Symphony No. 3 (Ustvolskaya) Explained

Symphony No. 3 (subtitled "Jesus Messiah, Save Us!") by Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya was composed in 1983, and published in 1990.^[1]

The premiere was given by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in Leningrad conducted by Vladimir Altschuler with Oleg Popkov as reciter on 1 October 1987.

It is scored for: groups of five oboes, trumpets, and double basses; a trombone; three tubas; two bass drums and tenor drums; piano; and a solo voice (reciter), which appeals in speech in Russian for salvation.

The work lasts approximately 13-15 minutes.

The symphony is based on the texts of the 11th-century German monk and musician Hermanus Contractus: the reciter repeating the invocation "Almighty, True God, Father of Eternal Life, Creator of the World, save us".^[2]

Ustvolskaya noted that there was an error in the published score - an incorrect piano glissando in bar 88 - which persisted despite her request for it to be corrected.^[3]

Recordings

Megadisc Classics - Oleg Malov (reciter), Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitry Liss (conductor)

Notes and References

1. Composition date from Ustvolskaya worklist at Russian Music Archive; publication date from .
2. Web site: GALINA USTVOLSKAYA - Symphonies 2, 3, 4 & 5. megadisc-classics.com. Lemaire. Frans C. 8 March 2019.
3. Web site: Precision - Glissando in Symphony No 3. ustvolskaya.org. 9 March 2019.