Symphony No. 3

Following his acclaimed LSO Live recordings of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2 and Symphonic Dances, Valery Gergiev conducts the composer’s powerfully emotional Symphony No 3, framed with a work by one of the Mighty Five; Mily Balakirev’s Russia. Often considered to be his most overtly Russian symphony, Rachmaninov makes subtle use throughout the work of a motto theme which can be heard in the finale as a variant of the Dies Irae plainchant – a melodic tag used in Rachmaninov’s music as a dark reminder of mortality. Russia, the epic symphonic poem, is a reworking of an Overture on Russian Themes, collected during Balakirev’s Volga expedition. Composed in 1864, its basis is three folksongs. “For the Third Symphony to make its true impact, it needs a reading of great penetration and depth… This was Gergiev and the LSO at their finest.” (Classical Source) “Gergiev opened the program with Russia…a rugged Russian bear himself, [Gergiev] ensured Balakirev’s music danced.” (Bach Track)