Biography
A pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov, began composing at a tender age. When he was thirteen, he composed Hungarian Dance for piano. In 1882 Balakirev performed his first symphony; in 1889 Glazunov conducted his Second Symphony at the World Exhibition in Paris. The ballet Raymonda (1897) was his first stage work. In 1899 he was appointed Professor and in 1905 became Director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He conducted his compositions in France and England (1907), where he was awarded honorary doctorates from Oxford and Cambridge universities. In 1930 he conducted a concert made up of his compositions in Prague. Through his work, he linked up to the ideals of the Mighty Handful (symphonic poems, especially Stenka Razin, 1885) and Tchaikovsky. His Concerto in A minor for violin and orchestra (1904) and two concertante waltzes (1893–1894) enjoy worldwide popularity. He composed eight complete symphonies, seven string quartets and a host of chamber pieces. Glazunov was a master of musical form, with his works being noted for their perfect structure, proportionality and clarity. This is also reflected in the score of Raymonda, as well as the titles that followed: Ruses d’Amour (1898) and The Seasons (1899).