Symphony No. 3 (Harris)
Encyclopedia
Roy Harris
's Symphony No. 3 is a work written in 1939 and premiered by the conductor Serge Koussevitzky
.
Harris wrote this symphony on a commission from Hans Kindler
but he gave it to Serge Koussevitzky
instead (Stehman, 1984). It has been described as "the quintessential American symphony" (Canarina, 1993) and "the most widely performed and recorded of all American symphonies".
The music is scored for 3 flute
s (the third doubling on piccolo
), 2 oboe
s, English horn
, 2 clarinet
s, bass clarinet
, 2 bassoon
s, 4 horn
s, 3 trumpet
s, 3 trombone
s, 2 tuba
s, timpani
, bass drum
, cymbal
s, triangle
, xylophone
, vibraphone
and strings
.
The score was published by G. Schirmer
in 1940.
In one movement, the work begins with a tragic melody played by the cellos, and turns more lyrical as other sections of the orchestra join in. An accelerando passage culminates in an energetic exchange between massed woodwinds and pizzicato strings and a timpani solo. The ensuing section, described by the composer as "fugal", is more accurately a kind of canonical development
. The piece then slows (meno mosso, pesante), concluding with a final tonic
chord (the only one in the entire Symphony) in G minor.
According to Harris, the symphony is in five connected sections: Tragic, Lyrical, Pastoral, Fugue Dramatic, Dramatic Tragic. "After the first performance, Harris made two cuts" to the Pastoral section, specifically, measures 274 - 301 and 308 - 316.
in the premiere. While public reaction was initially chilly, the symphony has subsequently become more popular. This work is considered an influential work that uses a number of techniques that have become common in subsequent American classical music, including "massive but spacious textures; a new emphasis on vital, syncopated rhythms... and a rich harmonic palette."
Koussevitzky made the world-premiere recording in a performance which Harris "regarded ... as the finest interpretation."
Together with "the Second Symphony
by Howard Hanson
, [and] the Third by Robert Ward
... the Third of Roy Harris" is one of those American symphonies which "are within the capabilities of our [American] community orchestras."
Roy Harris
Roy Ellsworth Harris , was an American composer. He wrote much music on American subjects, becoming best known for his Symphony No...
's Symphony No. 3 is a work written in 1939 and premiered by the conductor Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky , was a Russian-born Jewish conductor, composer and double-bassist, known for his long tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949.-Early career:...
.
Harris wrote this symphony on a commission from Hans Kindler
Hans Kindler
Johannes Hendrikus Philip "Hans" Kindler was an American cellist and conductor.Kindler was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands where he attended the Rotterdams Conservatorium....
but he gave it to Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky , was a Russian-born Jewish conductor, composer and double-bassist, known for his long tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949.-Early career:...
instead (Stehman, 1984). It has been described as "the quintessential American symphony" (Canarina, 1993) and "the most widely performed and recorded of all American symphonies".
The music is scored for 3 flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s (the third doubling on piccolo
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
), 2 oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, English horn
Cor anglais
The cor anglais , or English horn , is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family....
, 2 clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s, bass clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
, 2 bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s, 4 horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
s, 3 trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, 3 trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, 2 tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
s, timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
, cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, triangle
Triangle (instrument)
The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...
, xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
, vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
and strings
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
.
The score was published by G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
in 1940.
In one movement, the work begins with a tragic melody played by the cellos, and turns more lyrical as other sections of the orchestra join in. An accelerando passage culminates in an energetic exchange between massed woodwinds and pizzicato strings and a timpani solo. The ensuing section, described by the composer as "fugal", is more accurately a kind of canonical development
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
. The piece then slows (meno mosso, pesante), concluding with a final tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
chord (the only one in the entire Symphony) in G minor.
According to Harris, the symphony is in five connected sections: Tragic, Lyrical, Pastoral, Fugue Dramatic, Dramatic Tragic. "After the first performance, Harris made two cuts" to the Pastoral section, specifically, measures 274 - 301 and 308 - 316.
Critical reaction
In 1939, Koussevitzky conducted the Boston Symphony OrchestraBoston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
in the premiere. While public reaction was initially chilly, the symphony has subsequently become more popular. This work is considered an influential work that uses a number of techniques that have become common in subsequent American classical music, including "massive but spacious textures; a new emphasis on vital, syncopated rhythms... and a rich harmonic palette."
Koussevitzky made the world-premiere recording in a performance which Harris "regarded ... as the finest interpretation."
Together with "the Second Symphony
Symphony No. 2 (Hanson)
The Symphony No. 2 in D-flat major, Opus 30, W45, was written by Howard Hanson on commission from Serge Koussevitsky for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930, and published by Carl Fischer Music....
by Howard Hanson
Howard Hanson
Howard Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...
, [and] the Third by Robert Ward
Robert Ward
Robert Ward is an American composer.-Early work and education:Ward was one of five children of the owner of a moving and storage company. He sang in church choirs and local opera theaters when he was a boy. His earliest extant compositions date to 1934, at a time he was attending John Adams High...
... the Third of Roy Harris" is one of those American symphonies which "are within the capabilities of our [American] community orchestras."