Nikolai Myaskovsky Symphony No. 21 in F sharp minor, Op. 51

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Publication date: 1949
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA,
EUGENE ORMANDY, conductor
Nikolai Myaskovsky's Symphony No. 21 in F-sharp minor, Op. 51, composed in 1940, occupies a special place not only in the composer's oeuvre but in all of Soviet symphonic music. This work was a creative breakthrough—the quintessence of Myaskovsky's mature style, embodied in a remarkably laconic and emotionally charged form. Unlike the large-scale canvases of his earlier symphonies, the Twenty-first is a single-movement composition lasting approximately 17 minutes, allowing it to be classified as a chamber symphony.

The symphony's origins stem from a commission from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary. This international context may have inspired Myaskovsky to move away from strictly "Soviet" themes and create a work with a universal lyrical and philosophical resonance. The symphony opens with a focused, elegiac theme in low strings, which sets the tone for the entire subsequent narrative—profound, introspective, and dramatic. This epigraph-like theme becomes a leitmotif, permeating the entire development of the work.

The symphony's musical language is marked by Myaskovsky's characteristic combination of clear tonality and tense chromatic harmony, creating a sense of inner turmoil and a luminous weight. The composer masterfully builds the dramaturgy from a melancholic beginning through tense, tragic climaxes to a enlightened and reconciling finale in a major key. Despite its compact size, the music covers a vast emotional range, reminiscent of a condensed psychological drama.

Symphony No. 21 was enthusiastically received both in the USSR, where it received the first-degree Stalin Prize, and abroad, becoming one of Myaskovsky's most frequently performed works. It represents a unique fusion of lyrical confession and polished symphonic form, embodying the composer's "late, austere style." It is not a monumental canvas, but rather a deeply personal statement, simultaneously intellectual and emotional, which ensured its longevity in concert halls.

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