Symphony No.11 in B flat minor - Nikolai Myaskovsky

Moscow Symphony Orchestra conducted by Veronika Dudarova.

I - Lento - Allegro agitato - Poco più pesante - Pesante - Vivo - A tempo - Allegro primo - Poco più pesante - Vivo - A tempo I - Pesante - Maestoso ma allegro - In tempo: 0:00
II - Andante - Adagio, ma non tanto - A tempo: 11:20
III - Precipitato - Allegro - Meno allegro; cantabile - Più mosso - In tempo giusto (Allegro) - Più pesante - Meno allegro; cantabile - Allegro molto e con brio - Quasi presto - Più mosso - Presto - Prestissimo: 22:02

Myaskovsky's Symphony No.11 was composed in 1931 along with No.12, finishing it on November 12. Four years after his previous one, a period of time in which the freedom and experimentation in Soviet music was over, being constricted by the strict rules of Socialist Realism as soon as Stalin became the leader. It was premiered in Moscow on January 16 of 1933, conducted by Konstantin Saradzhev.

The work is dedicated to the composer Maximilian Steinberg, the son-in-law of Rimsky-Korsakov. Myaskovsky was, as so often, dissatisfied with his work. He certified him a certain "dryness" and "unnecessary simplicity". This was probably mainly because the symphony represents a first attempt at a new musical language, which so awkwardly looked at many places on the audience and critics. After Myaskovsky had heard the symphony in a piano version, he revised it before it would be premiered.

The first movement is written in sonata form. It begins with a sombre introduction, presenting the root motives that will be exposed and developed later on. The allegro begins with a rhythmic and imposing main theme. It is contrasted by a lyrical second theme of Russian flavour. Brass chords lead us to a vigorous and tense development section. After a brief pause, the main themes are then recapitulated. Brass chords lead us to a brilliant and victorious coda.

The second movement is structured in ternary form. It opens with a brooding main theme from the basses of the strings, answered by the lyricism of the woodwinds. This material is soon developed in a romantic and expressive way. The middle parts begins with an oriental theme presented by the clarinet, which becomes the subject of an elaborated fugue for the woodwinds. The music culminates with a strong and passionate climax. The main theme is then recapitulated. A peacefully lyrical coda ends the movement.

The third movement is complex in form, being structured as theme and variations within a sonata framework. After a short and rushed introduction, a simple rhythmic main theme is presented by the basses. The first variation contrapuntally elaborates it, as well as the second with a more rich orchestration. The third variation brings the oriental theme from the second movement as a contrasting second theme. The development takes the place of the following variations, which are so fluid that are hard to differentiate them. The music becoming more dissonant and tense, calming down as an inverted recapitulation begins with the second theme, followed by the first. After a brief pause, a rushed and unexpected coda ends the whole work.

Picture: "Troika racing" (1889) by the Russian-Georgian painter Pyotr Nikolayevich Gruzinsky.

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Source: https://bit.ly/3NEbg0Z

To check the score: https://bit.ly/3xbPM61