Symphony No. 3 (Raff)

The Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op 153, the " In the Forest " is nicknamed, was designed by the composer Joachim Raff in 1869 in Wiesbaden, but was the beginning of 1870 and after the premiere on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1870 in Weimar even multiple alterations subject.

• 3.1 1 Division: During the day. Impressions and feelings
• 3.2 2 Department: In the twilight
• 3.3 Division 3: At night

Occupation

String orchestra, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani 3, Triangle.

Structure

The symphony is in four movements, which is divided into three sections Raff. The individual departments are provided with programmatic explanations:

1st Division: Allegro - On the day. Impressions and feelings.

2 Department: In the twilight.

For his Forest Symphony Raff chose the key of F major, and the work is the description of " more expression than painting" of Beethoven's Pastorale very close. Raff was a student of Franz Liszt, especially the instrumentation. From this skill of the composer puts in his Symphony No. 3 from a remarkable testimony.

1st Set

The first set corresponds to its bright and serene atmosphere throughout the autogenous the listener associations with the term " forest "; yet Raff moved in brightly lit forest, surrounded by the rustling of the leaves and the flutter of birds.

Second sentence

In the slow movement of the Symphony No. 3, which is in A flat major, a very different atmosphere is created at the very beginning that approximately describes the approach of dawn. The framing parts of the set contain tender moods of Strings, duets clarinet and horn, or the sweet caress of the main theme by the flute. The scene at dusk ( sudden change of key to E major ) in the middle of the sentence is mainly presented by the buzzing of the strings in dialogue with the woodwinds. Silvery flute sounds lead on the Reprise section of the movement and continue to accompany the main theme, which is now fervently heard in the cellos. Peaceful and beautiful draped ends the sentence.

3rd movement

The third sentence in D minor, reflects the subject of a scherzo, even if the sentence is officially not overwritten. Denying sooner are the echoes of Mendelssohn's music. The bustle of the goblins in the forest goes directly into a small trio in A major on - barely over, done repetition of the D minor part, is transformed into a beautiful D major melody at the end, always continued to the accompaniment delicately getupfter flute chords.

4th movement

The goblins of the soft nightfall (Introduction) and a wild hunt begins. Flash orchestral colors and effects add a whole new instrumentation that set the stamp, such as trills and strident cries of Woodwinds, grim trombone chords, pounding march rhythms. Towards the end of this extensive record, the light returns in a chorale-like coda, the forest is experiencing a new dawn.

The program of the composer

Raff has designed for this symphony a complete program, which is reproduced at this point:

1st Division: During the day. Impressions and feelings

" The Wanderer attracts it like a distant faint regards to the forest, where he striding on familiar paths. Soon he enters the emerald dome, the tops of the towering arch above it; it affects those quiet chill, what one feels when entering our Gothic temple, whose pillars bundle remind us of the groups slender stems, among which we then walk in the woods. There 's a rustling in the arbor, it is the frightened deer that thinks he heard the tread of the hunter. The Wanderer proceeds quietly and gives in to his feelings; on his lips comes a simple way that is not without a train of melancholy, which has its basis in the consciousness of the break between humanity and nature. But it's not as if the singing wanderer awakened the voices of the forest? Is not it, as if the tops and the birds in the same sway in his song with consistent, even as if nature answered even the singer with a counter- singing, which, falling silent, awakens a long echo, which the passing striding as an obituary follows. We continue waldeinwärts. Since the squirrel climbs, there chopping the woodpecker.

A) The path is arduous, the forest dense; now it goes up on a path that is made almost impassable by merely lying tree roots; now some distance by working through the thicket, as the hikers reached the top in a magnificent stroke of high powerful tribes. It expands the chest again and the first joyful moods return.

Or

B ) Manifold sounds of the house end here wildlife strike to the ear of the wanderer, the one dense district roams on little begangenem and arduous paths until it finally arrives in a clear part of the forest where the chest widens again and return the previous moods.

Meanwhile, the hiker comes to a different location of the forest. Because ... hark! This is receding game that is truly the passage of the hunter. From there you can clearly see the flight of the animals pursued ... now pop the shots ... finally the blood work is done, the hunters come running, you can hear their funny fanfare ... The wanderer turns away from this picture; his eyes fall on a different side of the forest, peaceful look down the high crowns on the doings of the people. Here the traveler hears again those Antistrophe with her long reverberation at the close of the dissonance goes down in a mighty surging chords.

2 Department: In the twilight

A) reverie

The wanderer rests from his swing. In the mysterious silence that surrounds him, approach him sweet memories. He believes the voice of the beloved to hear, and his heart responds to this voice. But the sighs of his longing replied sympathetically, placating the voice of nature. The heart is calm, the slumber is approaching the tired senses. Imperceptibly lost the thoughts: the dream begins. In this, however, the unbridled imagination shows an eerie, horrible subject. The fear tormented wanderer awakened suddenly ... The dream has fortunately deceived him ... there is nothing in its vicinity, which could disturb him; only the whisper of moving from the evening breeze treetop is heard. The wanderer breathed softly. The trepidation deviates from the heart, whose voice can be heard again. Stiller 's now silent in nature, even the tops. With the last thought in the distant beloved, a prayer for them on the lips, asleep hikers.

B ) Dance of the Dryads

In the twilight flit those delicate creatures, with which the imagination peopled the woods, out and flutter around the sleeper. Now it hovers around a single, then several, then a chorus. Now they are swaying high in the treetops from which sounds down her singing, then they again begin the dance and tease the slumbering hikers, whose secret they have overheard what they disappear.

Division 3: At night

Did the composer the forest still shown up to this point in relation to man, he lets him now as something appear element Aryan Independent and symbolized it by a melody that we call "Forest way ". - The silent weaving of the night in the forest begins, but it is soon interrupted by the horn calls admonishing the faithful Eckart, who presages the approach of the Wild Hunt, which for even once makes its entrance. Trampling of horses, whip, Rüdengebell, wild vocals, screams, curses, jeers, booming signals indicate the train hunting. Under the eerie sounds of ghosts romp escorted Frau Holle appears; then approaching them ourselves Lamenting her sorrow, curse the wretched woman blissful their lot, which they condemned eternally to follow at Wotan's side the night course. Wotan himself, the Ahasuerus of the forest, only joins these sounds, but then he gets up angrily and moves into darker Majesty the entourage preceded that accompanies the fallen god with wild cheers. Thus, they prefer waldeinwärts. The roar died away gradually. For a moment, nature seems to breathe of the rings spread terror. Only now you can hear some time the eerie goings of hunting from a distance. Already it is believed that she had left the woods entirely, when she returns, but as it were, inspired to rush the horrors of the new day in precipitous haste. At last the of ghosts has left the forest. It was now mild and warm the voice of nature calmed again, the forest way. The morning wind and the birds wake up and agree with a. Mighty always the way rushes through the treetops moving. Also, the wanderer awoke raises his voice and concurs with the hymn of nature. "

• Symphony