# Favorite Glazunov works?



## Shibooty (Mar 17, 2013)

What are your favorite works by Glazunov? I'm interested to see what others say, because he's my favorite composer and I've loved every composition of his that I've listened to. Originally, I was drawn to listen to his works after I listened to his Saxophone Concerto, and I got an album with all of his symphonies on it. I find his symphonies to be absolutely incredible.


----------



## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

Symphony # 6 is the only piece of his I have heard in concert. That makes it one of my favorites. Hillary Hahn did the violin concerto several years ago in Montreal but I missed that concert! The Russian national Orchestra did the 6th on a snowy night in Troy NY a few years back. 
Just looked it up -it was March 16, 2007. 13 inches of snow that night. I got stranded in town. The program:

Glazunov
Symphony No.6 in C minor, Op. 58
Rachmaninov
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Tchaikovsky
Francesca da Rimini, Symphonic Fantasy 

I have always liked the 5th Symphony a lot with it's bombastic finale.

And of course The Seasons ballet. Smaller pieces - Oriental Rhapsody in G major, Cortège Solennel in D major, March on a Russian Theme in E-flat major.


----------



## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

You're in good company, for I am one of his big fans. His symphonies are generally very well-written, if a bit too urdane for some. But there's no doubt that he's among the top ten of Russian composers (by saying that, I'm inviting some disagreement/controversies here, but I stand by my verdict).

As for my favorites of Glazunov's oeuvre:

His Symphonies nos. II, IV, *VI*, & VIII.
Piano Concerto no. II.
Saxophone Concerto.
Three Etudes for piano.
Piano Sonatas nos. *I* & II.
Nocturne for piano.
Symphonic fantasies "*The Sea*" & "The Forest."
Symphonic Poem "Stenka Razin."
Suite "From the Middle Ages."
Ballets "Raymonda" and "The Seasons."
String Quartet no. III, Suite for String Quartet, String Quintet.
Triumphal March.
Overture Solennel.
Elegy "To the Memory of a Hero."


----------



## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

The Seasons, Raymunda, Les Ruses d’amour, Symphony no.4 and no.7, Violin concerto.


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The violin concerto, especially as performed by Jascha Heifetz. A most underrated work. This is a wonderful concerto!!


----------



## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Raymonda is my personal favorite work and what got me into Glazunov (I started the Raymonda article on Wikipedia). 

I also love his Symphony No. 4, Concert Waltz No. 1, and The Seasons


----------



## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I love Symphony no. 5, Piano Concerto no. 1, and the polonaise from Scenes de Ballet. 

There are also solo piano works that I have really liked, but I can't name any specifically.

Where is Huilu for this thread?


----------



## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

I am rather unfamiliar with most of his work, but I love the violin concerto.


----------



## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

The Violin Concerto is my favorite work of his. I also like the 6th symphony, the 5th String Quartet and the 1st Piano Concerto.


----------



## Bruce (Jan 2, 2013)

I don't listen to Glazunov very often, but of his works I'm familiar with, I'd rate his ballets, Raymonda and The Seasons as the most enjoyable. I have a hard time discerning the structure of his symphonies, but continue to listen to them from time to time; certainly I'll figure them out sooner or later.


----------



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Shibooty said:


> What are your favorite works by Glazunov? I'm interested to see what others say, because he's my favorite composer and I've loved every composition of his that I've listened to. Originally, I was drawn to listen to his works after I listened to his Saxophone Concerto, and I got an album with all of his symphonies on it. I find his symphonies to be absolutely incredible.


WHAT??!!

*Paces about the room, scrutinizing this subject with piercing eyes*
*pulls out cigar and proceeds to light it*
*narrows eyes with a smile*

"I think you could be of use to my mafia myess myess..."


----------



## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

I've only recently begun discovering Glazunov's works. But the violin concerto is definitely the stand-out so far.


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

^^^Yes it is!! If Heifetz recorded it, you KNOW it has to be good!!!


----------



## nightscape (Jun 22, 2013)

I'm only really familiar with The Seasons and Symphony No. 5. He's on my ever expanding list of composers I need to spend some time with. I generally don't stay on any one composer for too long, or listen to more than one work by the same composer back to back, but on occasion I will dig in and get comfortable with someone I'm largely unfamiliar with.


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Shibooty said:


> What are your favorite works by Glazunov? I'm interested to see what others say, because . . . I've loved every composition of his that I've listened to.


That's been my experience also. He's one of those composers I just like; I don't know why. Others, I've had to get scores or read journals/books/articles before they clicked. Glazunov, he's been effortless.


----------



## Howling Moon (Jan 8, 2015)

I found him last year. I bought two symphony cycles (Serebrier and Fedoseyev). I prefer the Fedoseyev, but the Serebrier has Glazunov's concertos as well. He is incredibly musical and, for me, all his symphonies just work. However, I especially like Nos. 3, 6 and 7. Now I am thinking about his string quartets. Does anyone have favourites there?


----------



## Richannes Wrahms (Jan 6, 2014)

A lot of it fulfills the same criteria for which his student Shosty is criticised for. However, the Concertos and Symphonies 4, 6 and some individual movements are good enough for an occasional listen from my part.


----------



## afterpostjack (May 2, 2010)

Stenka Razin, and I think that it is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. Its mood and the way this music unfolds resonates with me tremendously. Just an incredible depiction of struggle in this music. This is under the direction of Neeme Järvi as most other recordings that I have heard - except for the one done by the Berlin Philharmonic quite some time ago - sound amateurish in comparison.
His other tone poems, such as Kremlin and The Sea are also great. His ballet The Seasons contains some very moving music. I have not really penetrated his symphonied yet, but some of the music found there made a good impression on me.


----------

