Alexander Glazunov

History knows many Russian composers who, through their work, have made an invaluable contribution to the development of world musical culture. One of them was Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, an outstanding musician whose works embodied the progressive traditions of Russian democratic art. He was called the lucky one and the darling of fate, blessed by the Creator himself. Gifted with extraordinary abilities, he created joyful, bright and harmonious music worthy of admiration and it was not without reason that he was compared with Liszt and Wagner, and besides, he was considered the creative successor of Tchaikovsky.

Read a brief biography of  Alexander Glazunov and many interesting facts about the composer on our page.

Brief biography of Glazunov

On July 29, 1865, in the family of a well-known book publisher in St. Petersburg K.I. Glazunov, a joyful event occurred: the first-born was born, whom happy parents named Alexander. The baby's father, Konstantin Alexandrovich, was a very educated person, who, in addition, enthusiastically played the piano and violin . The boy's mother, Elena Pavlovna, being brought up in a boarding house as a child, diligently mastered playing the piano there. Her interest in music was so great that she continued her studies even after her marriage, and since the financial situation of the family was very prosperous, Elena Pavlovna could afford to practice her performance skills under the guidance of such outstanding teachers of St. Petersburg as Professor of the Conservatory T. Leshetitsky and eminent composerM. Balakirev .

Music in the Glazunovs' house sounded constantly, and therefore little Sashenka was surrounded not only by a benevolent, but also by a creative atmosphere. The boy's extraordinary abilities began to manifest themselves quite early. Noticing this, the parents tried in every possible way to develop them, hiring two governesses for his upbringing at once: a German and a Frenchwoman. According to Glazunov's biography, at the age of nine, Sashenka, gifted with a good ear and musical memory, began to learn to play the piano under the guidance of the best teachers in the city: first, N.G. Kholodkova, and then N.N. Elenkovsky. However, the young musician showed interest in other musical instruments, also mastering the violin and cello .. Already at the age of eleven, Sasha tried to compose something himself for the first time, and at fourteen he was introduced to M. Balakirev, who, having become acquainted with the children's, still imitative, compositions of the young musician, identified in him a spark of exceptional talent and strongly recommended that he immediately apply for study basics of composition to N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov .

Alexander was lucky that his well-to-do parents could pay for their son's private lessons with such an outstanding maestro. The young man studied with great interest, eagerly absorbing all the material provided to him by the teacher. As a result of diligent study, the course of music theory, harmony, instrumentation and analysis of forms, which is usually designed for 5-7 years of study, was mastered by Sasha Glazunov in a year and a half. Nikolai Andreevich was so pleased with his ward that he called him only “young professor”, and soon announced that he no longer intended to treat him as his student, but was ready to constantly support him with friendly advice.

In addition to music, since 1877 Alexander was educated at the Second St. Petersburg Real School, but he did not take this study seriously enough and every day returning home after classes he completely devoted himself to creativity: he sat down at the piano, writing something or learning new works. In addition, the young man enjoyed attending symphonic music concerts, and once during an orchestra rehearsal for one of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov introduced Sasha to the famous music critic V.V. Stasov. Acquaintance with a wonderful person made such a big impression on the young man that he wanted to communicate more with him. For this reason, Alexander began to often visit the Public Library, where Vladimir Vasilyevich worked, and soon, despite the difference in age, they became close friends.Mighty handful " by A. Borodin and C. Cui.

First Symphony

The first major work of Glazunov, presented to the general public with the assistance of his authoritative patrons N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov and M. Balakirev became Symphony No. 1written in 1881. The triumphal premiere performance of the work took place in March 1882 in the hall of the Noble Assembly of St. Petersburg. The listeners were pleasantly shocked when, after the end of the symphony, when the author was summoned, a 16-year-old teenager appeared on the stage in the form of a real school. It became clear to everyone that a new star had lit up in the domestic musical horizon. This concert was attended by Mitrofan Petrovich Belyaev, a timber merchant, the richest man and a great music lover, who was so delighted with the talent of the young author that he later began to actively popularize his work and thus played a significant role in the fate of the composer.

