Alexander Glazunov - Complete Symphonies & Concertos (José Serebrier)

Information

Composer: Alexander Glazunov

CD1:

• (01-04) Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 33
• (05) Symphony No. 9 in D major (incomplete, orch. Gavril Yudin): Adagio - Allegro moderato - Adagio

CD2:

• (01) Symphony No. 1 in E major "Slavyanskaya", Op. 5
• (05) Symphony No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 16

CD3:

• (01) Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 48
• (04) Symphony No. 7 in F major "Pastoral", Op. 77

CD4:

• (01) Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 55
• (05) The Seasons, ballet, Op. 67

CD5:

• (01) Symphony No. 6 in C minor, Op. 58
• (05) The Sea, fantasy for orchestra in E major, Op. 28
• (06) Salomé, incidental music, Op. 90: Introduction
• (07) Salomé, incidental music, Op. 90: Salomé's Dance

CD6:

• (01) Symphony No. 8 in E flat major, Op. 83
• (05) Raymonda, suite from the ballet, Op. 57a

CD7:

• (01) Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82
• (05) Chant du ménéstral (Minstrel's Song) for cello & orchestra in F sharp minor, Op. 71
• (06) Piano Concerto No. 2 in B major, Op. 100
• (09) Saxophone Concerto in E flat major, Op. 109

CD8:

• (01) Piano Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 92
• (12) Rêverie for horn & orchestra in D flat major, Op. 24
• (13) Concerto ballata for cello & orchestra in C major, Op. 108
• (17) Méditation for violin & orchestra in D major, Op. 32

Rachel Barton, violin (Opp. 32 & 82)
Wen-Sinn Yang, cello (Opp. 71 & 108)
Alexander Romanovsky, piano (Opp. 92 & 100)
Marc Chisson, alto saxophone (Op. 109)
Alexey Serov, horn (Op. 24)

Royal Scottish National Orchestra (CD 1-6)
Russian National Orchestra (CD 7 & 8)
José Serebrier, conductor

Date: 2005-2011
Label: Warner Classics
http://old.warnerclassics.com/release,GlazunovCompleteSymphoniesConcertos_6082.htm

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10

Glazunov’s symphonies hover on the edge of the repertoire. You almost never see them programmed in live concerts, but every couple of decades a complete cycle comes out. Curiously, none of the Russian recordings are very good. The performances are uniformly heavy and dull, whereas Glazunov’s music, symphonic or not, demands a balletic lilt and a light touch. His symphonies are full of good tunes and are beautifully crafted, but despite exciting moments they aren’t terribly dramatic and so need to played swiftly and vivaciously. The sound clip below offers a sample of the delightful “toy” music from trio of the Fifth Symphony’s scherzo. It’s just a taste of the many captivating moments you’ll find in these works.

Previously, the best Glazunov cycle available was Järvi’s on Orfeo. It had the right energy, but was very expensive. Some discs (all at full price) contained a single symphony and the fillers, a couple of concert waltzes, were most ungenerous. This box features performances, ironically with one of Järvi’s previous orchestras, that easily set the new standard for these pieces. Serebrier plays the music like he really cares about it, touchingly in the slow movements, but with real Russian fire in the first movements and finales. The concertos are equally well done, with Rachel Barton Pine superb in the Violin Concerto, and Alexander Romanovsky confidently swaggering through the two piano concertos. These latter works are scarcely known, but they are both excellent and deserve to enter the repertoire.

In addition to these major pieces, you also get all of the shorter concerted works (including the Saxophone Concerto), the tone poems La mer and the Introduction and Dance from Salome, a superb rendition of The Seasons, and an excellent extended suite from the ballet Raymonda. This box, in short, gives you all of the music that you’ll ever need if you want to get the most important Glazunov works in one handy package. You even get the unfinished Ninth Symphony–quite a deal.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
MusicWeb International RECORDING OF THE MONTH

http://www.audaud.com/2012/08/glazunov-complete-symphonies-concertos-soloistsroyal-scottish-nat-orch-russian-nat-orch-jose-serebrier-warner-classics-8-cds/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glazunov-Complete-Symphonies-Concertos-Alexander/dp/B006W7SV5Q

http://www.amazon.com/Glasunov-Symphonies-Concertos-Rachel-Barton-Pine/dp/B006W7SV5Q

Concertos (CD 7 & 8) only:

http://www.classical-music.com/review/glazunov-piano-concertos-nos-1-2

http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=9586

http://www.amazon.com/Glazunov-Complete-Concertos-Alexander/dp/B004HARLC4

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Alexander Glazunov (10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor. He served as director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 and 1928 Glazunov was significant in that he successfully reconciled nationalism and cosmopolitanism in Russian music. While he was the direct successor to Balakirev's nationalism, he tended more towards Borodin's epic grandeur while absorbing a number of other influences, including Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral virtuosity, Tchaikovsky's lyricism and Taneyev's contrapuntal skill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Glazunov

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José Serebrier (born 3 December 1938 in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan conductor and composer. He once studied with Aaron Copland and Pierre Monteux. As a conductor, Serebrier has had many conducting posts, and is one of the most recorded conductors of his generation. He has received 37 nominations for Grammy Awards and won 8 Grammies for his recordings. As a composer, Serebrier's first symphony, written at the age of 17, was premiered by Leopold Stokowski. His Third Symphony and his "Fantasia for strings" are amongst his most popular works. His style is energetic, colourful and melodic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Serebrier

http://www.joseserebrier.com/

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