Reinhold Glière, 1874 - 1956, Russian composer of 5 Operas, 3 symphonies, 5 concertos, 6 ballets, a long list of solo piano pieces, chamber works, other orchestral pieces, film scores and politically oriented works. The latter have been criticized for various reasons, not least their banal attributes. Glière did not suffer the political repression many of his colleagues did during the Soviet era. His idiom was steadfastly romantic and traditional, and he was immune to accusations of formalism and western influence. He received many awards, including three Orders of Lenin and three Stalin Prizes. From 1938 to 1948 he was Chair of the Soviet Composers Association. He was well respected, even among many who did not fare well under communist rule. Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Myaskovsky and Aram Khachaturian were his students. Among his better known works his massive Symphony No. 3 stands out. Leopold Stokowski championed it in the west, making it part of his standard repertoire. It is a wonderful, epic work inspired by the legend of the folk hero Ilya Muromets, a paraplegic farm boy who, through encounters with two pilgrims and a dying knight, is healed, acquires great physical strength, and goes on to become a great warrior. https://youtube/watch?v=K5NlADBEjh4
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:02:02 +0000
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