Alexander Glazunov’s Sixth Symphony is one of his best. A turbulent opening movement (whose doom-laden introduction clearly influenced Rachmaninov) introduces a brilliant second movement Theme and Variations, followed by a gentle scherzo and the obligatory triumphant finale that, in this case at least, never outstays its welcome. The tunes come from the composer’s top drawer and the orchestration is unobtrusively brilliant. If you haven’t heard or don’t think highly of Glazunov’s symphonies, this work makes an ideal place to start–or just might change your mind. The Forest (Fantasy) is an early tone poem that, like so much of this composer’s output, offers a pleasant 20 minutes of music written with more skill than his detractors seem willing to admit. It’s charming and quite pretty. Alexander Anissimov urges his Moscow players to give energetic performances of both works, though the recording is somewhat dry and studio-bound. Worth a listen, in any case.
