Glazunov: Masquerade (Incidental Music) Orchestral Works, Vol. 18
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Composer: GlazunovConductor: Dmitry Yablonsky
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2009-07-28
Music Label: Naxos
Soundtracks:
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Tableau 2
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Pantomime 1
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Mazurka
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Pantomime 3
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Quadrille
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Pantomime 4
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Scene 2
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Pantomime 5
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Scene 3
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Pantomime 6
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Scene 4
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Pantomime 7
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Entrance 7
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Pantomime 8
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 1. Scene 6: Galop
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 3. Tableau 8: Polonaise
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 3. Tableau 3: Chiming Clock
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 3. Tableau 6
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 3. Valse-Fantaisie
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 3. Tableau 9
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 3. Entr'acte
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 4. Scene 1
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 4. Entrance 6
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 4. Pantomime 11
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 4. Chorus
- Masquerade, incidental music, Op. 102: Act 4. Moderato
- Pieces (2) for orchestra, Op. 14: No. 1: Idylle
- Romantic Intermezzo for orchestra in D major, Op. 69
Music reviews of Glazunov: Masquerade (Incidental Music) Orchestral Works, Vol. 18
Music Review: A major find of Glazunov's incidental score. So why are so many questions lingering in my mind?
Rating: 3 Stars
Glazunov's incidental score for Mikhail Lermontov's play "Masquerade" was written in 1912-1913 and was used in Meyerhold's production at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in 1917. The play centers around the main characters Yevgeny Arbenin (a questionable protagonist in a heroic sense) and Nina. Bored, contemptuous of St. Petersburg's society, Arbenin finds himself jealous of his wife, Nina, whom he accuses of infidelity. He poisons her, but not before learning from a stranger that he was wrong, that he wife was faithful after all. Arbenin is driven to madness as a result while Prince Zvezditch, a known gambler, remains a dishonored figure.
No room for redemption here, and the bitterness of the play (written in 1836 by the way) was too much for Russia at the time: its criticism of Russia's contemporary society was difficult to swallow and the play itself was banned for some thirty years. Glazunov's manuscript does survive (in whatever form(s) I'm not so sure), and Dmitry Yablonsky, the Russian Philharmonic, and the Gnesin Academy Chorus shall be greeted with gratitude for bringing this gorgeous, illuminating score to light.
And yet questions linger as to the authenticity and the flow of the score. There's no doubt of Glazunov's orchestral palette, which, as usual, remains highly varied, detailed, and as stated before, illuminating. This composer captured the scenes euphoniously (and even borrowed a bit from Glinka's Valse Fantastique for Act III-and not disapprovingly so I should add). The Pantomime no. 4 is particularly striking as are Tableau no. 9 and the Entr'acte to Act IV. But looking at the back cover and Keith Anderson's detailed synopsis, I have this discomforting feeling that too much of the music is missing. Other than the fact that there are missing obvious items such as Act II, Tableaus 1, 4, 5, 7, Pantomime nos. 2, 9, 10, entrances 1-5, scene 5, and so forth, the synopsis seems to confirm that the overall presentation of Yablonksy and his forces does not quite add up. Moreover, the Nina's song, published separating in 1916 as opus 106, is curiously omitted here. Glazunov was too good and too descriptive of a composer not to paint a broad, complete picture with an agreeable, if not a compelling sense of direction. Here, the arrangements seem too jumbled. For instance, Arbenin's decent into madness feels incomplete and underwhelming (the orchestra's performance is polished but generalized: lacking that angst and bite needed to depict the story more compellingly). It seems that further scholarly research is needed for the full version of the score to be discovered and brought to light (and besides, Glazunov's archives are in St. Petersburg, Paris, and in Germany). Then again, I could be wrong, and that this is all that exists of Glazunov's incidental music. Besides, thinking of his later score, the one for Romanov's play "Tsar Iudeyskiy", some of the music is rather jumbled as well, though to a much lesser extent. As the saying goes, we'll see. And besides, did Valery Polyansky record the work under the Chandos label some years ago that coupled the composer's Seventh Symphony (announced by Gramophone Magazine and never released to this day)? Just a wonder.
Anyhow, the fillers are likewise attractive in their own ways, like the two pieces for small orchestra completed in 1886. In Idyll, the music is sensuous, and in Reverie orientale, the music is captivating. But Yablonsky fails to go deeper into the wonders of those pieces (way too fast and uninvolving in Idyll I feel). Only Svetlanov in his Melodiya CD album (SUCD 10-00028) will you find a greater sense of exotic coloring brought out by the fuller strings intonation (that attribute which made the USSR State Symphony a model for so many years until the early 1990s). The Romantic Intermezzo (1900) is likewise well-played, but it is not the heart on the your sleeves type of performance one will find in Odiysseiy Dimitriedi rendition with the USSR Radio Symphony (again under Melodiya).
So, with the music for "Masquerade" now available, efficiently and professionally performed by all involved, this album is an appealing buy.
At least for now.
More Glazunov: Masquerade (Incidental Music) Orchestral Works, Vol. 18 free music reviews:
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Description of Glazunov: Masquerade (Incidental Music) Orchestral Works, Vol. 18
Glazunov's beautifully scored incidental music for Lermontov's play Masquerade has onlysurvived in manuscript. With characteristic genius, he illustrates both the glittering atmosphere
and dances of splendid St Petersburg balls and depicts the horrifying descent into madness of
the play's protagonist, Evgeny Arbenin, who jealously poisons his innocent wife. The shorter
works on this disc likewise show Glazunov's amazing command of orchestral resources,
whether evoking an exotic oriental vision, the vivacious spirit of Hungarian music, in the Pas de
caractère, or painting a mood of gentle romantic lyricism.
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