Lost Glière compositions feature in new CD
Reinhold Moritzevich Glière was known as the father of Soviet ballet. He is best remembered for his exciting, lively composition The Red Poppy, described as “the first Soviet ballet on a revolutionary subject”. His music combines Russian classicism...
Reinhold Moritzevich Glière was known as the father of Soviet ballet. He is best remembered for his exciting, lively composition The Red Poppy, described as “the first Soviet ballet on a revolutionary subject”. His music combines Russian classicism with folk music idioms as well as orientalism.
These elements result in heady combinations which make his orchestral compositions very lively and spirited. In fact, besides his ballet music, he is best remembered for his Symphony No. 3 Opus 42 known as Ilya Muromets based on the adventures and death of the Russian hero of the same name, a massive work of Wagnerian proportions and his surrealist Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra in F Minor, Opus 82. These grand works overshadow his smaller, instrumental works which rarely feature in the concert halls.
However, quite recently, Corinna Simon, the German pianist, was given an unknown prelude by one of her students. It sounded “magical” and Ms Simon was hooked. On further inspection it was discovered that the music was a hitherto unknown composition that had been stored and forgotten for years in the archives of the Berlin Staatsbibliotheck. Further investigations by Ms Simon and Klaus Martin Kopitz, musicologist, led to the discovery of more piano compositions by Glière, 36 of which were recently edited, interpreted and recorded by Ms Simon for Deutschlandradio Kultur, a product of Delta Music and Entertainment GmbH & Co.
The 36 tracks in the recording by Ms Simon are short solo compositions.
Ms Simon’s interpretation has brought out the beautiful expressions and virtuosity in Glière’s music. She has extracted from the compositions the different elements contained in the works. Some are serene and quite easy to interpret, vide the Eight Easy Pieces which are played with a clarity that enhance their simplicity. Other compositions, foremost the preludes and the Mazurkas, are more emotionally charged, with a more virtuoso approach. Whatever the work, the listener cannot but be impressed by the pianist’s fine tone and precise phrasing.
Ms Simon intends to record more of Glière’s forgotten music. If the second CD is as well-presented as this first one, then it will be a CD to look forward to.
This first CD was launched in Europe in August.