Symphony No.5 in A major "Pastoral" - Gavriil Popov

USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gurgen Karapetian

I - Pastorale. Allegro poetico e molto cantando: 0:00
II - Storm. Allegro agitato - Largo poetico: 9:39
III - Struggle: Fugue. Allegro energico - Maestoso: 19:02
IV - Hopes. Largo appasionato - Appasionato cantabile: 28:45
V - Pastorale. Adagio poetico e molto cantabile - Coda. Largo maestoso e festivo: 38:27

The fifth symphony of Gavriil Popov was composed in 1956 according to the data of the Muzycalnaya Entsiklopediya. This year marks the beginning of de-Stalinization, but things slowly changed. For this reason it was not premiered until 1963, performed by the Moscow orchestra.

The first movement, pastorale, after an arpeggio of the orchestra, the oboe presents a theme reminiscent of Mussorgsky. The theme is taken by the other instruments of the orchestra in a fugue form. Then it is presented as a pastoral painting in the style of Mahler.

The second movement, storm, continues without pause. The atmosphere is thinned giving way to the explosions of the storm, in a style already inherited from Beethoven. But it changes when calm arrives, presenting a rarefied environment full of nervous tension.

The third movement, struggle, presents us with a double fugue based on a vigorous and rhythmic theme. A music of great dramatic strength.

The fourth movement, hopes, continues without interruption. Corresponds to the slow movement of the work, presenting a passionate theme very expressive. It ends with a solemn coda that reminds us of the Respighi of the Roman Holidays.

The last movement, pastorale, also interpreted without interruption, returns to the character of the beginning of the work, with the theme presented by the oboe. It uses part of the initial movement material. After a more dramatic development, it leads us to the final part of the work in a dreamy environment, returning the pastoral theme.

The work uses a very conservative musical language but Popov does not do without its individual style, making a superb orchestration of it.

Picture: "Lake. Russia" (1900) by the Russian-Jewish painter Isaac Levitan.

Sources from this spanish website on Popov symphonism: http://www.historiadelasinfonia.es/naciones/la-sinfonia-en-rusia/los-compositores-mas-notables-1/popov/

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