Symphony No.3 in D minor “Palaminian“ - Manolis Kalomiris

Athens State Orchestra conducted by Byron Fidetzis. Nikitas Tsakiroglou as the reciter. I - A Fay Gave me Birth. Moderato - (attacca): 0:00 II - The labourer. Scherzo - (attacca): 9:26 III - Love. Lento ma non troppo: 13:21 IV - The Fair of Kakava. Finale: 22:18 Kalomiris’ Symphony No.3 was composed in Spring of 1955, being premiered on January 22 of 1956 at the Orpheus Theatre in Athens, performed by the Athens State Orchestra conducted by Andreas Paridis, along Thanos Kotsopoulos as the reciter. The work was received with great enthusiasm and was praised to the skies by almost the entire Athenian circle of musicians and intellectuals. The Palamian Symphony stands as one of the greatest landmarks, not only in modern Greek music but also in Greek art and beyond. The subtitle refers to the great Greek poet Costis Palamas, a lifelong friend of Kalomiris and a powerful inspiration for his works. The own composer wrote the following: “Whatever good and pure I have produced is most of the time inextricably bound to Palamian verse, to the Palamian Idea. Today, in my declining years, and before I set out on the ultimate journey, I wish for yet once more to sing against the backdrop of His divine lyre. And I set the Palamian Symphony as an altar, a monument of my faith to the ever-lasting Greek Art and the Poet who symbolizes it.“ The symphony thus homages the poet through a reciter on Palamas’ poetry. The first movement sets the tenth song of Iambs and Anapaests, which Kalomiris had heard from the own poet forty years before. An orchestral chord introduces the reciter with the first two lines of the poem. A rhythmic main theme is then presented, which grows more resolute and decided until reaching a climax. A lighter, dance-like episode brings contrast before the music regains momentum, moving forward with energy while briefly pausing in some short slower sections. After an intense climax, the reciter reappears with the last two lines of the poem. A transition leads us to the next part. The second movement is a short monothematic scherzo. This movement, as well as the following ones, use stanzas from the poem “Twelve Words of the Gypsy“. It opens with a lively orchestral introduction, the reciter enters in the middle of a climax with the first lines. The trumpet introduces a figure that moves the scherzo forward until reaching a colourful climax. The reciter then reappears passionately with the last paragraph, leading us to a forceful orchestral response after which comes the next part. The third movement takes the form a nocturne. It begins with a harp ostinato with lyrical wood solos, as the reciter enters meditatively. A lyrical theme slowly emerges from the solos in this nocturnal ambient, fully exposed by the cello. The music unfolds lyrically but becoming more chromatic, rising in a climax. The main theme is recapitulated by strings, leading us to an expressive climax with full orchestra. As the music calms down, the reciter reappears with romantic lines. The theme reappears on the wood, growing into a dissonant climax. The reciter continues with bitterly poetry lines, leading us to an unsatisfied coda. The fourth movement is very free in form. It opens with the reciter in a serene peroration. As the orchestra enters, the music begins to gain to wake from lethargy, gaining tremendous tension and energy. The last line is recited in the middle of a furious section of bellicose spirit. Follows contrasting dance sections and some capricious rhythmical episodes; but the overall tone is one of powerful assertiveness. An intense final climax leads us to a triumphal coda, with which the work brilliantly ends. Picture: Statue of Kostis Palamas near the Cultural Centre of Anthens. Musical analysis mostly written by myself. Sources: , Unfortunately, the score is not available.