In 1883, after graduating from a real school, A. Glazunov, as a volunteer, began to attend the Faculty of History and Philology of St. Petersburg University. However, such studies, which did not interest the young composer at all, did not last long. In February of the following year, he stopped attending lectures, but continued to play with pleasure in the university orchestra, where he played the cello, clarinet , horn and trombone. And in May 1884, Alexander, together with M. Belyaev, went on a creative journey through Europe. In Germany, they had a meeting with F. Liszt, who, having heard the first symphony of the young composer, gave his work a positive assessment. After returning to his homeland, A. Glazunov joined the Belyaevsky Circle, and in 1886 he met and then became close friends with the great P.I. Tchaikovsky . A confidential correspondence began between the young and venerable composer, which was frank.

In 1887, not only the Mighty Handful, but the entire musical community of St. Petersburg suffered a heavy loss: Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin died untimely . The composer left two of his significant works unfinished: the opera Prince Igor , on which he worked for twenty years, and Symphony No. 3. Shortly before his death, Borodin played fragments from these compositions to his colleagues, but everything was in draft versions. N.A. undertook to finish the works in memory of a friend. Rimsky-Korsakov, who immediately brought in Glazunov, who had an exceptional musical memory, for this work. As a result, both works were not only restored, but also orchestrated in the style of A.P. Borodin.

In the autumn of 1888, an important event took place in Glazunov's creative life: the composer, after long hesitation, finally made up his mind and stood at the conductor's stand. And in the summer of the following year, as part of the World Exhibition held in Paris, at concerts arranged by M. Belyaev, Glazunov conducted his Second Symphony so successfully that French newspapers, vying with each other praising the young Russian composer, marked the beginning of his great popularity abroad.

Years of creative flourishing

The nineties can rightfully be called the time of the full flowering of A. Glazunov's creativity. During this period, he created works that fully reveal his talent and mastery of composing technique. These are the fantasy "Sea", the symphonic paintings "Kremlin" and "Spring", the suite "Chopiniana", the overture "Carnival", the third, fourth, fifth and sixth symphonies, as well as three of his ballets, including the famous " Raymonda". At the end of the decade, in 1899, when the composer's talent reached its peak, he was offered to share his knowledge and take a professorship at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. The following significant changes in the life of A. Glazunov are associated with a sad event: in January 1904, a great friend and support of the composer, M. Belyaev, died. This irreparable loss not only greatly depressed Glazunov, but also added a lot of various troubles associated with the will of a patron of the arts. M. Belyaev ordered that after his death all his undertakings, including a music publishing company in Germany, a music award named after. M.I. Glinka and "Russian Symphony Concertos" should be continued by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Glazunov and A. Lyadov. For this reason, the intensity of Glazunov's social and musical life has greatly increased,

Glazunov's biography says that the year 1905 following for the composer was also full of events that made certain adjustments to his fate. In March, the directorate of the conservatory fired N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who supported the revolutionary-minded students. As a sign of solidarity with the outstanding maestro, many prominent professors, who clearly defined their position, among whom was A. Glazunov, defiantly left the educational institution. Nevertheless, Alexander Konstantinovich returned to the conservatory, and this happened at the end of the same year after the adoption of the October Manifesto and the granting of autonomy to the institution, that is, its disconnection from the Russian Musical Society. In addition, some time later, according to the results of the elections, Alexander Konstantinovich took the post of director of the conservatory.

