Manfred Symphony in b minor, Op. 58

Quick Facts

• A programmatic work based on the Gothic poem by Lord Byron
• Written in 1885; premiered in Moscow in 1886 conducted by Max Erdmannsdörfer
• Dedicated to Mily Balakirev
• Four movements:
  1. Lento lugubre
  2. Vivace con spirito
  3. Pastorale. Andante con moto
  4. Allegro con fuoco¹

About the Piece

• Each of the four movements is prefaced with a description of a scene from Byron’s poem, which you can read here.
• While structured and labeled as a symphony, the Manfred Symphony also resembles an extended symphonic poem and is not numbered as a symphony in Tchaikovsky’s oeuvre. It is unlike anything else the composer had written and is a bit of an anomaly.²
• When Balakirev proposed the idea of the work to Tchaikovsky, the latter was initially hesitant to compose a work based on Manfred for two reasons: 1. he highly respected Schumann’s Manfred music, and 2. he had never read the work and was unfamiliar with the subject matter. Tchaikovsky eventually read the text and was persuaded to take on the proposal.
• Tchaikovsky initially considered his Manfred Symphony to be one of his best works but later reversed his opinion and threatened to destroy it.³

1. “Manfred Symphony, Op.58 (Tchaikovsky, Pyotr),” IMSLP, accessed February 1, 2024, https://imslp.org/wiki/Manfred_Symphony,Op.58(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr).
2. Terry Williams, “Building a library: Manfred Symphony,” BBC Music Magazine Vol. 26, No. 12 (2018), 62.
3. “Manfred Symphony,” LA Phil, accessed February 1, 2024, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/2295/manfred-symphony.