# SS 14.04.18 - Carter "A Symphony Of Three Orchestras"



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening! 
_*
*_For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Elliott Carter (1908 - 2012)*

A Symphony Of Three Orchestras

1. A Symphony Of Three Orchestras

---------------------

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


----------



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is here and another Symphony is up. This week it's American composer Elliott Carter's "A Symphony Of Three Orchestras". It's a very short work (Usually around 15 minutes) in a single movement so hopefully everyone can find time to give it a listen. I'm not familiar with this work myself and while I've never been a huge fan of Carter I'm looking forward to giving it a try. As always, feel free to post your feelings about the work as well.

I'll be listening to:




Pierre Boulez/New York Philharmonic


----------



## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

New work for me and found this version on Spotify


----------



## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll stream the Boulez as well. Never heard this before!


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Pierre Boulez/New York Philharmonic
This one for me , like others, never ever heard it before.


----------



## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Haydn man said:


> View attachment 102847
> 
> 
> New work for me and found this version on Spotify


This one for me also. I am streaming via Deezer


----------



## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

I've never heard of this work before, do I'll try to give it a listen on Spotify.


----------



## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

I have checked out Amazon and ArkiveMusic and the Boulez recording is the only one available as a mp3 download.

There are some vendors at Amazon that have used copies of the CD.

Sony has released Pierre Boulez: The Complete Columbia Album Collection: Pierre Boulez: The Complete Columbia Album Collection. It is included in that set.

The Boulez performance is the only one I could fine on YouTube


----------



## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I actually kind of enjoyed this, in a chaotic way, and didn't think I would. I'll definitely give it a listen again.


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

realdealblues said:


> I'll be listening to:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm listening on YouTube as well. I have one Carter CD, and it's so dense, I gave up on it and on the composer as well. So I'm tuning in reluctantly. So far, it isn't as brain-busting as I expected.


----------



## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

A Symphony of Three Orchestras (1977) is yet another work in which Carter divvies up his resources and variously juxtaposes or pits the resulting sub-forces against one another. In this case, he divvies up one big orchestra into three little orchestras of differing constitution and assigns each its very own set of four movements. Carter choreographs things so that each orchestra plays a movement in turn, with each movement beginning some time before the preceding movement ends. The result, then, is a continuous, overlapping twelve-movement work. This allows for a good deal of variety and complexity without too much density. Indeed, textures are often quite transparent, and even when they aren't, when the music is relatively busy and dense, the orchestration is such that a focused listener can discern most any and every voice through the din, giving the illusion of transparency.

The Symphony is slowly dramatic in its prevailing work-long descent from high pitch to low, and there are many affecting solos, some damn-near whistleable (if you're a very very good whistler), that emerge throughout, the opening trumpet call being the most conspicuous of them. In fact, that very trumpet call is the single most beautiful episode that I've encountered in any Elliott Carter work. It was inspired by poet Hart Crane's description of a sea gull over Brooklyn Bridge, and it sounds a bit like the trumpet part from Copland's _Quiet City_ as played by a trumpeter on a mild acid bender.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I've tried, but no my cuppa so to speak, wondering how this one came in to this list.


----------



## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Interesting and very different 
I am glad it was only short because I found it a hard work to follow.
Instinctively, not my thing but given the Dirge's insights above then I shall try it again


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

This one for me too. Didn't know I had it till I looked. Listened before but me no likey.


----------



## Weird Heather (Aug 24, 2016)

As with everybody else, I listened to the Boulez recording. I didn't have it in my collection, so I used this as an excuse to buy a large set that also includes a lot of music by Webern, Varèse, and Berio:

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/c...84--pierre-boulez-edition-webern-varese-berio

I like this sort of music. With just one hearing, I can't hope to understand or follow everything, but the piece feels like it has its own logic. All in all, it is a fascinating sound world that will reward repeated listening.

Now, I'll have to start listening to all of the other difficult and fascinating music in the set that I just bought.


----------



## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Dirge said:


> the opening trumpet call being the most conspicuous of them. In fact, that very trumpet call is the single most beautiful episode that I've encountered in any Elliott Carter work


I think I once read that the audience at the premiere audibly gasped in pleasant surprise at that trumpet opening.


----------



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

If you're new to Carter's music, I recommend one of his most accessible ( relatively speaking ) works, the "Variations for Orchestra . " The superb DG recording with James Levine and the Chicago symphony is recommended , and it also contains works by John Cage, Milton Babbitt and Gunther Schuller. 
This may be hard to find on Amazon etc , but can also be heard on youtube, I believe .


----------

