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Symphony Of Psalms Stravinsky

Symphony of Psalms is a work for chorus and orchestra of Igor Stravinsky , written between January and August 1930 in Nice , then in Switzerland.

Summary

1 History
2 Structure
Orchestration 3
4 Major Record

History

This is a work commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky for ^the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (among other partitions ordered this occasion, we note the Konzertmusik for string orchestra and brass of Paul Hindemith and the Concerto in G major from Maurice Ravel ).

Koussevitzky wanted a piece "popular". Stravinsky gave this term to mean "universally admired" and not the meaning of "adapt to the popular understanding." He chose Psalm 150, in part for its popularity but also a compelling reason: the Psalms are poems of excitement, anger, judgmental and even curse.

The particularity of this piece is that the game is to Stravinsky traditions. Indeed, a symphony of profanity (not related to religion) and the psalm belongs to the realm of the sacred. This piece is new because it breaks the customs.

The musician is confessional Orthodox but little written scores of religious inspiration. His Mass was written almost 15 years later and his Requiem was composed in the 1960s when the composer was more than 80 years. To this must be added a short cantata Babel, and a few choruses.

The premiere took place in Brussels on 13 December 1930 under the direction of Ernest Ansermet.

This piece has been adapted for dance

Structure

Composed soon after Oedipus Rex , its genesis was reversed, Stravinsky first dialing the third movement, then the first two.

The work has three parts to be played without interruption, and its execution takes about twenty minutes. The structure is customary three movements of the musician ( Symphony in Three Movements , Symphony in C , various concertos ...) and opposes the classic form in four movements.

The presence of a double fugue in the first movement is significant and makes reference to Bach.

Psalm XXXIX: Exaudi orationem meam (verses 13 and 14)
Psalm XL Expectans expectavi Dominum (verses 2-4)
CL Psalm: Laudate Dominum (all)

Orchestration

Orchestration requires a mixed choir, including a set of children, may be replaced by female voices. The orchestra has neither violin , viola , or clarinet, the latter being substituted by the voices. The winds are set values. Wood (flute, bassoon, oboe) and brass abound. Another feature of the work is significant: there is the presence of two pianos and a harp.