Product Description

Maestro José Serebrier's acclaimed Glazunov symphony & concerto cycle is now available as an 8 CD cap-box. The completion of this series was a personal triumph for Serebrier, who's passion for these works are heard throughout every performance. A small sampling of the praise these recordings have received: "Serebrier gets very characterful and brilliant performances from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra... The refinement and power of the performance are superbly caught." Penguin Guide, Key Recordings. "This set is a godsend. Glazunov's Violin Concerto maintains it's hold on the repertoire, but how many times do we hear the two piano concertos or the one for saxophone, let alone the Concerto Ballata for cello or the miniatures he wrote for violin, cello and horn? José Serebrier's recordings of Glazunov's eight completed symphonies, plus the torso of a projected ninth, have established a valuable core of music in the catalogue, but this two-disc album of the concertos with the Russian National Orchestra is far more than merely an appendage. Glazunov had an instinct for the dynamics of concerto writing, his ear for orchestral color combining with his mellow lyricism and secure architectural sense to create a frisson that some of the symphonies might lack. The Violin Concerto, winsomely played by Rachel Barton Pine, was the first to be composed in 1904; the pair of piano concertos, with Alexander Romanovsky here a soloist of soul and spirit, followed over the next couple of decades. True, Glazunov's style did not change markedly with the years - not even for the Saxophone Concerto of 1934 - but he knew precisely how to harness instruments' individual expressive qualities." Daily Telegraph - Geoffrey Norris.

Review

I cannot imagine these recordings being surpassed by any conductor or orchestra . . . This set goes straight to the top of the recommended versions of the symphonies and concertos. It has no direct competition; no-one else has a single box with all the symphonies and all the concertos. The life-enhancing poetic spirit which suffuses and courses through these works is remarkable. It combines consistently inspired interpretative insights, Imperial Russian style and superb audio-technology. I cannot imagine these recordings being surpassed by any conductor or orchestra, so strong and sympathetic are they. --MusicWeb-International.com, Rob Barnett, ISBN13: B006W7SV5Q ISBN10: B006W7SV5Q Material Type: audioCD