GLIERE, Reinhold  (1875-1956)

HISTORY                         Composers

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DEALERS                        

Gliêre, Reinhold (Moritsovich), eminent Russian composer; b. Kiev, Jan. 11, 1875; d. Moscow, June 23, 1956. He studied violin with Hrimaly at the Moscow Cons., where he also took courses with Arensky, Taneyev, and Ippolitov-lvanov (1894—1900), graduating with a gold medal. In 1905 he went to Berlin, where he remained for 2 years; returning to Russia, he became active as a teacher; was appointed prof. of composition at the Kiev Cons., and was its director from 1914 to 1920; then was appointed to the faculty of the Moscow Cons., a post he retained until 1941. He traveled extensively in European and Asiatic Russia, collecting folk melodies; conducted many concerts of his own works; he made his last tour a month before his death, conducting in Odessa, Kishinev, and other cities. He was a prolific composer, and was particularly distin guished in symphonic works, in which he revealed himself as a successor of the Russian national school. He never trans gressed the natural borderline of traditional harmony but he was able to achieve effective results. His most impressive work is his 3rd Sym., subtitled Ilya Muromets, an epic description of the exploits of a legendary Russian hero. In his numerous songs Glière showed a fine lyrical talent. He wrote relatively few works of chamber music, most of them early in his career - In his opera Shah-Senem, he made use of native Caucasian

songs. Glière was the teacher of 2 generations of Russian com posers; among his students were Prokofiev and Miaskovsky He received Stalin prizes for the String Quartet No 4 (1948) and the ballet The Bronze Knkqht (1950).

Works:    OPERAS: Shah-Senem (Baku, May 4, 1934) Leily and Medzhnun (Tashkent, July 18, 1940); Rachel, 1 act opera after Maupassant’s Mademoiselle Fiji (Moscow, April 19 1947) GhuLsara (Tashkent, Dec. 25, 1949). BALLETS: Chrysts (Mos cow, Nov. 30, 1912); Cleopatra (Moscow, Jan. 11, 1926) Red Puppy (Moscow, June 14, 1927); Comedians (Moscow Apnl 5,1931); The Bronze Knight (Leningrad, March 14 1949) INCIDENTAL MUSIC: King Oedipus of Sophocles (1921) Lysis trata of Aristophanes (1923); Marriage of Figaro of Beaumar chais (1927). o~cH~: Sym. No. 1 (Moscow, Jan. 3,1903) Sym No. 2 (Berlin, Jan. 23, 1908, Koussevitzky conducting) The Sirens, symphonic poem (Moscow, Jan. 30, 1909); Sym No 3, Ilya Muromets (Moscow, March 23, 1912); 2 Poems for So prano and Orch. (1924); Cossacks of Zaporozh, symphonic poem (1921; Odessa, Dec. 23,1925); Trizna. symphonic poem (1915); For the Festival of the Comintern, fantasy for Wind Orch. (1924); March of the Red Army for Wind Orch (1924)

Imitation of Jezekiel, symphonic poem for Narrator and Orch (1919); Concerto for Harp and Orch. (Moscow, Nov. 23 1938) Friendship of Nations, overture (1941); Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orch. (Moscow, May 12, 1943); For the Happiness of the Fatherland, overture (1942); 25 Years of the Red Army, overture (1943); Victory, overture (Moscow, Oct. 30, 1945); Cello Concerto (Moscow, Feb. 18,1947); Horn Concerto (Moscow, Jan. 26, 1952, composer conducting); an unfinished Violin Concerto. CHAMBER: 5 string quartets (No. 4 won the Stalin - Prize, 1948; No. 5 left unfinished at his death); 3 string sextets;

String Octet. OTHER: 20 pieces for Violin and Piano; 12 duos for 2 Violins; Ballad for Cello and Piano; 4 pieces for Double Bass and Piano; 8 pieces for Violin and Cello; 12 pieces for Cello and Piano; 10 duos for 2 Cellos; miscellaneous pieces L for different instruments. He also wrote about 200 songs and 200 piano pieces.