Symphony No. 3 (Brahms)

The Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op.90, is a symphony written by Johannes Brahms. The work was written in the summer of 1883 at Wiesbaden, nearly six years after he completed his Second Symphony. In the interim Brahms had written some of his greatest masterpieces, including the Violin Concerto, two overtures ("Tragic Overture" and "Academic Festival Overture"), and the Second Piano Concerto.

The premiere performance was given on December 2, 1883 by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Hans Richter. A typical performance lasts about 40 minutes.

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, one contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings.

Form

The symphony is in four movements, marked as follows:
# Allegro con brio (F major)
# Andante (C major)
# Poco allegretto (C minor)
# Allegro (F minor, ending in F major)

History

Hans Richter, who conducted the premier of the symphony, proclaimed it to be Brahms' "Eroica". The symphony was well received, more so than his Second Symphony. Although Richard Wagner had died earlier that year, the public feud between Brahms and Wagner had not yet subsided. Fanatical members of the Wagner cult tried to interfere with the symphony's premiere, and the conflict between the two factions nearly brought about a duel.Leonard Burkat; liner notes for the 1998 recording (William Steinberg, conductor; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; MCA Classics)]

After each performance, Brahms polished his score further, until it was published in May 1884. His friend and influential music critic Eduard Hanslick said, "Many music lovers will prefer the titanic force of the First Symphony; others, the untroubled charm of the Second, but the Third strikes me as being artistically the most nearly perfect."

Musical elements

A musical motto consisting of three notes, F–A-flat–F, was significant to Brahms. In 1853 his friend Joseph Joachim had taken as his motto "Free, but Lonely", in German, "Frei aber einsam", and from the notes represented by the first letters of these words, F–A–E, the two musicians had jointly fabricated a Violin Sonata. At the time of the Third Symphony, Brahms is a fifty-year-old bachelor who declares himself to be "Frei aber froh", "Free but Happy". His F–A–F motto, and some altered variations of it, can be heard throughout the symphony.

At the beginning of the symphony the motto is the melody of the first three measures, and it is the bass line underlying the main theme in the next three. The motto persists, either boldy or disguised, as the melody or accompaniment throughout the movement. The third movement takes the place of the conventional, fast-paced scherzo. The finale is a lyrical, passionate movement, rich in melody that is intensely exploited, altered, and developed. The movement ends with reference to the motto heard in the first movement, then fades away to a quiet ending.

References in popular culture

A theme from the third movement appeared in the film "Aimez vous Brahms?" directed by Anatole Litvak, as well as the BBC documentary "The Century of the Self" by Adam Curtis. The melody appears in several works of popular music, including "Baby Alone in Babylone" by Serge Gainsbourg, "Love of My Life" on Carlos Santana's album "Supernatural", and in the final instrumental track of the album "A Glorious Lethal Euphoria" by the surf-rock band The Mermen. It also is very similar to Branford Marsalis' "The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born" on the album of the same name.

References

* Walter Frisch. "Brahms: The Four Symphonies" New Haven: Yale University Press (2003): 91 - 114

External links

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