Minstrel’s Song

Music was a constant in the Glazunov family home, and young Alexander was quick to show his remarkable talent. He started composing at age 11 and, three years later, met the great composers Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov. The latter became his teacher and was in awe of his young student’s talent, stating that “his musical development progressed not by the day, but literally by the hour.” In 1899, Glazunov joined the teaching staff of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, going on to become its director in 1905, despite the turbulence in Russia at the time. However, Stalin’s tight grip on the country’s cultural life in the 1920s convinced the composer, along with several other artists, to go into exile. He moved to Vienna in 1928, then to Paris in 1932, where he lived out his final years. 

Composed in 1900, Minstrel’s Song, Op. 71, showcases Glazunov at a time when his reputation was firmly established, with six symphonies already under his belt. The piece is dedicated to cellist Aleksandr Verzhbilovich, principal cellist to Tsar Nicholas II. Marked by a serene elegance, the work carries a dolce e appassionato (tender and expressive) melody. Glazunov brings out the cello’s lyrical beauty in this work, which remains firmly rooted in the Romantic style, despite its medieval title.  

While Alexander Glazunov’s name may not have achieved the same legacy as some of his contemporaries, he remains a key figure in the history of Russian music. His rare inclusion in concert programs can be largely attributed to his steadfast, and at times stubborn, loyalty to Romanticism. Though Glazunov was initially lauded by the late 19th-century artistic community as Tchaikovsky’s successor, he later faced criticism for his resistance to modern influences.