Tchaikovsky Research : Symphony No. 3, Op. 29 (TH 26)

Catalogue References	TH 26 ; ČW 23
Date	June–August 1875
Key	D major
Tempo/Section Listing	Introduzione e Allegro. Moderato assai (Tempo di marcia funebre) (D minor)—Allegro brillante (D major) (472 bars) Alla tedesca. Allegro moderato e semplice (B♭ major, 289 bars) Andante. Andante elegiaco (D minor, 182 bars) Scherzo. Allegro vivo (B minor, 439 bars) Finale. Allegro con fuoco (Tempo di polacca) (D major, 350 bars)
Instrumentation	Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (A, B♭), 2 Bassoons + 4 Horns (F), 2 Trumpets (F), 3 Trombones, Tuba + Timpani + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
Notabke Performances	Moscow, 1st Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 7/19 November 1875, conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein Saint Petersburg, 5th Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 24 January/5 February 1876, conducted by Eduard Nápravník New York, Academy of Music, Philharmonic Society concert, 27 January/8 February 1879, conducted by Adolf Neuendorf Khar'kov, 2nd Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 14/26 November 1893, conducted by Ilya Slatin London, Crystal Palace, 20 February/4 March 1899, conducted by August Manns Liverpool, Philharmonic Society Concert, 7/20 November 1900, conducted by Frederick Cowen
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 57)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1877
Average Duration	47 minutes
Dedication	Vladimir Shilovsky (1852–1893)
Note	See also Unknown Tchaikovsky
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) Wikipedia (article)

History

No information survives about the early compositional processes of the Third Symphony.

At the end of May/start of June, after the conservatory examinations, Tchaikovsky left for Usovo, where on 5/17 June he began to make the first sketches of the symphony. The title page of the fair copy of the full score has the note: "Begun 5 June 1875 at Usovo. Finished 1 August 1875 at Verbovka".

Tchaikovsky referred to the composition of the symphony in one of his letters to Aleksey and Mikhail Sofronov: "I am now composing a new symphony, but am taking it steadily, not spending all my time on it, and taking long walks" [1].

On 20 June/2 July the rough sketches of the symphony were completed [2], and Tchaikovsky left Usovo.

At Nikolay Kondratyev’s estate in Nizy, Tchaikovsky started to orchestrate the symphony. And so on 8/20 July 1875 he wrote to Pyotr Jurgenson from Nizy: "I’m sorry for writing so little; I’m terribly tired from work (scoring the symphony)" [3]. Judging by the dates of completion found at the end of each movement on the fair copy of the manuscript, the first to be orchestrated was the fifth movement, at the end of which is written "9 July 1875. Nizy"; then, the fourth movement—"13 July 1875. Nizy".

On 14/26 July, Tchaikovsky left Nizy for Verbovka, where he arrived on 17–18 July [4]. Here the composer continued to orchestrate the symphony, i.e. the first, second and third movements, with noting at the end of each movement its date of completion: the first movement—"26 July 1875. Verbovka"; the second movement—"28 July 1875. Verbovka"; the third movement—"31 July 1875. Verbovka".

The full score was completed on 1/13 August, according to a note at the top of the title page of the manuscript. On 14/26 August, in a letter to Sergey Taneyev, Tchaikovsky reported: "The symphony has been written. It was composed in Tambov province, orchestrated partly at Sumy [the district in which Nizy was situated] and partly here. It is written in D major, and consists of five movements" [5].

The first performance of the Third Symphony, at which the author was present, took place in Moscow on 7/19 November 1875, at the first symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society, conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein. After its performance Tchaikovsky wrote to Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov: "As far as I am concerned, this symphony presents no particularly successful ideas—but in craftsmanship it is a step forward. I am most satisfied with the first movement and both of the Scherzos, of which the second was difficult, and played nowhere near as well as it ought to have been after lengthy rehearsal" [6].

In Saint Petersburg, the Third Symphony was performed for the first time on 24 January/5 February 1876, at the fifth symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society, conducted by Eduard Nápravník, also in the presence of the author. Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother Modest: "My symphony fared very well, and had appreciable success. I was called for and roundly applauded" [7].

Jurgenson issued the orchestral parts of the symphony in December 1876, the full score in January 1877, and in April the arrangement for piano duet by Eduard Langer.

For the Scherzo of the symphony (trio), Tchaikovsky borrowed from his Cantata for the Opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition: the theme from the final part of the introduction (Allegro vivo) and from the tenor solo (No. 4: «Ужели вновь бороться и страдать»). Subsequently, the second movement of the symphony was used by the composer as an entr'acte to Act II in the music to the tragedy Hamlet.

Symphony No. 3

(Симфония № 3)

History

Notes: