Symphony No. 4
The arrival of Glazunov's mature voice, compact and elegant in three movements, where craft, lyricism, and orchestral polish come together in a work of easy confidence.
Completed in December 1893 and dedicated to Anton Rubinstein, the Fourth Symphony is where many hear Glazunov's individual style fully settle. He departs from the four-movement plan and the nationalist tunes of the earlier symphonies, casting the work in three movements and letting his own melodic and harmonic instincts lead. Rimsky-Korsakov conducted the premiere in January 1894 and called the work marvellous, noble, and expressive.
The compression is deliberate. The three movements are tightly related, with thematic ideas carried and transformed across the whole, giving the symphony a sense of unity that the more sprawling early works lack. The lyricism is generous but disciplined, and the writing never loses its poise.
The orchestration shows the qualities Glazunov became known for, a clear and balanced sound, elegant woodwind writing, and climaxes that are broad without turning heavy. The result is a work of refinement rather than drama, more concerned with beauty of line and finish than with struggle. It stands as the first of his symphonies to sound entirely and confidently like himself.
Movements
Recordings coming soon
The individual movements will be uploaded here.