Jane Pierce wrote: >What do you consider the cornerstones of Glinka'a works? Although Glinka used melodies clearly Russian in origin, artistically he looked to the West, using a musical language similar to Italian standards of his day. What set him apart was his orchestral coloration, the use of individual instruments and their harmonies, which led eventually to what came to be called the French-Russian treatment, as opposed to Liszt and the German, Wagner-Richard Strauss treatment. Read Constant Lambert on Glinka, if you want a good discussion; Lambert places him second only to Liszt in historical importance in the 19th century. Russlan and Ludmila is generally considered his most influential work. John Dalmas [log in to unmask]