IDAGIO | L. Glass: Symphony No. 5 in C Major, Op. 57 "Svastika" - Fantasy for Piano & Orchestra in D Minor, Op. 47 761203749423

Featuring

Daniel Raiskin
Marianna Shirinyan
Rhine Philharmonic State Orchestra
Louis Glass

Did you know?

1/7

Critical Reception

Contemporaneous reviews praised Louis Glass's Symphony No. 5, with one critic stating it "towers high above everything that he had written before."

Historical Context

Louis Glass's Symphony No. 5, titled Sinfonia svastika, uses the swastika symbol, which in Theosophy represented "The Wheel of Life, a symbol of circulation," predating its later association with the German Reich.

Notable Performances

Louis Glass's Sinfonia svastika became one of his most frequently performed works, with conductors such as Fritz Busch, Eugen Jochum, and Leif Segerstam having performed it.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra by Louis Glass reflects his connection to Theosophy through its introspective motto: "From the spirit's eternal canopy tones calling man sound down. And man turns away from the world and remains alone in order to find peace."

Composition History

Louis Glass played the organ at the first meeting of the Danish section of the 'Order of the Star of the East' in 1912, an organization founded by Theosophist Annie Besant.

Performer Biography

Marianna Shirinyan, the pianist on this recording, launched her career after winning five prizes at the ARD International Music Competition in 2006.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Louis Glass's works from around 1913 onwards, including the Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra and Symphony No. 5, were influenced by Theosophy, a spiritual movement.