Essential Glazunov
Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) is often remembered as the conductor of the disastrous premiere of Rachmaninoff's First Symphony, where he was allegedly drunk. His own music is highly lyrical, although – apart from a gorgeous violin concerto – is now rarely performed in concert.
Read more…Glazunov was a young acolyte of The Mighty Handful – the nationalist school which included his teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Borodin. Although he was championed as their heir, Glazunov was more influenced by Tchaikovsky and western composers, his scores containing few traces of Russian folk music but infused by dance rhythms. He completed eight symphonies (a ninth was abandoned) and his ballets 'Raymonda' and 'The Seasons' are full of sparkling invention. He later became Director of the St Petersburg Conservatory, where the young Shostakovich was among his pupils. As the 20th century progressed Glazunov's music started to be considered old-fashioned, but he was no reactionary conservative. Having moved to Paris in his final years, he was the first composer to write a concerto for alto saxophone, showing he could adapt with the times.