Gliére, Reinhold (Moritsovich)
Gliére, Reinhold (Moritsovich)
Gliére, Reinhold (Moritsovich), eminent Russian composer and pedagogue; b. Kiev, Jan. 11, 1875;d. Moscow, June 23, 1956. Following training in Kiev (1891-94), he studied violin with Hrimaly at the Moscow Cons., where he also took courses with Arensky, Taneyev, and Ippolitov- Ivanov (1894-1900), graduating with a gold medal. He completed his studies in Berlin (1905-07). 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; he also conducted many concerts of his own works. He was a prolific composer, and was particularly distinguished in symphonic works, in which he revealed himself as a successor of the Russian national school. He never transgressed the natural borderline of traditional harmony, but he was able to achieve effective results. His most impressive work is his 3rd Sym., subtitled llya Muromets, an epic description of the exploits of a legendary Russian hero. In his numerous songs, Gliere showed a fine lyrical talent. He wrote relatively few works of chamber music, most of them ea in his career. In his opera Shah-Senem, he made use of native Caucasian songs. Gliere was the teacher of 2 generations of Russian composers; among his students were Prokofiev and Miaskovsky. He received Stalin prizes for the String Quartet No. 4 (1948) and the ballet The Bronze Knight (1950).
Works
DRAMATIC Opera : Zemlya i nebo (Earth and Sky; 1900); Shah-Senem (1923; Baku, 1926; rev. 1934); Gyul-sara, music drama (1936; Moscow, 1937; in collaboration with Sadikov; rev. version as an opera, Tashkent, Dec. 25, 1949); Leyli i Mejnun (Tashkent, July 18, 1940); Rashel, after Maupassant’s Mademoiselle Fifi (1942; Moscow, April 19, 1947). B a l l e t : Khirzis (Moscow, Nov. 30, 1912); Ovechiy istochnik (Sheep’s Spring; 1922; rev. as Komedianti [The Comedians], 1930; Moscow, April 5, 1931); Kleopatra (1925; Moscow, Jan. 11, 1926); Krasmy mak (The Red Poppy; 1926-27; Moscow, June 14, 1927; rev. as Krasniy tsvetok [The Red Flower], 1949); Medriiy vsadnik (The Bronze Horseman; 1948-49; Leningrad, March 14, 1949); Taras Bulba (1951-52); Dog Kastilii (1955). OTHER: Incidental music to plays. ORCH.: 3 syms.: No. 1 (1899-1900; Moscow, Jan. 3, 1903), No. 2 (1907-08; Berlin, Jan. 23, 1908, Koussevitzky conducting), and No. 3, llya Muromets (1909-11; Moscow, March 23, 1912); 3 symphonic poems: The Sirens (1908), The Cossacks of Zaporozh (1938), and Zapovit (1938); Concertos for Harp (Moscow, Nov. 23, 1938), Coloratura Soprano (Moscow, May 12, 1943), Cello (1946; Moscow, Feb. 18, 1947), Horn (1950; Moscow, Jan. 26, 1952), and Violin (1956; completed and orchestrated by Liatoshinsky); 7 overtures: Holiday at Ferghana (1940); The Friendship of the Peoples (1941); Overture on Slav Themes (1941); For the Happiness of the Fatherland (1942); 25 Years of the Red Army (1943); War Overture (1943); Victory (1945). B a n d : Fantasy for the Festival of the Comintern (1924); Red Army March (1924); Heroic March for the Buryiat-Mongolian A.S.S.R. (1936); Solemn Overture for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution (1937). CHAMBER: 2 string sextets (1900, 1902); 4 string quartets (1900, 1905, 1928, 1948); String Octet (1900); 8 pieces for Violin and Cello (1909); 12 pieces for Cello and Piano (1910); 10 duos for 2 Cellos (1911); numerous piano pieces. VOCAL: Imitation of Ezekiel for Narrator and Orch. (1919); 2 Poems for Soprano and Orch. (1924); A Toast for Voice and Orch. (1939); numerous songs.
Bibliography
I. Boelza, R.M. G. (Moscow, 1955; 2nd ed., 1962); N. Petrova, R.M. G. (Leningrad, 1962).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire