Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 44, in 1928.
Background The music derives from Prokofiev's opera The Fiery Angel, a touching love story set against the backdrop of demonic possession. This opera had been accepted for performance in the 1927–28 season at the Berlin State Opera by Bruno Walter, but this production never materialised; in fact, the opera was never staged in Prokofiev's lifetime. Prokofiev, who had been working on the opera for years, was reluctant to let the music languish unperformed, and after hearing a concert performance of its second act given by Serge Koussevitzky in June 1928, he adapted parts of the opera to make his third symphony (shortly afterwards, he drew on his ballet The Prodigal Son for his Symphony No. 4 in similar fashion). The symphony, which was dedicated to Nikolai Myaskovsky was premiered on 17 May 1929 by Pierre Monteux conducting the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris.
Movements
The symphony is in four movements, lasting around 30–35 minutes:
Though the music of the symphony is based on that of the opera, the material is developed symphonically; the symphony is therefore absolute rather than programmatic.
The first movement "is built on the leitmotivs of the opera's heroine and heor Renata and Ruprecht".'A conversation with Kirill Karabits and Daniel Jaffé about Symphonies 3 and 7. In: booklet accompnaying Onyx CD 4137 (2014). It is in traditional sonata form, and opens with clashing chords played by the whole orchestra, along with tolling bells, setting a mood of threat and unrest. An impassioned first theme enters on strings, while a melancholy second theme on bassoons and lower strings provides contrast. The climactic development section follows, finding space for a third theme, which eventually combines with the first two themes. After a grave climax with gigantic orchestral chords and a last "struggle" in marching rhythms, the ethereal recapitulation ensues, in which the first and second themes are integrated, although much reduced and played softer, as if only the shadow of what was before remains.
The second movement, a meditative andante with a ternary structure, displays Prokofiev's talent in creating fragile, gossamer textures. The central section is more brooding in nature, with the theme consisting of semitones. It uses "themes from the introduction to Act V and the scene with Faust".
In the third movement, "based on Renata's evocation of the spirit" there are hybrid elements from both of the movements that preceded it: though the textures are lighter than in the first movement, the sense of foreboding is back, as dithering strings create a chilling effect. They are intensified by insistent announcements from the brass choir and bass drum.
Finally, in the fourth movement, Prokofiev reprises musical materials from earlier in the symphony, beginning at a comfortable andante pace and gradually accelerating. The themes of the opening movement are threaded into the narrative before the Third comes to rest on a fearsome juggernaut of violent chords. This movement may be interpreted as "a portrait of the philosopher and sorcerer Agrippa von Nettesheim".
Instrumentation The work is scored for the following:
Woodwinds Piccolo 2 Flutes 2 Oboes Cor anglais 2 Clarinets Bass clarinet 2 Bassoons Contrabassoon Brass 4 Horns 3 Trumpets 3 Trombones Tuba
Percussion Timpani Bass drum Snare drum Cymbals Tambourine Tam-tam Castanets Bell Strings 2 Harps
Violins (1st and 2nd) Violas Cellos Double basses
Recordings OrchestraConductorRecord CompanyYear of RecordingFormatFrench National OrchestraCharles BruckHis Master's Voice1956LPUtah Symphony OrchestraMaurice AbravanelVanguard1964LP/CDBoston Symphony OrchestraErich LeinsdorfRCA (LP);Testament (CD)1966LP/CDLondon Symphony OrchestraClaudio AbbadoDecca1969LP/CDUSSR Ministry of Culture State Symphony OrchestraGennady RozhdestvenskyMelodiya1969LP/CDFrench National OrchestraJean MartinonVox Records1971LP/CDRoyal Concertgebouw OrchestraKirill KondrashinPhilips1975(live recording)CDLondon Philharmonic OrchestraWalter WellerDecca1977LP/CDCzech Philharmonic OrchestraZdeněk KošlerSupraphon1982LP/CDJunge Deutsche PhilharmonieRiccardo ChaillyDeutsche Grammophon1984LPMoscow Philharmonic Symphony OrchestraDmitri KitaenkoMelodiya1985LP/CDScottish National OrchestraNeeme JärviChandos1985LP/CDOrchestre National de FranceMstislav RostropovichErato1986LP/CDBerlin Philharmonic OrchestraSeiji OzawaDeutsche Grammophon1990CDRoyal Concertgebouw OrchestraRiccardo ChaillyDecca1991CDPhiladelphia OrchestraRiccardo MutiPhilips1991CDNational Symphony Orchestra of UkraineTheodore KucharNaxos1994CDLondon Symphony OrchestraValery GergievPhilips2004(live recording)CDGürzenich-Orchester KölnDmitri KitajenkoPhoenix Edition2005(live recording)CDBournemouth Symphony OrchestraKirill KarabitsOnyx Records2013CDSão Paulo State Symphony OrchestraMarin AlsopNaxos2014CDNetherlands Radio Philharmonic OrchestraJames GaffiganNorthstar Recordings2015SACDBergen Philharmonic OrchestraAndrew LittonBIS Records2020SACDLondon Symphony OrchestraGianandrea NosedaLSO Live2023SACD
References