José Serebrier's Glazunov recording reviewed in Diapason
ALEXANDRE GLAZUNOV
Symphony No. 5, The Seasons
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, José Serebrier
Warner Classics
José Serebrier is revealed as a conductor particularly inspired by the music of Glazunov: he infuses the music with an élan, enthusiasm and clarity which finally does justice to this music. We admire also the balance between the Schumannesque lyricism of the grand romantic themes in the Symphony No. 5 (1895) and the scintillating orchestration in the bubbling scherzo (superbly performed) and in the vibrant finale.
Served by a remarkable orchestra, this performance is ideally vibrant and alive, in contrast with those heavy versions on Chandos (Polyansky) and BIS (Otaka).
To complement the symphony, Serebrier follows with a brilliant and choreographic interpretation of
The Seasons, the post-Tchaikovsky pastiche composed for Petipa (1900), ending with charm, virtuosity and enthusiasm in the final
Bacchanale. The conductor gives us a recording of demonstration quality, particularly adapted to music which does not pretend to be profound, but achieves formal perfection.
Jean-Claude HULOT