Symphony No. 1 (Balakirev)

The Symphony No. 1 in C major by Mily Balakirev is scored for 3 flutes (the third doubling piccolo), oboe, English horn, 3 clarinets (switching between B flat and A instruments), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, cymbals, snare drum, bass drum, 2 harps,[1] first and second violins, violas, cellos and double basses. Balakirev revised the symphony but the publisher Zimmerman does not mark the printing of the second version as different and scores and parts of the two versions have gotten mixed up sometimes.[2] One way to tell them apart is that the first version has rehearsal figures going up to 15, 10, 7, 16 but in the second version they go to 26, 14, 14, 26.[3] The more obvious textual changes occur in the third movement[4] The piece is in four movements:

  1. Largo – Allegro vivo
  2. Scherzo. Vivo – Poco meno mosso – Tempo I
  3. Andante
  4. Finale. Allegro moderato

Sketching began in 1864 but the first performance, with Balakirev himself conducting, did not take place until 1898. In 1949 Herbert von Karajan recorded it with the Philharmonia Orchestra. In December 1955 Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra made the first stereo recording in the U.K.. There is also a recording of a concert performance with Beecham conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Yevgeny Svetlanov recorded it in 1971, with the USSR Symphony Orchestra. It was later recorded digitally by Neeme Jarvi for EMI Classics. A modern recording by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Igor Golovschin, is also available, as well as one from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with Vassily Sinaisky as conductor.

Footnotes

  1. (Del Mar 1981): page 5 note 1 "The scoring indicates 'Arpe' (plural) ... though in this symphony there is only one actual part."
  2. (Del Mar, 1981): 5
  3. (Del Mar, 1981): 5
  4. (Del Mar, 1981): 6 – 9

References

ru:Симфония № 1 (Балакирев)

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