Alexander Glazunov was one of the most influential Russian composers and teachers of his time. Shunning modernism, he wrote in an attractive romantic idiom well into the twentieth century. His prodigious output includes the famous ballet The Seasons as well as nine symphonies. Glazunov's two Piano Concertos are fine examples of a style familiar from Tchaikovsky, Chopin and Rachmaninov, demanding a high degree of virtuosity in an intensely lyrical context. The Variations on a Russian Theme are the work of a number of composers in honour of the conductor Nikolay Galkin.