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SECOND (HEROUS) SYMPHONY BY ALEXANDER BORODIN (B-FLAT MINOR, 1869–1876)

In Russia, by the second half of the 19th century, a fix idea had matured among composers: it was time to create their own, Russian symphony. By that time in Europe the symphony had celebrated centenary anniversary, having gone through all stages of the evolutionary chain: from the opera overture, which left theatrical stage and performed separately from the opera, to such colossi as Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (1824) or Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique (1830). In Russia, the fashion for this genre did not catch on: they tried it once, twice (Dmitry Bortnyansky - Concert Symphony, 1790; Alexander Alyabyev - symphonies in E minor, E-flat major) - and they abandoned this idea in order to return to it decades later in the works of Anton Rubinstein, Miliya Balakirev, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin and others.

The mentioned composers judged absolutely correctly, realizing that the only thing that a Russian symphony can boast of against the backdrop of European abundance is its national flavor. And Borodin has no equal in this. His music breathes the expanse of endless plains, the prowess of Russian knights, the sincerity folk songs with their aching, touching note. The emblem of the symphony was the main theme of the first movement, upon hearing which the composer’s friend and mentor, musicologist Vladimir Stasov, suggested two names: first “Lioness”, and then a more appropriate idea: “Bogatyrskaya”.

Unlike the symphonic works of the same Beethoven or Berlioz, based on human passions and experiences, the Bogatyr Symphony tells about time, history and people. There is no drama in the music, no pronounced conflict: it resembles a series of smoothly changing paintings. And this is fundamentally reflected in the structure of the symphony, where the slow movement, usually in second place, and the lively scherzo (traditionally coming after it) change places, and the finale, in a generalized form, repeats the ideas of the first movement. Borodin in this way managed to achieve maximum contrast in the musical illustration of the national epic, and Bogatyrskaya’s structural model subsequently served as a model for the epic symphonies of Glazunov, Myaskovsky and Prokofiev.

I. Allegro (00:00)
II. Scherzo: Prestissimo - Trio: Allegretto (07:50)
III. Andante (13:07)
IV. Finale: Allegro (23:42)

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PETER TCHAIKOVSKY'S SIXTH (PATHETIC) SYMPHONY (B MINOR, 1893)


There is so much evidence, interpretation, and attempts to explain its content that the entire description of this work could consist of quotes. Here is one of them, from Tchaikovsky’s letter to his nephew Vladimir Davydov, to whom the symphony is dedicated: “During the trip, I had the idea of ​​another symphony, this time a program one, but with a program that would remain a mystery to everyone. This program is the most imbued with subjectivity, and often during my travels, mentally composing it, I cried a lot.” What kind of program is this? Tchaikovsky admits this to his cousin Anna Merkling, who suggested that he described his life in this symphony. “Yes, you guessed right,” confirmed the composer.

In the early 1890s, the thought of writing memoirs repeatedly visited Tchaikovsky. His sketches date back to this time. unfinished symphony called "Life". Judging by the surviving drafts, the composer planned to depict certain abstract stages of life: youth, thirst for activity, love, disappointment, death. However, the objective plan was not enough for Tchaikovsky, and the work was interrupted, but in the Sixth Symphony he was guided exclusively by personal experiences. How sick the composer’s soul must have been for music to be born with such an incredible, amazing power of influence!

The lyrical-tragic first part and the finale are inextricably linked with the image of death (in the development of the first part the theme of the spiritual chant “Rest with the Saints” is cited), as Tchaikovsky himself testified by referring to this symphony in response to the proposal of Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov to write “Requiem” " That is why the bright lyrical intermezzo (five-beat waltz in the second part) and the solemn and triumphal scherzo are so keenly perceived. There are many discussions about the role of the latter in the composition. It seems that Tchaikovsky was trying to show the futility of earthly glory and happiness in the face of inevitable loss, thereby confirming the great saying of Solomon: “Everything passes. This too will pass.”

1. Adagio - Allegro non troppo 00:00
2. Allegro con grazia 18:20
3. Allegro molto vivace 25:20
4. Finale. Adagio lamentoso 33:44

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THIRD SYMPHONY (“DIVINE POEM”) BY ALEXANDER SCRYABIN (C MINOR, 1904)

If dark autumn evening If you happen to visit the Alexander Scriabin House-Museum in Moscow, you will certainly feel the eerie and mysterious atmosphere that surrounded the composer during his lifetime. A strange structure of colored light bulbs on the table in the living room, plump volumes on philosophy and occultism behind the cloudy glass of the bookcase door, and finally, an ascetic-looking bedroom where Scriabin, who had been afraid all his life of dying from blood poisoning, died of sepsis. gloomy and mysterious place, which perfectly demonstrates the composer’s worldview.

No less indicative of Scriabin’s thinking is his Third Symphony, which opens the so-called middle period of creativity. At this time, Scriabin gradually formulated his philosophical views, the essence of which is that the whole world is the result of one’s own creativity and one’s own thoughts (solipsism in its extreme stage) and that the creation of the world and the creation of art are essentially similar processes. These processes proceed like this: from the primary chaos of creative languor, two principles arise - active and passive (male and female). The first carries divine energy, the second gives rise to the material world with its natural beauties. The interaction of these principles creates cosmic eros, leading to ecstasy - the free triumph of the spirit.

