1974
"Dithyramb". Symphony No. 3 (Symphony-concert No. 3)





To Mikhail Ermolaev (Kollontai)
65m
Not published
BZK. 15.12.1989
GASO. V. Verbitsky, solo M. Ermolaev (Kollontai)
Voronezh. 22 and 23.04. 1988. Voronezh Symphony Orchestra. V. Verbitsky, solo M. Ermolaev (Kollontai)
For large symphony orchestra with solo piano
"Dithyramb" in Greek means "hymn", "praise". It was composed in honor of Dionysus and performed at harvest festivals, timed to coincide with the end of field work. Having passed into European languages, this word acquired other shades, while retaining its main content - glorification.
The genre of "Dithyramb" is a rather rare genre of symphony with a concert instrument (in this case, the piano). The developed piano part and the abundance of cadenzas of the soloist make the work akin to a concert, or rather, to several concerts at once, if we take into account the volume of the work in comparison with the scale of a traditional instrumental concert. However, the general concept of the work is traditional for a symphony: the first part is a sonata form without development and has the character of a prologue, the second part is a scherzo, the third is slow, the fourth is a finale built on the leitmotif of bells, containing the last, main and very extended cadenza of the soloist. The coda of the finale is built on the material of the first part (prologue) and forms a musical-architectonic "arch" with its appearance.
The extreme complexity of the score and the length of its performance (over 60 minutes) determined its difficult fate: the work was performed only a few decades ago, and the recording made then is far from ideal in technical terms.
The wonderful "Dithyramb" is waiting to be discovered!
