Manfred Symphony

Manfred Symphony
by Tchaikovsky
First edition cover-page.
Key	B minor
Opus	58
Based on	Manfred
Composed	1885
Published	1886
Movements	4
Premiere
Date	March 23, 1886 (1886-03-23)
Location	Moscow

Manfred is a "Symphony in Four Scenes" in B minor by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, his Opus 58, but unnumbered. It was written between May and September 1885 to a program based upon the 1817 poem of the same name by Byron, coming after the composer's Fourth Symphony and before his Fifth.

Like the fantasy-overture Romeo and Juliet, Tchaikovsky wrote Manfred at the behest of the nationalist composer Mily Balakirev, who provided him the program, which had a long history. Critic Vladimir Stasov had written it and sent it to Balakirev in 1868 hoping the latter would write such a symphony. But Balakirev had felt unable to carry out the project and instead had at first forwarded the program to French composer Hector Berlioz, whose programmatic works impressed him. Berlioz in turn had declined the project claiming old age and ill health and returned to the program, after which it had remained with Balakirev until he reestablished contact with Tchaikovsky in the early 1880s.

Manfred is the only programmatic symphonic work by Tchaikovsky in more than one movement and is larger than any of his numbered symphonies both in length and instrumentation.^[1] He initially considered the work one of his best, and in a typical reversal of opinion later considered destroying all but the opening movement. The symphony was greeted with mixed reviews, some finding much to laud in it, and others feeling that its programmatic aspects only weakened it. Manfred remained rarely performed for many years, due to its length and complexity. It has been recorded with increasing frequency but is still seldom heard in the concert hall.