Symphony No. 1 (Myaskovsky)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 1 in C minor
, Op.
3, by Nikolai Myaskovsky
was written in 1908 (and revised 1921).
It is in three movements:
The first sketches for this symphony were written at the time of Myaskovsky's studies in Saint Petersburg in February 1908. The following summer he wrote the piano score, and on the first, ninth and twenty-seventh of July, the movements were finished in piano reduction
. In September he finished the orchestration
. In this early period of his composition, Myaskovsky noticed his talent and enthusiasm for the symphony as a genre, but he didn't have the heart to show his work to his teacher for composition, Anatoly Lyadov. So he showed it, along with his friend and fellow student Sergei Prokofiev, to Alexander Glazunov, who granted him a scholarship immediately. In 1921 Myaskovsky revised the symphony and published this revised version in 1929. In 1931 a version for piano four-hands was published.
like Tchaikovsky
, Glazunov
or Taneyev
. Myaskovsky also tried to be open to modern influences, but his music wasn't modern enough for the contemporary Russian composers since his focus was on melody and voice-leading as he had learned from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
. The first symphony has many attributes which are characteristic for Myaskovsky's symphonies: The expansive exposition and variation of the themes, the use of polyphony and counterpoint and of course the preference for minor scales and sonata form
. The first and third movement is in C minor, the second is in A-flat major.
). Boris Asafyev said about this symphony, that it reminded him of Mussorgsky's song cycle Sunless. The first performance on July 2nd 1914 in Pavlovsk was conducted by A. P. Aslanov; the conductor was thrilled by the music and asked for the score of the third symphony
later. The Polish conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg
asked for the score in 1914 and Myaskovsky was very happy to receive this request, since he was fighting on the front in the First World War at that time.
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
, Op.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
3, by Nikolai Myaskovsky
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:...
was written in 1908 (and revised 1921).
It is in three movements:
- Lento, ma non troppo. Allegro.
- Larghetto, quasi andante
- Allegro assai e molto risoluto
The first sketches for this symphony were written at the time of Myaskovsky's studies in Saint Petersburg in February 1908. The following summer he wrote the piano score, and on the first, ninth and twenty-seventh of July, the movements were finished in piano reduction
Piano reduction
A piano reduction is sheet music for the piano that was once music for other instruments that was reduced to its most basic components within a two line staff for piano. It is also considered a style of orchestration or music arrangement less well known as contraction scoring, a subset of elastic...
. In September he finished the orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
. In this early period of his composition, Myaskovsky noticed his talent and enthusiasm for the symphony as a genre, but he didn't have the heart to show his work to his teacher for composition, Anatoly Lyadov. So he showed it, along with his friend and fellow student Sergei Prokofiev, to Alexander Glazunov, who granted him a scholarship immediately. In 1921 Myaskovsky revised the symphony and published this revised version in 1929. In 1931 a version for piano four-hands was published.
Analysis
The music and the character of the early symphonies of Myaskovsky look back to the Russian RomanticsRomantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
like Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
, Glazunov
Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
or Taneyev
Sergei Taneyev
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev , was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist and author.-Life:...
. Myaskovsky also tried to be open to modern influences, but his music wasn't modern enough for the contemporary Russian composers since his focus was on melody and voice-leading as he had learned from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
. The first symphony has many attributes which are characteristic for Myaskovsky's symphonies: The expansive exposition and variation of the themes, the use of polyphony and counterpoint and of course the preference for minor scales and sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
. The first and third movement is in C minor, the second is in A-flat major.
Reception and Criticism
When Myaskovsky showed the sketches of the first symphony to Prokofiev, Prokofiev was appalled at some parts. In the last movement Myaskovsky had entwined four themes at one point and Prokofiev asked him, why he did so: "For Lyadov's counterpoint-hours?". In the revised publication these bars are missing, the composer shortened the first and third movements and changed the instrumentation. The completion of the symphony had a bad effect on Myaskovsky: in the immediately following time he was very depressive, and it took a few months before he composed another symphonic work, the symphonic poem "Silence" (after Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
). Boris Asafyev said about this symphony, that it reminded him of Mussorgsky's song cycle Sunless. The first performance on July 2nd 1914 in Pavlovsk was conducted by A. P. Aslanov; the conductor was thrilled by the music and asked for the score of the third symphony
Symphony No. 3 (Myaskovsky)
Nikolai Myaskovsky wrote his Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 15 in 1914.It is in two movements:#Non troppo vivo, vigoroso#Deciso e sdegnosoIt is dedicated to Boris Asafyev....
later. The Polish conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg
Grzegorz Fitelberg
Grzegorz Fitelberg was a Polish conductor, violinist and composer. He was a member of the Młoda Polska group, together with artists such as Karol Szymanowski, Ludomir Różycki and Mieczysław Karłowicz....
asked for the score in 1914 and Myaskovsky was very happy to receive this request, since he was fighting on the front in the First World War at that time.
Sources
- Soja Gulinskaja: Nikolai Jakowlewitsch Mjaskowski. Moscow 1981, German version Berlin 1985