Search - Reinhold Gliere :: Gliere: Octet, Op. 5; Sextet, Op. 11

Do you like Borodin's string quartets?

Valerie Wilson | Cambridge, MA United States | 04/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If your answer to the above question was "Yes," then you'll love this release. Both pieces are from the turn of the 20th century and reflect the nationalist milieu of Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov with, perhaps, slightly more modern harmony. There are quite a few memorable melodies, often with that tinge of "eastern exoticism" made famous by the Mighty Five. Throw in the lush textures available with 6 or 8 strings, and you have a surefire winner.The recording is rich sounding, though I could have wished for a bit more differentiation among the inner voices, which get buried once on awhile. The record seems to match the performances, though, which are full of ardency and brio is a little short on finesse at times. Don't let any minor qualms mentioned stop you, though, if this peeks your interest. This is gorgeous music to be wallowed in. I can only hope that MD&G decides to record the other 2 string sextets of Gliere which were written around the same time. Brava!"

MENDELSOHN-BARTHOLDY + BORODIN = GLIERE...

Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 05/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
I mostly concur with the other reviewer--minus any complaints: this is a wonderful recording of some all-too-rarely performed turn-of-the-century chamber music.



Gliere was a really brilliant and talented musical professional from the same school as Rachmaninov and Scriabin. Aesthetically, however, his ethos is that of Tschykovsky and Borodin. And here is the key: Borodin was deeply influenced by Mendelsohn. The result is that Gliere's chamber music for strings--while having Russian inflections--largely reflects Mendelsohn's muse.



With such a combination, one can scarcely go wrong!"