About this edition
Sibelius's Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52 (1907) marks a decisive turning point in the composer's symphonic language — a deliberate retreat from the late-Romantic expansiveness of the first two symphonies toward a leaner, classically-proportioned clarity. Cast in three movements rather than the customary four, the work fuses scherzo and finale into a single remarkable structure that builds from fragmentary woodwind figures to one of the most luminous and hard-won C-major perorations in the symphonic literature. Dedicated to Granville Bantock and premiered in Helsinki under the composer's own baton, the Third stands as Sibelius's most concentrated essay in symphonic economy before the radical compression of the Fourth.
This edition reproduces the original full score issued by Lienau / Schlesinger of Berlin in 1907 (plate number S 9432), the work's first publication and the version prepared in close consultation with the composer. Held by the Library of Congress under call number M1001 .S563.3, this Schlesinger printing is the source from which subsequent editions descend and remains an authoritative reference text for conductors and scholars studying Sibelius's original notational intentions, orchestral layout, and dynamic markings as they first appeared in print.
About this edition:
- Full orchestral score (conductor's score), complete in all three movements
- Reproduced from the 1907 Schlesinger first edition, plate S 9432
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches, printed for clear study and rehearsal use
- Sourced from a public domain historical printing
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
This volume is a faithful reproduction of a historical score that has entered the public domain, offered to make a cornerstone of the early twentieth-century symphonic repertoire conveniently available to conductors, orchestral players, students, and scholars who wish to work from the original published text.