Rufinatscha Three Movements of a Symphony in C

[Alan Howe]

I have been listening again to the piano four-hands version of this undated three-movement torso (there is no finale) in C major.

Just to be clear: this was once thought to be all that remained of a Symphony in C minor dating from 1846. However, with the discovery of the string parts to a full, four-movement C minor symphony having been discovered by Dr Gratl in Innsbruck just a few years ago (subsequently identified as said 1846 work, re-numbered as 'Symphony No.3' and orchestrated by Michael Huber), the three-movement torso now stands outside the numbered canon of Rufinatscha's symphonies because its date of composition is unknown.

What is immediately clear is that the original misindentification was an egregious error. According to Dr Gratl in an article written for the journal Der Schlern (September 2012), it is quite obvious that the basic key of the opening movement is C major (not minor). There then follows a Scherzo in the relative minor and an Andante in E major (an E major slow movement in a C minor symphony would be an impossibility in a romantic-era symphony). In fact, on closer inspection of the material held in Innsbruck, the torso is to be found catalogued as 'Three Movements of a Symphony in C major'. Voilà!!

It is to be hoped that this truly magnificent music will one day be orchestrated - preferably by Michael Huber who made such a fine job of Symphony No.3. The first movement Allegro molto has a march-like character that puts one in mind somewhat of Bruckner 1; the Scherzo (placed second) has an almost Bachian contrapuntal feel to it - very much out-of-step with the music of its time in its seriousness of purpose; and the Andante starts as an all-too brief gentle lyrical interlude whose more dramatic turns soon develop into music of greater range and complexity.

Frankly, this is great music quite unlike anything else I can think of overall. It is, however, typical of Rufinatscha through and through. It urgently needs to be clothed in orchestral colours so that its full glory can be revealed - probably for the first time since there is no indication that the composer ever orchestrated the work.

If anyone else has the CD featuring the work, I'd be grateful to hear your reactions...

[Mark Thomas]

Your description of the stature of the three extant movements rather implies that this is not an early work, but that it at least dates from the period of the Third and Fourth Symphonies, if not the Fifth. Is there really no clue to its date of composition, or the reason why Rufinatscha abandoned it?

[Alan Howe]

No clue at all, unfortunately. Maybe he didn't consider it worthy of completion...

[Mark Thomas]

I'm no musicologist, I don't know the other Rufinatscha symphonies well enough and, of course, the fact that it exists only in piano reduction makes comparisons treacherous,  but I wonder if a stylistic comparison with, and between, the other symphonies would yield anything worthwhile?

[Alan Howe]

That would be useful, I agree. All I can say is that it sounds typical of the composer - which might mean that it is post-1840...