No matter how strange all of the above may sound, Scriabin sincerely believed in this model of Genesis, according to which the Third Symphony was written. Its first part is called “Struggle” (the struggle of a man-slave, submissive to the supreme Ruler of the world, and a man-god), the second - “Pleasures” (a person surrenders to the joys of the sensory world, dissolves in nature), and, finally, the third - “Divine play" (the liberated spirit, "creating the universe with the sole power of his creative will," comprehends the "sublime joy of free activity"). But philosophy is philosophy, and the music itself is wonderful, revealing all the timbre possibilities symphony orchestra.

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FIRST (CLASSICAL) SYMPHONY BY SERGEY PROKOFIEV (D MAJOR, 1916–1917)

The year is 1917, difficult war years, revolution. It would seem that art should frown gloomily and tell about painful things. But sad thoughts are not for Prokofiev’s music - sunny, sparkling, youthfully charming. This is his First Symphony.

The composer was interested in the work of the Viennese classics back in student years. Now a work a la Haydn has come from his pen. “It seemed to me that if Haydn had lived to this day, he would have retained his style of writing and at the same time adopted something new,” Prokofiev commented on his brainchild.

The composer chose a modest composition for the orchestra, again in the spirit Viennese classicism- without heavy copper. The texture and orchestration are light and transparent, the scale of the work is not large, the composition is harmonious and logical. In a word, it is very reminiscent of the work of classicism, mistakenly born in the twentieth century. However, there are also purely Prokofiev emblems, for example, his favorite genre of gavotte in the third movement instead of a scherzo (the composer later used this musical material in the ballet “Romeo and Juliet”), as well as a sharp “pepper” harmony and an abyss of musical humor.

0:33 I. Allegro
5:20 II. Larghetto
9:35 III. Gavotta (Non troppo allegro)
11:17 IV. Finale (Molto vivace)

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SEVENTH (LENINGRAD) SYMPHONY BY DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH (C MAJOR, 1941)

On July 2, 1942, twenty-year-old pilot Lieutenant Litvinov, miraculously breaking through the enemy encirclement, managed to bring besieged Leningrad medicines and four plump music notebooks with the score of the Seventh Symphony by D.D. Shostakovich, and the next day a short note appeared in Leningradskaya Pravda: “The score of Dmitry Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was delivered to Leningrad by plane. Its public performance will take place in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic.”

An event for which the history of music has never known analogues: in a besieged city, terribly exhausted musicians (everyone who survived took part) under the baton of conductor Carl Eliasberg performed new symphony Shostakovich. The same one that the composer composed in the first weeks of the siege, until he and his family were evacuated to Kuibyshev (Samara). On the day of the Leningrad premiere, August 9, 1942, Big hall The Leningrad Philharmonic was filled to capacity with exhausted city residents with translucent faces, but at the same time in elegant clothes, and military personnel who had come straight from the front line. The symphony was broadcast to the streets through radio speakers. That evening, the whole world stood still and listened to the unprecedented feat of the musicians.

...Remarkable, but famous theme in the spirit of Ravel's "Bolero", which is now usually personified with a fascist army mindlessly moving and destroying everything in its path, was written by Shostakovich even before the start of the war. However, in the first part Leningrad Symphony it entered quite naturally, taking the place of the so-called “invasion episode.” The life-affirming ending also turned out to be prophetic, anticipating the longed-for Victory, from which it was still separated by such a long three and a half years...

I. Allegretto 00:00
II. Moderato (poco allegretto) 26:25
III. Adagio 37:00
IV. Allegro non troppo 53:40

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At the end of the Baroque era, a number of composers, such as Giuseppe Torelli (1658–1709), wrote works for string orchestra and basso continuo in three movements, with a fast-slow-fast tempo sequence. Although such works were usually called "concertos", they were no different from works called “symphonies”; for example, dance themes were used in the finales of both concerts and symphonies. The difference concerned mainly the structure of the first part of the cycle: in symphonies it was simpler - this is, as a rule, a binary two-part form of the Baroque overture, sonata and suite (AA BB). The word “symphony” itself dates back to the 10th century. meant harmonious consonance; by the end of the 16th century. such authors as J. Gabrieli applied this concept to the consonance of voices and instruments. Later, in the music of composers such as Adriano Banchieri (1568–1634) and Salomone Rossi (c. 1570–c. 1630), the word “symphony” came to mean the sound of instruments together without votes. Italian composers 17th century The word “symphony” (sinfonia) often denoted the instrumental introductions to an opera, oratorio or cantata, and the term in meaning came close to the concepts of “prelude” or “overture”. Around 1680 operatic creativity A. Scarlatti established the type of symphony as instrumental composition in three sections (or parts), built on the principle of “fast - slow - fast”.

Classical symphony.

