Symphony No. 10 (Myaskovsky)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 10 in F minor, Op. 30 by Nikolai Myaskovsky
is among the more remarkable of the Russia
n composer's large output of 27 symphonies
.
Composed in Moscow
in 1926–27, it was inspired by Alexander Pushkin's poem The Bronze Horseman, which tells of a young man whose fiancée is drowned by the disastrous flooding of Saint Petersburg
by the River Neva in 1824 and who curses the prominent equestrian statue of Peter the Great, only to be pursued through the city by the statue until he too is drowned.
The basic events of the poem may be discerned in Miaskovsky’s music, notably the flood in the opening passage (marked Tumultuoso), plus themes for the principal characters (the sole lyrical element, played Patetico on solo woodwind or violin
, symbolizes the drowned fiancée) and the pursuit by the statue, a Presto Tempestoso fugue
on a subject using ten of the twelve pitches of the chromatic scale
. In fact Miaskovsky was not so much inspired by the poem as by Alexander Benois's illustrations to it.
in its form Miaskovsky's Tenth Symphony "collapses the elements of a four-movement symphony into a densely-argued single-movement form lasting little more than quarter of an hour".
It requires a large orchestra, rich in brass instrument
s. Miaskovsky commented that the symphony was "filled with the deafening racket of four trumpets, eight horns and so on" and described it to Sergei Prokofiev
as being "as massive as if it were made of iron".
The premiere was given in Moscow on 2 April 1928 by the conductorless orchestra
Persimfans
, but the complexity of the music defeated them. In 1930 Prokofiev managed to persuade Leopold Stokowski
to give a well-received U.S. premiere in Philadelphia.
Nikolai Myaskovsky
Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky was a Russian and Soviet composer. He is sometimes referred to as the "father of the Soviet symphony".-Early years and first important works:...
is among the more remarkable of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n composer's large output of 27 symphonies
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
.
Composed in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1926–27, it was inspired by Alexander Pushkin's poem The Bronze Horseman, which tells of a young man whose fiancée is drowned by the disastrous flooding of Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
by the River Neva in 1824 and who curses the prominent equestrian statue of Peter the Great, only to be pursued through the city by the statue until he too is drowned.
The basic events of the poem may be discerned in Miaskovsky’s music, notably the flood in the opening passage (marked Tumultuoso), plus themes for the principal characters (the sole lyrical element, played Patetico on solo woodwind or violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, symbolizes the drowned fiancée) and the pursuit by the statue, a Presto Tempestoso fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
on a subject using ten of the twelve pitches of the chromatic scale
Chromatic scale
The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone apart. On a modern piano or other equal-tempered instrument, all the half steps are the same size...
. In fact Miaskovsky was not so much inspired by the poem as by Alexander Benois's illustrations to it.
in its form Miaskovsky's Tenth Symphony "collapses the elements of a four-movement symphony into a densely-argued single-movement form lasting little more than quarter of an hour".
It requires a large orchestra, rich in brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
s. Miaskovsky commented that the symphony was "filled with the deafening racket of four trumpets, eight horns and so on" and described it to Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
as being "as massive as if it were made of iron".
The premiere was given in Moscow on 2 April 1928 by the conductorless orchestra
Conductorless orchestra
The conductorless orchestra, sometimes referred to as a self-conducted orchestra or unconducted orchestra, is an instrumental ensemble that functions as an orchestra but is not led or directed by a conductor. Most conductorless orchestras are smaller in size, and generally perform chamber orchestra...
Persimfans
Persimfans
Persimfans was a conductorless orchestra in Moscow in the Soviet Union that existed between 1922 and 1932.The name "Persimfans" is an abbreviation for Pervïy Simfonicheskiy Ansambl' bez Dirizhyora . It was founded by Lev Tseitlin.-References:*...
, but the complexity of the music defeated them. In 1930 Prokofiev managed to persuade Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
to give a well-received U.S. premiere in Philadelphia.