A well-educated child of privilege, Glinka became a fervent Russian nationalist. He is considered the father of Russian music, and exerted a significant influence on such great later composers as Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky. One of Russia's ranking conductors of the new millennium, Vladimir Fedoseyev has worked extensively in Central Europe during the second phase of his career. As chief conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra since 1997, he has brought a new intensity to the city's often underrated second orchestra. During his years as chief conductor of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Fedoseyev gained a reputation for achieving a balance between passion and musical integrity.

Alexander Glazunov was one of the most important Russian romantic composers, but didn’t belong to the “Mighty Handful” or “The Five”, whose strongly nationalistic tendencies he respected, but did not embrace. Glazunov’s music is of “western” charm, lyricism and inner passion. His symphonies, still somewhat neglected in favour of those of his compatriot Tchaikovsky, are brilliantly orchestrated and full of sweeping romantic grandeur, a true discovery for those not acquainted with these Russian master pieces!

Tikhon Khrennikov was certainly an equivocal figure in the history of 20th-century Russian music. A composer with a tendency towards popular theatrical genres and lyricism, the naively optimistic nature of his music was soon noticed by the Soviet government, which took Khrennikov under its wing and appointed him Secretary of the reorganised Union of Composers in 1948 – a post he held for no less than 43 years. During his tenure in the role, Khrennikov witnessed the persecution of numerous artists who refused to comply with the USSR's dictated enthusiasm for all things socialist in musical culture. Such behaviour surely confirms his political stance, and yet it is known that Khrennikov on more than one occasion came to the aid of several musicians, protecting them from arrest and helping to forge the careers of many young and talented artists. This recording is historic in the sense that it features 3 Soviet child prodigies: Yevgeny Kissin, Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin, now household names in western musical life, then the perfect examples of successful Soviet education and training. Khrennikov himself is the soloist in his 3rd piano concerto.