Symphony No.2 in D minor - Mily Balakirev

USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov.

I - Allegro ma non troppo - Poco più animato: 0:00
II - Scherzo alla cosacca. Allegro non troppo, ma con fuoco ed energico - L’istesso tempo. Thème russe - Tempo I: 9:36
III - Romanza. Andante: 17:23
IV - Finale. Tempo di Polacca - Poco più mosso - Coda. L'istesso tempo: 27:12

Balakirev's Symphony No.2 was composed between 1900-8, being premiered on April 23 of 1909 in a concert of the Free School of Music in St. Petersburg, conducted by his pupil Sergei Lyapunov. The piece was modestly received, failing to catch into the repertoire. Unfortunately for Balakirev, his style was considered backwards and old-fashioned, not helped by his clear issues handling large musical forms and finishing pieces in a timely manner.

The second symphony heavily follows the style (if not the formal construction) of Balakirev's previous Symphony in C major. Despite this, the piece is still noteworthy for its use of folk themes and a colourful and brilliant orchestration. The piece as a whole was one of the last utterances of Russian Romanticism at a time Scriabin, Stravinsky and Prokofiev were exploring new paths. It is also curious to observe how a composer who always had advices and greatly helped his peers, then had so many difficulties in the creation of his own works.

The first movement is structured in sonata form. It begins with two resolute chords, before an expressive and romantic main theme is presented by the cellos and clarinets, full of a slavic flavour and reminiscent of Balakirev's "Tamara". A lyrical second theme of oriental character is then introduced by the clarinet, supported by soft percussion. After a portentous climax, a concise but adventurous development ensues, clashing F sharp and F natural, E natural and E flat. The recapitulation begins as the two opening chords reappear, bringing back the main themes in their original form and rising in a grand climax. A vigorous coda ends the movement.

The second movement is a scherzo in ternary form, being originally part of Symphony No.1. Its subtitle "alla cosacca" refers to the Cossacks, a highly distinctive and nomadic Slavic ethnic group who lived in areas in the Dnieper, Don, Terek, and Ural river basins. It opens with a lively and animated main theme in form of a cossack march, unfolded with great brilliance and colour. The trio features a lyrical second theme on the wood, based on the Russian folk-song "The snow is melting", No.33 in Rimsky-Korsakov’s album of 100 folksongs. After an exciting climax, the scherzo continues with the trio theme in counterpoint. A short coda ends the movement.

The third movement is a slow romanza, written in ternary form. After a reflective opening dominated by the woodwinds, a deeply lyrical and expressive main theme is exposed by strings, full of a tender and nostalgic slavic flavour. It is then unravelled in dialogues between strings and woods. A more anxious and agitated second theme appears in the central part, which brings contrast to the previous peaceful atmosphere. After exploring its nuances, the main theme is richly recapitulated, leading us to a magical coda.

The fourth movement is a polonaise structured in sonata form. It begins with a brass fanfare, followed by the exposition of a lively and rhythmic main theme in form of a polonaise. It is contrasted by a lyrical second theme, derived from the Russian folksong "We have, in our garden", again from Rimsky-Korsakov’s collection (No. 31). Follows a cheerful and carefree development, only briefly interrupted by the nostalgic reappearance of the second theme from the romanza. The main themes reappear in a varied form in the ensuing recapitulation. A brilliant and vigorous coda ends the whole work.

Picture: "The Kidnapping" by the Russian painter Franz Roubaud.

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: https://tinyurl.com/2btxwza4 and https://tinyurl.com/2cefwxn8

To check the score: https://tinyurl.com/27afcpjg