Symphony No. 3
The symphony where Glazunov turns away from folk nationalism toward a broader European voice, warmer and more lyrical, shaped by his growing closeness to Tchaikovsky.
Written in 1890 and dedicated to Tchaikovsky, the Third Symphony documents a change of direction. Glazunov largely sets aside the Balakirev, Borodin, and Rimsky-Korsakov idioms that had defined his first two symphonies and moves toward the influences of Tchaikovsky and Wagner. The dedication was not a formality. The two composers were close, Tchaikovsky treating the younger man as a friend and colleague, and the symphony reflects an admiration for Tchaikovsky's lyrical breadth and long melodic spans.
The premiere took place in St. Petersburg in December 1890 under Anatoly Lyadov, part of the Belyayev concert series that promoted the circle of composers around that publisher.
The Third is often heard as a work in transition, less immediately memorable than the symphonies on either side of it, but important for what it attempts. The orchestration is fuller and more chromatic, the harmonic language richer, and the phrasing reaches for a warmth that would define his mature style. It is the sound of a composer consciously widening his frame of reference, trading the sharp national colour of his youth for something more continental.
Movements
Recordings coming soon
The individual movements will be uploaded here.