Psalm symphony

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Psalm Symphony by Igor Stravinsky is a symphony in three movements for choir and orchestra . The work was commissioned for the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930 and was revised by the composer in 1948. Each sentence is the setting of an Old Testament psalm :

  1. Ps 39 (38), 13-14 Vul ( Exaudi orationem meam )
  2. Ps 40 (39), 2–4 Vul ( Expectans expectavi Dominum )
  3. Ps 150  Vul ( Alleluja. Laudate Dominum )

The orchestra has an unusual cast: there are only low strings ( cello , double bass ) in addition to a large wood and brass ensemble , percussion instruments and two pianos , which give the work its unmistakable sound.

The performance takes about 23 minutes in total. The first movement is the shortest, the second begins with a woodwind fugue , an example of Stravinsky's orientation towards baroque and classical forms in the context of neoclassicism . The work has a haunting and individual character, which can also be traced back to Stravinski's knowledge of the sacred music of the Orthodox Church .

Web links