In 1907, A. Glazunov widely celebrated the 25th anniversary of his creative activity, receiving congratulations not only from his compatriots, but also from European admirers of his talent.

revolutionary change

Soon, difficult times came for Russia: first the First World War, and then the 1917 revolution. However, Glazunov, fully absorbed in his work at the conservatory and in musical and educational activities, despite the significant changes taking place in the country, managed to remain in his position. He established relations with the new government, namely with the People's Commissar of Education A. Lunacharsky, managed to maintain an authoritative position for the conservatory, and in the summer of 1918, according to Lenin's decree, it became a higher educational institution. Such attention from the government motivated Alexander Konstantinovich to take an active part in building a new culture of the young Soviet country. Not sparing his efforts, he gave all his energy to the musical education of the masses, acting as a conductor at concerts, passing in the clubs of factories and factories, as well as visiting competitions of amateur artists. A. Glazunov's active work, which received wide recognition, was duly appreciated: in 1922 he was awarded the title of "People's Artist of the RSFSR". However, at the same time, Alexander Konstantinovich's position at the conservatory was greatly shaken, as some professors, headed by B. Asafiev, desired more progressive teaching methods. There were constant clashes and squabbles in the team, which Glazunov did not like very much. However, at the same time, Alexander Konstantinovich's position at the conservatory was greatly shaken, as some professors, headed by B. Asafiev, desired more progressive teaching methods. There were constant clashes and squabbles in the team, which Glazunov did not like very much. However, at the same time, Alexander Konstantinovich's position at the conservatory was greatly shaken, as some professors, headed by B. Asafiev, desired more progressive teaching methods. There were constant clashes and squabbles in the team, which Glazunov did not like very much.

Departure abroad

In 1928, Glazunov received an invitation from Vienna to take part as a jury member in an international composers' competition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of F. Schubert . In autumn, Alexander Konstantinovich, together with his wife Olga Nikolaevna, left for the Austrian capital. After the competition, the Glazunovs were in no hurry to return to the Soviet Union, as they decided to travel around the cities of Europe. They visited Prague, Dresden and Leipzig, and then stayed for a month in Gundelsheim, where the composer was recovering his health.

After Germany, the composer and his wife visited Paris, a city with which wonderful memories of his youth are connected and where so many friends lived - emigrants from Russia. In his letters to A. Lunacharsky, the composer constantly complained about his failing health, but already in December he performed as a conductor in the famous Paris Pleyel at the author's concert, after which he received an invitation to make creative trips to Spain, Portugal, England, and then to America. Glazunov's tours were very successful: receptions were held in his honor, praised in the press, his works were recorded on the radio. However, during his stay on the American continent, the composer became seriously ill, which prevented several planned concerts and, as a result, the organizers of the tour did not pay most of the promised fee.

After returning to Europe, the composer's health began to deteriorate, however, he continued to perform at concerts as a conductor, traveling around various European countries. In 1932, the Glazunov family firmly settled in Paris, since the diagnoses that the doctors made to the composer did not bode well. Alexander Konstantinovich died on March 21, 1936 in France, renewing his Soviet passport for almost ten years, he never became an emigrant and until his last breath he hoped to return to his homeland, to his native St. Petersburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting facts about Glazunov