18th century listeners I liked orchestral pieces in several parts with different tempos, which were performed both in home gatherings and in public concerts. Having lost the function of the introduction, the symphony developed into an independent orchestral work, usually in three movements (“fast – slow – fast”). Using the features of the baroque dance suite, opera and concert, a number of composers, and above all G.B. Sammartini, created a model classical symphony– a three-movement work for string orchestra, where the fast movements usually took the form of a simple rondo or an early sonata form. Gradually, other instruments were added to the strings: oboes (or flutes), horns, trumpets and timpani. For listeners of the 18th century. the symphony was determined by classical norms: homophonic texture, diatonic harmony, melodic contrasts, a given sequence of dynamic and thematic changes. The centers where the classical symphony was cultivated were the German city of Mannheim (here Jan Stamitz and other authors expanded the symphonic cycle to four parts, introducing into it two dances from the Baroque suite - minuet and trio) and Vienna, where Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (as well as their predecessors, among whom Georg Monn and Georg Wagenseil stand out, raised the symphony genre to a new level.

The symphonies of J. Haydn and W. A. ​​Mozart are brilliant examples of the classical style. The parts are clearly separated from each other, each having independent thematic material; The unity of the cycle is ensured by tonal comparisons and thoughtful alternation of tempos and the nature of themes. Strings, woodwinds, brass and timpani provide a variety of instrumental combinations; the lyrical beginning, coming from operatic vocal writing, penetrates the themes of the slow movements, the trio sections in the third movements and the secondary themes of other movements. Other motifs of operatic origin (octave leaps, repetitions of sounds, scale-like passages) become the thematic basis of the fast movements. Haydn's symphonies are distinguished by their wit, inventiveness of thematic development, originality of phrasing, instrumentation, texture and thematics; Mozart's symphonies are marked by richness of melody, plasticity, grace of harmony and masterful counterpoint.

An excellent example of a classical symphony from the late 18th century. – Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 (K. 551, C major (1788), known as Jupiter. Its score includes a flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and a group of strings (first and second violins, violas, cellos, double basses). The symphony consists of four movements. The first, Allegro vivace, is written in a lively tempo, in the key of C major, in 4/4 time, in sonata form (the so-called sonata allegro form: themes first appear in the exposition, then develop in the development, followed by a reprise, usually ending with a conclusion - a coda). The second part of Mozart's symphony is written at a moderate (moderato) tempo, in the subdominant key of F major, again in sonata form and has a melodious character (Andante cantabile).

The third movement consists of a moderately active minuet and trio in C major. Although each of these two dances is written in a ronda-like binary form (minuet - AAVAVA; trio - CCDCDC), the return of the minuet after the trio gives general structure tripartite. The finale is again in sonata form, at a very fast tempo (Molto allegro), in the main key of C major. Built on laconic motifs, the finale's themes radiate energy and strength; in the finale's coda, Bach's counterpoint techniques are combined with the virtuosity of Mozart's classical style.

In the work of L. van Beethoven, the parts of the symphony are more closely connected thematically, and the cycle achieves greater unity. The principle of using related thematic material in all four movements, carried out in Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, led to the emergence of the so-called. cyclical symphony. Beethoven replaces the calm minuet with a more lively, often riotous, scherzo; he raises thematic development to a new level, subjecting his themes to all sorts of changes, including contrapuntal development, isolating fragments of themes, changing modes (major - minor), and rhythmic shifts. Beethoven's use of trombones in the Fifth, Sixth and Ninth Symphonies and the inclusion of voices in the finale of the Ninth are very impressive. In Beethoven, the center of gravity in the cycle shifts from the first movement to the finale; in the Third, Fifth, and Ninth, the finales are undoubtedly the culminations of the cycles. Beethoven has “characteristic” and programmatic symphonies - the Third ( Heroic) and Sixth ( Pastoral).

Romantic symphony.

With the work of Beethoven, the symphony entered into new Age. The sharp changes of tempo characteristic of his style, the breadth of the dynamic range, the richness of imagery, virtuosity and drama, sometimes the unexpected appearance and ambiguity of themes - all this cleared the way for composers of the Romantic era. Realizing the greatness of Beethoven, they sought to follow his path without losing their own individuality. Romantic composers, starting with F. Schubert, experimented with sonata and other forms, often narrowing or expanding them; The symphonies of the romantics are full of lyricism, subjective expression and are distinguished by a richness of timbre and harmonic color. Beethoven's contemporary Schubert had a special gift for creating lyrical themes and unusually expressive harmonic sequences. When the logic and orderliness of classicism gave way to the subjectivity and unpredictability characteristic of the art of romanticism, the form of many symphonies became more spacious and the texture heavier.

Among the German romantic symphonists are F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann and J. Brahms. Mendelssohn, with his classicism in the areas of form and proportions, was especially successful in the Third ( Scottish) and Fourth ( Italian) symphonies that reflected the author’s impressions of visiting these countries. Schumann's symphonies, influenced by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, tend to be cyclical and at the same time rhapsodic, especially the Third ( Rhineland) and Fourth. In his four symphonies, Brahms reverently combines Bach's counterpoint in style, Beethoven's method of development, Schubert's lyricism and Schumann's mood. P.I. Tchaikovsky avoided the typical tendency of Western romantics towards detailed programs for symphonies, as well as the use of vocal means in this genre. The symphonies of Tchaikovsky, a gifted orchestrator and melodist, capture the author's penchant for dance rhythms. The symphonies of another talented melodist, A. Dvorak, are distinguished by a rather conservative approach to symphonic form, adopted from Schubert and Brahms. The symphonies of A.P. Borodin are deeply national in content and monumental in form.

