Symphony No. 5 (Glazunov)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony
No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 55 (also known as The Heroic), was written by Alexander Glazunov
from April to October of 1895. Although in this symphony Glazunov returned to his conventional four-movement
layout (his Fourth Symphony
had only three) he avoids theme transformation. Glazunov described it as "silenced sounds" and "an architectural poem".
, a Russia
n composer
, pianist
, and teacher, and it was first performed at the Second Russian Concert at the Hall of the Nobility in St. Petersburg on 17 November 1896; the premiere was conducted by the composer himself. A Leipzig
newspaper called the symphony "very profound" and "sparkling" and reported that the scherzo had to be reprised on opening night to the delight of the audience.
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 55 (also known as The Heroic), was written by Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
from April to October of 1895. Although in this symphony Glazunov returned to his conventional four-movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
layout (his Fourth Symphony
Symphony No. 4 (Glazunov)
The Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 48, was written by Alexander Glazunov in 1893. The symphony was a departure from Glazunov's three earlier symphonies, which were based on nationalistic Russian tunes and, according to the composer, allowed him to give "personal, free, and subjective...
had only three) he avoids theme transformation. Glazunov described it as "silenced sounds" and "an architectural poem".
Structure
The symphony has four movements:- ModeratoTempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
maestosoMaestosoMaestoso is an Italian musical term and is used to direct performers to play a certain passage of music in a stately, dignified and majestic fashion or, it is used to describe music as such. The term is commonly used in relatively slow pieces; however, there are numerous examples - such as the...
- Allegro - ScherzoScherzoA scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
- Andante
- Allegro maestoso
Overview
Glazunov dedicated his Fifth to Sergei TaneyevSergei Taneyev
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev , was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist and author.-Life:...
, a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and teacher, and it was first performed at the Second Russian Concert at the Hall of the Nobility in St. Petersburg on 17 November 1896; the premiere was conducted by the composer himself. A Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
newspaper called the symphony "very profound" and "sparkling" and reported that the scherzo had to be reprised on opening night to the delight of the audience.
External links
- Article on 5th Symphony (Accessed 17 May 2011)