Glazunov – String Quintet in A major

^{Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)}

^{String Quintet in A major (1891-92)}

^{Alexander Glazunov wrote a lot of music, most of which is forgotten today. By the time he died, his musical language was considered old-fashioned. But that doesn’t mean that the best of what he wrote wasn’t brilliant.}

^{The String Quintet in A major, a piece he composed at the age of 26, is just that: overflowing with energy, invention, melodic felicity, and rustic charm. In his scoring, Glazunov followed Schubert’s model, opting for a second cello rather than a second viola. The resulting ensemble textures are particularly rich, sonorous.}

^{A substantial viola solo opens the first movement and presents its first theme. This is a sunny, rocking tune that aptly sets the stage for a lot of the music that follows. The movement’s second theme is a marked contrast: a little slower and much simpler, it’s essentially a rising scale couched in a velvety series of chord progressions.}

^{Glazunov’s second movement features terrifically inventive combinations of pizzicato (plucked) and arco (bowed) writing. The mood throughout this scherzo is genial and relaxed, especially in the outer sections. In the central Trio, things grows briefly darker before a recapitulation of the jovial opening material and a lengthy coda restores the music’s initial disposition.}

^{At the heart of the Quintet stands the deeply-felt third movement. It begins with a ruminative melody that loosely recalls Glazunov’s contemporary, Alexander Borodin; picks up in tempo; shifts in character from wistful to hopeful; and closes with an enchanting series of artificial harmonics passed between the ensemble.}

^{In the finale, Glazunov channels the folk-inflected music of Tchaikovsky, with a series of vigorous, earthy tunes that sound nothing like the music we’ve previously encountered in this piece. Elaborate developmental procedures keep the momentum going before the movement culminates in a series of tempo accelerations and the Quintet closes with an exuberant flourish.}

^{Reproduction Rights: This program note may be reproduced free of charge in concert programs with a credit to the author.}