Symphony No. 3 (Glass)

Philip Glass's Symphony No. 3 is a work for string orchestra, commissioned for the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. The premiere, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, took place in Künzelsau, Germany, on February 5, 1995.

Form

The symphony is in four movements. The first movement is elemental in nature, intitially based on pulsing Cs but giving way before long to contrasting scales. It is soft and brief, evocative of the composer's earlier string quartets, and acts as a prelude to the faster and more lively second movement, which begins with running quavers that immediately signal a change in texture and harmonic breadth. The movement progresses to a series of abrupt metrical changes, and ends when it moves without transition into a new closing theme with pizzicato counterpoint. The third movement forms the core of the piece, taking the form of a dark, slow-building "chaconne" beginning with a ground bass in the cellos and violas. The rest of the orchestra is gradually introduced into the pattern with each repeat, setting in place a layered effect before a solo violin introduces a high, keening cantabile melody over the accumulated rhythmical tissue beneath. The movement continues to build, with the other violins introducing contrapuntal filigrees and trills, and ends abruptly once the theme has reached its peak and all instruments have been included. The energetic fourth movement recapitulates and develops material from the end of the second, with brisk chords intersected by short chromatic runs. These chromatic sequences come to dominate as the movement progresses, taking over from the earlier chord stabs and steering the movement into its closing theme.

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for ten violins, four violas, three cellos and two basses.

Overview

The symphony was commissioned by the Würth Foundation, and part of Glass's remit was to treat each of the nineteen string players of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra as a soloist. [http://www.philipglass.com/html/recordings/symphony-no3.html PhilipGlass.com: Recordings: Symphony No. 3 ] ] This treatment is particularly evident in the third movement, where almost every player is playing a distinct line of their own as the piece builds to incorporate the whole ensemble.

The work is considered to be one of Glass's most "classical", or "traditional" works. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=42:388193~T1 allmusic ((( Symphony No. 3, for strings > Description ))) ] ] On this, Glass has been quoted: "The work fell naturally into a four-movement form, and even given the nature of the ensemble and solo writing, [it] seems to have the structure of a true symphony."

References

ee also

List of compositions by Philip Glass