Symphony No. 3 in a minor, Op. 44

Composer: RACHMANINOV, Sergei
  • Written between 1935–36; revised in 1938
    • Premiered in 1936 in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski
  • Three movements:
    1. Lento—Allegro moderato
    2. Adagio ma non troppo—Allegro vivace
      • Rather than using a traditional four-movement structure, Rachmaninov combined the slow second and scherzo third into a single one.
    3. Allegro—Allegro vivace—Allegro1
  • Of Rachmaninov’s three symphonies, only his second is well-known and performed on a regular basis. The premiere of Symphony No. 3 was met primarily with confusion–some thought the work to be too “modern,” while others felt it was out of date and reminiscent of works from the turn of the century. Over time, however, opinions have thawed.
  • Listen for – Rachmaninov quotes the “Dies Irae” melody from the plainsong Mass for the Dead in the third movement.2  

Sources

  1. “Symphony No.3, Op.44 (Rachmaninoff, Sergei),” IMSLP, accessed January 9, 2024, https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.3%2C_Op.44_(Rachmaninoff%2C_Sergei).
  2. Steven Ledbetter, “Symphony No. 3,” Boston Symphony Orchestra, accessed January 9, 2024, https://www.bso.org/works/symphony-no-3.

Cut IDs

40814 22224