The author, in whose work a type of program symphony of the last century was formed, differing in many respects from the abstract or, so to speak, absolute symphony classical era, became G. Berlioz. In a program symphony, a narrative is told, or a picture is painted, or, generally speaking, there is an element of the “extra-musical” that lies beyond the music itself. Inspired by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with its final chorus to the words of Schiller's Odes to Joy, Berlioz went further in his epochal Fantastic Symphony(1831), where each part is a fragment, as it were autobiographical narrative, and leitmotifs-reminders run through the entire cycle. Among the others program symphonies composer - Harold in Italy according to Byron and Romeo and Juliet according to Shakespeare, where, along with instruments, vocal means are also widely used. Like Berlioz, F. Liszt and R. Wagner were “avant-gardists” of their era. Although Wagner's desire for a synthesis of words and music, voices and instruments led him from the symphony to opera, the magnificent mastery of this author influenced almost all European composers of the subsequent generation, including the Austrian A. Bruckner. Like Wagner, Liszt was one of the leaders of the late musical romanticism, and his affinity for programming gave rise to works such as the symphonies Faust And Dante, as well as 12 program symphonic poems. Liszt's techniques of figurative transformations of themes in the process of their development greatly influenced the work of S. Frank and R. Strauss, authors of a later period.

At the end of the 19th century. the work of a number of talented symphonists, each of whom had a bright individual style, marked final stage the classical-romantic tradition with its predominance of sonata form and certain tonal relationships. The Austrian G. Mahler imbued the symphony with thematic themes that had their origins in his own songs and dance motifs; often he directly quoted fragments from folk, religious or military music. Mahler's four symphonies use chorus and soloists, and all ten of his symphonic cycles are marked by extraordinary variety and sophistication of orchestral writing. Finn J. Sibelius composed symphonies of an abstract nature, imbued with deep feeling; his style is characterized by a preference for low registers and bass instruments, but in general his orchestral texture remains clear. The Frenchman C. Saint-Saens wrote three symphonies, of which the most famous is the last (1886) - the so-called. Organ Symphony. The most popular French symphony of this period can perhaps be called the only symphony by S. Frank (1886–1888).

An excellent example of a post-Romantic symphony from the late 19th century. is Mahler's Second Symphony in C minor, completed in 1894 (sometimes called Resurrection in connection with the content of the chorale in the last part). The gigantic five-part cycle was written for the great orchestral composition: 4 flutes (including piccolo), 4 oboes (including 2 cor anglais), 5 clarinets (including one bass), 4 bassoons (including 2 contrabassoons), 10 horns, 10 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, organ, 2 harps, two soloists - contralto and soprano, mixed choir and huge strike group, including 6 timpani, big drum, cymbals, gongs and bells. The first movement has a solemn (Allegro maestoso) march-like character (4/4 time signature in the key of C minor); in terms of structure, it is an extended sonata form with double exposure. The second part takes place in moderate pace(Andante moderato) and is similar in character to the graceful Austrian Ländler dance. This movement is written in the key of submediant (A-flat major) in 3/8 time and in simple ABABA form. The third movement is distinguished by the smooth flow of music; it is written in the main key and in 3/8 time. This three-movement scherzo is a symphonic development of a song simultaneously composed by Mahler Sermon of St. Anthony to the Pisces.

In the fourth part, “Eternal Light” (“Urlicht”), a human voice appears. This orchestral song, radiating radiance and filled with deep religious feeling, written for solo viola and a reduced orchestra; it has the form ABCB, time signature 4/4, key of D-flat major. The stormy, “wild” finale at the tempo of a scherzo contains many changes in mood, tonality, tempo, and meter. This is a very large sonata form with a monumental coda; The finale includes motifs of a march, chorale, and songs reminiscent of the previous parts. At the end of the finale, voices enter (solo soprano and contralto, as well as the choir - with a hymn about the risen Christ to the words of the 18th century German poet F. Klopstock. In the orchestral conclusion, light, brilliant orchestral colors and the tonality of E-flat major, parallel to the main one, appear C minor: the light of faith dispels darkness.

The twentieth century.

In sharp contrast to Mahler's sprawling late-romantic cycles were the carefully finished neoclassical symphonies of such French authors, like D. Milhaud and A. Honegger. The Russian author I.F. Stravinsky wrote in the neoclassical (or neo-baroque) style, who filled traditional symphonic forms with new melodic and tonal-harmonic material. The German P. Hindemith also combined forms that came from the past with a sharply individual melodic and harmonic language (he was characterized by a preference for the fourth interval in thematics and chords).

The largest Russian symphonists are S.V. Rachmaninov, S.S. Prokofiev and D.D. Shostakovich. Rachmaninov's three symphonies continue the national-romantic tradition coming from Tchaikovsky. Prokofiev's symphonies are also associated with tradition, but reinterpreted; This author is characterized by rigid motor rhythms, unexpected tonal shifts, and there is a theme that comes from folklore. Creative life Shostakovich flowed into Soviet period history of Russia. The most “advanced” can be considered his First, Tenth, Thirteenth and Fifteenth symphonies, while the Third, Eighth, Eleventh and Twelfth are more associated with the traditional “Russian style”. In England, the outstanding symphonists were E. Elgar (two symphonies) and R. W. Williams (nine symphonies written between 1910 and 1957, including including a vocal element). Among other authors, each of whom is associated with the traditions of his country, one can name the Poles Witold Lutoslawski (b. 1913) and K. Penderecki, the Czech Boguslav Martinu (1890–1959), the Brazilian E. Villa-Lobos and the Mexican Carlos Chavez (1899– 1976).

