An analytical study of some piano pieces by Reinhold Glière

The twentieth century was marked by numerous musical compositions that departed from emotion and sentiment, seeking music that embodied the spirit of the era. This led to the emergence of new artistic styles, schools, and trends that differed fundamentally from the compositions of previous eras. Their rhythms, melodies, and harmonies were characterized by artistic characteristics that were difficult for scholars to easily appreciate. Their rhythms were irregular, aiming to break free from the monotonous unity of musical scales. The compositions also lacked tonal affiliation, with melodies moving in sonic regions far removed from one another, such that the human voice could not easily repeat them.

On the other hand, anyone who follows the history of Russian music finds that, until the mid-nineteenth century, it remained a mere extension of European music, until a new generation of talented and distinguished composers emerged who enriched the art of music and were influenced by Russian popular music, based on folklore and Russian church music.

Reinhold Glieres (1875–1956) is one of the twentieth-century Russian composers who focused on composing for the piano, adopting late Romanticism as his doctrine. He was named People's Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1935) and People's Artist of the Union of Socialist Republics (1938).

Because of the educational importance of Glière's compositions, they were studied at the Moscow Gnesin School of Music as serious, high-level educational works. They are also characterized by an engaging style and high technicality that can benefit piano students.