Symphony No. 3 (Bax)
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The Symphony No. 3 by Arnold Bax was completed in 1929. It was dedicated to Sir Henry Wood and is perhaps the most performed and most appealing to popular culture of Arnold Bax's symphonies.
It is scored for 1 piccolo doubling flute and 2 other flutes, 2 oboes, 4 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 1 double bassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, tenor drum, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, gong, xylophone, glockenspiel, celesta, anvil, 2 harps and strings.
It is in three movements:
- Lento moderato - Allegro moderato - Lento moderato - Allegro moderato
- Lento
- Moderato - Piu mosso - Tempo I - Epilogue
The opening movement begins with a soft bassoon solo introducing the main melodic idea of the movement. The clarinet then joins the bassoon and the other instruments of the woodwind section follow in a relatively short lento moderato opening section. Then an accelerando introduces the allegro moderato section which is based upon the opening melody from the bassoon. There is a long slow section in the middle of this movement before the allegro moderato material eventual returns at the conclusion.
The dreamy, calm second movement begins with solo horn introducing the main motive for this movement. Throughout this movement there are many other brass solos; particularly trumpet and the form of this movement is relatively simple. It closes peacefully and beautifully.
The finale opens with a gong and repeated notes from the strings and woodwinds, which is then turned into the main theme for this movement. The mood here is inescapably optimistic, as though to exorcise the dark, wild moods of the first and second symphonies. It ends in a famous, peaceful and beautiful epilogue which makes a suitable close to the journey of the first three symphonies, which are in many ways linked and are a cycle of their own.
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