Symphony No.3 in A minor "Unfinished" - Alexander Borodin

The USSR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov. [Completed and orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov].

I - Moderato assai - Animato - Tempo I. Moderato - Animato - Sostenuto e tranquillo: 0:00
II - Scherzo. Vivo - Sostenuto e pesante - Tempo I - Trio. Moderato - Tempo I: 9:15

The third symphony of Borodin was being written in the last years of life of the composer. During a celebration of a party in his house, Borodin played on the piano several fragments of the symphony, intended as a four movement work which was fully conceived in the mind of the composer, only having to put it on the paper. Unfortunately, Borodin suffered a rupture of the coronary artery during the party, dying that same day.

From the four movements idea, seems like only written parts of the first two movements were left, of course without any orchestration. The composer Alexander Glazunov completed the movements, which were originally conceived for a string quartet, and then he orchestrated them.

The first movement (Moderato assai) was reconstructed by Glazunov from Borodin's sketches written in 1884 and using his prodigious memory to write down what he heard from Borodin's played fragments on the piano in that party. The he orchestrated it

It opens with a lovely "Russian" sounding unaccompanied oboe solo that expands into a woodwind choir. Unison strings repeat this theme, of Russian popular character, that dominates the entire movement. Borodin was masterful at transforming and manipulating thematic material by altering the character and mood through changes in tempo, rhythm, and tonality. The nature of the opening theme is one of forward momentum, helped by Mr. Glazunov's imaginative use of instrumentation as he features thematic fragments throughout the orchestra. After the recapitulation, the movement ends sweetly.

The second movement is a scherzo. Glazunov completed and orchestrated it, adding a trio with music from the one written for the first act of "Prince Igor", later discarded by Borodin.

It is a fairly typical scherzo, quick and energetic with a contrasting middle section that is slower, more lyrical, and pastoral in character. Par for this particular ABA form, the opening material makes a triumphant return. Much of the movement is in the unusual meter of five. The use of this uneven meter is more common in the music of eastern European and Mediterranean countries, thus, distinguishing the style even further from the western tradition. In spite of the symphony's brevity, it distinctly captures Borodin's undeniably Russian voice.

Picture: "Three Babas" by the Russian painter Filipp Malyavin.

Sources: http://www.historiadelasinfonia.es/naciones/la-sinfonia-en-rusia/la-sinfonia-en-el-siglo-xix/borodin/ and https://www.allmusic.com/composition/symphony-no-3-in-a-minor-completed-by-glazunov-mc0002366742

Видео Symphony No.3 in A minor "Unfinished" - Alexander Borodin канала Sergio Cánovas