Glinka: Trio Pathetique & Selected Piano Works - New American Trio

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, born on June 1. 1804, is well known for his two operas, “A Life for the Tsar” and “Russian and Ludmila”. He actually created a Russian national opera and laid the foundations for the modern Russian school. His use of folk song in his two operas displays his creative power -- he rarely used the primitive folk songs in crude state. Instead he used his own melodies, saturated with nationalistic sentiment. His harmony was very progressive, and in fact, he used the whole-tone scale long before its supposed invention. His orchestration is very rich and varied, laying a foundation for the brilliant orchestration associated with the Russian school. A man of Glinka’s apparent genius (he proved himself to be very musical at quite an early age) might be expected to have accomplished more in his lifetime. A study of his life reveals several factors that prevented a greater level of accomplishment. An overly protective mother laid the seeds of an extremely delicate constitution in his early years; his health was very bad throughout his forty-two years. This is probably the single most important factor that prevented his having become a composer of the first rank. After he left home at age 13, his story is a sad one: constant traveling in search of health and happiness.