Symphony No.3 in A minor - Nikolai Myaskovsky

State Academic Symphonic Orchestra of Russia conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov.

I - Non troppo vivo, vigoroso - Poco largamente e pesante - In tempo giusto - Largamente e pesante - Più lento, con elevazione - In tempo d'Allegro - Andante - A tempo - Vivo, ma non tanto - In tempo - Poco largamente - Tempo del comincio, pesante - Molto largamente - In tempo, ma pesante - Più lento, con affetto - Largamente, ma con passione - Molto pesante - Andante assai, quasi lento - A tempo, tranquillo: 0:00
II - Deciso e sdegnoso - Con impeto - Pesante poco - Con laguidezza, ma in tempo - In tempo (impetuoso) - Pesante poco - Meno mosso - Andante tranquillo - Più passionato, mosso e con fierezza - Più tranquillo, ma con calore - Andante molto - Sostenuto assai - Tempo I - Con impeto - Con laguidezza, ma in tempo - Un poco largamente - Largo - Sostenuto e luttuoso - Con disperazione, molto pesante - In tempo: 20:50

Myaskovsky's Symphony No.3 was finished in April of 1914, just three monts before the beginning of the Great War. It was premiered in Moscow on February 27 of 1915, conducted by Emil Cooper. He dedicated it to his friend the music critic Boris Asafyev. It is an extensive work, divided in two large movements.

The Symphony is the second in a trilogy deeply affected by a pessimistic vein: The Russian empire was in a state of great agitation and instability since 1905, as the country painfully struggled to modernize while attempting to maintain what essentially was an absolutist state. Myaskovsky, who was an introspective person, went through a depressive phase. Despite all of this, the work is firmly anchored on the Russian tradition of Tchaikovsky. It is also influenced by the music of Scriabin, to whom Myaskovsky greatly admired.

The first movement is written in a large sonata form. It begins with a gloomy and tense introduction, the trumpet presents a fateful motive that will be present through the work. The main allegro begins with a turbulent and restless main theme on strings. The second theme is deeply meditative and melancholic in character, with ominous entries from the basses. The fateful motive appears in a short climax, which leads to an intense and dramatic development, contrasted with moments of great lyrism. This culminates in a powerful climax with the fateful motive in the whole brass. Follows a varied and expressive recapitulation of the main themes, culminating with a more lyrical variation of the fateful motive. A slow passage of Russian flavour offers us some relief, leading to a haunting series of woodwind solos over tremolos of the strings. The movement concludes with a slow and lyrical coda.

The second movement is very complex in form, divided in two parts: a rondo (A-B-A'-C-A'') and a funeral march in ternary form. It begins with an impetuous and violent main theme, derived from the fate motive. A slow and languid second theme is presented by the strings, followed by a recapitulation of the dramatic main theme. A lyrical yet melancholic third theme of Russian character is presented, passionatelly repeted by several instruments. The main theme is then recapitulated with it's forceful energy, culminating in an inmensely dissonant climax.

The second part begins with a funereal theme presented through a clarinet solo, taken by the strings in the form of a funeral march. The mourning march clearly symbolizes the fright and the hopelessness of the political and social situation in the Russia of 1914. It becomes more dissonant and desperate, leading to the fateful reappareance of the main theme. A passionate passage leads us to the recapitulation of the march in its original form. A completely depressing and hopeless coda ends the whole work.

Picture: "The Morning of the Execution of the Streltsy" (1881) by the Russian painter Vasily Surikov.

Musical analysis written by myself.

Видео Symphony No.3 in A minor - Nikolai Myaskovsky канала Sergio Cánovas