Search - Alexander Glazunov, Valery Polyansky, Russian State Symphony Orchestra :: Glazunov: Symphonies 4 & 5

The current catalogue has not done well by the symphonies of Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936), one of the great Russian romantic composers (and one of the great Russian teachers as well--Shostakovich was a pupil). In many ways, Glazunov's symphonies evoke comparison to Dvorák's: filled with haunting suggestions of folk melodies and sweeping lyricism. One could wish for better performances on this disc, however, especially of the Fifth Symphony (1895), Glazunov's greatest. It's hard to say who's at fault here, but Valeri Polyansky must take the blame for an overlong opening movement that sags in all the wrong places and the awkward, under-rehearsed ending. The Fourth (of 1893) fares much better, making excellent use of the Russian State SO's limited abilities. --Paul Cook