Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Russian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valeri Polyansky.
I - Allegro con spirito: 0:00
II - Scherzo. Allegro vivace alla marcia - Allegro moderato - Tempo I - Allegro moderato - Allegro vivace (Tempo I): 11:20
III - Intermezzo. Andantino grazioso - Più vivo - Andantino - Andantino grazioso: 18:16
IV - Finale. Allegro con brio: 26:10
Taneyev's Symphony No.3 was composed in 1884, being premiered on February 7 of 1885, conducted by Taneyev himself. The work is dedicated to Anton Arensky, fellow composer and colleague at the Moscow Conservatory. The work was neither performed again nor published during Taneyev's lifetime, not even entering the composer's catalogue. It wasn't heard again until 1916 (the same year of the composer's death) and the score wasn't published until 1947, by then 31 years after the composer's death.
The symphony became a centre of a private controversy between Taneyev and Tchaikovsky, the latter who had been the former's composition teacher, both soon becoming close friends. Taneyev had previously criticized Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony for the injection of what he saw as "ballet music". Tchaikovsky in turn criticized the new symphony in a letter, stating the following: "not conceived for orchestra, but is only an arrangement for orchestra of music which has popped into your head abstractly, so to speak". Both composers, who approached the genre of the symphony through very different perspectives, were sceptical about each other as symphonists.
The first movement is structured in sonata form. It begins with a dramatic and agitated main theme in D minor, soon rising in a climax. A transition leads us into the broad and lyrical second theme in F major, presented by horns and cellos with brief modulations to A minor and C major. The ensuing development is heavily contrapuntal in nature, transforming the material as the music moves to B-flat minor, G minor, E minor, C-sharp minor and A minor. A gradual crescendo leads us into a passionate and imposing climax, which then leads to the recapitulation of the themes, this time the music harmonically struggling between D major and minor, an anticipation of the finale. The dramatic coda reasserts D minor as the key with a shortened version of the main theme.
The second movement is a scherzo in expanded ternary form (A-B-A-B-A). It opens with a rhythmic and march-like main theme in G minor, presented by woodwinds with strong accents and syncopated rhythms. Quick modulations move to B-flat major, D minor and E-flat major. The trio section offers a widely lyrical second theme in G major, presented by strings and then taken by woodwinds. The scherzo then returns and gradually becomes more intense in dynamics and contrapuntal in texture. The trio section is briefly recapitulated, before an animated coda ends the movement in a decided G minor.
The third movement is structured in ternary form. It begins with a graceful and melodic main theme in G major, fully presented by oboe after an introduction shared between woods and strings. The material unfolds contrapuntally in a voluptuous and expressive manner. The central section starts with sudden trumpet calls, before a rhythmic variation of the theme appears in the key of E minor, then modulating to B minor and D major. The music reaches a passionate central climax, after which a gentle transition leads to the recapitulation of the main material in G major. A delicate coda ends the andantino.
The fourth movement is written in sonata form. It opens with a vigorous and animated main theme in D major, with hints of a future struggle between D minor and major. The second theme in F major is sinuous and melodic in nature, introduced by woodwind dialogues before modulating to A major and D major. The ensuing development is heavily contrapuntal as well, moving to the keys of B minor, E minor, C major, A minor and F-sharp minor. A climax is reached with the recapitulation of the main themes in the key of D major. Then a substantial contrapuntal struggle between D major and minor begins in a near continuous crescendo, based on fragments of the main theme. D major then finally triumphs in a powerful and victorious climax that draws the symphony to a close.
Picture: "Landscape with a Rainbow" (1881) by Russian painter Alexei Savrasov.
Musical analysis mostly written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/2885zu59, tinyurl.com/22maywtj and tinyurl.com/22cza2rc
To check the score: tinyurl.com/27o4osgc
Russian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valeri Polyansky.
I - Allegro con spirito: 0:00
II - Scherzo. Allegro vivace alla marcia - Allegro moderato - Tempo I - Allegro moderato - Allegro vivace (Tempo I): 11:20
III - Intermezzo. Andantino grazioso - Più vivo - Andantino - Andantino grazioso: 18:16
IV - Finale. Allegro con brio: 26:10
Taneyev's Symphony No.3 was composed in 1884, being premiered on February 7 of 1885, conducted by Taneyev himself. The work is dedicated to Anton Arensky, fellow composer and colleague at the Moscow Conservatory. The work was neither performed again nor published during Taneyev's lifetime, not even entering the composer's catalogue. It wasn't heard again until 1916 (the same year of the composer's death) and the score wasn't published until 1947, by then 31 years after the composer's death.
The symphony became a centre of a private controversy between Taneyev and Tchaikovsky, the latter who had been the former's composition teacher, both soon becoming close friends. Taneyev had previously criticized Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony for the injection of what he saw as "ballet music". Tchaikovsky in turn criticized the new symphony in a letter, stating the following: "not conceived for orchestra, but is only an arrangement for orchestra of music which has popped into your head abstractly, so to speak". Both composers, who approached the genre of the symphony through very different perspectives, were sceptical about each other as symphonists.
The first movement is structured in sonata form. It begins with a dramatic and agitated main theme in D minor, soon rising in a climax. A transition leads us into the broad and lyrical second theme in F major, presented by horns and cellos with brief modulations to A minor and C major. The ensuing development is heavily contrapuntal in nature, transforming the material as the music moves to B-flat minor, G minor, E minor, C-sharp minor and A minor. A gradual crescendo leads us into a passionate and imposing climax, which then leads to the recapitulation of the themes, this time the music harmonically struggling between D major and minor, an anticipation of the finale. The dramatic coda reasserts D minor as the key with a shortened version of the main theme.
The second movement is a scherzo in expanded ternary form (A-B-A-B-A). It opens with a rhythmic and march-like main theme in G minor, presented by woodwinds with strong accents and syncopated rhythms. Quick modulations move to B-flat major, D minor and E-flat major. The trio section offers a widely lyrical second theme in G major, presented by strings and then taken by woodwinds. The scherzo then returns and gradually becomes more intense in dynamics and contrapuntal in texture. The trio section is briefly recapitulated, before an animated coda ends the movement in a decided G minor.
The third movement is structured in ternary form. It begins with a graceful and melodic main theme in G major, fully presented by oboe after an introduction shared between woods and strings. The material unfolds contrapuntally in a voluptuous and expressive manner. The central section starts with sudden trumpet calls, before a rhythmic variation of the theme appears in the key of E minor, then modulating to B minor and D major. The music reaches a passionate central climax, after which a gentle transition leads to the recapitulation of the main material in G major. A delicate coda ends the andantino.
The fourth movement is written in sonata form. It opens with a vigorous and animated main theme in D major, with hints of a future struggle between D minor and major. The second theme in F major is sinuous and melodic in nature, introduced by woodwind dialogues before modulating to A major and D major. The ensuing development is heavily contrapuntal as well, moving to the keys of B minor, E minor, C major, A minor and F-sharp minor. A climax is reached with the recapitulation of the main themes in the key of D major. Then a substantial contrapuntal struggle between D major and minor begins in a near continuous crescendo, based on fragments of the main theme. D major then finally triumphs in a powerful and victorious climax that draws the symphony to a close.
Picture: "Landscape with a Rainbow" (1881) by Russian painter Alexei Savrasov.
Musical analysis mostly written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/2885zu59, tinyurl.com/22maywtj and tinyurl.com/22cza2rc
To check the score: tinyurl.com/27o4osgc
