Reinhold Glière facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Reinhold Moritzevich Glière
Рейнгольд Морицевич Глиэр
Reinhold Glière as a young man.
Born	Reinhold Ernest Glier 11 January 1875 [O.S. 30 December 1874] Kiev, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	23 June 1956(1956-06-23) (aged 81) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Resting place	Novodevichy Cemetery
Alma mater	Moscow Conservatory
Occupation	Composer, teacher

Reinhold Moritzevich Glière (born Reinhold Ernest Glier; 11 January 1875 – 23 June 1956) was an important composer and teacher from the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. He had German and Polish family roots. In 1938, he was given the special title of People's Artist of USSR, which is a high honor for artists.

Life and Musical Journey
Awards and Honors
Main Musical Works
Images for kids
See also

Life and Musical Journey

Reinhold Glière was born in Kiev, which was part of the Russian Empire and is now the capital of Ukraine. His father, Ernst Moritz Glier, was a wind instrument maker from Germany. His mother, Józefa Korczak, was from Poland. Reinhold was originally named Reinhold Ernest Glier. Around 1900, he changed his last name to Glière, which made some people think he was from France or Belgium.

Early Education and Studies

Glière started at the Kiev school of music in 1891. There, he learned to play the violin from teachers like Otakar Ševčík. In 1894, he joined the famous Moscow Conservatory. He studied with many great teachers, including Sergei Taneyev for counterpoint (a way of combining melodies) and Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov for composition (creating music). He also learned violin from Jan Hřímalý.

He finished his studies in 1900. He even wrote a short opera called Earth and Heaven and won a gold medal for his compositions. The next year, Glière began teaching at the Gnesin School of Music in Moscow.

Teaching Famous Students

In 1902, Glière started teaching two private students who would become very famous composers themselves: Nikolai Myaskovsky and an eleven-year-old Sergei Prokofiev. He taught Prokofiev at his family's home. From 1905 to 1908, Glière also studied conducting in Berlin. One of his classmates there was Sergei Koussevitzky, who later conducted the first performance of Glière's Symphony No. 2.

Becoming a Director

After returning to Moscow, Glière continued teaching. He wrote several important works during these years. These included the symphonic poem Sireny (1908) and the long symphony Ilya Muromets (1911). In 1913, he started teaching at the music school in Kiev, which soon became the Kiev Conservatory. A year later, he became its director. Some of his students in Kiev included Levko Revutsky and Boris Lyatoshinsky.

Work in the Soviet Era

In 1920, Glière moved back to the Moscow Conservatory, where he taught until 1941. Many more future composers studied with him there, such as Aram Khachaturian.

Glière also worked with government organizations related to culture and education. In 1923, he was asked to go to Baku, Azerbaijan, to help create a national opera for the country. His research led to the opera Shakh-Senem. This opera is seen as a very important work in the history of Soviet-Azerbaijan national opera. It mixed Russian classical music with local folk songs.

Famous Ballets

In 1927, Glière wrote the music for the ballet Krasny mak (The Red Poppy). This ballet was praised for being the first Soviet ballet about a revolutionary topic. It became his most famous work both in Russia and around the world. A very popular part of this ballet is the Yablochko or Russian Sailor's Dance. It's a lively piece that is still played in concerts everywhere.

He also revised his earlier ballet-pantomime Chrizis. Later, he wrote another popular ballet called Comedians (1931), which was later renamed The Daughter from Castile.

Later Life and Recognition

After the 1917 revolution, Glière did not travel to Western Europe like some other Russian composers. Instead, he gave concerts in different parts of Russia, including Siberia. In the late 1930s, he worked in Uzbekistan to help develop their music. From this time came the musical drama Gyulsara and the opera Leyli va Medzhnun, which he created with the Uzbek composer Tolib Sodiqov.

From 1938 to 1948, Glière was the head of the Soviet Composers Association. He received many awards throughout his life. He won the Glinka prize multiple times before the revolution. During his later years, he was named "Artist of the People" by Azerbaijan, the Russian Soviet Republic, Uzbekistan, and the USSR. He also received the title "Doctor of Art Sciences" in 1941. He won the highest Stalin Prizes three times for his works.