At the beginning of the 20th century. American Charles Ives composed a number of avant-garde symphonies that used orchestral clusters, quarter-tone intervals, polyrhythms, dissonant harmonic writing, and collage techniques. In the next generation, several composers (all of whom studied in the 1920s in Paris with Nadia Boulanger) created an American symphony school: this is A. Copland, Roy Harris (1898–1981) and W. Piston. In their style, thanks to elements of neoclassicism, the French influence is noticeable, but still their symphonies create an image of America with its open spaces, pathos and natural beauty. The symphonies of Roger Sessions are marked by the complexity and whimsicality of chromatic melodic lines, the tension of thematic development, and an abundance of counterpoint. Wallingford Rigger used A. Schoenberg's serial technique in his symphonies; Henry Cowell used such experimental ideas in his symphonies as fugue melodies of hymns, exotic instruments, sound clusters, and dissonant chromaticism.

Among other American symphonists of the mid-20th century. we can highlight H. Hanson, W. Schumann, D. Diamond and V. Persichetti. In the second half of the century, interesting symphonies were created by E. Carter, J. Rochberg, W. G. Still, F. Glass, E. T. Zwilich and G. Corigliano. In England, the symphonic tradition was continued by Michael Tippett (1905–1998). In the 1990s there was unusual phenomenon: The modern symphony became a “hit” with the general public. It's about about the Third Symphony ( Symphonies of sad songs) Pole Heinrich Górecki. At the turn of the third millennium, composers different countries created symphonies that reflected their authors’ attraction to such various phenomena as minimalism, total serialism, aleatorics, Electonic music, neo-romanticism, jazz and extra-European musical cultures.

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SECOND (HEROUS) SYMPHONY BY ALEXANDER BORODIN (B-FLAT MINOR, 1869–1876)

In Russia, by the second half of the 19th century, a fix idea had matured among composers: it was time to create their own, Russian symphony. By that time, in Europe, the symphony celebrated its centenary, having gone through all stages of the evolutionary chain: from the operatic overture, which left the theater stage and was performed separately from the opera, to such colossi as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (1824) or Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique (1830). In Russia, the fashion for this genre did not catch on: they tried it once, twice (Dmitry Bortnyansky - Concert Symphony, 1790; Alexander Alyabyev - symphonies in E minor, E-flat major) - and they abandoned this idea in order to return to it decades later in the works of Anton Rubinstein, Miliya Balakirev, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin and others.

The mentioned composers judged absolutely correctly, realizing that the only thing that a Russian symphony can boast of against the backdrop of European abundance is its national flavor. And Borodin has no equal in this. His music breathes the expanse of endless plains, the prowess of Russian knights, the sincerity of folk songs with their aching, touching note. The emblem of the symphony was the main theme of the first movement, upon hearing which the composer’s friend and mentor, musicologist Vladimir Stasov, suggested two names: first “Lioness”, and then a more appropriate idea: “Bogatyrskaya”.

Unlike the symphonic works of the same Beethoven or Berlioz, based on human passions and experiences, the Bogatyr Symphony tells about time, history and people. There is no drama in the music, no pronounced conflict: it resembles a series of smoothly changing paintings. And this is fundamentally reflected in the structure of the symphony, where the slow movement, usually in second place, and the lively scherzo (traditionally coming after it) change places, and the finale, in a generalized form, repeats the ideas of the first movement. Borodin in this way managed to achieve maximum contrast in the musical illustration of the national epic, and Bogatyrskaya’s structural model subsequently served as a model for the epic symphonies of Glazunov, Myaskovsky and Prokofiev.

I. Allegro (00:00)
II. Scherzo: Prestissimo - Trio: Allegretto (07:50)
III. Andante (13:07)
IV. Finale: Allegro (23:42)

♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪

PETER TCHAIKOVSKY'S SIXTH (PATHETIC) SYMPHONY (B MINOR, 1893)


There is so much evidence, interpretation, and attempts to explain its content that the entire description of this work could consist of quotes. Here is one of them, from Tchaikovsky’s letter to his nephew Vladimir Davydov, to whom the symphony is dedicated: “During the trip, I had the idea of ​​another symphony, this time a program one, but with a program that would remain a mystery to everyone. This program is the most imbued with subjectivity, and often during my travels, mentally composing it, I cried a lot.” What kind of program is this? Tchaikovsky confesses this to his cousin Anna Merkling, who suggested that he described his life in this symphony. “Yes, you guessed right,” confirmed the composer.

In the early 1890s, the thought of writing memoirs repeatedly visited Tchaikovsky. Sketches for his unfinished symphony called “Life” date back to this time. Judging by the surviving drafts, the composer planned to depict certain abstract stages of life: youth, thirst for activity, love, disappointment, death. However, the objective plan was not enough for Tchaikovsky, and the work was interrupted, but in the Sixth Symphony he was guided exclusively by personal experiences. How sick the composer’s soul must have been for music to be born with such an incredible, amazing power of influence!

