Symphony No. 5 (Glazunov)
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The Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, opus 55 (also known as The Heroic), was written by Alexander Glazunov from April to October of 1895. Although in this symphony Glazunov returned to his conventional four-movement layout (his Fourth Symphony had only three) he avoids theme transformation. Glazunov described it as "silenced sounds" and "an architectual poem".
Four movements, in the classical form, make up the symphony:
Glazunov dedicated his Fifth to Sergei Taneyev, a Russian composer, pianist, and teacher, and was first performed at the Second Russian Concert at the Hall of the Nobility in St. Petersburg on 17 November 1896; the premiere was conducted by the composer himself. A Leipzig newspaper called the symphony "very profound" and "sparkling" and reported that the scherzo had to be reprised on opening night to the delight of the audience.
