Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto

Rachmaninoff was already an admired conductor and pianist when he wrote his Piano Concerto No. 3 to bring along on his first tour of the United States.  On that tour, he performed the concerto with the New York Philharmonic under their conductor Gustav Mahler.

Dvořák's Symphony No. 7

Considered at first to be a composer of popular music and not a great symphonist, it was Brahms who believed in Dvořák enough to set him up with an important publisher.  Written for the London Symphony, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 is a personal catharsis and a masterpiece in tragedy.

Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6

Following the conventional success of his Symphony No. 5, written to pacify the Soviet leaders scandalized by his opera Lady Macbeth, Shostakovich composed the Symphony No. 6.  Characterized by its unusual Largo opening and scherzo-like finish, the work exhibits Mahler’s influence on Shostakovich’s sound worlds.

From the Archives: Comparisons

The sheer scope of the Symphony's recorded legacy allows us to hear the same piece performed over the years. Differences are fascinating, but sometimes the similarities are just as remarkable. As the conclusion of the series, this episode takes the broadest approach yet, sweeping freely over the Symphony's history from 1925 onwards as it illustrates the change, growth, and evolution of this wonderful orchestra down the years.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 6

To escape the city of Vienna, Beethoven often spent his summers in the rural counties surrounding it—a love reflected in his Symphony No. 6, Pastoral. With movements titled Awakening of joyful sentiments upon arriving in the country and Scene by the brook, the work depicts life in the country.