Shostakovich- Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, op. 47 Part III
The quiet but powerful third movement of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.
III. Largo
The third movement contrasts sharply with both the upbeat Allegretto and the Finale that follows.
It opens with long melodic lines in the violins over a calm see of accompaniment in the second violins and low strings. In fact, the low strings blur the line between harmony and countermelody. At 1:17, 4-note descents in the bass explore new depths we have not yet heard in the symphony as the music swells and fades away repeatedly. The first melodic idea lasts over two minutes.
At 2:08 the first violins play a figure consisting of four repeated notes and then a three-note “turn” (from now on I’ll refer to this as the “turn motive”). This is sequenced upwards before a slowly rising harp (2:47) ushers in a beautiful but melancholy flute solo with twinkling accompaniment by the harp (2:55). The second flute joins the first, playing low in its register. The sparse instrumentation of this passage only contributes to the feeling that we’re listening a sort of elegy or requiem for something that is now just a pleasant memory.
A descent in the low strings at the end of the flute duet leads to a powerful string passage (3:48) with very little in the way of rhythmic distinction. The strings crescendo, driving by a powerful underlying bass. At 4:16 the violins begin to play a series of rising and falling lines. The energy dissipates, and at 5:07 the low strings play an inversion of the turn motive first heard in the violin.
Shivering viola tremolos rise at 5:19, hovering just audibly at the top of their range as a solo oboe plays a lamenting melody based on a 3-note descending motive. The low strings play a muted response (6:11) and a lone clarinet repeats the oboe’s lament accompanied by the flutes. The violas descend, landing softly on a warm cushion of string chords (7:09) before the flutes return at 7:25.
Glockenspiel notes sound twice before the low winds play a melody based on the low string figure heard at 5:07. Strings re-enter (8:38) and urgently begin to rise as other instruments join the chorus. The violins play a series of “turns” beginning at 8:59 which sequence upwards and resolve to extremely anxious tremolos. Against this backdrop, the winds, strings, and xylophone play the turn motive, which is answered by a deep, very Russian-sounding ascent in the low strings. The turn motive is sequenced upwards before the melody rises upwards and abruptly stops at 9:57. The response can almost be felt physically as a series of 3-note descents in the cello over what sounds like a beehive of violin and viola tremolos plays angrily. Accents on the downbeats from the bass provide more expressive power. A wind and string descent at 10:34 adds on another layer of strings as the violins play an inverted turn motive before a 5-note ascent in orchestral unison is brought back down to earth by the cellos and basses (11:09).
Quiet turn motives enter at 11:45 in the strings. The violins begin to ascend over sustains in the rest of the strings. The harp returns accompanying the violins in a repeat of the flute’s solo at 12:52, which by now has lost all of its comfort. The cold, unsympathetic strings to not reassure as at all like the warm sound of the flute did. A descent in the bass line (13:27) followed by a haunting, octave ascent from the harp leads to a lamenting harp melody played in octaves over tremolo strings. Warm string chords bring the movement to a shimmering but unconvincing conclusion.
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If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend Valery Gergiev’s 2004 release with the Kirov Orchestra on Philips. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Alternatively, you can purchase this recording from the iTunes Music Store often at a reduced price by following the link below.
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