Volga Odour
[M not sure of the success of 4YA’s recent arrangement of the Classical Hour giving one hour to each conductor; with an hour devoted to one composer you have a fair idea what to’ expect, but a conductor may make records of anything from a Bach concerto to a Sibelius symphony. Tuning in to "Constant Lambert Conducting," I found myself listening to something unusual-a symphonic poem by Glazounov, based on the Russian folk tale "Stenka Rasin." This notorious personage plied his outlawed trade on the Volga in luxurious comfort, not least of his pirate ship's adornments being an expensive mistress, a princess, no less. His fortunes at a low ebb, in a grand gesture he flings the lady to the river as a superstitious’ offering. In his music Glazounov combines a fine fury of sound, which may be descriptive of Stenka Rasin’s wild character, the ebb and flow of the fortunes of war, or the ancient river itself, with a nostalgic reminiscence of the Volga Boatmen’s Song, more properly known as Song of the Haulers gn the Volga. I don’t know just what is the correct pronunciation of the name of the hero of this tale, but judging by the odour of his deeds the announcer was probably right in calling him Stinker Razeen,
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 317, 20 July 1945, Page 16
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216Volga Odour New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 317, 20 July 1945, Page 16
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