Symphony Saturday

Sorry for missing last week, but here we are again. Tchaikovsky's third symphony, the Symphony No. 3 in D Major, is an interesting work, almost experimental in its form. The symphony is in five movements instead of four, and in it Tchaikovsky makes use of Polish dance rhythms, which led to the work initially being dubbed the "Polish" Symphony.

The symphony is kind of an odd work. It has a sense of optimism that seems, frankly, a little out of place for the famously brooding Tchaikovsky; this is the only one of his symphonies to be written in a major key.

Here is the Symphony No. 3 in D major. Next week, the Fourth, which is a work I've struggled with over the years.