Search - Alexander Glazunov, Anatoli Lyadov, Neeme Järvi :: Glazunov: From the Middle Ages / Scenes de Ballet / Lyadov: Musical Snuffbox

No reviews, for shame.....

Evan Wilson | Cambridge, MA | 11/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is a lot of fun. Both Glazunov scores are full of prime Russian romanticism. Think of Tchaikovsky's lush melodic sense jazzed up with Rimsky Korsakov's colorful orchestral palette and you'll get the idea. The suite "From the Middle Ages" uses a few mock-archaisms to suggest the period, but really just wants to indulge in beautiful melodies. Check out the theme Rachmaninoff would have been proud of a few minutes into the first movement. Soaring strings and horns...what more could you want? The scherzo sees cossacks flying across the steppes while the troubador's serenade seems to inhabit a Middle Eastern bazaar. All is rounded out by a military finale which echoes Rimsky's March from Mlada.The "Scene de ballet" contains a number of delightful dances ending with a Polonaise that is first cousin to the one Tchaikovsky wrote for "Eugene Onegin." Throw in a short musical delight from Liadov, and you have an hour of glorious music to wallow in. Profound no, but wonderful at every turn. If you like Russian romanticism, I guarantee you'll like this, particularly given Jarvi's rousing performance and the enthusiasm of his orchestra."

Jarvi makes this music exciting

Classic Music Lover | Maryland, USA | 06/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While the Middle Ages Suite is interesting, the real gem on this disk is the Scenes de Ballet. In this score, Glazunov matches the pinnacle of ballet music writing that he reached in his ballet The Seasons (Raymonda isn't quite as effective a score -- and also far too long!). Many listeners will recognize some of the numbers in this piece, because they tend to crop up in various "new" ballet productions that are patched together by choreographers such as Peter Maartens and Mikhail Baryshnikov -- plus their occasional inclusion in the figure-skating routines presented by those great Russian and Ukrainian skaters every time the Winter Olympics comes around. Particularly effective are the Marionettes movement, the Valse, and the final Polonaise. In this last number, Jarvi and the the orchestra pull out all the stops in a performance that is stately and rousing all at once. The slight hesitation as he holds back the final six repeated chords is absolute perfection -- what a way to round out the entire composition! After hearing this, you'll never be satisfied with any other performance."