Alwyn: Symphony no 3

Day 88

Alwyn: Symphony no 3

I will have heard some of Alwyn’s film music before but as far as I know I have never heard any of his concert repertoire. He wrote five symphonies - this one was written in 1948 and given its premiere under the baton of Sir Thomas Beecham.

I thought that it was a very impressive piece. It had a symphonic logic and a real sense of progression. Like many British works of the time the spirit of Sibelius permeates the work, particularly in the first movement, but there is a distinctly Russian sound world to the piece, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd movements. Indeed heard blind I would have guessed Shostakovich as the composer. It has his sense of yearning in the slow movement and his energy in the last movement - side drum and all.  But it is never pastiche: this is a composer sure of his own voice.  My own reservation was the very end. After a beautiful slow and quiet coda Alwyn then briefly brings back the material of the start of the movement in an abrupt conclusion. Personally I think it would have been better to have ended the piece quietly - the very end did seem to be tacked on. 

So another successful exploration of British symphonic repertory. Lots more to go at over the next few days.