melody and make it sing. The Epic Poem, published posthmously, is quite a differnet affair--more turbulent, questing, and ambigious; it suggests a struggle unresolved, and a composer who even in his last years was still growing, albeit within a late nineteenth century framework.

The true masterpiece here is From The Middle Ages, another symphonic suite, yet one that shows more subtlety and sophistication than The Kremlin. I adore the opening movement, a storm sequence surrounding a truly inspired melody, suggesting two medieval lovers entombed in a castle away from the howling winds (a little like Tchaikovsky's Francesca di Rimini in spirit). A truly unique scherzo follows, which I think is perhaps his greatest piece of music--truly characteristic. The brief slow moving is haunting and even more lyric than the Lyric Poem. The finale is more pompous, evoking "The Crusaders" as they march to Jerusalem...but it's full of powerful horns and another memorable theme which flows through the orchestra in various guises.

Krimets is my favorite conductor in Naxos' Glauznov series, as he balances the Romantic rhetoric to make it "sound" and let it breathe. He never lets the music seem schmaltzy, shallow, or pointless. True, I prefer Jarvi whenever possible, particularly in From the Middle Ages, but this is a glorious Glazunov disc, as is Krimets' other offering, showcasing Stenka Razin, the Mazurka, etc. Buy it with pleasure and stop badmouthing a true Russian master (especially if you only know him from the Seasons--one of his least characteristic works).

Just got this CD today, and am listening to it while typing this review. I discovered Glazunov through the music of his ballet Raymonda. Then I decided to delve deeper into the works of this neglected Russian composer. I have purchased 6 of his symphonies (on the way) and some of his orchestral works, such as the CD here. Well let me tell you, I love the works of most Russian composers (Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov...) and although Glazunov might not sound as polished as the aforementioned composers, he is unique and very special in his compositions; I was blown away by the beauty of the opening movement of "From the Middle Ages", which is nothing short of amazing, to my taste at least, reminds me of Rachmaninov's long stretches in his 2nd symphony. Listening now to the "Poeme Lyrique", I am imagining snow flurries filling the land and trees... Just enchanting music. To make it short, the pieces on this CD are some of the best Glazunov compositions I have heard so far (I wonder what his symphonies will sound like), so this here CD is strongly recommended. 6 Stars!

Naxos's (and Marco Polo's) survey of the complete orchestral music of Alexander Glazunov is an extremely worthwhile one, although one could sometimes have wished for more polished and characterful performances. This release is, however, one of the more unconditionally successful ones in the series, and Konstantin Krimets leads idiomatic and colorful performances from the Moscow SO - there are strong competitors out there in From the Middle Ages (Järvi and Svetlanov, at least), probably too strong for this Naxos performances in that one, but the inclusion of the Poème Lyrique and Poème Epique, which to my knowledge are not elsewhere available, and not the least the inclusion of the Kremlin - a fabulous work - ensures a strong recommendation for this disc anyway.

The Kremlin is a relatively early work, dating from roughly the same time as the lovely third symphony. The very atmospheric first movement nods towards Rimsky's Russian Easter Overture and includes evocations of Russian church bells, processionals and strongly characterized rhythms. The cloister section is a marvelously mystical scene with echoes of orthodox chant and forgotten ages. The Entrance and Coronation of the Prince is, again, strongly influenced by Rimsky - a lenient, wonderfully scored march full of power and character, building to an eminently enjoyable climax. In the Middle Ages is far more tautly constructed, and clearly the superior work (though I wouldn't want to be without the splendour and atmosphere of Kremlin). The Prelude starts out as a dark, brooding and forceful piece, suddenly giving way to a beautiful, gentle theme. The Scherzo is songful and exhilarating, in the best Glazunov vein with a culmination which sounds much like early Sibelus. Troubadours consists of a gorgeous, solemn tune, wonderfully scored and the celebratory finale, The Crusadors, is a dazzling display of colors turning into a very memorable march theme. In short, From the Middle Ages might not be the most profound of works, but it is a magnificently scored, memorably tuneful and atmospheric one which truly deserves to be appreciated by everyone with minimal interest in, say, Rimsky-Korsakov's or Tchaikovsky's lighter music.

The two Poèmes, dating from opposite ends of Glazunov's career, aren't quite in the league of the other works, but are interesting and enjoyable nonetheless. The Poème Epique from 1887 is an enjoyable, lightweight work with some very fine string-writing. The Poème Lyrique dates from 1934 contains a rather fine but not very memorable main theme, and does meander somewhat aimlessly through various episodes. The performances are, again, pretty good, although one could easily imagine more strongly characterized and subtle ones, realizing more hues and shades of colors and moods, but that is not to say that the performances here aren't, in the end, eminently satisfiable. The recording is warm and clear and plain. Recommended with some enthusiasm, then.

Glazunov isn't really one of my favorite composers, but his music is slowly growing on me. His pieces have that Russian nationalist attitude, with a heavy dose of German romanticism. The music isn't really unique, though, because some it does remind one of Rimsky-Korsakov and early Rachmaninov. However, that doesn't stop me from listening to them straight through. Now, this is the first Glazunov CD that I have ever purchased, and I don't think it'll be the last. The four pieces presented here (From the Middle Ages, The Kremlin, Poeme Lyrique, and Poeme Epique) are very fine, as they contain some typical lyrical romanticism. The Moscow Symphony Orchestra is decent: the players are not as powerful or beautiful as the Russian State Symphony Orchestra or the Russian National Orchestra (and that says a lot), but they play with enough emotion and they never back down. Konstantin Krimets gives a direct, no-nonsense approach to the music, so you don't have to worry about anything that's sounds a bit odd.

These disks were everything I expected. Good quality, good price, fast service. Many thanks. AB