The lyrical-tragic first part and the finale are inextricably linked with the image of death (in the development of the first part the theme of the spiritual chant “Rest with the Saints” is cited), as Tchaikovsky himself testified by referring to this symphony in response to the proposal of Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov to write “Requiem” " That is why the bright lyrical intermezzo (five-beat waltz in the second part) and the solemn and triumphal scherzo are so keenly perceived. There are many discussions about the role of the latter in the composition. It seems that Tchaikovsky was trying to show the futility of earthly glory and happiness in the face of inevitable loss, thereby confirming the great saying of Solomon: “Everything passes. This too will pass.”

1. Adagio - Allegro non troppo 00:00
2. Allegro con grazia 18:20
3. Allegro molto vivace 25:20
4. Finale. Adagio lamentoso 33:44

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THIRD SYMPHONY (“DIVINE POEM”) BY ALEXANDER SCRYABIN (C MINOR, 1904)

If you happen to visit the Alexander Scriabin House-Museum in Moscow on a dark autumn evening, you will certainly feel the eerie and mysterious atmosphere that surrounded the composer during his lifetime. A strange structure of colored light bulbs on the table in the living room, plump volumes on philosophy and occultism behind the cloudy glass of the bookcase door, and finally, an ascetic-looking bedroom where Scriabin, who had been afraid all his life of dying from blood poisoning, died of sepsis. A gloomy and mysterious place that perfectly demonstrates the composer’s worldview.

No less indicative of Scriabin’s thinking is his Third Symphony, which opens the so-called middle period of creativity. At this time, Scriabin gradually formulated his philosophical views, the essence of which is that the whole world is the result of one’s own creativity and one’s own thoughts (solipsism in its extreme stage) and that the creation of the world and the creation of art are essentially similar processes. These processes proceed like this: from the primary chaos of creative languor, two principles arise - active and passive (male and female). The first carries divine energy, the second gives rise to the material world with its natural beauties. The interaction of these principles creates cosmic eros, leading to ecstasy - the free triumph of the spirit.

No matter how strange all of the above may sound, Scriabin sincerely believed in this model of Genesis, according to which the Third Symphony was written. Its first part is called “Struggle” (the struggle of a man-slave, submissive to the supreme Ruler of the world, and a man-god), the second - “Pleasures” (a person surrenders to the joys of the sensory world, dissolves in nature), and, finally, the third - “Divine play" (the liberated spirit, "creating the universe with the sole power of his creative will," comprehends the "sublime joy of free activity"). But philosophy is philosophy, and the music itself is marvelous, revealing all the timbre capabilities of a symphony orchestra.

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FIRST (CLASSICAL) SYMPHONY BY SERGEY PROKOFIEV (D MAJOR, 1916–1917)

The year is 1917, difficult war years, revolution. It would seem that art should frown gloomily and tell about painful things. But sad thoughts are not for Prokofiev’s music - sunny, sparkling, youthfully charming. This is his First Symphony.

The composer was interested in the work of the Viennese classics even in his student years. Now a work a la Haydn has come from his pen. “It seemed to me that if Haydn had lived to this day, he would have retained his style of writing and at the same time adopted something new,” Prokofiev commented on his brainchild.

The composer chose a modest composition of the orchestra, again in the spirit of Viennese classicism - without heavy brass. The texture and orchestration are light and transparent, the scale of the work is not large, the composition is harmonious and logical. In a word, it is very reminiscent of the work of classicism, mistakenly born in the twentieth century. However, there are also purely Prokofiev emblems, for example, his favorite genre of gavotte in the third movement instead of a scherzo (the composer later used this musical material in the ballet “Romeo and Juliet”), as well as a sharp “pepper” harmony and an abyss of musical humor.

0:33 I. Allegro
5:20 II. Larghetto
9:35 III. Gavotta (Non troppo allegro)
11:17 IV. Finale (Molto vivace)

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SEVENTH (LENINGRAD) SYMPHONY BY DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH (C MAJOR, 1941)

On July 2, 1942, a twenty-year-old pilot, Lieutenant Litvinov, miraculously broke through the enemy encirclement and managed to bring medicine and four plump music books with the score of D.D.’s Seventh Symphony to besieged Leningrad. Shostakovich, and the next day a short note appeared in Leningradskaya Pravda: “The score of Dmitry Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was delivered to Leningrad by plane. Its public performance will take place in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic.”

An event for which the history of music has never known analogues: in a besieged city, terribly exhausted musicians (everyone who survived took part) under the baton of conductor Carl Eliasberg performed Shostakovich’s new symphony. The same one that the composer composed in the first weeks of the siege, until he and his family were evacuated to Kuibyshev (Samara). On the day of the Leningrad premiere, August 9, 1942, the Great Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic was filled to capacity with exhausted city residents with translucent faces, but at the same time in elegant clothes, and military personnel who had come straight from the front line. The symphony was broadcast to the streets through radio speakers. That evening, the whole world stood still and listened to the unprecedented feat of the musicians.

