There can be little doubt that
Neeme Järvi had a grand time conducting Glazunov's Second Symphony in F sharp minor in this 1986 Orfeo release. His Allegros have plenty of energy -- listen to the strength of the climaxes -- his Andante has lots of lyricism -- listen to the sweetness of the theme -- his Allegro vivace scherzo is tons of fun -- listen to the wit of the twists and turns. With the more than provincial if less than world class but always enthusiastic playing of the
Bamberg Symphony,
Järvi is clearly enjoying the heck out of performing this high-spirited music. Unfortunately, it has to be said that
Järvi might as well be conducting Rimsky-Korsakov's Second Symphony or Anton Arensky's Second Symphony or, really, just about any symphony from a Russian composer of the latter half of the nineteenth century. The things that make Glazunov Glazunov -- the piquant coloring of the winds, the sensitive doubling of the strings, the valiant tone of the brass, the distinctive arch of the melodies, the commanding control of developments, and, above all, the combination of musical assertion and emotional reserve he learned from Borodin but that he made into a voice all his own -- these things are not so much absent as ignored in
Järvi's interpretation. For characteristic Glazunov, try the heroic
Rozhdestvensky or the tender
Fedoseyev or the more balanced if less awe-inspiring
Anissimov. Orfeo's early digital sound has a wide range of dynamics, but a narrow sense of space.