Reinhold Gliere, born in Kiev, took as inspiration the legendary Ukrainian folk hero Ilya Murometz to compose his massive 3rd Symphony, a gloriously melodic and dramatic work which serves to set the teeth of certain snobbish classical critics on edge. Ilya was said to have been a weakling, sitting motionless for 30 years, until emissaries of God endowed him with supernatural strength to combat the enemies of Ukraine. His exploits in doing so, including defeating an army of a thousand men while armed only with a boot, are depicted in gorgeous sound by Gliere.

I have several versions of this symphony, one of my favorites, and those who don't have it(you're really missing something)should consider getting this exciting performance , available from various Amazon sellers for just a few dollars.


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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.