17th Symphony (Myaskovsky)

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17th symphony
key G sharp minor
opus 41
Sentence names
  • I Lento. Allegro molto agitato
  • II Lento. Assai
  • III Allegro poco vivace
  • IV Andante
Total duration approx. 48 minutes
Composed 1936/1937
occupation Symphony orchestra
( 2 + 1,2 + 1,2 + bass, 2 + 1/4331 / Pk / Schl / Hrf / Str )
premiere In December 1937 under the direction
of Alexander Wassiljewitsch Gauk
dedication "For Alexander Wassiljewitsch Gauk"

The Symphony in G sharp minor op. 41 is the 17th symphony by the composer Nikolai Jakowlewitsch Mjaskowski .

History of origin

Myaskovsky began work on the 17th symphony in October 1936, the month in which the 16th symphony was premiered . With this work, too, the search for a topic was difficult and dragged on over several months. At the same time he was also working on songs about texts by the Iranian poet A. Lahuti . The draft of the symphony was ready in February 1937, in June he undertook the instrumentation. The world premiere took place in December, after the first performance of the 18th symphony .

analysis

With the 17th Symphony, Mjaskowski consistently continues his new tonal language. On the one hand, the work is characterized by strong contrasts between the individual movements; on the other hand, the lyric spans the entire piece, which is one of the composer's longest symphonies. As in the previous symphonies, the mood is optimistic and clear.

The first movement begins with a slow introduction, followed by the sonata form in Allegro with a melancholy first theme in G sharp minor. The theme of the introduction is further processed here in the quick part and also runs through the entire symphony in the following. The second movement is the slow movement and is in E major . The use of A clarinets and harp give the movement a peaceful character, which gradually increases until it culminates in forte and the theme is heard in the brass section . The introductory theme also appears in this movement in the solo violas . The short Scherzo is in C minor and has a very Russian character. In the middle section, the trumpets and horns play the introductory theme in a greatly modified form. The lively finale in alla breve time is in A flat major (enharmonic for G sharp major). In one passage a “somewhat inhibited march ” can be heard, according to Mjaskowski , which “seems to be looking for a way back to the restless mood of the first movement.” The main motif of the symphony ultimately prevails and is heard “at the end of the symphony as a call of victory and triumph. "

Reception and criticism

The symphony could not build on the success of the 16th, but it was mostly positively rated. Heinrich Neuhaus wrote about the work:

“This symphony is absolutely perfect in its mastery. Mjaskowski has never before achieved such clarity and simplicity (overcoming the complicated) in the orchestral setting; In some sentences the extremely difficult contrapuntal interwoven fabric looks like a multifaceted landscape viewed from a high mountain - the interesting details with all their richness and beauty combine to form an inseparable harmonic whole. "

- HG Neuhaus : Review in the magazine Sowjetskoje iskusstwo

The work was only performed a few times and, like the 18th, 19th and 20th, was for a long time in the shadow of the 16th symphony, despite Neuhaus's request to be able to meet this work more often as a listener in the concert hall.

literature

  • CD supplement Warner Music France 2564 69689-8 (Miaskovsky: Intégrale des Symphonies, Evgeny Svetlanov (cond.))
  • Soja Gulinskaja: Nikolai Jakowlewitsch Mjaskowski. Moscow 1981, German Berlin 1985

Web links