Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 44
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

THE STORY

As a young man, Sergei Rachmaninoff displayed what many of his teachers considered to be infinite potential as a pianist and a composer. In 1895, at the age of 22, he began work on his First Symphony—ready to step into the spotlight.

To call the premiere a disaster would be an understatement. The orchestra was under-rehearsed and conductor Alexander Glazunov was rumored to have been drunk during the performance. Critics were merciless.

Rachmaninoff fell into a crippling depression, unable to compose for three years. He would eventually return to the symphonic medium in 1908 with his Second Symphony, but his third and final contribution to the genre came nearly three decades after his second.

The Symphony No. 3 in A Minor took shape in the summers of 1935 and 1936 on the shores of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. The work betrays none of the composer’s insecurities and is filled with the lush melodies and drama that are integral to his signature style.

The first performance of the Third Symphony was given in 1936 by The Philadelphia Orchestra and legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski. The premiere received lukewarm reviews, but Rachmaninoff’s response put his growth on full display: “Personally, I’m convinced that this is a good work. But sometimes, composers are mistaken too! Be that as it may, I am holding to my opinion so far.”

LISTEN FOR

• The melody that opens the first movement—played by the clarinet, muted horn, and solo muted cello—serving as the seed from which the entire symphony blooms
• The sudden shift in tone in the middle of the second movement, from slow and romantic to scurrying and march-like
• The end of the final movement, in which the music dies down, then builds to an exhilarating finish

INSTRUMENTATION

Piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta, strings