Musical Style and Legacy

Glière was a student of Sergei Taneyev, but he was also drawn to the traditional Russian style of music. His first symphony was even described as having a "very Russian style." His third symphony, Ilya Muromets, combined Russian traditions with a more refined, impressionistic sound. This symphony tells the story of the Russian hero Ilya Muromets. It was very popular and performed worldwide, making Glière famous. It's known for its grand scale and beautiful melodies.

Even with the political changes after the October Revolution, Glière focused on writing large-scale operas, ballets, and cantatas. His music often featured broad Slavonic themes with beautiful, singing melodies. He used rich harmonies and colorful orchestral sounds. His style was accepted by both the Tsarist (old Russian) and Soviet (new Russian) governments. This helped him avoid the harsh criticism that some other composers faced during that time.

Glière also wrote concertos for various instruments. These include concertos for harp (1938), coloratura soprano (1943), cello (1946), and horn (1951). He also composed many educational pieces, chamber music, piano works, and songs.

Reinhold Glière passed away in Moscow on 23 June 1956.

Awards and Honors

Reinhold Glière received many important awards for his contributions to music:

Three Glinka Awards:
- 1905 – for his first string sextet.
- 1912 – for his symphonic poem "Siren."
- 1914 – for his Third Symphony ("Ilya of Murom").
Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1937) – for his musical drama "Gyulsary."
Order of the Badge of Honour (1938).
Three Orders of Lenin:
- 1945 – for his great achievements in music.
- 1950 – for his great achievements in music.
- 1955 – for his great achievements in music.
Three Stalin Prizes, first class:
- 1946 – for his concerto for coloratura soprano and orchestra.
- 1948 – for his Fourth String Quartet.
- 1950 – for the ballet "The Bronze Horseman."
He was named Honored Artist of the RSFSR twice (1925 and 1927).
He was named People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR (1934) – for his work on the opera "Shahsanam."
He was named People's Artist of RSFSR (1935).
He was named People's Artist of the Uzbek SSR (1937) – for creating the musical drama "Gyulsary."
He was named People's Artist of USSR (1938).

Main Musical Works

Glière wrote a wide range of music, including pieces for orchestra, concertos, vocal works, chamber music, piano pieces, and music for the stage and films.

Orchestral Music

Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 8 (1900)
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 25 (1907)
Sireny (The Sirens), symphonic poem, Op. 33 (1908)
Symphony No. 3 (Ilya Muromets) in B minor, Op. 42 (1911)
Zaporozhtsy (The Zaporozhy Cossacks), symphonic poem-ballet, Op. 64 (1921)
Festive Overture for the 20th Anniversary of the October-Revolution, Op. 72 (1937)

Concertos (Music for Solo Instrument and Orchestra)

Concerto for harp and orchestra in E-flat major, Op. 74 (1938)
Concerto for coloratura soprano and orchestra in F minor, Op. 82 (1943)
Concerto for cello and orchestra in D minor, Op. 87 (1946)
Concerto for horn and orchestra in B-flat major, Op. 91 (1951)
Concerto for violin and orchestra in G minor, Op. 100 (1956), finished by Boris Lyatoshinsky.

Stage Music (Operas and Ballets)

Operas

Earth and Heaven, opera-oratorio (1900)
Shakh-Senem, opera, Op. 69 (1923–25)
Rachel, opera in one act, Op.81 (1942–43)
Leyli va Medzhnun, Uzbekian opera, Op. 94 (1940)
Gyul'sara, opera, Op. 96 (1936, revised 1949)

Ballets

Khrizis, Op. 65 (1912, revised 1925)
Komedianty (The Comedians), Op. 68 (1922, revised as The Daughter of Castille)
Krasny mak (The Red Poppy), Op. 70 (1927, revised as The Red Flower)
Medny vsadnik (The Bronze Horseman), Op. 89 (1948/49)

Chamber Music (Music for Small Groups of Instruments)

String Sextet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 1 (1898)
String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 2 (1899)
String Octet in D major, Op. 5 (1902)
8 Duets for Violin and Cello, Op. 39 (1909)
String Quartet No. 4 in F minor, Op. 83 (1943)

Piano Music

25 Preludes for piano, Op. 30
12 Pieces for children for piano, Op. 31
8 Easy Pieces for piano, Op. 43

Images for kids

Reinhold Glière as a young man.