• The book publishing company of the Glazunovs began its existence in St. Petersburg at the end of the 18th century. The founder of the company, Matvey Glazunov, was one of the first to open his bookstores in Moscow, and then in the northern capital. The composer's grandfather - Ilya Glazunov during the life of A.S. Pushkin published the work of the great poet "Eugene Onegin" in such an original format that the author himself visited the publisher more than once to admire an unusual book printed with all the innovations of printing technology for that time.
• Alexander Glazunov had a sister who was born two years later and two younger brothers, but the future composer met them only when he was nine years old. Sasha's mother, Elena Pavlovna, in such a peculiar way protected her children from various kinds of childhood contagious diseases. One of the composer's brothers Dmitry Glazunov later became a famous entomologist and traveler, and the younger Mikhail continued his father's publishing business.
• Usually, orchestral musicians do not always speak well of conductors, but A. Glazunov enjoyed undeniable authority among them. The composer did not suppress the musicians and spoke only in a low voice during rehearsals. He was well aware of the possibilities of instruments, as he knew how to play many. Once, a horn player at an orchestra rehearsal complained about the exorbitant complexity of a certain passage. Alexander Konstantinovich took an instrument from the musician and masterfully played the “uncomfortable” fragment.
• The composer had a phenomenal musical memory: contemporaries claimed that after one listening he could record the score of an entire symphony. Such a fantastic ability of A. Glazunov helped to restore the unfinished A. Borodin opera "Prince Igor" and "Third Symphony".
• In addition to an extraordinary musical memory, Alexander Konstantinovich had an exceptional ear, which instantly reacted even to minor deviations from the proper sound. Contemporaries said that from the impure sound he had a headache. So during the performance of S. Prokofiev's work "Scythian Suite" Glazunov left the hall, as he could not finish listening to this work.
• Alexander Glazunov was very popular in Europe, but he had special recognition in the country of "Foggy Albion". The composer visited the English capital several times, where he conducted his works at concerts. Having appreciated his merits, the Russian Symphony Society in Great Britain elected A. Glazunov an honorary vice-president, and in 1907 Oxford and Cambridge universities awarded him an honorary doctorate. In addition, he became an honorary member of the National Academy of St. Cecilia.
• The philanthropist M. Belyaev, in order for Alexander Glazunov not to have problems with the publication of his works, founded the music publishing company MP Belaieff, Leipzig in Leipzig and acquired the exclusive right to publish all the composer's works.

• The director of the imperial theatres, I. Vsevolozhsky, who treated domestic composers with great arrogance, having heard at the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II in 1896 a work by A. Glazunov, specially written for this event and enthusiastically received by representatives of the royal family, immediately made the composer an offer to compose a ballet. This is how “Raymonda” appeared, and then “The Young Lady Servant” and “The Seasons”.
• From the biography of Glazunov, we learn that in 1905, dissatisfied with the actions of the directorate and resigning from the conservatory, the composer fell into depression. He spent all his time in the country and found oblivion in wine. Glazunov's mother, Elena Pavlovna, in order to somehow dispel her son, gave the order to the driver to put Alexander Konstantinovich in the car and drive until he was completely sober.
• A. Glazunov became a professor and then director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory without a conservatory education.
• The actions of the generous director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory were always heatedly discussed among students. There is a known case when Alexander Konstantinovich fixed his eyes on a poorly dressed thin girl - a student of the vocal department. After asking fellow students about her, Glazunov learned that the student ekes out such a miserable existence that the cost of her daily lunch is only four kopecks. The director, outraged by this situation, summoned the girl to his place and informed her about the appointment of a monthly scholarship in the amount of 25 rubles. In addition, the fact is known that in the difficult twenties, Alexander Konstantinovich, helping poor students, donated his entire salary to them, while he himself sat in a cold apartment, because there was nothing to pay for heating.
• Alexander Konstantinovich had many students who left their mark on the history of Soviet music, but the most famous of them was Dmitri Shostakovich .

• Some time after the death of her husband, A. Glazunov's wife Olga Nikolaevna left Paris for the Holy Land, closed herself in a cell of the monastery, and in order to somehow merge with her beloved spouse, she took the name Alexandra when taking the tonsure.
• The remains of Alexander Glazunov in 1972 were transported from France to Leningrad and reburied with great honors in the necropolis of the Masters of Arts of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
• The Small Concert Hall of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the Petrozavodsk State Conservatory, as well as music schools in Moscow and Barnaul bear the name of the outstanding composer.

Creativity of Alexander Glazunov

The contribution of Alexander Glazunov to the development of world musical culture is difficult to overestimate. His work, formed under the influence of M. Balakirev, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Borodin, P.I. Tchaikovsky not only continued the traditions of the great masters, but also inextricably linked Russian musical classics with the emerging Soviet music. Skillfully applying his mastery in harmony and counterpoint, as well as skillfully using the whole variety of the orchestral palette, Glazunov initially created works of both lyrical-dramatic and pictorial-epic content, but then, having synthesized these two directions, he created his own lyric-epic symphonism, in which sought to convey the whole world of human happiness, spiritual nobility and sincerity.

