Reinhold Gliere – Symphony No.3 'Ilya Muromets' (2000)

1. I. Wandering Pilgrims - Ilya Muromets and Svyagotor 21:47
2. II. Nightingale the Robber 21:46
3. III. At the Court of Vladimir the Mighty Sun 6:54     
4. IV. The Heroic Deeds and Petrification of Ilya Muromets 25:07

Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Donald Johanos - conductor

Glière (1875-1956) was one of the late Russian nationalists, along with Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov, whose music collectively captures the waning years of Romanticism in Russia. Glière's Symphony No. 3, Ilya Muromets, of 1912 takes its thematic cues from Richard Wagner, particularly Wagner's German nationalism in such tales as the Nibelungenlied. Ilya Muromets is a hero of Russia's golden age--similar to Odysseus and Achilles--and the symphony paints the tale of his moody adventures and his lifelong journeying. It is probably Glière's greatest symphony, imbued with the sense of something irretrievably lost because of the rise of Communism. --Paul Cook

This symphony must be counted in the list of the top 10 or so greatest symphonies ever written. That is elite company, to be sure, but Gliere earns that distinction with this exceptional entry into the canon of symphonic literature. There is nothing small about this symphony. It is a vast musical landscape, but one that is easy to understand. Gliere employs tight, compact writing stretched out over a lengthy 75 minute musical canvas. It is a descriptive work filled with intoxicating, hypnotic moments. I could go on forever, but I'll leave it up to you to experience this excellent, well executed performance of one of the most wondrous, magical symphonies ever put to paper. My highest recommendation. –Robert Thomas

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