Rimsky-Korsakov's Variations in G minor for oboe were written in 1878 for a concert at the Kronstadt naval base, intended to provide interesting repertoire for naval bands and for the composer to practice writing for a solo instrument.
Composer Biography
Boris Vladimirovich Asafyev, a pupil of Lyadov and Rimsky-Korsakov, played a significant role in Russian musical life after the Revolution as a critic, musicologist, and composer, particularly of ballets.
Composition History
Marina Dranishnikova's Poème, written in 1953, is said to have been inspired by an unhappy love for an oboist.
Historical Context
Johann-Heinrich Luft, born in Germany, moved to St Petersburg around 1830 and became a significant figure in 19th-century Russia, known as the founder of Russian oboe-playing.
Performer Biography
Ivan Paisov, the oboist on this recording, was born into a family of famous musicians and has been a principal oboist with the State Academic Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra since 1992.
Composer Biography
Reinhold Glière, whose father was a wind instrument maker, studied at the Moscow Conservatory with notable figures like Arensky and Taneyev, and later taught Myaskovsky and an eleven-year-old Prokofiev.
Composer Biography
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, a member of the 'Mighty Handful' group of nationalist Russian composers, initially pursued a naval career before finding a compromise between music and the sea as an inspector of naval bands.
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