Glinka: Life for the Tsar

Mikhail Glinka (Composer), Loris Tjeknavorian (Conductor), Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Loris Tjeknavorian
• Composer: Mikhail Glinka
• Audio CD (June 27, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Asv Living Era
• ASIN: B00004SV5J
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #443,501 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat rough performances of modestly exciting music, May 8, 2010

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G.D. (Norway) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Glinka: Life for the Tsar (Audio CD)

Mikhail Glinka's orchestral output was relatively modest, and most of it is presented on this disc. If I were to be perfectly honest, I would also say that his ideas were stronger than his execution of them - Glinka's influence on generations of Russian composers is not in doubt, neither is the relative originality of his output. But his music is rarely strong enough to compete with the best music of his successors (his operas are pretty effective, though). The selections from A Life for the Tsar are lively and tuneful but apart from the overture - which is a well-known and effective concert piece - they are relatively inconsequential on their own (though worth hearing, by all means).

The Valse-Fantaisie from 1856 gives us more of the same, lively and tuneful and colorful even though the themes are never strong enough to linger in memory. Kamarinskaya is apparently a seminal work in the development of Russian music, but comes across as an atmospheric but slightly repetitive work based on a single good theme. The Capriccio Brillante on the jota aragonesa (a picture postcard from Spain) is not particularly interesting whereas the Souvenir d'une nuit d'été à Madrid is spirited and lively.

Maybe the music would have benefited from slightly more refined performances. Tjeknavorian leads some spirited playing by the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra and manages to make the music swing and swirl appropriately. But the whole thing is marred by bad intonation in the brass. The bright and loud recording doesn't particularly help in capturing the subtleties of the music (if there are any) either. Still, this is a worthwhile release, especially for those interested in hearing the prototypes for the orchestral music by The Mighty Five or the Silver Age composers.