...It is noteworthy, but the famous theme in the spirit of Ravel’s “Bolero”, which is now usually personified with a fascist army mindlessly moving and destroying everything in its path, was written by Shostakovich even before the start of the war. However, it was quite naturally included in the first part of the Leningrad Symphony, taking the place of the so-called “invasion episode”. The life-affirming ending also turned out to be prophetic, anticipating the longed-for Victory, from which it was still separated by such a long three and a half years...

I. Allegretto 00:00
II. Moderato (poco allegretto) 26:25
III. Adagio 37:00
IV. Allegro non troppo 53:40

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Publications in the Music section

Listening and understanding the symphony

What is the difference between classical, academic, symphonic and philharmonic music? Is it possible string Quartet considered an orchestra, and can such an “orchestra” then be called a violin orchestra? Answers to these and other popular questions about symphonies can be found in the material on the Kultura.RF portal.

Let's go to the concert

Ilya Repin. Slavic composers. 1872. Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky

A standard symphony concert consists of an overture and a concerto for some instrument (usually piano or violin) with an orchestra in the first movement and the symphony itself in the second. Most often they perform either overtures from famous theatrical works, or having their own plot, which allows even completely unprepared listeners to perceive music - at an extra-musical semantic level. Instrumental concerts Composers also write with the mass audience in mind. With a symphony everything seems much more complicated, but this is only at first glance.

The first symphonies in the form to which we are accustomed appeared during the time of Joseph Haydn and largely thanks to him. The word “symphony” itself, of course, existed long before the composer: translated from Greek it meant “joint [harmonious] sound” and served to designate a wide variety of musical forms and genres. But it was precisely in the work of Haydn, the first of Viennese classics- the symphony became what it is now.

Almost all symphonies are built according to the same scheme and, in fact, tell the same type of plot. This scheme is usually called the sonata-symphonic cycle; it consists of four independent musical parts. These individual pieces of music are literally are lining up, like architectural structures, in accordance with very specific and precise mathematical laws. It was these laws that the hero of Pushkin’s work Salieri had in mind when he said that he “believed harmony with algebra.”

What does a symphony consist of?

Henryk Semiradsky. Chopin in the salon of Prince Anton Radziwill in Berlin in 1829 (detail). 2nd half XIX century. State Russian Museum

First part symphonies are also sometimes called “sonata allegro”, since it is written in sonata form and usually goes at a fast pace. The plot of the sonata form consists of three large sections - exposition, development and reprise.

IN exposition Two contrasting themes sound consistently: main party- usually more active, and the side part - often more lyrical. IN development these themes intertwine and interact with each other in any way at the discretion of the composer. A reprise sums up this interaction: in it the main part sounds in its original form, and the side part changes under the influence of the main one. For example, if in the exposition it was lyrical, then in the reprise it becomes tragic (if the symphony is written in a minor key) or, conversely, heroic (for a major symphony).

The main intrigue of the symphony remains how exactly the composer develops the typical plot. And in an already familiar composition, you can pay special attention to the interpretation of the music by this or that conductor - this is akin to watching a new film adaptation of a famous novel.

Second part symphonies - slow, meditative in nature. It represents an understanding of the dramatic vicissitudes of the first part - as a rest after a storm or as a necessary but slow recovery after a severe fever.

The third part leads internal conflict symphonies to resolution through external movement. That is why composers of the 18th century traditionally wrote it in the three-beat rhythm of the then popular minuet dance. The form of the minuet was traditionally three-part, the third section of which literally repeated the first according to the pattern “A - B - A”. This repetition was sometimes not even written out with notes, and after the second section they simply wrote “da capo”: this meant that they had to play the entire first section from the beginning.

Since the time of Ludwig van Beethoven, the minuet has sometimes been replaced by a fast and lively scherzo (translated from Italian as “joke”), but even in these cases, the third movement of the standard symphony often retained the three-beat rhythm and the obligatory three-part “da capo” form.

And finally, fast fourth part or the final The symphony emotionally and meaningfully returns the listener to the “circle of life.” This is facilitated by musical form rondo(from the French rondeau - “circle”), in which the finales of classical symphonies are most often written. The rondo principle is based on periodic returns, as if in a circle, of the main theme ( refrain), interspersed with other musical fragments ( episodes). The rondo form is one of the most harmonious and positive, and it is this that contributes to the life-affirming nature of the symphony as a whole. .

No rules without exceptions

Peter Williams. Portrait of Dmitry Shostakovich. 1947. Central Museum musical culture named after M.I. Glinka

The typical form described is characteristic of the vast majority of symphonies created from the end of the 17th century to the present day. However, there are no rules without exceptions.

If something goes “not according to plan” in a symphony, this always reflects the composer’s special intention, and not his unprofessionalism or ignorance. For example, if the slow (“meaningful”) part of the symphony changes places with a minuet or scherzo, as often happens with romantic composers of the 19th century, this may mean that the author shifted the semantic emphasis of the entire symphony “inward,” since it was in the third quarter of the musical the work is the point of the “golden section” and the semantic culmination of the entire form.