The creative destiny of Alexander Glazunov, which lasted for almost fifty years, can undoubtedly be called successful. Many works coming out from the composer's pen were still "warm" on the conductor's stand in order to soon be appreciated by the audience. Glazunov composed a lot. So, finishing one opus, he immediately began to work on another. That is why the composer endowed his descendants with such a generous creative heritage, which includes three ballets (Raymonda, The Young Maid and The Seasons), eight symphonies, seven suites (Oriental Rhapsody, Characteristic Suite, Chopiniana ”, “Ballet Suite”, “From the Middle Ages”, suite from the ballet “Raymonda”, “Finnish Sketches”), five overtures (2 overtures on Greek themes, “Solemn Overture”, “Carnival”, “Song of Fate”), symphonic fantasies and poems (“In memory of a hero”, “Stenka Razin ", "Sea", "Forest", "Spring", "Kremlin", "From Darkness to Light", "Karelian Legend", "Finnish Fantasy"), five instrumental concertos, six works for voices and choir and orchestra ("Solemn Cantata", "Solemn March", "Toast", "Hey, let's go!", "Prelude-cantata). In addition, A. Glazunov wrote a wide variety of concert compositions for a symphony orchestra, works for various instruments (piano, violin, viola, horn,trumpet, organ ) , numerous chamber ensembles, "Russian Fantasy" for an orchestra of folk instruments, pieces for piano in 2 hands, romances, as well as compositions for unaccompanied choir and music for dramatic performances (Salome, King of the Jews, Masquerade).

Glazunov - Director of the Conservatory

Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov became the head of the St. Petersburg Conservatory in December 1905 and worked in this position for more than twenty years, until 1928. It was a very difficult time for the country, but for the students and teachers of the educational institution, according to contemporaries, it was wonderful, since A. Glazunov's talent was fully manifested in administrative work. With his principles and sensitive responsiveness, he won great respect not only from students and teaching staff, but also from the entire musical community of the Russian capital.

Already from the very beginning, Glazunov, who took up his duties and organizational work with all responsibility, although he considered it boring, gave himself completely. First of all, he put administrative affairs in order, and in addition, by increasing the requirements for teachers and students and carefully delving into all the subtleties of the academic process, he significantly transformed the curriculum. Secondly, thanks to the initiative of the new director, a student symphony orchestra and an opera studio were organized at the conservatory.

A. Glazunov devoted himself entirely to his new leadership position: in addition to regulating the educational process, he had to solve a wide variety of economic issues. The composer had almost no time for creative activity: he composed fewer new works and often refused to participate in concerts.

Alexander Konstantinovich did not like to do administrative work, but he got real pleasure from communicating with young talents. The director considered it obligatory for himself to attend the annual examinations, sometimes he had to listen to several hundred speeches in a month. He was very happy if he noticed a sign of talent in a young performer, followed the progress of students and personally wrote a characterization for each.

The youth of the conservatory treated Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov with great respect, as they saw in him not only an authoritative composer and teacher, from whom one could learn a lot, but also a leader who carefully cared for each student. When admitting young people to an educational institution, Alexander Konstantinovich evaluated only the musical abilities of the applicants. He was not interested in either the class origin or the nationality of the applicants, and he considered the quota for Jews established by the government to be a shame. As a result of this approach, many promising talented musicians studied at the conservatory. Accordingly, among them were representatives from the poorest segments of the population, whom the director tried to help to the best of his ability. For example, all his salary of the head and teacher A.

The merits of Alexander Konstantinovich and the invaluable contribution that he made to the development of the conservatory were highly appreciated: in December 1920, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of his leadership work, the presidium of the educational institution decided to give the name of A. Glazunov to the Small Hall of the Petrograd Conservatory.

