Reinhold Glière

March op. 76

Born in Kiev during the Russian Empire, Glière was a composer and teacher who studied violin and composition at the Kiev School of Music and the Moscow Conservatory. He held important teaching and administrative posts, including that of director of the Kiev Music School and a long career at the Moscow Conservatory. Known for monumental operas, ballets and cantatas, his music combined Slavic epics with lyrical harmonies, which earned him recognition under both the Tsarist and Soviet regimes and also saved him from accusations of formalism. His "Field March in B flat major", composed in 1946, is a characteristic example of his style. Glière died in Moscow in 1956. Performance note: Every effort was made to remain faithful to the original, but the 1946 score contained some errors which have been corrected. The work is remarkably sparse in dynamic indications, leaving conductors plenty of scope to develop their own dynamic range and interpretation.