String Quintet Op. 39

I put this CD in the player without reading the booklet and without noting the order of the works on the disc. The first several cuts were charming but negligible pièces characteristiques that were like cotton candy, sweet enough but not nourishing. I found myself thinking that a common impression of Glazunov's music -- that it is pleasant enough but not very substantial -- was being substantiated. Then I read the notes and discovered that the music I was hearing was the 'Five Novelettes' and that they had been written when Glazunov was sixteen! That mitigated my initial impression because for all their empty calories they are cleverly and skillfully written. For instance the second movement, called 'Orientale', makes artful use of musette-like drones that support, alas, a banal hootchy-kootch tune. It's the construction that impresses, not the musical materials. And the fourth movement, Valse, is really rather nice, with a melody that sticks in the mind.

But when we come to the String Quintet in A major, Op. 39, written when Glazunov was ten years older in 1891, we are in the presence of a masterly work for string quartet plus second cello. The opening Allegro is a classic sonata-allegro form with impressive handling of the tuneful first and second themes; there are some notable moments for all five instruments and after an impressive development a fine recapitulation with a Brahmsian coda. The Scherzo starts with a sustained viola note against pizzicato fripperies by the violins which then state and develop the main theme. A lyrical minor-key trio follows before a return to the A section and a final coda. The Andante opens with an arching melody played by the second cello. Lyrical in the extreme, this movement sounds the most Russian of the four, reminding one at times of Tchaikovsky's string sextet 'Souvenir of Florence' with its extra emphasis on the outpourings of the lower strings. The finale, marked Allegro moderato - Allegro vivo, begins with an irregularly-accented minor-key theme that also sounds Russian (not necessarily a common occurrence in Glazunov's music) which is then developed fugally. This is followed by a tranquil middle section and then return of the earlier music, this time with lightening major key interjections. All this leads to a final section marked Presto which ends breathlessly and triumphantly. This work, which I'd never heard before, leads me to think maybe I ought to explore more of Glazunov's chamber music.

The members of Fine Arts Quartet, one of America's finest and long resident at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, are joined by Tchaikovsky Competition cello gold medalist Nathaniel Rosen for this fine disc. I have given the CD four stars rather than five largely because I doubt I'll be returning often to the 31-minute 'Five Novelettes'. But I'll definitely return to the Quintet.

Scott Morrison

Alexander Glazunov is still primarily known for his orchestral works, but his chamber and piano music is starting to become generally available - which is indeed fortunate; his first piano sonata is an absolute masterpiece, and his string quartets, while less immediately captivating than his best orchestral music, deserve at least the occasional outing. Those who know his orchestral music will not really be surprised by the chamber works, though; Glazunov was a conservative but an expert craftsman and his often memorable themes are treated with imagination and skill.

The five Novelettes are indeed superb, full of memorable tunes, aching melancholy, atmosphere and exuberance - the five movements are supposed to be in various national styles, through which we get a wide variety of colorful solutions that all sound distinctly Russian (and distinctly Glazunov). It is an early work (1886 is the most common date given for their composition, though the booklet note here gives 1881), but Glazunov was a prodigy and these early works certainly exhibit all the qualities for which his music is appreciated and more. The Fine Arts Quartet plays it with warmth and brilliance if lacking the last touch of tonal refinement - it's a good performance, but not preferable to the Vertavo Quartet, which is the only other version I am familiar with. In any case, this is music that truly demands to be heard by all music lovers.

The string quintet (1891-92) is scored for string quartet augmented with a second cello (here Nathaniel Rosen). It opens with a beautiful, unabashedly romantic Allegro followed by a Scherzo which is both spry and tuneful but lacks the surging wistfulness of Glazunov's best scherzos. The Andante, however, is deeply touching and the Finale is salutatory and spirited. It is not quite a masterpiece, I have to admit, but it is certainly a work worth getting to know and to return to. It is again well performed, though again just a little more tonal sheen and fullness would have added just a little bit to it all. The sound is good, though, and this is definitely a disc to be enjoyed.