Great Unsung Third Symphonies

[Paul Barasi]

I'm starting an offbeat project of listening to Third Symphonies as a programmed series over several days/weeks. Twenty suggestions have come in from Mahler-List members but I don't want to miss other good third symphonies which are less well known. Can you suggest any, and if possible, for a bonus point, supply the CD label/number, along with any comment about why you like it? 

[Gareth Vaughan]

You don't tell us which symphonies are already on your list, so it may be difficult to avoid duplication. I assume you have Vaughan-Williams' 3rd on your list, and, of course Raff's.
I think I would argue for Havergal Brian's 3rd which has an important concertante piano part (in fact, it started off as a piano concerto but quickly developed into a symphony) - splendidly recorded by Hyperion, now on their Helios label; Frederic Cowen's 3rd "The Scandinavian" contains some beautiful lyrical writing, especially for the horns (Marco Polo) as does Kurt Atterberg's 3rd (CPO). I love Josef Otto af Sillen's 3rd Symphony - very well crafted - (Sterling). Other favourite 3rds that come to mind are by Bax, Sibelius, Gliere (just gorgeous), Borodin, Julius Rontgen, Gade (with concertante piano part) and Anthony Payne's reconstruction of the sketches for Elgar's 3rd.

[Mark Thomas]

Richard Arnell's Third is a magnificent wartime symphony (Dutton) and Draeseke's Third - The Tragica - is one of the truly great German symphonies (MDG and cpo). Finally, how about Stanford's Third: The Irish? There are fine recordings on both Chandos and Naxos.

[Peter1953]

Definitely Raff 3 and Draeseke 3, but I make a strong plea for Rubinstein's Third in A Major, op. 56 (Marco Polo 1994 and Naxos 2002). A wonderful work with passages full of passion, strong melodic developments and not to forget the beautiful 2nd movement with its lovely clarinet opening. This symphony offers the listener some fine Russian themes, so why the narrow-minded complaints by the so-called Mighty Five? Nothing but jealousy if you ask me...

[Alan Howe]

Noskowski 3 (Polish radio broadcast to be issued by Sterling)
Bruch 3 (Chandos)
Gernsheim 3 (Arte Nova)
Fibich 3 (Chandos)
Fuchs 3 (Thorofon)
Weingartner 3 (cpo)
F. Schmidt 3 (Chandos)

Well, perhaps not great symphonies, but all great fun in their own way...

[febnyc]

The subject of another thread - Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski (b.1949) wrote a Third Symphony which is a modern romantic delight.  Beautifully proportioned from beginning to end, with a dramatic adagio finale movement. 

The only recording of which I am aware is on Naxos - and for German distribution only, alas!  But available nevertheless, as per the links on the aforementioned thread about Herr S-K.

[febnyc]

Another "Third" to consider is that of Guy Ropartz.  This Breton composer wrote some gorgeous music, much of it based upon the sea and the Brittany coastal scenery.  His Third Symphony is a mighty paean to nature and humankind.  It features a large orchestra and chorus.  The text is the composer's own and it celebrates love, truth and brotherhood. 

The recording to have (is it the only one on CD?) is on EMI - Michel Plasson conducting the Orchestre du Capitol de Toulouse.

[febnyc]

Haakon Børresen - Symphony No.3 (his last, and perhaps best)
Einar Englund - Symphony No.3 (modern, yes, but totally approachable and full of power)

could go on and on and...

[edurban]

Definitely Bruch 3, but try the Manfred Honeck recording on Marco Polo if you can find it (maybe this is on Naxos now?)  His way with the intro to the last movement is so very lovely...Hickox and especially Masur rush ahead here and it goes for nothing IMO.

Can't get too excited about Cowen 3, which seems to me let down by his usual inability to come up with a decent tune.  Parry 3, however, called the "English", is delightful.

What about Reinecke 3 on Chandos?  A big, warm-hearted exercise in the Mendelssohn-Schumann vein with plenty of good tunes...

