The piece is a tone-poem that not only aims to capture the feelings of a dark and stormy autumnal wood but an expression of the composers own lamentation at the passing of happier times. November Woods was composed in 1917, at a very troubled time in European history as war raged across the continent. His catalogue of works includes some wonderful chamber music alongside seven richly rewarding symphonies. From 1942-53 he was the Master of the Queen’s Music. His work encapsulates the romantic ideals so prevalent in much of the Celtic poetry he admired and the works of WB Yeats.īax studied at the Royal Academy of Music and was reportedly a brilliant pianist. The final coda is titled The Sable sky and depicts the twinkling stars in the canopy above.īax, born in London in 1883, is often considered to be one of the last neo-romantic British composers alongside Finzi and Elgar. The Ballet is really a continuous musical tapestry of the seasons that begins with an icy winter flower fairies in spring, the warm glow of the sun accompanied by the Satyrs pipes in Summer and the autumnal dance. It was composed for the Russian Imperial Ballet and received its premiere in St Petersburg in the early months of 1900.
The Seasons is no exception and it feels closely linked to the ballets of Tchaikovsky. Glazunov carries on the work of Tchaikovsky, rejecting the more modern approach of fellow Russians, Prokofiev and Stravinsky. Glazunov wrote a substantial amount of chamber music that is perhaps more popular now than his symphonic works. His impressive catalogue of works includes piano and violin concertos, eight symphonies, incidental music and works for the ballet. Glazunov was born in St Petersburg, Russia in 1865 and died in Paris in 1936. He was a composer who was very much in favour in the last years of 19 th Century Russia and was taught by the great Rimsky-Korsakof.
Glazunov is not a name we readily hear these days in the concert halls and on radio broadcasts.
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