3rd Symphony (Myaskovsky)

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3rd symphony
key A minor
opus 15th
Sentence names
  • I non troppo vivo, vigoroso
  • II Deciso
Total duration about 45 minutes
Composed 1914
occupation Symphony orchestra
dedication "For BW Assafiev "

The Symphony in A minor, Op. 15, is the third symphony by the composer Nikolai Jakowlewitsch Mjaskowski .

History of origin

The third symphony was the last Myaskovsky wrote before the outbreak of the First World War . The composer's previous works had already been well received by this time, and the sonata for violoncello and piano in D major was particularly popular. Work on the symphony was finished in April 1914.

analysis

Mjaskowski's inner turmoil, which was already evident in the other early works, is most impressively evident in the third symphony. One example is the contrast between the first two subjects of the first sentence or between the end of the first sentence and the introduction of the second sentence. Mjaskowski was obviously still looking for his own style in this early creative phase, whereby the symphony represents a compromise between the music of Russian Romanticism and the processing of the traumatic experiences of the time.

The first movement in A minor begins with an introduction in which most of the motivic material of the entire piece is presented. First, based on the dark rumble of the bass, a fanfare in E flat appears, which appears again and again in the piece. This is followed by a second, majestic and threatening theme. The following three-part sonata form begins with a tough, convulsive theme. The very chromatic and almost atonal transition leads to a loud variant of the second theme of the introduction played by the whole orchestra. After the music has calmed down, the second, vocal theme starts, which is again based on the introductory fanfare. The third theme is in D flat major , the development and recapitulation are structurally conventional, even if the last minutes in A major are much quieter and more peaceful.

The second movement begins with resounding, fanfare-like chords which, through a rapid development, lead to the main theme of the rondo . The second, dance-like theme in E minor and a variant of the main theme of the first movement follows, whereby this variant has been modified so much that it could also be called an independent theme. After the music slows down, the central part of the movement appears, which again has a threatening mood. The part ends with a theme in unison , followed by a repetition of the introduction and the two themes of the rondo. Another variant of the theme of the first movement, this time not so alienated, leads to the last, surprising section of the symphony: a funeral march in the form of ABA . It begins with a quiet string theme, which also draws on the second theme of the rondo section. The second part consists of a long, large crescendo that uses the first theme of the movement and leads back to the funeral march theme, which this time is powerfully voiced by the whole orchestra. The coda of the march, which is also the movement's coda is again calm and quiet, it seems a kind of cello - cadence and several A minor sixte-ajoutée chords, the tone sequence with the e-fis-gis-a are highlighted in the bass. At the end the chord fades away and the basses play a final a. This unusual ending clearly shows Mjaskowski's state of mind at the time: The funeral march symbolizes the horror and hopelessness of the political and social situation in Russia in 1914.

Reception and criticism

At the end of the third symphony, Myaskovsky was so dissatisfied with himself that he thought about giving up composing altogether, or at least starting all over again. Such a turning point can indeed be seen in Mjaskowski's music, but it was not intentionally brought about, but caused by the First World War. As Myaskovsky was fighting on the front, he received the news that the conductors Aslanov (who had already premiered the first symphony ) and Alexander Ilyich Siloti were interested in the score of the third symphony. By the third symphony at the latest, Myaskovsky clearly acknowledged his Russian nationalist stance. He dedicated the work to his friend and colleague Boris Assafjew.

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

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