Kevin Tuite <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >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. I would also appreciate >any comments on how to improve the web page & what further information >I ought to publish there. My dear friend Christine Labroche drew my attention to this post. I am delighted to know that Felix Glonti is still active and to learn more about his music, since he is hardly mentioned in standard books (Frans C. Lemaire does say a few words in his book about Russia's and former USSR's 20th century composers, ed. Fayard). Before I visited Kevin's webpage, I only knew two recordings of Glonti's music: one is devoted to the Romantic symphony, which I thought was No. 5, and the other to the two concertante symphonies, Marienbad Elegy and Wanderjahre. The most convincing of the three pieces is, to my ears, Marienbad Elegy (Marienbaduli Eledjia). A concertante symphony for cello and orchestra, it is the most lyrical but does not indulge either in cheap sentimentality or in derivative neo-Romanticism, thanks to its sheer intensity and "plasticity". The orchestral writing is at once terse, almost raw, and sensuous, powerful. The style may come as a surprise both to Kancheli-admirers - little of the latter's suspended atemporality is to be found in Glonti's passionate, densely eventful work - and to devotees of more neo-Classical pieces such as Tsintsadze's or Taktakishvili's. All in all, I found that particular work to be one of the most persuasive concertant works for cello written since 1945, as is another Sinfonia concertante, Gosta Nystroem's, albeit in a different vein. Wanderjahre is somewhat dryer, more dramatic and I did not endear to it as much, but it still demonstrates Glonti's excellent craft. The Romantic Symphony is in the grand manner. I understand that its premiere was less than successful. Probably some found it too subjective to match the official requests and others too old-fashioned. Its weakness, to my ears, lies in its slight lack of internal cohesion. It is a sequel of episodes, some of them quite arresting, more than a large fresco with a sustained level of inspiration. The large excerpt from Symphony No. 6 to be heard on Kevin's page seems more accomplished and gripping. I tried to contact the Georgian Music Information Centre twice, to no avail so far. I wished to know more about Glonti and Kevin's page addresses this need. I do hope that it will expand and encourage record companies to take interest in this truly interesting and sincere composer. I was also curious about Mshvelidze's 3rd symphony, which might be more than a good sample of exotic Realist-Socialist style, as well as Nasidze's symphonies 4-8. Best wishes, Thanh-Tam Le