The music patron Mitrofan P. Belyayev was so impressed by Glazunov's orchestral music that he founded the 'Russian Symphony Concerts' in 1885 to provide a platform for the composer.
Critical Reception
Alexander Glazunov's reputation was so high between the two world wars that a congratulatory folder for his First Symphony's 50th anniversary included signatures from figures like Wilhelm Furtwängler, Sergei Prokofiev, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Composer Biography
Alexander Glazunov, born in St. Petersburg in 1865, was the son of a well-known publisher and bookseller and began composing at age eleven.
Cultural Impact
Igor Stravinsky, who attended the 'Russian Symphony Concerts' founded for Glazunov, praised Glazunov's command of musical form, counterpoint, and writing, stating he was 'fascinated by the amazing mastery of his skill.'
Composition History
Franz Liszt predicted worldwide fame for Alexander Glazunov after hearing his First Symphony, Op. 5, in 1884, when Glazunov was only 16.
Compositional Technique
Glazunov's First Piano Concerto, Op. 92, features a unique structure where an expressive first movement is followed by eight contrasting variations that form the slow movement, referencing Scriabin's Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Op. 20.
Composer Biography
Alexander Glazunov served as a professor of instrumentation and counterpoint at the Petersburg Conservatory from 1899 and was its director from 1905 to 1928.
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