Personal life of Alexander Glazunov

Alexander Konstantinovich was an unusually bright and kind person. His mental structure was so harmonious that it seemed that it must necessarily attract happiness. However, fate decreed otherwise, and for a long time the only woman who was dear to the composer's heart was his mother Elena Pavlovna. And yet family happiness did not bypass him. When Glazunov was already at a fairly mature age, an extraordinary miracle happened: a young woman, whose name was Olga, appeared in the house of Alexander Konstantinovich. Elena Pavlovna hired her as her assistant, who, always carefully caring for her beloved son, began to feel difficulty in housekeeping. Very soon, Olga became a close and dear person for Alexander Konstantinovich, who surrounded him with tender care. Except for love devotion and care, Olga Nikolaevna gave Alexander Konstantinovich and family happiness. Glazunov was very fond of children, but a serious illness suffered in his younger years deprived him of the joy of fatherhood. Olga did not come to the Glazunovs' house alone: ??she had a little girl in her arms, who, to the delight of the composer, was called by the name of his beloved mother - Elena. A large apartment on Kazanskaya Street was filled with the cheerful laughter of little Lenochka, who soon began to call the composer dad, and her gifted musical abilities brought the girl even closer to her adoptive father. In the future, Elena, who bore the surname and patronymic of Glazunov, became a brilliant pianist who successfully performed at concerts with her stepfather, performing his piano works. but a serious illness suffered in his younger years deprived him of the joy of fatherhood. Olga did not come to the Glazunovs' house alone: ??she had a little girl in her arms, who, to the delight of the composer, was called by the name of his beloved mother - Elena. A large apartment on Kazanskaya Street was filled with the cheerful laughter of little Lenochka, who soon began to call the composer dad, and her gifted musical abilities brought the girl even closer to her adoptive father. In the future, Elena, who bore the surname and patronymic of Glazunov, became a brilliant pianist who successfully performed at concerts with her stepfather, performing his piano works. but a serious illness suffered in his younger years deprived him of the joy of fatherhood. Olga did not come to the Glazunovs' house alone: ??she had a little girl in her arms, who, to the delight of the composer, was called by the name of his beloved mother - Elena. A large apartment on Kazanskaya Street was filled with the cheerful laughter of little Lenochka, who soon began to call the composer dad, and her gifted musical abilities brought the girl even closer to her adoptive father. In the future, Elena, who bore the surname and patronymic of Glazunov, became a brilliant pianist who successfully performed at concerts with her stepfather, performing his piano works. which, to the joy of the composer, was called by the name of his beloved mother - Elena. A large apartment on Kazanskaya Street was filled with the cheerful laughter of little Lenochka, who soon began to call the composer dad, and her gifted musical abilities brought the girl even closer to her adoptive father. In the future, Elena, who bore the surname and patronymic of Glazunov, became a brilliant pianist who successfully performed at concerts with her stepfather, performing his piano works. which, to the joy of the composer, was called by the name of his beloved mother - Elena. A large apartment on Kazanskaya Street was filled with the cheerful laughter of little Lenochka, who soon began to call the composer dad, and her gifted musical abilities brought the girl even closer to her adoptive father. In the future, Elena, who bore the surname and patronymic of Glazunov, became a brilliant pianist who successfully performed at concerts with her stepfather, performing his piano works.

Glazunov and Olga lived together for fifteen years, but officially registered their marriage only after moving to Paris, shortly before the death of the composer. According to the recollections of close people, the relationship between Alexander Konstantinovich and Olga Nikolaevna was surprisingly warm and harmonious. And in the last years of the composer's life, when he was overtaken by a serious illness, Olga, forgetting about herself, sacrificially looked after her beloved spouse, not leaving his bed night or day. After the death of Glazunov, Olga Nikolaevna found consolation only in the fact that she supported the memory of her dear husband. 

Alexander Glazunov is a brilliant musician who played a significant role in the development of not only Russian, but also world musical culture, and whose skill is a valuable example for future generations of composers. His rich creative heritage is worthy of admiration, as perfectly harmonious music, filled with joy and light, makes you want to listen and listen.