Alexander Konstantinovich Glazounov was a Russian composer, music teacher and conductor. He was born in St. Petersburg in 1865 to his book-publisher father and pianist mother, from the start it would seem that his life was already in motion to being a musical one. Glazounov met Rimsky-Korsakov (famous for orchestral works such as Scheherazade), at a young age and was inspired to begin study at the piano at the age of nine and began composing works at the young age of 11. By the age of 16 Glazounov had composed the first of nine symphonies all under the direction of Mily Balakirev, who at the time was a famous Russian Empire pianist (naxos) it was premiered on March 29th, 1882. Throughout his life he ran into several famous composers that further influenced his compositions, from Franz Liszt to Wagner (Oxford) Alexander was able to even show his gratitude by showing their influence in his works. Glazounov was an internationally known composer whose reverberations were felt throughout the world and more specifically Russian Romantic period. Alexander Glazounov received honorary Doctor of Music degrees from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge
Later in life, Glazounov found himself in Paris. During his stay he was inspired by the sounds of the French Guard, or Garde Républicaine, which was filled with saxophones at the time, the rich sounds of the ensemble sparked his creativity and the end result was his Saxophone Concerto. Glazounov’s Concerto for Saxophone in Eb Op. 109 was his final composition. Internationally renowned German saxophonist, Sigurd Rascher, was credited for persuading Glazounov to compose the concerto. Glazounvo wrote to a colleague that he started writing the piece “under influences of attacks rather than requests…” indicating that Rascher was putting a lot of pressure on Glazounov. The piece is deeply rooted in Romanticism and is very virtuosic. The main theme is stated all throughout the piece in several different forms and variations. What is most interesting is that his works, although during a huge jazz movement occurring around the same time, was unaltered by the jazz harmonies Glazounov had to of encountered during his stay in France. The concerto as a whole is purely classical sounding. The work itself is done in one movement and is treated almost like its own rhapsody of sorts. As we move through the concerto, we find that the saxophone soloist has to establish a main theme while also being flexible to the piece and adapt their sound to the sudden change of pace. After the main introduction the soloist is now to change tempo and show their softer and subtler tone. The meter itself does not chance, however the feel almost drifts into a 12/8 mete, feeling the triplets move against the steady beat of an unobtrusive piano or string section. Before we get to the middle of the concerto, the saxophonist has already demonstrated most of the range of the horn by playing phrases that scale upwards and downwards, and then we reach a cadenza for the soloist. Often enough, the performer starts the cadenza with a pause, after playing so much the silence is welcomed among the audience. The cadenza resembles a bit of a dance, perhaps from a Russian folk tune that Glazounov is known for referencing at times. As the cadenza speeds up and the accompaniment joins back in the dance feel drifts away as the soloist reflects back on past themes, reimagines some of them and even takes the time to show of some more lyrical passages. The tempo seems to increase as the piece comes to an end and the soloist is playing trills and running lines that lead to an ending altissimo note, a note not within the traditional range of a saxophone. Glazounov’s Saxophone Concerto fits in perfectly amongst the time period it was written, Romanticism is filled with music of the same caliber. The virtuosity of the performer and the piece are well presented and it’s lyrical lines really pull you in. Glazounov had to endure past the horrific nature of World War I but was still able to stay strong in the music community by even conducting enembles during these troubled times. I consider Alexander Konstantinovich Glazounov to be an incredible representation of the Romantic era as well as a great example of what European nationalism, or “Europeanism”, was at the time of his death. His commitment to music during a time of great transition and war is utterly inspiring and is shown to have changed the course of how composers wrote music.
Bibliography
(naxos)
- "GLAZUNOV, A.K.: Orchestral Works, Vol. 14 - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 (Yablonskaya, Moscow Symphony, Yablonsky)." Classical Music - Streaming Classical Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. <http://www.naxos.com/>.
(oxford)
- Kennedy, Michael. The Concise Oxford dictionary of music. 5th ed. Oxford [etc.: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.
(woodstra)
- Woodstra, Chris, Gerald Brennan, and Allen Schrott. All music guide to classical music: the definitive guide to classical music. San Francisco, CA: Backbeat Books ;, 2005. Print.
(Schwarz)
Schwarz, Boris. The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians. 2. ed. London: Macmillan, 2001. Print.