From America:  Bristow 3 on Chandos (Jarvi) and the Dane Asger Hamerick's 3rd (premiered in Baltimore in 1889) on Marco Polo

Glazunov 3 is always fun.  I like Jarvi (Orfeo) in this.

David

[Pengelli]

Tournemire 3 (A masterpiece)
Krennikov 3 is kitsch fun (unlike Tikhon!)
Lyatoshynsky 3 (Tremendous composer)
Parry 3 should be in the repertory
Bax 3 (I like it anyway!)
Roy Harris 3 (A Masterpiece)
Langgaard 3 (lovely work)
Hanson 3 (Exciting & colourful)
Diamond 3 (Underated)
Magnard 3 (Superb!)
Bantock The cyprian Goddess!!!
Antheil 3 (Wierd & wonderful)
Grant Still 3 (Rather nice)
Scriabin 3 (Love it!)
Martinu 3 (Powerful)
Dopper 3 (Underated)
Fricker 3 (Impressive)
Mennin 3 (underated)

[sdtom]

Gliere is a must have.

[Amphissa]

 

I'm starting an offbeat project of listening to Third Symphonies as a programmed series over several days/weeks. Twenty suggestions have come in from Mahler-List members but I don't want to miss other good third symphonies which are less well known.

Which Mahler List (there are several, and I do not see such recommendations on the two I frequent). Please post the 3rd symphonies that they've recommended.

My recommendations would be:

Gliere 3 'Ilya Murometz' by Farberman (one of the great forgotten symphonies)
Magnard 3 by Ansermet (Magnard's best, IMO, excellent)
Myaskovsky 3 by Svetlanov (the only recording I know of, a sadly neglected composer)
Berwald 3 'Singuliere' by Bjorlin (excellent and enjoyable beginning to end)
Atterberg 3 by Rasilainen (beautiful and powerful Swedish settings)
Tubin 3 'Heroic' by Jarvi (big Scandinavian music)
Fibich 3 by Albrecht (spectacular opening and final movement)
Ropartz 3 by Plasson (filled with mystery, folklore and wonder)
Gedalge 3 (never recorded commercially, but some broadcast performances floating around)
Fodor, op. 19, sometimes called 3, sometimes 4 (filled with the influences of Beethoven & Schubert - except he preceded them both! A wondrous composition)
Borodin 3 - I like Malko, but then, I like LPs - (lots of Russian color)
Arnold 3 by Hickox (intriguing themes and orchestration, modern without being abrasive)
Bax 3 by Thompson, although some prefer Handley (post-Romantic, flush with orchestral textures)

And I'll also second the choices of Diamond, Lyatoshinsky and Langgaard.

[Pengelli]

B.Thomson,very underated,had adventurous tastes.I was hoping he'd get to record a Daniel Jones cycle. Alas!

[Paul Barasi]

Thanks for all the suggestions: fantastic response.

It's actually called "Mahler-List", which can be joined at  http://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mahler-list&A=1

Suggestions are at http://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind0908c&L=mahler-list Look under "favorite thirds", which emerged from string (on the same page) called "Twittered Mahler" where some postings also contain suggestions.  They came up with:

Bach, Brandenburg, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Copland, Dvorak, Enescu, Harris, Haydn, Honneger, Hovhaness, Liszt Symphonic Poem, Mendelssohn, Nielsen, Piston, Rachmaninov, Randall, Rautavaara, Rorem, Roussel, Saint-Saëns, Schmidt, Schubert, Schuman, Schumann, Scriabin, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Thompson, Vaughn Williams.

[Amphissa]

 
Oh, okay, I do hang out at the Mahler-List, I just don't look at posts that have to do with Twitter.

Got the standard list of standard repertoire composers in that list, with a few modernists to spice it up. But most of them are going to be .... uh .... familiar. Our lists are much more interesting.