Great Unsung Third Symphonies

[eschiss1]

I wish. I've got good relative pitch, sometimes, but nothing like perfect pitch. Though if I hear a piece often enough, things sink in more and more; there's a lot to be said just for often-repeated hearing. ... Not quite getting your meaning and ...

[Gauk]

If one could not understand a composition unless one had perfect pitch, the audience for serious music would be even smaller than it is.

[Mark Thomas]

Indeed. Added to which perfect pitch is as much a curse as a blessing, so I am told by one who possesses it. That said, back to Third Symphonies....

[JimL]

Has anybody put in a word for Maliszewski's 3rd?  I will now.

[LateRomantic75]

I heartily agree with many of the suggestions offered already (Atterberg, Gliere, Enescu, Magnard etc.). I would also add:

Ludolf Nielsen: Symphony no. 3. A grand masterpiece, full of heroic and atmospheric passages, which often resemble a Scandinavian Bruckner. L. Nielsen's first two symphonies are fine works, but no. 3 is on a completely different level IMO.

Braga Santos: Symphony no. 3. While not quite as monumental as no. 4, no. 3 is a sweeping, colorful work with echoes of VW and Respighi. The finale is especially magnificent.

Charles Tournemire: Symphony no. 3 Moscow 1913: A haunting, individual work with marvelous orchestration. It cries out for a better performance than the only recorded one on Marco Polo.

[Revilod]

There is a superior performance of Tournemire's Third Symphony by the Liege Philharmonic conducted by Pierre Bartholomee on Auvidis Valois. It's coupled with the extraordinary Seventh Symphony. I reviewed those discs for Amazon.co.uk earlier this year.

[LateRomantic75]

Thanks very much for this info-I was only aware Auvidis Valois recorded the magnificent Sixth! Three copies are left on US Amazon-I'll have to snap one up!

[chill319]

Ludolf Nielsen: Symphony no. 3. A grand masterpiece...

Not, IMO, on the level of Nielsen 4 or Sibelius, but in my review on Amazon I responded similarly. I love the work. Hard to believe it hasn't been published.

[LateRomantic75]

I wasn't implying that it is on the level of Sibelius or Nielsen, but it's certainly a great work in its own right!

[eschiss1]

I'm guessing btw that the Ludolf Nielsen Society may intend to do something about that eventually. Hope so, anyway.

[sdtom]

I picked up a good bargain of the 3rd and 4th symphonies of Raff on the Helios label. I looked at the reviews on the Raff site and found little information about this CD. What is the general opinion of this recording. I of course appreciate the opinion of this forum.
Tom

[eschiss1]

Hrm. The site discography misspells his name as Watton, but yes, there's only a slight mention otherwise, linking to a review @ MVDaily.  Perhaps someone wishing to contribute a longer review might have it considered...

[sdtom]

I think I might very well do that.

[Alan Howe]

I had the CD, but discarded it. It's OK (and certainly cheap), but the performances aren't a patch on the best in the catalogue - e.g. d'Avalos on ASV or Stadlmair on Tudor in No.3 or Stadlmair on Tudor in No.4.

[Mark Thomas]

The performances were OK for their time, when the only other competition on CD was from Schneider on Marco Polo (who cut out a huge lump of Im Walde's finale), but have been superseded now in the case of each symphony. I haven't listened to them in years, but both performances were rather bloodless, as I remember. The next release from Järvi on Chandos is rumoured to be the same coupling - now that'll be something.

Sorry that I misspelled Wetton in the discography, Eric, I'll correct that when I update the site.