Ernst Krenek - Symphony No.3; Potpourri

Ernst Krenek

Symphony No. 3

Potpourri Op. 54

Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR, Takao Ukigaya

Soon after completing his monumental Symphony No. 2, the young Ernst Krenek began tackling Symphony No. 3. A third shorter, the piece is also considerably more streamlined in terms of orchestration. The music is more cheerful than driven – perhaps even capricious with all its unexpected changes of mood. Towards the end of the first movement, a popular-style melody makes a fleeting appearance, almost like a grimace. Elsewhere, the music suddenly takes on a dance-like feel, reminiscent of a ballet. The sky then darkens briefly and unexpectedly before the sun reappears. It is an unusual and original piece of music.

The 3rd symphony itself is larger and more complex than the 5th however the coupling is a joky work called Potpourri. Out of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th (the only symphonies yet recorded) the 3rd is third or second from last in interest. The 3rd symphony seems to have less soul than either the 2nd or 1st symphonies. It also seems to have a very long opening movement taking up more than half the time of the work. This doesn't seem to bother me. Beethoven's Violin Concerto, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1, Brahms' Violin Concerto, and Shostakovich's 6th symphony all have very long first movements and various degrees of success in executing such long periods with a break in continuity. To me, Krenek seems to wander and a bit aimless although his tone is generally serious in the first movement.

The second and third movements combined are shorter than the first in total timing. The second movement starts out with a pensive tone which is otherwise unrelenting, but is broken up time to time by kind of quiet or stillness. The third movement seems to be the reward where a sort of jaunty scherzo-like character exists. Serious sighs break up the "happy jokes." Finally the mostly atonal-work becomes somewhat tonal and the polar opposites combine for an incomplete sounding anti-heroic and anti-climatic ending.

The piece called Potpourri is just fun music. It is like the ballet and film side to Shostakovich except that it is Krenek.