Glière - Ilya Muromets: Symphony No. 3, Op. 42 (3/8)

Symphony No. 3 in B minor, Op. 42, "Ilya Muromets" Tableau II: Solovey the Brigand (beginning) A magnificent, monumental, extravagant symphony by the Soviet composer Reinhold Moritzevich Glière (1875-1956), depicting the tale of the Slavic epic hero Ilya Muromets. Originally from Kiev, Glière studied composition with the Russian masters Sergei Taneyev, Anton Arensky and Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. Later, he taught the young Nikolai Myaskovsky and Sergei Prokofiev. Glière rose through the Soviet hierarchy, and in 1938, he was named "Artist of the People" and became Chairman of the Organization Committee of the Soviet Composers Association. He was awarded the Glinka and Stalin prizes multiple times over the course of his career. Glière&third symphony, "Ilya Muromets" (dedicated to Alexander Glazunov), is a 90-minute long work of epic proportions. It was premiered in 1912 and won the composer a Glinka prize. Each of the four tableaux depicts an episode from the legend of Ilya Muromets, the greatest of the Russian bogatyrs (hero-knights). The first movement opens with a slowly mounting introduction leading to a horn call, as the bogatyr springs to life. Ilya rides off in search of the mighty hero Svyatogor, who is renowned for his bravery. He finds Svyatogor, and together, they undertake a difficult adventure. Eventually, they reach a coffin, which the impulsive Svyatogor enters; the hero cannot find a way to escape, and dies. However, the great powers of Svyatogor are...