Glazunov: Symphony No. 1 in E Major, Op. 5 / Symphony No. 6 in C Minor, Op. 58

Featuring

Tadaaki Otaka
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Alexander Glazunov

Did you know?

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Critical Reception

Upon hearing Glazunov's First Symphony, Mily Balakirev hailed the young composer as "a little Glinka," and Alexander Borodin wrote, "This boy will put us all in the shade."

Composition History

Glazunov's First Symphony premiered in 1882 while he was still a schoolboy, causing a sensation.

Historical Context

Glazunov was known for his liberal, democratic attitude, including generous support for impecunious students and sympathy for Jews oppressed in Tsarist Russia.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Glazunov's eight symphonies, composed between 1882 and 1907, are considered an "encyclopaedia of Russian music of the period" and represent the classical Russian school.

Performer Biography

Tadaaki Otaka, the conductor on this album, was awarded the CBE in 1997 for his outstanding contribution to British musical life.

Composer Biography

Glazunov became a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1899 and its director in 1905.

Composer Biography

Alexander Glazunov was a child prodigy whose musical development progressed "literally from hour to hour," according to his teacher Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.