# SS 20.09.14 - Prokofiev #3



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

*Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953)*

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 44

1. Moderato
2. Andante
3. Allegro agitato - Allegretto
4. Andante mosso - Allegro moderato

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I've heard this symphony probably half a dozen times so I'm not overly familiar with it. I remember disliking it after the first hearing and after several years, finally gave it another try. I didn't care for it much that time either. After several more years I gave it another try and didn't find it quite as bad. The last time I heard it was probably a few months ago and I wondered to myself why I had thought it was so terrible all those years ago. Anyway, it has taken me many years to "grow into it" so to speak. I'm looking forward to giving it another spin this weekend.

My recording of choice will be:

View attachment 51508


Neeme Jarvi/Scottish National Orchestra


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## Jeff W (Jan 20, 2014)

Like you, I haven't particularly cared for this symphony, but I am willing to try it again. So, my pick for the week will be Dmitrij Kitajenko with the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln. Maybe listening to it by itself will help?


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I've been a long-time Prokofiev-file so this will be a pleasure. I'll be listening to Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Boston Symphony/Leinsdorf


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Valery Gergiev / London Symphony:


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

YES!!!!! This is such an underrated symphony!!!










I also got Ozawa with the Berlin Philharmonic, but this recording's getting a layer of digital dust on it that I should wipe off


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## Rhythm (Nov 2, 2013)

After listening to *Symphonieorchester Bayerischen Rundfunks* conducted LIVE by Riccardo Muti, the preference this morning is the following performance, with an option to change  my mind…









*Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra* conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

Studio recording, Moscow, 1965-67
I. Moderato
II. Andante; 12:26
III. Allegro agitato; Allegretto; 19:31
IV. Andante mosso; Allegro moderato; 26:58​


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Alypius said:


> Valery Gergiev / London Symphony:


The "Fiery Angel" symphony! My favourite after his 5th.

I'll go for Gergiev and the LSO as well.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Now the Proms is over, I can get back to these!

I'm starting to get familiar with Prokofiev's symphonies, so I'll take any excuse to listen to them. London PO/Walter Weller is my only recording, so I'm taking that one.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

From my fabulous collection:









Rostropovich/ON France

I got this about a year or so ago. I recall that I really liked it. While I'm at it, I'll listen to Symphony 4 (version 2) as well, since it concludes the disc.

As per usual, I will likely try an alternate interpretation, courtesy of an online source, of Symphony 3, as a warm-up to the Saturday (or Sunday) Symphony


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I think it will be Gergiev and the LSO for me also


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

I'll listen to Neeme Jarvi as well, since it's my only recording of this symphony--but I'll also do a little sniffing around on spotify to hear a couple of the other recordings mentioned here.


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

Joining in for the first time! I will also be listening to Gergiev and the LSO.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Kiril & Bournemouth SO
Valery & LSO


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Haydn man said:


> I think it will be Gergiev and the LSO for me also


Listened to the above which is new work for me and it is one which I will need to work on.
I still need time to adjust to and appreciate this type of classical music, but that's the great thing about this thread and why I try it each week


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## csacks (Dec 5, 2013)

Besides his Classical Symphony and Peter and the Wolf, I have not many Prokofiev´s compositions. I listened to his violin concertos, and, to be honest, I could not get them. So, it will be youtube the source for this week


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

realdealblues said:


> I've heard this symphony probably half a dozen times so I'm not overly familiar with it. I remember disliking it after the first hearing and after several years, finally gave it another try. I didn't care for it much that time either. After several more years I gave it another try and didn't find it quite as bad. The last time I heard it was probably a few months ago and I wondered to myself why I had thought it was so terrible all those years ago. Anyway, it has taken me many years to "grow into it" so to speak. I'm looking forward to giving it another spin this weekend.
> 
> My recording of choice will be:
> 
> ...


I like this as well and so I choose the same. The ***** in its armour is that the sound gets a bit muddy in places. The upside is that Jarvi has flayed the SNO into a soul-stealing frenzy. Keep some holy water nearby.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Balthazar said:


> Joining in for the first time! I will also be listening to Gergiev and the LSO.


