Symphony No. 3
Roy Harris
Work background
Researched classical background
Roy Harris compressed the Third Symphony into one continuous movement, organized into several contrasting phases rather than separate numbered movements. Long string lines give way to increasingly active contrapuntal writing and a fugue before the concluding section. The work was championed by Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, whose premiere helped establish it in the American orchestral repertory.
A listening guide
Follow the growth from sustained string writing into more active imitative textures.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Orchestra
Composition: 1938-1939
Publisher catalogue gives 1938; Library of Congress manuscripts span 1938-39. Premiere was 1939.
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Date, title and version notes
Sources differ between a 1938 completion label and 1938-39 manuscript chronology; both are preserved.
Wise Music Classical: Roy Harris Third Symphony
1938 catalogue date, composer structure and orchestration | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Library of Congress: Roy Harris papers
Third Symphony manuscripts dated 1938-39 | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
Wise Music Classical: Roy Harris Third Symphony
1938 catalogue date, composer structure and orchestration | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Library of Congress: Roy Harris papers
Third Symphony manuscripts dated 1938-39 | Reviewed 2026-10-19
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