Glazunov - Concerto
As Hitler and Mussolini met for the first time in 1934, Alexander Glazunov finished this grand piece in the saxophone repertoire for Sigurd Rascher. It is an uncompromisingly romantic piece with luscious strings and memorable themes. There is a great sense of brooding trouble from the outset that sounds unmistakably Russian. There are similarities in the style to Prokofiev, Rachamaninoff and Shostakovich. Perhaps there is a some vague connection with the turmoil of the times and the emotional scope of the music. Although Glazunov was one of few composers of the time with a genuine interest in the saxophone, Rascher had to hound the Russian to make it come about. The work was premiered in Sweden, although Glazunov most likely never heard the work performed. An unusual situation arose regarding the sheet music where A. Petiot was added as a second composer. Quite why this should be is uncertain, but the work is certainly Glazunov's. The work has been recorded by a number of soloists and remains a popular work today. The expressive range is broad and there is potential in the work for intense emotion and feelingful playing. The piece is through-composed in that it contains no marked movements but does cycle through various sections of different tempi and time. A midway cadenza is an interesting moment but the most spectacular writing is probably the coda with its mandatory altissimo, typical of music written for Rascher.