Another example of a deviation from the standard form is another movement added “over plan,” as in Joseph Haydn’s Farewell (45th) Symphony, where the traditional fast finale is followed by a slow fifth movement, during which the musicians take turns stopping playing and leave the stage, extinguishing the candles attached to their music stands. With this violation of the canonical form, Haydn, being the leader of the court orchestra of Prince Esterhazy, drew the attention of his employer to the fact that the musicians for a long time salaries were not paid and they were literally ready to leave the orchestra. The prince, who knew the form of a classical symphony very well, understood the subtle hint, and the situation was resolved in favor of the musicians.

Symphony Orchestra

(from the Greek “consonance”) - a piece for orchestra, consisting of several parts. The symphony is the most musical form of concert orchestral music.

Classic structure

Due to the relative similarity of the structure to the sonata, the symphony can be called a grand sonata for orchestra. Sonata and symphony, as well as trio, quartet, etc. belong to the “sonata-symphonic cycle” - a cyclic musical form of a work in which it is customary to present at least one of the parts (usually the first) in sonata form. The sonata-symphonic cycle is the largest cyclic form among purely instrumental forms.

Like a sonata, a classical symphony has four movements:
- the first part, at a fast tempo, is written in sonata form;
- the second part, in slow movement, is written in the form of a rondo, less often in the form of a sonata or variation form;
- third movement, scherzo or minuet in tripartite form;
- the fourth movement, at a fast tempo, in sonata form or in the form of a rondo, rondo sonata.
If the first movement is written at a moderate tempo, then, on the contrary, it may be followed by a fast second and slow third movement (for example, Beethoven's 9th symphony).

Considering that the symphony is designed for a large orchestra, each part in it is written in broader and more detail than, for example, in an ordinary piano sonata, since the wealth of expressive means of a symphony orchestra provides for a detailed presentation of musical thought.

History of the symphony

The term symphony was used in ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, and mainly to describe various instruments, especially those capable of producing more than one sound at a time. Thus, in Germany, until the mid-18th century, symphony was a general term for varieties of harpsichords - spinets and virginels; in France, this was the name for barrel organs, harpsichords, two-headed drums, etc.

The word symphony, to designate musical works that sound together, began to appear in the titles of some works of the 16th and 17th centuries, by composers such as Giovanni Gabrieli (Sacrae symphoniae, 1597, and Symphoniae sacrae 1615), Adriano Banchieri (Eclesiastiche Sinfonie, 1607 ), Lodovico Grossi da Viadana (Sinfonie musicali, 1610) and Heinrich Schütz (Symphoniae sacrae, 1629).

The prototype of the symphony can be considered the one that developed under Domenico Scarlatti in late XVII century. This form was already called a symphony and consisted of three contrasting parts: allegro, andante and allegro, which merged into one whole. It is this form that is often seen as the direct forerunner of the orchestral symphony. The terms "overture" and "symphony" were used interchangeably for much of the 18th century.

Other important ancestors of the symphony were the orchestral suite, consisting of several movements in the simplest forms and mostly in the same key, and the ripieno concerto, a form reminiscent of the concerto for strings and continuo, but without solo instruments. The works of Giuseppe Torelli were created in this form, and perhaps the most famous ripieno concerto is Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.

He is considered the founder of the classical symphony model. In a classical symphony, only the first and last movements have the same tonality, and the middle ones are written in keys related to the main one, which determines the tonality of the entire symphony. Outstanding representatives of classical symphony are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven dramatically expanded the symphony. His Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica") has a scale and emotional range that surpasses all earlier works, his Symphony No. 5 perhaps being the most famous symphony, ever written. His Symphony No. 9 becomes one of the first "choral symphonies" with the inclusion of parts for soloists and chorus in the last movement.

The romantic symphony was a combination of classical form with romantic expression. The software trend is also developing. Appear. Home distinctive feature Romanticism was the growth of form, composition of the orchestra and density of sound. The most outstanding authors of symphonies of this era include Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, Johannes Brahms, P. I. Tchaikovsky, A. Bruckner and Gustav Mahler.

Beginning in the second half of the 19th century and especially in the 20th century, there was a further transformation of the symphony. The four-movement structure has become optional: symphonies can contain from one (7th Symphony) to eleven (14th Symphony by D. Shostakovich) movements or more. Many composers experimented with the meter of symphonies, such as Gustav Mahler's 8th Symphony, called "Symphony of a Thousand Participants" (due to the strength of the orchestra and choirs required to perform it). The use of sonata form becomes optional.
After L. Beethoven's 9th Symphony, composers more often began to introduce vocal parts into symphonies. However, the scale and content of the musical material remains constant.

List of prominent symphony authors
Joseph Haydn - 108 symphonies
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - 41 (56) symphonies
Ludwig van Beethoven - 9 symphonies
Franz Schubert - 9 symphonies
Robert Schumann - 4 symphonies
Felix Mendelssohn - 5 symphonies
Hector Berlioz - several program symphonies
Antonin Dvorak - 9 symphonies
Johannes Brahms - 4 symphonies
Pyotr Tchaikovsky - 6 symphonies (as well as the Manfred symphony)
Anton Bruckner - 10 symphonies
Gustav Mahler - 10 symphonies
- 7 symphonies
Sergei Rachmaninov - 3 symphonies
Igor Stravinsky - 5 symphonies
Sergei Prokofiev - 7 symphonies
Dmitri Shostakovich - 15 symphonies (also several chamber symphonies)
Alfred Schnittke - 9 symphonies