Kevin Tuite wrote:

>Some of my friends consider him the finest Georgian composer
>-- or at least one of the finest -- now alive, but his music is little
>known outside of the former USSR.  Personally, I find Glonti's music
>extraordinary, and I would like to help make it known to a larger circle
>of listeners.  Since Felix has no computer and no access to the Internet
>from his home in Tbilisi, I offered to make a few excerpts from his
>compositions available on the Web (with the composer's permission,
>of course), at the following address:
>
>http://mapageweb.umontreal.ca/tuitekj/caucasus/glonti.htm

Thank you very much for this page and the information and listening
opportunities it gives us.  I particularly appreciate being able to
listen...  it is usually so difficult to find access to the music of
most Georgian composers, and I have tried.

>I would like to know, first of all, if any of you are already familiar
>with Glonti's work, and what you think of it.

Thanks to a friend, I have been aware of Glonti's existence and the value
of his work for quite some time, although I had only every heard one
piece - the Marienbadische-Elegie for cello and orchestra, which is also
one of the pieces you offer, and which could never leave me indifferent,
far from it.  The elegy certainly prompted me to seek out more but I
completely failed so your page was more than welcome.  (I have just been
listening to the pieces from the 6th symphony for a third time...)

Whilst I was unsuccessfully seeking out Glonti, I did find a wonderful
(I find) recording of string quartets: Sulkhan Nasidze's fifth, "Con
sordino", and Sulkhan Tsintsadze's sixth along with his "Miniatures"
for string quartet.  (Sorry about the spelling of their names which
might be quite wrong.) Could you tell us any more about these composers
and their music?

Another Georgian composer, of course, is the well-known Kancheli, whose
music has changed in some subtle manner since he has been living in
Germany.  His music seems to have less of an edge, but that might be
just my own impression.  (I love his fourth and fifth symphonies).

>I would also appreciate any comments on how to improve the web page &
>what further information I ought to publish there.

Back to Glonti.  Whatever information you can include about his work -
descriptions, opinions, concerts, radio broadcasts, recordings - would
be of great interest.  News of him was and will always be welcome.

Thanks again.

Christine Labroche