Symphony No. 3 in D, Op. 29/TH 26 (Polish)

Symphony No. 3 in D, Op. 29, Op. 29 (“Polish”) was composed in 1875 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) during a productive period between his early symphonies and the more psychologically intense works of his later career. Unique among his numbered symphonies, it is the only one in a major key and the only one cast in five movements, culminating in a brilliant finale marked by the rhythm of a polonaise, which earned the symphony its popular nickname and reflects the 19th-century fascination with stylized national dances. The work was premiered on November 19, 1875, in Moscow, conducted by Nikolai Rubinstein, and was warmly received. Although less frequently performed than Tchaikovsky’s Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Symphonies, Symphony No. 3 remains an important and increasingly appreciated part of the orchestral repertoire today, offering a glimpse into the composer’s style before the darker, emotional approach of his later masterpieces. Instrumentation: 2+1(Picc).2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint of the edition by Fritz Oeser.