Me to. I have the Rostropovich set. I never cared for the 3rd. Perhaps another version may sway me.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

^^^It's tough music to like. Among Prokofiev's most acerbic scores.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

hpowders said:


> It's tough music to like. Among Prokofiev's most acerbic scores.


I couldn't disagree more. It is very catchy.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

I love Prokofiev's 3rd and this weeks Saturday Symphony has reminded me that I _must_ get some additional commercial recordings to the meagre 2 that I have (Kitajenko / Gurzenich-Orchester Koln; Weller / LPO).
Today I have decided to listen to the Kitajenko recording as it is the most recent (November 2005). The opening to the symphony is very similar to that of Khachaturian's 2nd symphony in that it is very loud and includes tubular bells. Personally I'd prefer a bit more bell at the opening than can be heard here, but there's so much noise coming from the whole orchestra that I'm pretty sure they'd be drowned out anyway, so better they not be too spot-mic'ed. I'm sure there's some brass fluffing in the main development section in the first movement and overall I'd say that the quieter sections of this movement are far better handled than the loud. However I doubt there are any orchestras that perform this symphony very often so it's never going to be a walk-in-the-park. The final note on the contra-bassoon leads us to my the 2nd movement (my favourite in this symphony) and a completely different world. Hushed strings and woodwinds give us a somewhat etherial, distant theme and the effect of high string glissando a little later only add to this mysteriousness. A rather dissonant sequence leads to a kinder theme on solo violin, before the sequence turns into a plodding, nightmarish march - never loud but somehow foreboding...This doesn't get any scarier though and in fact subsides to allow the orchestra to gently caress themes and melodies already heard. When the movement ends, the mood changes dramatically again to the jagged, tempestuous movement appropriately marked allegro agitato. Some great timps and bass drum in the orchestra as well as sinewy string glissandi - plenty of rhythm with just the hint of a theme. More bass drum leads to dissonant chords which right themselves to reveal a slower section with harp, string and woods - rather welcome relief from the spiky stuff that's just been happening. This movement works well in this recording - the pace is just right, with a good separation of feel between the fast agitated parts and the mellower, deeper themes in the central section. The movement can't stay nice though and the whole thing ends with some rather piercing dissonance on high brass over hissing stand cymbal (more of this to come in the 6th symphony).
The 4th movement opens with lots of bang crash thud, but it's what's happening in the background that is more fascinating with very dissonant mid-strings and woodwind; a bit like what's happening in the background during the first big theme in the 1st movement of the Scythian Suite. Anyhow, Kitajenko's orchestra has a fantastic tam-tam in the first march section of this final movement, something that's not always obvious, and Kitajenko doesn't speed up in the sequence just before the quiet central section like some conductors do. Once again the quiet moments are wonderfully captured - this really is an excellent, clear recording, and the muted strings and harp are just....beautiful. Not to last though, as the bassoon heralds the build and accelerando to the reprise of the march theme, this time with bells replacing the tam-tam (this build-up is a little like the 'quacking' sequence in the 2nd movement of the 5th symphony, though much shorter and less involved). The ending is huge, massive, terrifying! Woh! I'm exhausted


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

brotagonist said:


> I couldn't disagree more. It is very catchy.


As catchy as fingernails scratching a blackboard.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

This symphony has one of the most apocalyptic beginnings of anything I've ever heard. Awesome but terrifying. I remember something really cool and spooky with the strings in an interior movement. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this work comprised of material that was originally intended to be ballet music?


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

clavichorder said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this work comprised of material that was originally intended to be ballet music?


Close. The Fourth Symphony was adapted from the ballet The Prodigal Son. The Third Symphony was adapted from his opera The Fiery Angel.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

A belated response. Started with a healthy sampling of Bournemouth SO/Karabits, a recent Onyx release. Unimpressed. Much of the playing seemed by the numbers.

Went to my go-to...Moscow RSO/Rozhdestvensky.:tiphat:


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*................................*


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

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