It was 1990, and a friend lent me a bunch of classical music records that his dad had. Among the pile of records, an album caught my attention that had an image of a horseman with heroic clothing from the Russian steppes. I remember that I put it on the record player in my room... and from there I fell in love with this symphony that has inspired me many things to write in my novels.

Farberman, you are a genius. These tempi are so right. Your version of this incredible masterpiece is so right...bravo !

Excellent soud and interpretation! The best recording ever.

Really fantastic music...

I. Wandering Pilgrims - Ilya Muromets and Svyagotor - 00:00 II. Nightingale the Robber - 28:39 III. At the Court of Vladimir the Mighty Sun - 57:31 IV. The Heroic Deeds and Petrification of Ilya Muromets - 1:05:33 Glière completed his third symphony in 1911, choosing to base it on the legend of Il'ya Muromets, the subject of ancient Russian epic. Il'ya Muromets is described as the son of a peasant and appears in a number of early Russian poems, to be identified, it is thought, with the pagan god Pyerun, but eventually absorbed into Christian tradition. One group of Russian epics, or byliny, is concerned with the older heroes or bogatyri, of which Il'ya Muromets and Svyatogor are among the most important. The former, remarkable among other things as the son of a peasant, was weak, without the use of his legs, for the first 33 years of his life, but strength came to him by a miracle, when two passing travellers, wandering pilgrims, gave him a draught of honey. His exploits in the service of Vladimir Fair Sun, to be identified either with the historical St. Vladimir, the first Christian ruler of Kiev, or with a later prince, Vladimir Monomakh, were remarkable in wars against pagan enemies, much assisted, in one century or the other, by a horse that could fly over the land. Of uncertain temper, in anger he once destroyed the domes and spires of the churches of Kiev, but when death approached he built a cathedral in Kiev and when he died his body was turned to stone, and so remains to this day, as the epics tell us. The symphony opens with a slow and evocative introduction, a horn call piercing the mists of medieval Russia, as excitement mounts, the hero springs to life, riding his wonderful horse to find the bogatyr Svyatogor, whom he greets respectfully. The two leap on their horses and ride a long time over the Holy Mountains, taking pleasure on their journey in heroic games. They find a large coffin in which Svyatogor lays himself and cannot be raised from its depths. Before he dies he gives wise counsel to Il'ya, who receives the strength of the dead hero and rides on to Kiev. Solovey the Brigand lives in the forest, sheltered in a grove of seven oak-trees. He whistles like a nightingale and sends out fierce cries, and all the men in his country lie dead. Three girls help to lure his victims to their doom. When he hears Il'ya Muromets approaching, Solovey whistles and utters his harsh cries, but the hero draws his bow and shoots a shaft of glowing iron, piercing the brigand's right eye. He ties Solovey to his stirrup and drags him to the palace of Prince Vladimir. The movement starts with an eerie string figure, and follows in general the traditional story, moving from the sinister to the lyrical, before dramatic action intervenes once more. The third movement is set at the court of Prince Vladimir, known as Fair Sun, in a scherzo. The Prince is giving a feast for his nobles and the bogatyrs. Approaching the palace gates, Il'ya Muromets bids Solovey whistle and utter his harsh cries, the roof of the palace trembles, and the nobles fall down in fear, except forVladimir, who remains standing. Il'ya cuts off Solovey's head and is welcomed by Vladimir as a knight at his table. The longest of the four movements deals with the brave exploits of Il'ya Muromets against the enemies of Christian Kiev, led by Batygha the Wicked. He fights against Oudalaya Polyenitsa for twelve days and nights, beheading him and carrying his severed head back on a lance. Other enemies arise, two warriors who increase in number as each one falls. In flight Il'ya Muromets and the bogatyrs are turned to stone, and this is the reason for the absence of bogatyrs today.

utterly majestic work, one of the great 'unknown' symphonies, was he possibly working all his life to this mighty composition?

Looking at the score on IMSLP. Love the repetition of unison - minor 3rd in the bass, then it branches out... 1-3-2-1 is recycled in many different instruments, the bass plays stepwise chromatically and raises to a perfect fourth. A note on the technique: Con Sordino is a great for this kind of slower writing. #composernotes

I've read somewhere in the past that this is the only recording which follows the composer' own tempo indications in the score.

This symphonye deserves to be animated, Fantasia-like...